Celebrating and supporting philanthropy in our community is essential for Ross County. The Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce supports philanthropy through our mission of promoting “economic and community development,” and a tremendous opportunity to do just that is arriving on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

The Chillicothe Ross Community Foundation, with the Chamber as a partner, will unveil the Nonprofit Network as a hub to connect nonprofit organizations, as well as professional advisers, other partners and donors to learn and share.

The hope with the Nonprofit Network is that as education and specific support for nonprofit organizations increase, so will the trust, collaboration, and contributions to those organizations, giving them more capital to provide more opportunity to solve community problems.

“We are all about connecting people who care with causes that matter,” Scott Graham, CRCF Executive Director explained, “and in our community, some of those wonderful causes need help while others can be a resource for help. The Network invites all sizes of nonprofits to participate, learn and expand. Healthy nonprofits doing good work are a win for all of us.”

Better nonprofit organizations can better meet community needs.

The Chamber’s interest in the Nonprofit Network is simple. Everyone benefits. It’s an idea whose time has come. Better nonprofit organizations can better meet community needs. That’s the goal – one the Chamber wholeheartedly supports.

I love the idea because the Chamber has often struggled to provide learning opportunities to meet the specific and unique needs that nonprofits have and the Nonprofit Network will be able to provide a mechanism help nonprofits in the best way possible.

Healthy nonprofits doing good work are a win for all of us.

With the Nonprofit Network, local charities will have access to professional advisers for individual counseling and small group and lunch and learn sessions and a celebration of charitable giving – dubbed Philanthropy Day – is planned for later this year.

Mandy Hart is the development director for the Network, and she can be reached at mhart@crcf.net.

Mandy has established an office at the Chamber for the Nonprofit Network and will be available for individual consulting by appointment. To help the nonprofits achieve their goals, she is developing relationships with the local professional advisors and providing connectivity to the nonprofits for service and support.”

Upcoming activities scheduled after the launch-reception include:

• Tuesday, Oct. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chillicothe Country Club: Nonprofit Lunch & Learn: Getting Ready for Year-End Giving
• Tuesday, Oct. 29, 11:30 to 1 p.m. at the Chillicothe Country Club: Professional Advisor Lunch & Learn: A Planned Giving Primer (CE Credits Available)

Mandy believes the Nonprofit Network is the hub the greater Chillicothe-Ross community needs to raise the tide of philanthropy for all who participate, making us better as a whole.