PROVIDENCE – Three years ago, the United Way of Rhode Island Inc. launched its
five-year, $100 million LIVE UNITED 2025 comprehensive plan to help make transformative change across the Ocean State.
Within that plan, the prominent nonprofit
called for the creation of a resource center or association. That association, per the plan, would help “strengthen professional development and infrastructure capabilities in the sector.”
Three years later, a new alliance to support Rhode Island’s nonprofit sector is now open for business. About 250 local nonprofit leaders and representatives Thursday morning packed the Southside Cultural Center of Rhode Island to cut the proverbial ribbon on the United Way’s new Alliance for Nonprofit Impact.
The alliance, led by Executive Director Nancy Wolanski –
who was brought aboard over the summer – will work to strengthen local organizations through various specialized services, trainings, programming, tools and other services. There will be a focus on the needs of nonprofits led by Black, Indigenous and people of color and smaller nonprofits.
Additionally, the alliance, United Way officials said, will work to improve the “ecosystem” in which nonprofits operate. Such improvements would be strengthening connections with nonprofit funders and communities, addressing structural inequities and regulatory hurdles, and increasing nonprofits’ involvement and voice in policy development and research, United Way officials said. An advisory board for the alliance will be created moving forward as well, the United Way says.
United Way CEO and President Cortney Nicolato said in a statement that Rhode Islanders for so long have turned to nonprofits for assistance. Now, she said nonprofits will have someone to turn to when they need tools and support. Nicolato said at Thursday’s event the nonprofit sector is the “backbone of Rhode Island” and the COVID-19 pandemic proved it.
“Despite our crucial role, nonprofits often face oversight and underinvestment. The alliance is focused on changing that,” Nicolato said. “Elevating the visibility of our sector, the vital contributions and enhancing partnerships between policymakers and nonprofits to tackle community challenges effectively.”
Wolanski said there is “virtually no state agency” in Rhode Island that does not depend on nonprofits. When people discuss tourism in the Ocean State, hospitality is first brought up, but the arts and culture organizations that entertain visitors are nonprofits, she said.
Wolanski also said nonprofits are doing their respective “exhausting and overlooked” work in spite of structural inequities and historic underfunding. She said the state has to do a better job as a community in recognizing and resourcing that work.
“When we saw the light at the end of the tunnel with the pandemic, people were talking about reaching the new normal,” Wolanski said. “Instead, we need to think about the new better. What’s been normal for Rhode Island has not always been great for nonprofits, our communities, and our brothers and sisters in organizations of color. We have to do better.”
Providence Business News spotlighted in
a July 31, 2020, cover story where some local nonprofits felt the sector might benefit when it comes to training and funding by the creation of a singular organized voice or advocacy group. Nicolato told PBN in January 2022 that there is “absolutely a role” for a resource center to be in place in Rhode Island similar to how other such resource centers operate within 40 other U.S. states.
The alliance is being incubated within the United Way’s offices on Valley Street. It is also being funded by multiple grants, including
a four-year, $1 million gift from the Papitto Opportunity Connection. An 11-person design team
was also formed to help shape the alliance’s vision.
Tina Guenette, founder, CEO and president of local nonprofit Real Access Motivates Progress – or RAMP – who was part of the design team, said the main theme during the discussions on forming the alliance was taking care of smaller nonprofits and making sure accessibility is “at the forefront form the get go.” Roberto Gonzalez, founder of local youth STEAM nonprofit STEAMBox who was also on the design team, said the team members over the course of multiple meetings began prioritizing which communities and resources needed to be matched.
Both Gonzalez and Guenette admitted that they were both pessimistic about the alliance becoming a reality. Now, they each have varying degrees of optimism. Gonzalez, while optimistic, said there are still some things that need to be addressed, such as who are eligible for services and how will the BIPOC community will be served. Guenette said she’s optimistic because the United Way “acts on” their commitments, not just say that they will do it.
United Way officials say the alliance will soon make available additional resources such as pro bono office hours to provide accessible support with human resources, legal, technical assistance, professional development, accounting and finance, fundraising and marketing. Nicolato told PBN the programs will launch within the next week.
The alliance also will serve as a “collaboration hub,” the United Way said, serving as a clearinghouse for information about professional development and training available both with the alliance and other providers. It will also elevate the nonprofit sector’s impact via ongoing projects, including the United Way’s annual major fundraising initiative 401Gives Day every April 1.
Wolanski said Thursday the alliance will be a membership organization, but will be committed to being accessible to all nonprofits. She said memberships will offer practical tools, such as the volunteer management platform for free and discounts on early fall registration for 401Gives Day. Plus, Wolanski said the alliance will launch a year-round giving platform after 401Gives Day, with more details to be announced. Also, the 2024 memberships will be free for nonprofits if they sign up before April 1, she said.
Registration can be completed on
the alliance’s website.
Nicolato said she is optimistic many nonprofits will sign up for the alliance, based on the high level of interest from the number of organizations the United Way has communicated with. Guenette said she was the first member to sign up for the alliance, and is looking to get partnerships with others to share ideas on legal services, funding, grant writing and helping each other.
“We want to make sure that we are taken care of,” she said. “If there are 15 people doing food service and they all work together, and went for one big chunk of the pie instead of a sliver, they would go further and get more done.”
(UPDATE: Story recast with more details and comment)