Media Contact: Carmen Ramos Chandler, carmen.chandler@csun.edu, (818) 677-2130
There are more than 4,000 nonprofits in the San Fernando Valley and, if Alejandra Acuña has her way, California State University, Northridge faculty, staff and students will be working with each and every one of those organizations to ensure they are successful in transforming the communities they serve.
“CSUN has so much talent — in our students, in our faculty and in our staff,” said Acuña, a former social work professor who is now executive director of Valley Nonprofit Resources, housed in the university’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “Imagine how transformative it would be for the communities of the San Fernando Valley if we were able to connect our students, faculty and staff with these nonprofits.
“Let’s face it, most nonprofits are stretched thin when it comes to resources, whether they’re focused on community development, housing, food, education, employment, youth development, or the arts. But here at CSUN, we’ve got a community full of people who genuinely want to make a difference. By teaming up with these organizations, our students don’t just learn—they see firsthand how one person can truly make an impact in the community.”
Valley Nonprofit Resources, which was operated by Tom Backer and the nonprofit Human Interaction Research Institute from 1961 to 2014, offers a wide range of support services to nonprofits. These services include management consulting, bringing together nonprofits and philanthropic foundations, and providing opportunities to strategize on measuring impact and fundraising. Additionally, Valley Nonprofit Resources offers sessions on board recruitment, mindfulness, and more to help strengthen the capacity of nonprofit organizations.
Acuña said the center focuses most of its attention on about 1,300 Valley nonprofits that have at least $1,000 in revenue or assets a year.
““While we do have some nonprofits in the Valley with annual budgets well over a million dollars, most are much smaller than that,” Acuña said. “It’s the midsize and small nonprofits who could really benefit from our help, which is mostly pro bono. The larger ones, they can afford to hire a consultant if they need to.”
Acuña said Valley Nonprofit Resources “really exists to build the capacity of nonprofit leaders to sustain and expand their organizations as necessary.”
Among the center’s offerings are free virtual monthly workshops where organizations can pick the brains of CSUN faculty or other experts in the field.
At the moment, Acuña said the center is focusing on board development. A recent survey of Valley nonprofits indicated they were having problems recruiting new board members.
“I would love to see our faculty, students and staff sitting on some of the boards,” she said, adding that the center is currently developing a board member “bank” for nonprofits, that would prepare members of the CSUN community, particularly students, to sit on nonprofit boards.
“If you’ve never served on a nonprofit board before, the prospect can seem intimidating, particularly if you’re a student,” she said. “Valley Nonprofit Resources can give members of the CSUN community the training so they can feel comfortable doing the job. So many of our students come to CSUN because they want to make a difference in the world. Volunteering with a local nonprofit is just the first step in a lifelong commitment to giving back to the community.
Support for Valley Nonprofit Resources comes from foundations, corporations and private donors. Most of its services are free. To learn about Valley Nonprofit Resources, visit its website.
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