Nonprofits seek team effort

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

With lofty goals being proposed for nonprofits in Carbon County, a group has formed to turn the goals into a reality.

The group met Friday during a roundtable luncheon at the Carbon County Higher Education Center, allowing their thoughts to mix and meld.

Baggs resident Linda Fleming, a member of the Wyoming State Nonprofit Association, sees the “energy corner of the state” as the least active in promoting its nonprofit organizations.
“We need to realize just how powerful we are in our communities,” she said. “Be it in Baggs, Elk Mountain or (Rawlins).”

Stephanie Moles, executive director of The Woman’s Heart organization in Casper and also a member of the state nonprofit association, said nonprofits fit alongside governmental and private enterprises to form cohesive, functioning communities. Moles emphasized the economic benefits provided by nonprofit services.

By fostering support among nonprofits and forming a more unified effort to fulfill southern Wyoming’s community needs, each nonprofit’s function can grow exponentially. Nonprofits applying for grants are also more likely to get the attention of financing organizations, a huge help when groups have to compete for funding.

The group set goals for future progress, including a follow-up meeting in six months. The group hopes to establish a set of workshops to turn area nonprofits into smoothly functioning machines. The workshops may be held at the Carbon County Higher Education Center in the future. The Carbon County Visitor’s Council has a head start with a “how to start a nonprofit” seminar already on its calendar, so nonprofits should have a choice of where to find guidance. Other CCHEC classes could include executive director training, grant writing, volunteer organization and marketing.

The group pushed for the creation of a resource databases to help the groups work more efficiently. Fleming kicked off a networking effort by asking attendees to supply their mailing and e-mail addresses as well as phone numbers. The group also recognized the benefit of a newsletter, keeping everyone aware of the progress and needs of other community nonprofits.

As the luncheon wrapped up, one attendee raised a critical question. “Are we re-inventing the wheel?” she asked. She warned that groups in Carbon County have a tendency of charging forward with ideas that others have already developed. Before expending too much effort trying to build everything from scratch, she said, resources could already be available.