The vision shared by local non-profits and led by United Way of Rhode Island to create a statewide Nonprofit Resource Center has received a major boost in the form of a $1 million commitment from the Papitto Opportunity Connection (POC). The funding will help United Way accelerate the development of the business model of what will be a central, multi-faceted entity aimed at strengthening the state’s nonprofit sector as a whole, and will be spread across four years.

“This is transformational philanthropy that further validates both the need and the desire in our state to realize an organization that exists to broadly support our non-profits,” said Cortney Nicolato, United Way’s president and CEO. “We are grateful to Barbara Papitto and the POC for embracing this vision, recognizing the opportunity at-hand, and for stepping up to create lasting impact that will serve our communities for generations to come.”

United Way announced plans to establish Rhode Island’s first and only Nonprofit Resource Center in late January and placed a call for applicants to serve on the Design Team that will help guide its creation. The Center will serve the state’s entire nonprofit ecosystem and work to enhance its capacity while prioritizing the needs and perspectives of BIPOC-led and other small and mid-size nonprofits.

This includes providing training, advocacy, visibility and research to advance organizational resiliency and infrastructure.

In addition to providing essential services, enriching neighborhoods, and supporting and empowering children and families, the state’s nonprofit sector represents a vital component of economic development. Each day, more than 70,000 Rhode Islanders - representing nearly 20 percent of the state’s workforce - go to work for nonprofit organizations that collectively generate $13 billion in annual revenues.

”Making connections is a foundational part of POC and by supporting the Nonprofit Resource Center along with the United Way of Rhode Island we can ensure our state’s non-profit sector is connected to the resources and tools they need to thrive,” said Barbara Papitto, founder and trustee of the Papitto Opportunity Connection.