CVA became operational in January of 2021. It's hard to believe it's already been a year. As Executive Director, I am dedicated to the common good and believe we can positively affect the economic viability of our community. As we discussed in our strategic planning meeting in September the region needs our services. Statistics show that St. Louis houses a large number of public charities with 14,400 nonprofits registered in the region — 60.9% of these are reported to have budgets under $250,000. The need for capacity building among the St. Louis nonprofit sector can be appreciated because many nonprofits are small with few resources, and these charities are the foundation for which the nonprofit sector has been built.
I'd like to offer highlights from a successful first year of operation.
Service Provider Coalition
CVA board members and I have worked to recognize the overwhelming need nonprofits have for delivering operational goals and sustaining the organizations into the future. We assembled a group of for-profit companies to assist in providing a toolbox for organizations. These thoroughly vetted companies support our mission and have experience working with nonprofits. The following companies comprise our service provider ecosystem:
Alliance
Aegis Law
Elasticity
Holmes Radford & Reynolds, Inc.
Michael D. Rubin and Associates
MFP Employee Benefits & HR Services, LLC
Omiga, Inc.
People Solutions Center
Promo Xpertz, LLC
Rachel A. Covington — Fundraising Consultant & Executive Director
Renaissance Financial
Spencer Web Design
Travers Training and Consulting, LLC
Corporate Partners
We also introduced the Corporate Partner Program. This program provides service scholarships for challenged nonprofits. Our partners share the belief that nonprofits must aspire to create a sustainable future in order to support communities. Corporate Partner donations are allocated to service scholarships in the areas of:
Finance
IT
Strategic Services
Fundraising & Marketing
Human Resources
Legal
Investments
Other
Internship
CVA partnered with Rockwood School District (RSD) to host an internship, allowing for education and exposure of the nonprofit industry to students. RSD student Megan Liu spent several weeks assisting in back-office operation and visiting potential clients.
Outreach
CVA joined the West St. Louis County Chamber of Commerce and sponsored their April general membership meeting. In addition, I delivered the address at the Chesterfield Regional Chamber's general membership meeting that same month. In October, CVA hosted a booth at the St. Louis Business Expo where board secretary Jim Mosquera assisted with preparation and staffing. The Chesterfield Regional Chamber provided another opportunity at their December member meeting where we had a booth and I addressed the audience.
Client Engagement
CVA’s project deliverables in IT, HR, Fundraising, Strategic Planning, Marketing and Legal services included the following:
Organizational Assessments
Personnel Handbooks
Executive Director Search
Case Statements for Fund Development
Board Development
Strategic Planning
Client List
Access Psychology Foundation
All for Family
Alive St. Louis
Amare
Caring for Kids
Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants Foundation
Job Seekers Garden Club of St. Louis
Liam Michael Foundation
Life Compass
Riverbend Family Ministries
Trailnet
Testimonials
Job Seekers Garden Club of St. Louis
Deb Bostic, Board Member
After listening to Rachel from CVA describe how she and Michael could help our Job Seekers Garden Club group share connections and career stories with the community, I was determined to do my part by providing monetary support so we could move forward with CVA's proposal to our Board. It feels good to know that I am helping others who are in transition.
Riverbend Family Ministries
Tammy Iskarous, Executive Director
What CVA did for us was transformational!
Contact
We collaborate with our clients, service providers, and funders walking through the journey with each client. For more information on how nonprofits can benefit, please call me, Rachel Covington, at 314-780-2902 or visit our website.
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