Nonprofit Resources
Rochester Area Foundation is committed to building nonprofit capacity and serving as a community resource.
Nonprofit Incubator @ RAF
The Rochester Area Foundation has created the single nonprofit incubator hub in Rochester capable of serving 12 emerging and/or new nonprofits facing budget constraints. The incubator provides 124 square feet per client with turnkey office services: a desk, chair, file cabinet, wifi access, copier, secure entry 24 hours/day, meeting and conference room access, mail and signage service, technical assistance and all utilities. This allows nonprofits to acquire a home office, mission-driven support services, and a peer group of colleagues at a fraction of the cost of commercial rental alternatives so that they can direct their assets toward corporate development and achieving their mission.
Rochester Nonprofit Consortium
The Rochester Nonprofit Consortium (Consortium) is a large, vibrant network of nonprofit
organizations of all sizes and sectors across the Olmsted County area. The Consortium is a program of Rochester Area Foundation and is guided by a leadership team chosen by the full membership.
Community Meeting Space
The Rochester Area Foundation building was designed as a resource to serve the community with convenient, well-equipped, inexpensive public meeting room access. It serves as the “home” for many community groups with monthly meetings, workspace for community initiatives and gatherings, and as meeting space for nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits receive a discount on all meeting rooms.
Fiscal Sponsorship
The Rochester Area Foundation currently serves emerging causes and charitable projects with sponsorship arrangements, thereby serving as a strategic partner and administrative “home” while receiving charitable contributions on behalf of the organization. Fiscal sponsor arrangements benefit organizations or programs that are not tax-exempt by providing pathway for revenue that the organization may not otherwise be in a position to receive.
Professional Development
The Nonprofit Academy workshop series consists of educational events featuring local experts presenting in areas of interest to executive directors, managers, board members and staff of area nonprofits. These interactive and entertaining workshops include information on the following:
- board development and governance
- strategic planning
- budgeting and understanding the special needs for nonprofit financial planning
- general business planning
- legal issues
- fundraising and resource development
- donor and volunteer management
- human resource issues
- marketing
- networking
The series is designed to help nonprofit staff develop targeted skills for carrying out their missions effectively, help their organization develop capacity and sustainability, and to provide networking opportunities with other nonprofits for better collaborative efforts.