News from Executive Director Carrie Hoops

Dear TACS/Nonprofit Association of Oregon (NAO) Community:Carrie Hoops

TACS/NAO is on the move! We recently concluded an intensive strategic planning process that positions TACS/NAO to better support the nonprofit community in this volatile economic environment. While we're still working out the details, here's the big picture:

  • TACS will expand into a statewide membership association serving the nonprofit community.
  • We will continue the core training, consulting, and networking services that TACS has provided for the past thirty-two years—whether or not your organization is a a member of the association.
  • The organization will offer robust member services and benefits.
  • The organizaton will build a strong collective voice on policy issues that affect all nonprofits.

We thank all of you who contributed to this planning process. It was an incredible learning and community building experience for us. Our new strategic plan will restructure the way we serve nonprofits, build on our solid track record of training and consulting, and elevate the work of the NAO. Our new mission is to strengthen the collective voice, leadership, and capacity of nonprofits to enrich the lives of all Oregonians. As we move forward, we're going to get input directly from NAO members and TACS clients about where the greatest needs and opportunities lie.

To help us implement our new plan, we expanded our Board of Directors. We are excited to welcome these new members:

Rick Bombaci, Executive Director of Fishtrap, Inc., Enterprise
Erin Bonner, Assistant Executive Director for Operations, ShelterCare, Eugene
Kathleen Joy, Executive Director, Oregon Volunteers, Portland
Paul Mortimer, Associate Dean for Development, Portland State University
Richard Nitti, Executive Director, Neighborhood House, Portland
Craig Smith, Executive Director, Rural Development Initiatives, Eugene

Each of our new members actively served on the NAO Steering Committee. We are honored to have these committed and talented leaders on our Board as we move forward in shaping the ways we can best respond to the needs of the nonprofit sector in Oregon.

We took our first steps at advocacy recently by actively supporting Measures 66 and 67. We thank the NAO Steering Committee for its assistance, and the NAO members who helped us communicate the importance of maintaining state support of nonprofits that play such a huge role in our quality of life in Oregon.

Like all nonprofits, we rely heavily on the philanthropic community to support our work. This past quarter we received generous grants from Meyer Memorial Trust and The Oregon Community Foundation to help maintain our core programs as we implement our new business direction. We are truly grateful for this support and their ongoing investment in the important work of nonprofits in Oregon. We welcome Chambers Family Foundation as a new funding partner and appreciate their support for training programs in Eugene. We also thank The Carpenter Foundation, The Kinsman Foundation, and Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary for their renewed support.

Best,

Carrie Hoops
Executive Director