01/03/2016
It is with pride in our past and hope for the future that the Board of Directors of the Nonprofit Roundtable announces that we have closed the organization at the end of 2015. Much has changed for nonprofits and the sector in recent years and for myriad reasons, the Nonprofit Roundtable has not been able to successfully navigate those changes. Our decision to close the organization was truly difficult as we still believe this work is critical—perhaps more than ever before.
Over the last thirteen years, the Nonprofit Roundtable regularly brought together nonprofit, business and philanthropic leaders to speak with one voice on issues critical to our region and, in particular, the nonprofit sector. The organization developed the framework for post-9/11 emergency preparedness, established local affiliate networks that are thriving today, convened local nonprofits for budget advocacy, prepared future nonprofit executive directors for sector-wide leadership, and documented the impact of our sector in building a strong and vibrant region.
The Nonprofit Roundtable also proudly joined with the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Center for Nonprofit Advancement, United Way of the National Capital Area, Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, Community Foundation for the National Capital Region and Leadership Greater Washington to help leaders understand the implications of the shutdown of the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae foundations, the regional foreclosure crisis and other key events that threatened our sector and the health of our region. We believe this signature “Eight Neighbors” collaboration is a model for addressing the complex issues that our region continues to face today.
In making the difficult decision to close, our commitment to you—our members, partners and sector—has been to ensure that the Nonprofit Roundtable’s key programs would successfully transition and that we would meet our commitments to staff and partners. We have endeavored to act with integrity and transparency as we moved through this process, and remain grateful for the support and advice provided by many of you. We are pleased to share a list of the programs and initiatives that will continue to support nonprofit organizations and leaders across our region.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B81_OuR-eySaVDNCMm5na2JFMXc/view
Of course there are many to thank—our members, advisors, allies, staff, funders and board. Each of you deserves recognition for your steadfast commitment to this organization as well as for our collective impact. So many of us chose to work in the nonprofit sector because of a sense of purpose and mission, and it is through your work that we were able to create a meaningful forum for nonprofitleadership. We know there is need for this work to continue, and we endorse and applaud those leaders and organizations who take up the charge in the future. Being a convener of you, our indefatigable leaders, has truly been our honor.
Sincerely and with tremendous respect,
The Nonprofit Roundtable Board of Directors
Alan Abramson, Amanda Andere, Monisha Kapila, Kathy Kretman, Margaret O’Bryon, Ed Orzechowski, Tom Raffa, Lidia Soto-Harmon, Shannon Steene, Walter Smith, Adam Tenner, Herb Tillery, Kerrie Wilson and Cliff Yee
