Morris County Chamber of Commerce hosts inaugural Thrive Together Summit for nonprofits
MADISON BOROUGH, N.J. (Morris County) — The Morris County Chamber of Commerce recently brought together nonprofit organizations, business leaders and community advocates for its inaugural Thrive Together Summit at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison.
The event provided nonprofit representatives from Morris County and surrounding communities with opportunities to network, explore resources, strengthen partnerships and learn strategies to improve their organizations’ effectiveness.
“The Thrive Together Summit is Morris County’s premier cross-sector gathering for nonprofits, businesses, government leaders, funders, educators, volunteers and community advocates committed to strengthening our region,” said Dr. Kimberly Iozzi, the chamber’s vice president of operations and programming. “This event was designed to spark ideas and inspire action. This one-day experience brought people, organizations and resources together to address community challenges and create meaningful impact.”
According to the chamber, the summit focused on three primary areas: learning and discovering new practices, building collaborative relationships and encouraging participants to take action.
Attendees explored innovative ideas and resources designed to strengthen nonprofit operations, expand community impact and support organizational missions. The event also provided opportunities to connect with potential volunteers, interns, board members, businesses and funding organizations.
The program included a keynote presentation, educational breakout sessions, a panel discussion and a resource expo featuring community organizations.
The keynote address was delivered by Monique de Maio, founder and chief marketing officer of OnDemandCMO, an author and strategic adviser who works with Fortune 500 companies, mid-market technology businesses, nonprofits and educational organizations.
Her presentation, titled “You Always Have a Choice: Three Small Decisions That Change Everything,” focused on the importance of making intentional decisions rather than allowing routines, past experiences or established beliefs to determine personal and professional choices.
Through an interactive exercise, de Maio encouraged participants to identify three words that could guide their decision-making and help them make more deliberate choices.
The summit also featured several breakout sessions addressing challenges and opportunities facing nonprofit organizations.
Kelly Castro, vice president of philanthropy at Greater Somerset County YMCA, presented “Transitioning From Fundraising to Philanthropy,” focusing on approaches to nonprofit fundraising and philanthropic support.
A session titled “Partnerships that Create Real Community Impact” was moderated by Chelsea Dormer, senior vice president and business banking sales leader at Valley Bank.
Panelists included Joanne Bjornson, CEO of Family Promise Morris County; Melinda Iannarone, chief strategy and impact officer at ARC Morris; Joanne Lopez, vice president and regional community outreach officer at Valley Bank; and Halbert Rodriguez, relationship manager at Valley Bank.
Financial management was another focus of the summit, with Adam Holzberg and April Kushner, partners at SAX LLP, presenting “Beyond a Clean Audit: How to Measure Financial Stability.”
The program also addressed emerging technology through a session titled “Skynet is Real,” presented by Daniel S. Makoski, principal at Porzio Bromberg & Newman. The discussion focused on artificial intelligence and its potential applications within nonprofit organizations.
Chamber officials said the summit was designed to encourage cooperation among nonprofits, businesses, government agencies and other community partners while helping organizations address common challenges.
“The Morris County nonprofit sector provides invaluable services and resources to our community,” said Meghan Hunscher, chamber president. “While they receive assistance from the business community and County government, there might be no greater source for one-on- one support than other nonprofits. The Thrive Together Summit is an opportunity to bring all these key players together for the benefit of all, and we look forward to making it an annual event.”
The chamber said it hopes to make the Thrive Together Summit an annual gathering to strengthen collaboration and support the nonprofit community throughout Morris County and the surrounding region.
