The NonprofitCenters Network

Join your peers from across North America and around the world for two full-days of training and networking with professionals who are creating and operating successful shared workspaces and services.

In This Issue:

Save the Date: Building Opportunities:
The Nonprofit Shared Space and Services Conference
May 18-20, 2009
Washington, DC
This year Conference’s theme, Collaborating Solutions for Long-term Sustainability, is especially suited for organizations planning to weather hard economic times. The conference is an inspirational and practical tool for our sector to look for opportunities to increase long-term infrastructure cost savings and gain greater efficiencies through creative solutions in shared space and services.  Explore ways to build long-term stability through joint operating support to enhance services and benefits to communities seeking positive social change. Early bird registration starts February 1st and closes March 31st. Special early bird registration fee: $275 for NCN Members / $475 for Nonmembers.

Controlling Overhead:
Keys to Successfully Sharing Space and Services
January 27, 2009
9:30 AM-11:30 PM Pacific
Marin Nonprofit Resource Center
Administrative cost-sharing and shared services can reduce nonprofit costs by offering purchasing power, flexibility and concentrated expertise. These cost savings can make your operations more sustainable and fund increased services or expansion. Explore proven tools for creating shared services, including management structures, pitfalls to avoid, and funding strategies. Join Shelley Hamilton of MarinSpace and Roxanne Hanson of The NonprofitCenters Network. For more information and registration, visit our website.

Know Your Market
February 10, 2009
11:00 AM-12:30 PM PST
Who are your potential tenants? How can you effectively reach them? Real estate professionals share best practices for understanding your potential market, whether you are a developing project, a center preparing for expansion, or just looking to cover regular tenant turnover in this economy. Learn how to conduct market analysis and ways to use it for feasibility studies and tenant recruitment. 

Shared Services: Pricing & Allocation Models
March 17, 2009
11:00 AM-12:30 PM PST
Shared services reduce costs, decrease redundancies and increase investment in mission and program-related activities for participating organizations. But how do you ensure that your shared services model is sustainable? What pricing structure should you use and how can you best allocate the costs and benefits of the shared services? Explore different pricing models to determine which one works for your organization.

Green Design on a Dime
April 7, 2009
11:00 AM-12:30 PM PST
While sustainably-designed buildings help reduce operating expenses, limited budgets in this volatile market may make a green facility seem out of reach.  Tune in to learn tips and tools to get the most bang for your buck in green design and operations.

Did you miss our webinars? Visit our Resource Center to download our presentations.

Join us for one of these 90-minute workshops on a nonprofit center hot topic without leaving your desk!  Webinars are free for NCN members, $40 for non-members. Register at www.nonprofitcenters.org/events.

Planting a Seed: Foundations Build Communities with Shared Nonprofit Workspace
This new guide illuminates the benefits and challenges foundations experience in creating nonprofit centers. The free guidebook showcases foundations that have succeeded and provides concrete examples of the resulting benefits to the nonprofits, communities, and the foundations themselves. You can find this resource on the NCN Publication Center at www.nonprofitcenters.org/resources.

Building Blocks for Success: Building a Vibrant Tenant Community
While there is no "secret formula" for engineering a thriving community in a nonprofit center, there are strategies to encourage tenants to collaborate, share resources and support each other. Jackie Cefola from Third Sector New England, Eli Malinsky from The Centre for Social Innovation, Nino Tillman and John Perkins from the Institute of Cultural Affairs share tips for how to develop programs, services and physical spaces that foster community. Find this resource at NCN Resource Center at www.nonprofitcenters.org/resources.

Find more handy resources, visit our Online Resource Center.

John S. and James L. Knight Nonprofit Center Grand Opening
The Knight Nonprofit Center a collaborative effort of four organizations, celebrated its grand opening on January 22, 2009. The newly renovated 70,000 square-foot facility houses 22 nonprofit organizations serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  The Knight Nonprofit Center was created to give local organizations the office space they need to help South Mississippians get back on their feet after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. For news story, video coverage, or for more information, contact Catherine M. Gautier at cgautier@knpcenter.org.

Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) Purchases Property for Nonprofit Center
Congratulations to MEDA, who just purchased the property at 2301 Mission Street in San Francisco to open their new nonprofit center. MEDA’s vision is to create a community center that serves the asset development and family support needs of San Francisco’s Latino immigrants, while providing a stable place for community groups to provide their services.  For more information, contact Luis Granados at lgranados@medasf.org.

Sobrato Foundation Opens Second Nonprofit Center
Building on the success of their first center in Milpitas, the Sobrato Family Foundation opened its second nonprofit center in downtown San Jose, California in November. The 110,000 square-foot Sobrato Center for Nonprofits includes multi-purpose training and meeting spaces designed to support place-based organizing that is accessible to all Bay Area nonprofits rent-free.  For more information, contact Diane Parnes at dparnes@sobrato.org.

Tides Canada Celebrates the Opening of Tides Renewal Centre
Tides Canada, in partnership with Renewal Partners, will celebrate the opening of the Tides Renewal Centre in late February. Tides Renewal Centre, located in one of Vancouver’s oldest buildings, was renovated with four floors of LEED-certified commercial office space. The Centre provides 30,000 square feet of rentable office and meeting spaces for social entrepreneurial tenants. For more information, contact Steven Ballegeer at steven@renewalpartners.com.

Welcome New Members
Goodwill Industries Renaissance Montreal, Oregon Mentors and Three Oaks Realty & Development have become the newest members of The NonprofitCenters Network.  Join the Network today to take advantage of conference discounts, free webinars and members-only resources!

Development and Communications Officer or Director
MEDA is looking to fill the position of Development and Communications Officer or Director. This person is responsible for the full range of fund development and communications for the organization. Fundraising activities include grant writing, reporting and coordinating and implementing the organization’s annual event and homeownership fair. This person is also responsible for assisting in the development and implementing MEDA’s communications and marketing strategy. For more information, please contact Luis Granados at lgranados@medasf.org

Do you have an exciting development or interesting experience that you would like to share with the Network?  Send your news to info@nonprofitcenters.org and we will add it to the next Blueprint for Success.

Save the Date: Building Opportunities 2009 May 18-20th, 2009 Washington, DC.