Nowra NFPs Networking for Success

In March 2023, new community facilitator Meg Stratti hosted a morning tea for the local NFPs. After listening to the sector over the last few years the need to share ideas and network is always high on the agenda. We followed Art Of Hosting practice following the participatory practice principles of embracing a leader in every chair – whilst a small group the learning and sharing was fun, connected and useful. Some of the goals of the individuals in the group were to just “get stuff done”, flexibility in life and work, “collaborating more”, “finalize a submission for funding”, build a succession plan” and to “welcome and support a new governance board”.

Some of the ideas that we can implement through our current IRCF program are to learn more around meeting/governance skills, identify what skills are here already we can access as a group, Media and Marketing training – how to write a good press release, when to send it and who to. Gathering the voice of the sector really helps our team to focus on what the grassroots organisations need. We look forward to progressing these ideas. The Business Chamber provided an update on their project and that 20 NFPs have been supported to engage with the Shoalhaven business chamber and connect with local business and for the business sector to connect with them.

Jemma shared “we often operate in isolation with tunnel vision and I like to attend networks such as this as it makes me realise we are all facing the same small challenges”

Since our workshop in November Meg has implemented a newsletter that comes out monthly with important things like suggested workshops mostly free, funding opportunities from FRRR and more broadly and any other learnings or current issue from our other 7 IRCF communities. The group were very appreciative of the action that comes from our workshops and that they are not just theoretical discussions. We look forward to more gatherings and learnings over the next 12 months and envisage they will continue well beyond the program.