Grit & Dedication: Emerging Organizations Cohort Reflection
Eight months ago, I wrote a reflection about the opening session of our first Emerging Nonprofits Cohort. The cohort provided a more immersive learning experience for organizations who are on a path to becoming a nonprofit but do not yet have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Since October, seven fiscally sponsored projects of Propel have been meeting to celebrate successes, problem-solve, and build connections. Among many exciting things my colleague Laura Ciotti, Fiscal Sponsorship Program Director, and I discovered and witnessed as a fiscal sponsorship team, was how important and meaningful the connections formed among leaders in the cohort were.
Members of the cohort were generous, teaching one another—and Propel—about tools, insights and experiences in the field that made us all smarter and better informed. We spent time naming the challenges posed by the systemic and practical barriers that make this work difficult. Creating a shared understanding of those barriers helped us see how we could support each other – the core of why cohort learning is so valuable. Building organizations with healthy and sustainable infrastructure takes time and resources, so it was important to create moments for cohort members to feel less alone in that work. The nonprofit sector can inspire competitiveness among organizations, but by making time and space to learn from and support one another, our ecosystem, and our organizations get stronger.
On June 25, 2024, we gathered in person at Indigenous Roots for our final session. It was an afternoon of delicious food, heartfelt reflection and a kind of loud laughter that comes from real connection. My colleagues and I witnessed many things from these organizations during the cohort, among them were grit, dedication, depth, and multigenerational, mutual respect. It was an honor to play a role in such a special experience.
How will it impact what we do at Propel?
Propel is a learning organization. Opportunities like this are a way for us to support emerging nonprofits while simultaneously exploring how to do that work even better. We will continue to reflect on and inquire about the lessons of the cohort in the months ahead and find ways to advocate for emerging nonprofits to have access to the tools they need to move to the next stage of their life cycle.
What’s next for these Emerging Nonprofits
Having completed our scheduled meetings, many groups have elected to continue with post-cohort supports in fundraising with RaiseMN and within a Leader’s Circle at Propel. Their continued engagement is an encouraging indicator of the value we share in building our networks and learning together.
We encourage you to learn more about each of these organizations through their web sites and on social media.
Staff Author
Heather Allen
Heather has a background in the arts and community development. She has worked as an artist, teacher and nonprofit administrator, and has been involved with regional grant programs and race and arts initiatives. She has also served on the boards of two nonprofits focused on children and diversity. She values equity and justice and supports groups that share this vision. She enjoys outdoor activities, podcasts, mushroom hunting, and crafts in her spare time.
Read BioStaff Author
Heather Allen
Heather has a background in the arts and community development. She has worked as an artist, teacher and nonprofit administrator, and has been involved with regional grant programs and race and arts initiatives. She has also served on the boards of two nonprofits focused on children and diversity. She values equity and justice and supports groups that share this vision. She enjoys outdoor activities, podcasts, mushroom hunting, and crafts in her spare time.
Read Bio