Mission  |  Vision  |  Values | Strategies
2023 - 2028 STRATEGIC PLAN

• Mission:  We support nonprofits in building governance, management, and organizational strength.
• Vision:  To be a valued partner working alongside nonprofits and their leaders to transform communities so that all people can thrive.
• Values: Integrity, Respect, Diversity, Inclusion, and Continuous Learning
• Integrity:  Nonprofit Network respects and models highest level principles, practices, values, and moral character. We believe our integrity enhances public confidence and trust in all we do.
  
• Respect:  Nonprofit Network strives to have mutual positive impact on those we serve. We will be a partner, ally, and advocate, respecting the dignity of people with diversity of experiences, backgrounds, and cultures.
  
• Diversity: Nonprofit Network values, seeks, and recognizes the unique contribution of each individual who we partner with-including those who lead us, serve, and employ us. We know that a variety of lived experiences enriches and improves everything we do.
  
• Inclusion:  Nonprofit Network strives to be a model of inclusion. We embrace individuality with dignity and respect. We include the thoughts, ideas, and perspectives of those who engage in learning alongside us. We seek the influence of diverse voices and know that our effectiveness is enhanced by our differences as well as our commonalities. 
• Continuous Learning:  Nonprofit Network honors the power of change through learning. We learn from the collective diversity of experiences and shape our services and practices accordingly. We envision a culture that encourages and improves our potential and that of nonprofits. We seek constant expansion of skills and mind-sets through continuous lifelong learning.
• Strategies: Equity and Advocacy, Sustainability & Financial Stewardship, Talent Development & Capacity, Program Relevancy and Growth
• Equity and Advocacy: We will lead with and through our values to be a partner in building equity within organizations to better serve both their clients and employees. Through resources, programs, and initiatives, we will raise awareness and consistently advocate for equitable solutions. We seek to be an equitable employer and organization that recognizes and supports the emotional and intellectual labor our work requires.
  
• Goal: Nonprofit Network will reduce systemic barriers that impact nonprofit governance and management in our organization and beyond. We will address root causes and contributing factors internally and externally in our core service communities.
• Sustainability and Financial Stewardship: Nonprofit Network will work to ensure we have the financial resources required to meet our mission and current organizational needs as well as future opportunities related to our vision. We will accomplish this while sustaining a values-driven organization that consistently models and teaches effective practices.
  
• Goal: We will have adequate financial resources for long-term growth and unforeseen needs. We will utilize our assets to strategically invest in our programs, people and capacity.
• Talent Development and Capacity: Since people are the heart of Nonprofit Network and most nonprofit organizations, we will focus on attracting, developing, retaining and growing a diverse workforce within our organization and for the nonprofit organizations we serve and seek to serve. As community and individual needs remain unmet and continue to grow, we will build leadership capacity and agility in service of and within nonprofits.
• Goal: We will develop a diverse team skilled and committed to building organizational capacity and transforming communities. We will build our organization so employees can be their best selves at work.
• Program Relevancy and Growth: Nonprofit Network will offer organizations we serve and seek to serve a range of initiatives and programs that help them govern, manage and build organizational strength. We will intentionally provide offerings that are accessible, impactful and equitable.
  
• Goal: We will provide a diverse set of programs to meet the needs of organizations in any stage of their life cycle. We intentionally partner with under resourced nonprofits in our key geographic areas.

The Role of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Social Justice in our work.

DEI is Bigger Than a Value
The concepts of building equitable strategies are deeply embedded in capacity building and in our vision. The addition of “organizational strength” in our mission allows us to recognize that the leadership is an essential building block for capacity. Each of our values embed deeply the tenants of being fair, respectful, and having integrity with our community.

These Values Inform Our Work
We address equity as critical to the programs we deliver, in our employment practices and organizational culture. Programs, including our own, that have been built through a white, middle-class lens, will always be deficient, inefficient, and less effective for populations that don’t meet that definition. Representation matters.

Who We Work With
We have chosen to be at the table and lead with our values, allowing these to “enter the room first” and work from within an organization, where possible, to ensure diverse voices are heard, programs are inclusive and policies are equitable. We know our work impacts those who are served and work with nonprofits. We acknowledge the emotional labor this work requires of our Staff and will build policies and protocols to support Staff in this challenging work.
We will engage in Equity Advocacy. We will ensure we are directing our efforts to make a difference given the complex and complicated factors that drive systemic oppression, conscious and unconscious biases and diversity, equity, and inclusion disparities.

Where Our Efforts Will Be Focused
We cannot be an organization that values diversity, equity, and inclusion and be disconnected from our community. While we will work for nonprofits in other geographies, we will invest our time, energy and resources to building relationships and commit to serving the Jackson, Battle Creek and Lansing communities deeply. We know we can’t make these investments everywhere.