A Season of Change

The approaching fall season brings with it a sense of comfortable permanence and the excitement of progress. After several stressful years for our sector, I am embracing the melodic cadence that accompanies this time of year – trainings at The Center are back in session; we are preparing for our annual Members’ Meeting and planning for several interim studies. Although familiar to us, each of these events has an air of change this year. We are offering new courses for our nonprofits; world-renowned hope researcher, Dr. Chan Hellman, will be joining us this year for Members’ Meeting, and for the first time in its history, The Center is involved in multiple interim studies.

A notable addition to our fall courses is the IUPUI Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s Fundraising Management Certification. Thanks to our generous sponsors – Devon, the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation and the Kirkpatrick Family Fund – 30 nonprofit professionals from across the state have access to this best-in-class curriculum. The feedback from participants has been phenomenal, with one remarking, “The depth and breadth of knowledge the professors have is magnified by being surrounded by a cohort of amazing nonprofit professionals. I have already learned so much, and we just started.” Hearing these testimonials speaks to how our programming is fulfilling The Center’s mission of, “helping nonprofits achieve excellence in their missions.”

Final preparations are underway for our annual Members’ Meeting, which will take place on September 15^th, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, on the 30^th floor of Tulsa’s Summit Club. The luncheon and networking event brings together our nonprofit members to celebrate one another and hear a motivational message. Dr. Chan Hellman will talk about his research on hope and how integrating it into our daily lives, work and communities is essential to our success and well-being. 

Policy and advocacy remain a key avenue for The Center to achieve its mission. We are continuing our work with the Oklahoma Commerce Department and the Nonprofit Council to help allocate funding from the $25 million ARPA Nonprofit Relief Program. Although the process of setting up the program has been tedious, making sure the nonprofit sector receives part of the state’s ARPA funding remains a top priority for me and my team.

I am pleased to share with you that The Center is engaged in several interim studies. Rep. Ty Burns and Sen. Julia Kirt are both sponsoring studies regarding donor intent. Rep. Marilyn Stark is looking into the tax implications of giving all nonprofits a sales tax exemption. We are providing experts to testify, the latest philanthropic research and nonprofit practices for each of these studies to ensure any future legislation is rooted in what is best for our sector.

As we all look out to the promise of a new season, I want to pause and acknowledge the hard work of all Oklahoma nonprofit employees. The weight of a pandemic, economic turmoil and increased demand did not hammer their spirit or resolve to make our communities better for everyone. The team at The Center never wavered from our mission or their commitment to uplifting and supporting the nonprofit sector. Leading this group of intelligent, hardworking people has been one of the greatest privileges of my professional career, and I know none of it would be possible without you and your generous support. Thank you for your continuing efforts to help us achieve our mission of excellence. Your contributions do not go unnoticed.

With Gratitude,

Marnie