Greetings Friends,

I hope you have had a productive summer that included a bit of vacation time. After all the challenges that nonprofit organizations have faced – and, in fact, are still facing – you deserved some quality down time. We all know that our effectiveness in serving others is directly related to our own well-being, so if you have not yet taken time off, I encourage you to do so before the winter days set in.

We at The Alliance have been focused on maintaining our commitments to providing quality service and support to our members, and as Fall approaches we will be ramping up the quantity of offerings. Please let us know if you have needs that are not currently being addressed by The Alliance. Our mission is to ensure that you are receiving the capacity-building support needed so you can have the most positive impact possible for those you serve. Don’t ever hesitate to let us know if we should be providing help that is not currently available — we don’t exist without you!

The focus for this issue of The Ally is back-to-school and Labor Day – both indicating that Fall season is arriving with prospects of good things to come. We recognize that good things happen year-round because of the work of nonprofits in Mississippi, but the Fall provides us with the opportunity to express thanks for the positive results that have been achieved and contemplate what we can do to be even better in the future. Recognizing this time of gratitude, celebration, and preparation, let’s make the most of it together.

In conclusion, I offer up one way to make the most of it together – let’s continue our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging by being an ally to others. Recently we discovered the piece below and thought it worth sharing

Sammy