NNSI Editorial Team

Better Know a Network

Better Know a Network: LawHelp New York Consortium

At the turn of the century, just as the Internet was becoming mainstream in the United States, five legal services organizations in New York came together to make the law more accessible to New Yorkers. These five collaborators were the City Bar Justice Center, the Legal Aid Society, Legal Services NYC, Pro Bono Net, and Volunteers of Legal Services. Together, they recognized how low-income and other vulnerable New Yorkers often

Defining the Jargon

Defining the Jargon: What is divergent thinking, and why should nonprofits practice it?

In the nonprofit world, where resources are often shared, limited, and sometimes even restrictive, one phrase is common in boardrooms and project meetings: let’s get creative. However, creativity sometimes seems to be a gift that some people have, and others don’t. The phrase “let’s get creative” never really answers how to get creative and practice it for what it is: a valuable skill in every workplace. At NNSI, many of

Better Know a Network

Better Know a Network: Summit Education Initiative

The Summit Education Initiative (SEI) began in 1996, when leaders of the community surrounding Akron, Ohio, came together to form the original framework of the network. In 2006, around 50 community leaders met again to discuss the direction of SEI and its role in the community. Since then, SEI has been leading the community’s commitment to supporting the success of children in Summit County. Through intervention that helps to empower

Better Know a Network

Better Know a Network: Communities That Care Coalition

The Communities That Care Coalition (CTC) was founded in 2002 in Franklin County, Massachusetts, in response to strong community concern for youth substance use, which had surpassed national averages. The initiative began with funding from Channing Bete, a publishing company in South Deerfield that initially supported the Communities That CareTM model, and a local business located in Greenfield matched their financing. Currently, much of their funding comes from federal, state

Better Know a Network

Better Know a Network: Building Our Future Kenosha

Building Our Future Kenosha (BOF) was founded in 2016 by Kenosha County to align work among different organizations and sectors towards the goal of improving educational outcomes for children in Kenosha County. In 2015, before Building Our Future Kenosha was the network that it is today, the business community in Kenosha County began having conversations with the community envisioning a collective approach to issues and resources in Kenosha. These community

Better Know a Network

Better Know a Network: sparks!

sparks! is an emergent network in La Crosse County, located in western Wisconsin. The network was founded after receiving a grant from the State of Wisconsin in 2015. This funding came through a state-level initiative granting money to 10 communities across the state. Part of the inspiration for these grants was to encourage businesses to understand the importance of early childhood, to create relationships between public and private-sector organizations around