From the Desk of Executive Director Carrie Hoops

Dear NAO/TACS Community:

As spring pops up everywhere, I am reminded of the old adage "change is inevitable." That's certainly the case for nonprofits responding to the changing economy. Since the last E-News when I announced our new strategic direction, we have merged the TACS Board of Directors with the NAO steering committee and adopted the official name, Nonprofit Association of Oregon. As we transition, we are embracing the new while improving what we do best—providing nonprofit leaders with knowledge, skills, and resources to build strong and effective organizations.

This E-News is a good example of both. It represents a merged communication to our whole mailing list: NAO members, nonprofits that participate in our training and consulting programs, and our partners. Each month we will provide information you can use in your day-to-day work, as well as public policy updates and news about nonprofit trends. It looks different from the E-News you've gotten in the past, but represents the knowledge and resources you have come to expect from us.

Look for new training programs for nonprofit leaders in Eugene, beginning with a workshop about the fundamentals of online marketing. We are hosting a webinar this June on engaging marketing sponsors. Find more information, including how to register, here.

We are surveying our members and clients to identify top programs, services, and benefits you can use. We have installed an NAO LinkedIn group to build our online community and create a forum for the sharing of ideas and resources. You can also check out the discounted publications we have added for NAO members at www.nonprofitoregon.org.

And, most exciting, we are planning our first annual meeting as the Nonprofit Association of Oregon for this coming fall. We will ask our members to vote on board officers and directors. Stay tuned for details.

As I meet with funders and other nonprofit leaders, I am gratified by their support of our new direction. Spring is a time for renewed and new growth. We will officially announce our new name and visual identity this summer. In the meantime, we will keep you in the loop as we merge TACS and NAO. Let us know how it is working for you at feedback@tacs.org.

Sincerely,

Carrie Hoops
NAO/TACS Executive Director