2008 Nonprofit Congress energizes nonprofit leaders

By Audrey Alvarado
National Council of Nonprofit Associations

At 8:30 on a Monday morning, most people are far from inspired about their work. But for 500 nonprofit leaders from across the country, inspiration abounded at that hour on June 2 when the Nonprofit Congress National Meeting kicked off in Washington, D.C.

The opening plenary led attendees through an emotional journey, alternately uplifting and heart-wrenching. Speakers included a mother and daughter from a public charter school in Washington, D.C., and a former resident of Friends of Guest House in Alexandria, Va., sharing stories of how their lives were transformed by the work of local nonprofits – and how the speakers themselves now continue this transformation by helping others.

The Nonprofit Congress is not just a national meeting; it is an ongoing movement of nonprofits enacting positive change for themselves and their communities. As James Grant of UNICEF once said, “Each of the great social achievements of recent decades has come about not because of government proclamations, but because people organized, made demands, and made it good politics for governments to respond.” That is what we do everyday in the nonprofit community.

Attendees at the National Meeting participated in state-specific planning sessions for the upcoming year, recording short-, mid-, and long-term goals and action plans. We have compiled those notes into a draft report that is now available on our website. As we continue to receive more reports, we will keep this page updated. We encourage you to check out what's happening in your state and get involved. If you don't see your state represented, contact us.