Recognizing the hard work of nonprofits

Feb. 26—NEWBERRY — In Newberry County, there are a plethora of nonprofit organizations working to make the community a better place through their efforts. As a way to say thank you and to give them more tools to build a better community, Thrivent and the Newberry County Chamber of Commerce held a free luncheon to do just that.

During the luncheon, nonprofit representatives heard about local opportunities for development and growth from experts including Development Consultant Mitzie Schafer with GSB Fundraising, Vice President and COO of Together SC Benjamin Bullock and Program Officer with Central Carolina Community Foundation, Halie Brazier.

"We held this event to say thanks to our nonprofit leaders, staff and volunteers for all of the important work they do in Newberry County. This provided an opportunity to collaborate and spend time together and share additional resources so they can make even more of an impact without it feeling like work," said Robert Kopp, with Thrivent.

During the luncheon, held on Feb. 8, Kopp said they had 47 individuals in attendance. (That number represented even more than nonprofit groups, as many individuals volunteer and work for multiple organizations.)

"Some are volunteers that serve on multiple boards, there was a good bit of overlap. There was diversity in the organizations that participated, for sure," he said.

One of those in attendance was Anne Pinckney Smith, executive director of the Newberry Opera House. Her main excitement for the luncheon involved being in the room with everyone in Newberry County working to invest in the community and move the county froward.

"What I really took away from that was the collaboration aspect. I always thought about it, but didn't realize how much more of an impact all of our organizations could make by collaborating," she said.

During the networking portion, Smith said she was impressed with all of the fundraising efforts in the community.

"I always felt like I'm always the one wearing so many hats and I thought it was my management style and I've been hard on myself about that. I left understanding that is the life of a nonprofit executive director, you wear so many hats and you want to keep cost low to invest in your community more," she said.

As previously stated, different speakers discussed a multitude of topics for those in attendance. For example, Kopp said the Central Carolina Community Foundation representative spoke about the grants available to nonprofits, including some that are unrestricted funds, which Kopp said is uncommon.

"They shared about Midlands Gives, that will be on May 2, encouraging participation there. Michelle Long (Newberry County Chamber of Commerce) shared that they are working on offering Newberry on Board for training board members. Benjamin Bullock talked about the importance of collaboration, when organizations work together and apply together, they are more likely to be awarded," Kopp said.

Schafer shared with the group the importance of cultivating relationships with supporters and how that helps make fundraising easier and less uncomfortable.

Christina Henricks, the board chair for CREATE Newberry, had this to say about the nonprofit luncheon: "The seminar included presentations from representatives of the Central Carolina Community Foundation, Together SC, GSB consulting and Thrivent. The speakers highlighted a variety of resources and tips for nonprofit leaders to take advantage of learning and funding opportunities to maximize our resources and increase our effectiveness. We were encouraged to identify just one action step to take back to our organizations to improve our work."

Representatives with Thrivent encouraged organizations to tap in to Thrivent fraternal programs, like action teams and choice dollars.

"I touched on efficient giving strategies and how we need to share that information with donors," Kopp said.

Barbara Chapman, executive director of Newberry County Literacy Council, said this beneficial luncheon allowed her to learn about grants and other dollars available to her organization. She added that the luncheon reinforced the idea with her to say thank you, in a meaningful way, to donors.

"No matter if it is a person who gave five dollars, we need to send them a thank you note, handwritten. They love seeing handwritten notes and they will maybe give you funds the next year," Chapman said. "I do that, but this was a reinforcement for me."

Although Kopp helped plan the event, he said he was still surprised by the number of resources and opportunities shared with the nonprofit representatives in the room.

"I am grateful that I was able to provide an opportunity for nonprofits to gather together, find ways to further their impact, connect with additional resources, and deepen their relationships with their supporters. Thrivent offers expert solutions that help people achieve financial clarity, enabling lives full of meaning and gratitude," Kopp said.

This also may not be the last time such an event is held in Newberry County. Those interested in attending an event such as this can follow Kopp on his social media pages and his website (connect.thrivent.com/robert-kopp).

Reach Andrew Wigger @ 803-768-3122 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.