About the Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence

A volunteer with the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council lays mulch at the Riverside Park in Olneyville, Providence.

The Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence at The Rhode Island Foundation builds the capacity of nonprofit organizations so they can better achieve their missions.

Nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island play critical roles:

• Providing a safety net for people in need
• Nurturing our children
• Improving our quality of life
• Preserving our quality of place
• Enriching our communities with arts and culture
• Advocating for systemic change

The Rhode Island Foundation values our nonprofit partners and the work they do. We are committed to strengthening the sector.

After extensive research and community outreach, the Foundation launched the Initiative in 2008 with programs organized into four key areas of work:

• Sharing best practices: Education and peer learning are key components of the Initiative. The Fidelity Investments Board Development Program offers a series of workshops on good governance. The Organizational Development workshops share best practices with nonprofit senior leaders. The Fellows Program promotes the development of individual leaders.
• Providing tools: The Initiative’s website is a clearinghouse of information and resources for nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Information is also available by calling our helpline at (401) 427-4006.
• Doing good research: The Initiative will collect and analyze data to inform our work. One of our first goals is to develop a comprehensive profile of the state’s nonprofit sector. Additional research about and for the sector is planned.
• Encouraging leadership: The Initiative convenes nonprofit leaders to share best practices and engage in high-level thinking about the needs of the sector.