Last week, the Allen Chamber hosted the very first meeting of the newly-formed Nonprofit Industry Council, a Chamber engagement group that connects local nonprofit organizations with area business leaders looking to support them. Credit Union of Texas was kind enough to host the meeting and provide lunch for all attendees. The group, chaired by Laurie Roberts with Grateful Gratitude, formed as a result of two key factors:
- Nonprofit organizations differ from an entrepreneur, small business, or large employer in terms of the Chamber’s value proposition
- Several area companies have mentioned wanting to give back and support various causes in the community, but aren’t sure where to plug in
The Nonprofit Industry Council aims to solve for both of these. Meeting formats are simple: every nonprofit in the room has one minute to share about their organization, who they serve, and their current needs (i.e. funding, donation items, volunteers, contacts, etc.). Each business has one minute to share about causes their company is passionate about and how they can offer to help.
After the meeting, the Chamber will follow up with all member attendees with contact information of fellow attendees. The Chamber will also collect the needs mentioned by each non-profit and compile them into an ongoing, current list of needs that can be shared with the broader business community looking to find ways to support charitable causes.
The next meeting is scheduled for November 12 at CUTX; registration will open soon. To learn more about the Nonprofit Industry Council or other engagement groups of the Allen Chamber, please reach out to margaret@allenchamber.com.
Related Allen Chamber Strategic Plan Goal: Engaged Community.
