Nonprofit Center events to remain virtual through 2020 — Here’s why

It has been nearly five months since the COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives, our work, and our world. I’ll never forget that Friday in March — the 13th, a fitting coincidence — when the staff of the Nonprofit Center walked out of our office, unsure when we would return.

In the days, weeks, and months since, we have seen seismic shifts take place in the nonprofit sector, a repositioning outlined in our recent report taking stock of what has happened, and what the future may hold.

While the Nonprofit Center has been offering some virtual programming for years, making instant adaptation to all of our services, content, and events has been a challenging process, as many of our members can also attest. Four days after we decamped from the office, my palms were sweaty as I logged in to Zoom to lead a training my colleague Callan Brown and I had rushed to convert to a virtual format.

We quickly learned that fears of dog and child interruptions were trivial compared with the massive disruptions that were spiking demand for assistance from our essential sector while also shutting down organizations entirely. We have been awed by the innovative and heroic actions of the nonprofits we serve — organizations that have done the seemingly impossible to help our community’s most vulnerable individuals and families survive these difficult times: Delivering socially distanced meals to food insecure families, setting up telemedicine to counsel a spiking number of young people in crisis, taking unprecedented action to prevent COVID-19 from ravaging homeless populations, and so much more.

Supporting, uplifting, and protecting Northeast Florida’s nonprofits and the extraordinary people who serve as their staff, board, and volunteers has never been more important. In that spirit, the Nonprofit Center’s programming and events will remain virtual through the end of 2020. By offering all of our gatherings virtually, we will do everything we can to keep you safe and do our part to contain the spread of the coronavirus, while continuing to provide the high-quality support and resources that our members have come to expect.

We look forward to the day when we can all gather in person at the Jessie Ball duPont Center as we used to, but in the meantime, we are as available to you as ever — schedule a meeting or call with any of us here!