Maryland Nonprofits, a nonpartisan, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to strengthening nonprofit organizations and networks for greater quality of life and equity, celebrates 30 years of being a trusted resource, advocate, and partner for the more than 30,000 nonprofits in Maryland.
To commemorate this milestone, Maryland Nonprofits is launching its anniversary campaign, ‘This is the moment to care.’ The initiative will address the urgent need for a shift towards an internal culture of care within the nonprofit sector.
It will provide innovative tools and strategies to help organizations care for their teams with the same passion that they support those impacted by their missions.
“Nonprofit organizations depend first and foremost on our people – our staff, volunteers, and boards. We cannot care for others without first caring for ourselves,” says Heather Iliff, Maryland Nonprofits’ President & CEO, who is celebrating her 15th year with the organization this April.
“Discussing workplace culture in this moment is critical, particularly as many nonprofit staff are women and people of color, and we know COVID-19 has added stressors and exacerbated pre-existing class, gender, and racial inequities. After two draining years, our organizations continue to operate in crisis-response mode. Especially in the context of the ‘Great Resignation,’ we must recognize and address the unprecedented prevalence of exhaustion and overwork.”
An economic and social force, nonprofits employ 12.9% of the private sector workforce in Maryland and process more than $300 million in payroll weekly. By embarking on this campaign, Maryland Nonprofits aims to leverage the sector’s collective power to advocate within economic, political, cultural, and social systems to foster a caring culture in the workplace.
For 30 years, Maryland Nonprofits has been the source of capacity-building services for its members, including consulting, training, an annual conference, and the national Standards for Excellence program. Founded in 1992 with 139 charter members, the organization currently has more than 1,350 members across the state.
Maryland Nonprofits has served as a clearinghouse for information during the COVID-19 crisis, advocating for and helping organizations to access relief funding, and working to address the disproportionately negative health and economic impacts the pandemic has had on Black and Latino communities.
March 25, 2022, marks Maryland Nonprofits’ official birthday and the convening of the first event of the campaign, ‘Beginning the conversation around building full-hearted, caring workplaces.’ All are invited to attend. Register here: https://sforce.co/3HV1t4s
For more information about the campaign, follow the hashtag #ThisIsTheMomentToCare on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or visit www.marylandnonprofits.org.
About Maryland Nonprofits
With more than 1,350 members, Maryland Nonprofits is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit associations, with a mission to strengthen organizations and networks for greater quality of life and equity. The association has 30 years of experience and expertise and provides a range of programs and services that help organizations build their capacity, operate more efficiently, engage in cross-sector dialogue fostering collaboration, and advocate for key policy issues.
Maryland Nonprofits offers the Standards for Excellence®, a nationally replicated accreditation program that enhances governance, management, and the public’s trust in the nonprofit sector. It is also home to the Maryland Association of Resources for Families and Youth and Maryland Latinos Unidos.
Media Contact: Lydia Alcock, Director of Operations and Marketing, Maryland Nonprofits, 443-438-2347, lalcock@mdnonprofit.org