Celebrating 10 Years
A message from our Executive Director
Celebrating 10 Years
Where were you ten years ago? Were you starting your career, or perhaps taking the first step into retirement? Maybe you were getting married or having your first child? Do you remember that long ago? While some things from 2012 are worth forgetting, like wedge sneakers and the proclaimed end of times according to the Mayan calendar, other things are worth remembering. One of those things is the beginning of a collective voice for the nonprofit sector in West Virginia.
The West Virginia Nonprofit Association (WVNPA) opened its doors in September 2012. While the planning had begun years prior, it was in 2012 that the organization came to life. The work of three wonderful organizations made it happen, including the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, WV Grantmakers (now Philanthropy WV), and the WV Community Development Hub. The business plan was to create programming and services for WV nonprofit leaders, focus on collaboration, and build capacity across the state. That plan is still strong a decade later as we have welcomed over 300 members into our association and our hearts.
The WVNPA started with just 30 founding members, and many of them are members still today. Over the years, we have grown from one staff member to two full time and one part time staff. We went from 12 board members to 18 from all 9 regions of the state. Our listserv went from startup to nearly 2,000 nonprofit leaders, and our nonprofit sector grew to over 10,000 nonprofit organizations in the state. In 2018, we proudly became our own 501c3 through the hard work and dedication of many. What milestones our founders, members, board, staff, funders, partners, and supporters have achieved!
We are so happy to share this achievement with you, and we thank each and every one of you for our decade of success. We hope you will help us celebrate this milestone by being the best nonprofit leaders you can be and continuing to do all the good we see in the world. Thank you, and cheers to working with all of you for decades more to come!
Tasha Anderson, PhD
Executive DirectorÂ
West Virginia Nonprofit Association
