Three local nonprofits are paving the way to benefit other helping organizations through efficiently sharing their office space and other resources.
United Way of La Porte County, Unity Foundation of La Porte County, and Healthy Communities of La Porte County have recently taken up residence together in Michigan City.
A generous offer from the Northern Indiana Education Foundation (NIEF) led the organizations to come together at 115 East 4th Street in Michigan City with the eventual goal to develop a shared nonprofit services center across the parking lot at 422 Franklin Street.
The new office arrangement provides important financial benefits and will allow them to put more scarce resources toward community support of other essential nonprofit services and projects. In addition, opportunities are opened for increased collaboration and synergies to tackle key issues for the good of La Porte County.
Northern Indiana Education Foundation owns the buildings and continues to pursue the goal of utilizing them for community good. Program Medical Director Dr. Robert McBride said, “Our board is dedicated to supporting the physical structures so that local nonprofits can come together in a beneficial shared environment, where the rent is reasonable, and they can also see efficiencies in terms of related services, and perhaps even in personnel.”
While the 422 Franklin building is being renovated from its past usage as the Entrepreneur Center, United Way, Unity Foundation, and Healthy Communities accepted the offer to live together in a 2400-foot office space on the east side of the main NIEF building. The remainder of the historic building contains meeting rooms and services dedicated to physician and health care provider primary and continuing medical education, Director Mary Laramore said.
New United Way Executive Director Kris Pate noted, “With all three of our organizations focused in their own way on creating and supporting positive community impact, it made sense from a budget as well as a collaboration standpoint for us all to live together in the NIEF space.”
United Way of La Porte County helps support 22 member agencies that provide vital health and human services. Every partner agency is held to the highest standards of performance and accountability, and last year, more than one in every four people living in La Porte County directly benefited from United Way programs and services. United Way currently is in the midst of its annual community campaign, with a goal of raising over $1 million to distribute to these helping agencies.
From the aspect of serving as La Porte County’s community foundation, President Maggi Spartz noted, “The Unity Foundation has limited operating dollars, and we work hard to be good stewards of charitable funds, especially in this economy. It’s a natural fit to bring organizations like Unity, United Way, and Healthy Communities together under one roof. We all are working to make La Porte County a better place. We’re looking forward to accomplishing even more together.”
Since 1992, the Unity Foundation of La Porte County has served donors, nonprofits, and local communities. It manages approximately $20 million in endowment assets, administers more than 180 charitable funds, and has distributed more than $9 million through direct grants and scholarships.
The third partner in the new office space, Healthy Communities of La Porte County, takes a broad view of health, forming new collaborative efforts with individual and organizational partners, and sharing resources to address unmet needs and to build stronger communities. Focus areas include tobacco control, covering the uninsured, and literacy projects.
Camille Kalil, new Executive Director of Healthy Communities, is pleased to continue the shared office space arrangement that began with United Way six years ago. “It is wonderful to have the collaboration of three dynamic community change organizations within this new environment, and we look forward to continued collaboration opportunities to benefit the county,” she said.
The organizations are planning a joint Michigan City and La Porte Chamber Eye Opener event on November 28 at the new location at 115 East 4th Street. The NIEF portion of the building will be open for the event as well.
For more information about the individual nonprofit organizations, access their web sites at www.unitedwaylpc.org or www.uflc.net; or email camille@laportecounty.net.