The Patterson Foundation Strengthens Six Advancing Mission Thrivability Nonprofits with Strategic Decision-Making Consulting

For the past few months, The Patterson Foundation has hosted dozens of regional nonprofit organizations as part of Advancing Mission Thrivability. The purpose of this opportunity is to educate nonprofits on strategic approaches to making mission-focused, economically informed decisions for their programs, products, and services. After the online learning component of Advancing Mission Thrivability concluded, The Patterson Foundation selected six participating nonprofits to receive five weeks of individualized, 1:1 consulting.

Nonprofits are not immune to the social and economic challenges of COVID-19. The pandemic has forced organizations to make difficult decisions regarding operations, staffing, service delivery, financial management, and more. Designed to strengthen these organizations by sharing mission-centric, economically informed approaches to decision-making, Advancing Mission Thrivability is increasing their impact and reach in the communities they serve.

“With the pandemic continuing to introduce and compound challenges for our vital nonprofit community, Advancing Mission Thrivability is needed more than ever in today’s resource-challenged world,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. “Through this opportunity, The Patterson Foundation helps organizations in our communities learn ways to make sound operational and financial decisions that are aligned with their missions. This additional consulting opportunity will further strengthen their impact across our region.”

Advancing Mission Thrivability is presented in a series of online learning sessions hosted by No Margin, No Mission — a national consulting practice and social enterprise. During each session, the regional nonprofits learned how to sustain their organizations by making decisions aligned with their mission and economic considerations.

Upon completion, participating organizations were given the option to apply for an additional learning opportunity. The Patterson Foundation is re-engaging No Margin, No Mission to provide 1:1 consulting to six of these nonprofits over five weeks. During this time, each can examine decisions for their own specific programs.

The organizations participating in this extended consulting opportunity include:

• Charlotte County Homeless Coalition
• Charlotte Players, Inc.
• Mayors’ Feed the Hungry Program
• National Alliance on Mental Illness of Sarasota and Manatee Counties
• Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens, Inc.
• Peace River Wildlife Center

Organizations with a profile on The Giving Partner are eligible to participate in Advancing Mission Thrivability. Formed by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Giving Partner is a large database that seeks to connect donors with more than 700 nonprofits located throughout Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties. This directory acts as a valuable resource for grantmakers and other philanthropists to guide their giving.

NGO Thrivability initiative is part of The Patterson Foundation’s NGO Thrivability initiative. This initiative connects nonprofits with expertise and resources to learn concepts like strategic decision-making while adopting and implementing entrepreneurial principles to generate enough revenue to support and eventually grow their operations.

Learn more about Advancing Mission Thrivability.