How do you define a team? Is it the staff who fit neatly into an org chart? Does it include volunteers who lend their time and expertise? At the Nonprofit Leadership Center, we think of a team as something bigger — a network of partners, funders, collaborators, and supporters who work alongside you to make your mission possible.
The most effective teams aren’t defined by titles or reporting structures. They’re made up of everyone who contributes to the organization’s impact, often in ways that achieve far more than what any staff team could alone.
While many people see NLC’s small but mighty team as a group of six professional staff, in reality, our board, trainers, and Key Partners are an extension of our team and NLC family. Only with their support, expertise, and thought partnership can we reach more than 500 organizations and thousands of nonprofit professionals each year to increase the sector’s impact.
Partnerships make more possible.
Key Partners: Impact in Action
The late Jane Goodall once said, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
This year, the Nonprofit Leadership Center is grateful to 25 local businesses that have made a difference for the nonprofit sector as NLC Key Partners: businesses that have an affinity for and expertise in nonprofits.
It’s easy to make a donation or sponsor an event with minimal engagement. But our Key Partners roll up their sleeves and walk alongside us in our mission to develop and connect nonprofit leaders to strengthen our communities.
Here are just a few of the ways our Key Partners have stepped up to make a difference for the difference-makers this year:
Supporting the C-Suite
James Cho of Your-Part Time Controller facilitated training for eight local chief financial officers this year to help them better leverage their investments to further their missions.
Additionally, with the organization’s support, NLC recently gathered more than 20 local nonprofit CEOs to discuss their successes and challenges in 2025. They shared opportunities for potential collaborations, resource sharing, and brainstorming that we’re currently working to support and realize.
Promoting Financially Sustainable Futures
My Paper Pusher’s Samantha Abraham recently taught nonprofit leaders how to prioritize their financial processes and procedures as their organizations grow, giving them the confidence to ensure their nonprofits are sustainable. My Paper Pusher has been supporting the Nonprofit Leadership Center for more than a decade, providing innovative ideas and unwavering support to the sector.
Design That Drives Experiences
C3 Media continues to make a difference by elevating the experience nonprofit leaders have at our annual Nonprofit Leadership Conference through professional design and print work.
Communication That Moves the Needle
Our partnership with Round Square helps bring thousands of difference-makers to the Nonprofit Leadership Center each year. Their day-to-day communications support helps amplify our story and reach more nonprofit professionals.
Leading by Example
Warren Averett has been a highly engaged NLC partner for years, and we are grateful for the leadership of their own Michelle Sanchez, who has served as our board chair for the past two years.
Education at Work
Rooted in a shared mission to build stronger communities through education and leadership, Bisk Amplified partnered with the Nonprofit Leadership Center to bring professional development and workforce learning opportunities to nonprofit professionals across the Tampa Bay region to level up their leadership.
Thought Leadership with Soul
The team at HR Soul has consistently provided timely articles and resources to our nonprofit community to navigate challenges in hiring and retention.
Empowering Decisions with Knowledge
Bernstein Wealth Management, a new Key Partner, has already helped empower our community to make informed decisions by sharing critical resources, research, and information to navigate emerging financial changes.
The examples are endless, just like our gratitude for the people and partners who make nonprofits and our communities stronger.
A Team Powered by Gratitude
Partnerships fuel possibilities, and we are truly better together.
Today, we pause to thank our Key Partners.
Thank you for sharing your time, talent, and treasure with us.
Thank you for choosing to be part of Team NLC.
Like Jane Goodall says, “What you do makes a difference.” Thank you for making a difference for the difference-makers.
Become a Key Partner
If you are a business that understands, cares about, and serves nonprofit organizations in the Tampa Bay region, you might be the perfect fit for our Key Partner program. We convene this distinguished group throughout the year to network, collaborate, and discuss pressing issues facing the sector and companies that support it. It is also a powerful way to increase awareness about your brand to thousands of nonprofit professionals in the Tampa Bay area and beyond.
