MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The new Nonprofit Leadership Committee in Shelby County is aimed at bringing local nonprofits together in an effort to help those who need their services throughout the Mid-South.
It's all part of a new collaborative Shelby County leaders say will help the organizations coordinate and communicate what they need from government leaders.
You can read the full news release from Shelby County below:
Shelby County Government has initiated a new collaborative that will help the county’s nonprofit organizations better coordinate, connect, and communicate between themselves and with Shelby County Government. The centerpiece of these efforts is a new Nonprofit Leadership Committee.
These nonprofit organizations provide vital services to county residents and share common goals with each other and with County Government. This new nonprofit committee represents over 150 large, mid-size, and small nonprofits across Shelby County. Over the last several months they have held dozens of meetings with senior county leadership. The goal of Shelby County’s non-profit committee is to strategically align the work they do, identify barriers in providing services, and formulate concrete solutions to problems.
The Nonprofit Leadership Committee is divided into four subcommittees: Children, Youth, and Education; Health and Human Services; Art and Culture; and Workforce Development. Each subcommittee has met, identified chairs, hammered out their needs, and begun to craft achievable goals.
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris: “Already we have been impressed by the work of this committee, their commitment, and their vision. We have begun to scratch the surface of what is possible with serious collaboration. I hope this new committee places us firmly on the road toward durable, long-term partnership.”
Art and Culture Subcommittee
- Amber Hamilton, executive director of the Memphis Music Initiative: “We are thrilled that Mayor Harris’ committee has included the arts. Until recently, the arts were so often left out of conversations in the context of Shelby County Government. There is a great deal the arts community, the county’s nonprofits and Shelby County Government can offer each other.”
Children, Youth and Education Subcommittee
- Cardell Orrin, Memphis executive director with Stand for Children: “Since the coronavirus pandemic reached our community, youth throughout Shelby County have experienced academic challenges and their own mental health crises. The nonprofits that aid our children will welcome the additional resources and the opportunity to work together and with County Government.”
Health and Human Services Subcommittee
- Eli Cloud, chief executive officer and co-founder of Sister Supply: “It is no secret that COVID-19 has intensified mental health issues for county residents. Unfortunately, many people don’t know that there is help available to them. Or even how to get there. That Shelby County Government created this group and is also enacting mental health reforms will give us in the nonprofit arena more tools to help residents in need.”
Workforce Development Subcommittee
- Harold Collins, deputy director of the Division of Corrections: “Through the work of this committee, it was eye-opening to learn that so many workforce development agencies often don’t work together and lack the ability to refer clients they are unable to help to another organization. Coming together with the partner agencies and Shelby County Government will allow us all to reach, train, and place more people in jobs.”
