Non-profit Organization finalist: Nonprofit Resource Center of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County

As a department of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the Nonprofit Resource Center provides training, education, resources and consulting services to all nonprofits in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Necessary to keep it running smoothly is Vice President of Nonprofit Services Judith Bell. Bell used to visit Sarasota every year for a retreat while working for Girls Incorporated, in New York.

“Every year I would drive over the Ringling Bridge and think, ‘I want to live here,’” says Bell. “I wanted to be a part of the community.”

With 1,200 nonprofits in Sarasota and Manatee counties, the Nonprofit Resource Center is a necessity. With the tagline, “The resource nonprofits trust,” the Nonprofit Resource Center served the needs of more than 700 nonprofit agencies last year.

The Nonprofit Resource Center provides the training, support and consultation local nonprofits need to effectively govern, fundraise, communicate and manage staff and volunteers. This enables charitable organizations to be more effective at achieving their missions. It also boasts 24 volunteer consultants who provide pro bono services to nonprofits.

When the economic situation became difficult, the demands for the Nonprofit Resource Center’s services and those of the nonprofits tripled, according to Bell. The Nonprofit Resource Center eliminated all fees for consulting services. In 2010, it provided more than $60,000 worth of consulting services at no cost to the organizations.

Nonprofit Resource Center’s e-newsletter won a national Gold Award for Excellence in Communications by the Council on Foundations. It reaches 2,300 subscribers.

“Our e-newsletter provides easy access and is always timely,” says Bell. “It’s one place you can get relevant information quickly.”

Looking toward the future, Bell wants to provide more online classes and would like to see even closer working relationships between the nonprofit community and business community.

“I often stop to think of how lucky Sarasota’s citizens are to live in a place with so many choices for expressing their charitable passions,” Bell said. “In this community — so rich with strong nonprofit organizations — we can share our financial and volunteer powered resources with agencies that support our environment, celebrate creative expression, prevent child abuse, nurture our senior citizens, advocate for homeless pets and countless other missions that make our community such a force for good. It’s rewarding to live here and to be part of the Community Foundation, because we bring these working parts together for donors, nonprofits and the community at large.”

AT A GLANCE

Address: 2635 Fruitville Road, Sarasota

Start date (of resource center): 2001

Number of employees when started: One

Number of employees now: Three-and-a-half

Advice for other non-profits: “Times are requiring even more efficient and effective ways of doing business and the Nonprofit Resource Center has services that can help nonprofits analyze their business practices. We are here to help,” says Vice President of Nonprofit Services Judith Bell.

Biggest challenge: “Keeping up with all the demands and meeting the expectations of so many nonprofits.”

Where do you see your business a year from now? “We would like to have more consultants who can offer more pro bono services. We’d also like to have more online classes.”

Best place to go for a power lunch? “Mediterraneo.”

What was the first day on the job like? “I met with the staff, who are still the same now, and we quickly planned a welcoming party for me to the community,” says Judith Bell. “I was overwhelmed by the number of people I had to get to know and the number of events I had to attend.”

If you could have any job for the day, what would you do? “I would love to run Key Sailing,” says Bell. “She (Janet Hamel Solomon) has the best attitude of anyone I have ever met. I’m not a sailor, but I could be if I get to do anything for a day.”

Who is your business hero/inspiration? “Andy Goodman. He’s a storyteller, humorist and inspiring writer. Andy has taught me that through the use of stories, we can connect with the heart of a donor. A story shares emotion as well as impact. It tells why we do what we do.”

What is one advantage of having your business in Sarasota? “There are a lot of nonprofits, and they are such an integral part of the culture here that the Nonprofit Resource Center is essential to provide them with support that they need,” says Bell. “I also love the weather, the people and the way the community comes together.”

Contact Stephanie Hannum at [email protected].