Newly Launched 81Thrive Initiative
to Support Area Nonprofit Organizations Impacted by the Pandemic: 

• A discretionary financial award for the organization not to exceed $50,000 along with capacity building services up to $25,000 to assess, rebuild, redesign and sustain operations,

• A discretionary financial award toward development of a collaborative not to exceed $50,000 along with professional facilitation to support a collaboration or system improvement.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, June 22, 2020

We’ve witnessed disruption and loss in ways not seen in our lifetimes. Fortunately, thanks in large measure to the generosity of our community and through the collaborative work of our nonprofits, many of the needs of our most vulnerable citizens are being met. Nonprofits have demonstrated their critical role being on the front lines of the pandemic, but the impacts of this crisis have taken a toll and left them vulnerable.
 
Data was collected by the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE) on the impact of COVID-19 on 100 nonprofits in our region. They reported program cancellations and disruptions resulting in expected losses of over $28 Million and significant losses in revenue from cancelled event and fundraisers totaling $3.8 Million forcing 1:4 organizations to implement staff furloughs or layoffs. The impact is deep and wide. 
 
When asked what support would be needed to aid in their recovery, top responses included Financial Support (84.1%), Fundraising Assistance (53.7%), Strategic Planning (28%), Financial Forecasting (23.2%), Board Development (23.2%), and other supports including back-office support, program evaluation, and planning for collaborations or mergers.
 
In response to nonprofit needs, the 815CRT (815 Community Response Team), convened by NICNE, and which includes the United Way of Rock River Valley, Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, The Kjellstrom Foundation, Transform Rockford, RACVB and The Workforce Connection, has used this data to develop a strategy to support and sustain area nonprofits.  
 
Up to this point, the work of the 815CRT has focused on supporting basic, essential services for Rockford residents. Now the work will pivot to providing support for nonprofits addressing their own unforeseen needs as the pandemic continues to affect the future viability of our region’s organizations. “It is imperative that our nonprofits not only survive, but thrive, so they are able to provide crucial programs and services for vulnerable individuals, children and families, and offer arts and cultural opportunities, all of which also help the Rockford region thrive,” said Pam Clark Reidenbach, NICNE Executive Director. Nonprofit losses are deep, but the opportunity is great to rebuild and redesign service delivery and systems to ensure sustainability. This is an extremely difficult time for all of us but especially for nonprofits and we cannot afford to lose the vital resources they provide.
 
The 815CRT is launching the 81Thrive Initiative, which aims to partner with the nonprofit community and provide both funding and capacity building support services to assist in navigating changes while also providing operational funds to meet critical needs. “How we respond to these new realities and the needs of our vital nonprofits will define our community for many years to come,” said John Groh, 815CRT member and Executive Director of the RACVB.
 
81Thrive seeks to harness the collective generosity of Rockford to help our nonprofits to REBUILD organizations and systems impacted by the worst economic storm of our lifetime in a way that builds capacity and sustainability, REDESIGN and adapt to new realities while infusing financial resources to meet operational needs, and SUSTAIN. Nonprofits are critical to the health of our community, we need them to thrive now and into the future.
 
Each nonprofit selected to participate in the 81Thrive Initiative will be awarded one of the following: A discretionary financial award for the organization not to exceed $50,000 along with capacity building services up to $25,000 to assess, rebuild, redesign and sustain operations, OR a discretionary financial award toward development of a collaborative not to exceed $50,000 along with professional facilitation to support a collaboration or system improvement.
 
To be eligible, organizations must be a 501(c)(3) in Winnebago, Stephenson, Ogle, and Boone counties, with a priority given to Winnebago County-based organizations. Eligible organizations can learn more and apply at the 815CRT website. View a program summary flyer here. The 815 Community Response Team’s professional grant making team will oversee the application process and NICNE’s nonprofit industry experts will guide the capacity building component.
 
The 815CRT’s goal is to raise and deploy $2 million in support of vital nonprofit organizations in our community. “We are reaching out to the community to ask you to join us, other grantmakers and donors as we pool resources to respond to needs of our nonprofits. We recognize that we have more leverage and greater potential impact working together. We believe our collective work can do more than individual efforts and coordination will reduce duplication and expedite results,” claims Clark Reidenbach. “This is a rare opportunity to work together in the best interest of our community and the nonprofits we all support.” To learn more about how to give to support area nonprofits, contact one of the 81Thrive Initiative representatives listed below:
 
Pam Clark Reidenbach                          Linda Sandquist
Executive Director, NICNE                    Vice President, United Way of Rock River Valley
Pclark1@niu.edu                                  lindas@unitedwayrrv.org
815.298.5278                                          815.986.4817
 
NICNE is a nonprofit organizations affiliated with Northern Illinois University focused on promoting and growing innovation, excellence and social impact. They have worked in the Rockford region for 16 years offering nonprofit organizations education, training, resource supports, and initiative leadership. For more information on NICNE, please contact Pam Clark Reidenbach.

Coronavirus 2020 Strategy Toolkit

Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois Plan:
Phase 4 Begins Friday, 6.26

Here is a highlight of safety guidelines and regulations applicable to many NICNE Member Organizations, which will be put in place Friday, according to Pritzker's office:

• Meetings and events: Venues and meeting spaces can resume with the lesser of up to 50 people OR 50% of overall room capacity. Multiple groups are permitted given facilities have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups. This includes activities such as conferences and weddings.
• Indoor and Outdoor recreation: Revised guidelines. Indoor recreation to operate at lesser of 50 customers OR 50% of facility capacity with outdoor recreation allowing group sizes of up to 50, and permitting multiple groups given facilities have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups; concessions permitted with restrictions.
• Museums: Can reopen with no more than 25% occupancy, and with interactive exhibits and rides closed; guided tours should be limited to 50 people or fewer per group; museums should have a plan to limit congregation via advance ticket sales and timed ticketing; concessions permitted with restrictions.
• Cinema and Theatre: Indoor seated theaters, cinemas, and performing arts centers to allow admission of the lesser of up to 50 guests OR 50% of overall theater or performance space capacity (applies to each screening room); outdoor capacity limited to 20% of overall theater or performance space capacity; concessions permitted with restrictions.
• Outdoor seated spectator events: Outdoor spectator sports can resume with no more than 20% of seating capacity; concessions permitted with restrictions.
• Youth and Recreational Sports: Revised guidelines allow competitive gameplay and tournaments; youth and recreational sports venues can operate at 50% of facility capacity, 20% seating capacity for spectators, and group sizes up to 50 with multiple groups permitted during practice and competitive games given venues have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups; concessions permitted with restrictions.
• Health and fitness centers: Revised guidelines allow gyms to open at 50% capacity and allow group fitness classes of up to 50 people with new safety guidelines for indoors, with multiple groups permitted given facilities have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups.
• Day camps: Water-based activities permitted in accordance with IDPH guidelines; no more than 50% of facility capacity with group size of no more than 15 participants in a group, unless participants changing weekly.

Executive Exchange on Innovation

Leadership Exchange on Volunteerism

NEW DATES - Certificate in Nonprofit Management:
Financial Management

Calling All Change Agents!