Congratulations to the ninth cohort of the Nonprofit Management Institute. Fifty-seven nonprofit leaders graduated from the program in October 2024!
Trinisha Dean, NPMI alumni (class of Spring 2023) and director of strategy and development at Alliance for Children in Monroe, joined the commencement ceremony to share her closing remarks.
Thank you for allowing me to be the commencement speaker for Nonprofit Management Institute Class of 2024. I consider it an honor and privilege.
Thank you, graduates, for your efforts to get to where you are and for your future contributions to the nonprofit sector.
I want to speak briefly not just about the HARD work you do every day in your nonprofit but about the HEART of the work you do.
H=Honest. Be honest with yourself. Are you filling your purpose? Does the mission and vision of your nonprofit organization align with your passion, morals, and values? During NPMI, you conducted an assessment of the current state of your organization. Were you honest with yourself? Are you an organization that has been around for several years but is still in the build phase? Stand on honesty and integrity.
E=Equity. Ensure you apply equitable practices in everything you do. From interviewing to requests for proposals (RFPs). Do all your vendors and contractors look the same? Do you contract with the same organizations and agencies year after year? Do you fund the same programs each year? Be sure to refer back to the SMARTER and SMARTIE goals when setting your strategic planning, goals, and program/performance evaluations. Another E is to always strive for Excellence. Level up!
A=Accountability. You can't be honest with yourself if you do not hold yourself accountable. In the nonprofit space, you sometimes have to build in accountability checkpoints. Do you have board members that are of conflict? Would creating advisory committees provide another layer of accountability? Do you hold focus groups with community stakeholders and clients, listen, and incorporate their feedback?
R=Resilient. In order to be successful in the nonprofit world you must be resilient. We nonprofiters are a resilient people. We do not give up, give in, or back down. You must persevere through the tough times and come out on the other side, Excellent.
T=Teamwork. In the nonprofit sector, funds are limited, staff is limited, and leadership has to wear multiple hats. As leaders, we take it all on without asking for help but asking for help is a true sign of a great leader. Form a team around you that you can trust and rely on. Delegate the work, reach back and build great leaders, empower others.
In closing, maintain the relationships you've built with your cohort members. Connect on social media, reach out on LinkedIn, celebrate the wins and accomplishments of your Class. You dedicated six weeks, offline one morning a week to complete NPMI. Use the handbook, Principles and Practices guide, and resources provided during this course. Do what you love and are passionate about but stay curious. Keep finding your passion. Give back to the community, share the knowledge you learned through this 6-week course. My finally advice is to never stop learning along the way and stay hungry for more things that can help you grow even more.
Congratulations, NPMI Fall Class of 2024!
Trinisha Dean is the director of strategy and development at Alliance for Children in Monroe. She is an alumni of the Spring 2023 class of the Nonprofit Management Institute.
