SHREVEPORT – The Institute for Nonprofit Administration at Research at LSUS is well-known for being a trusted resource for nonprofit organizations in the Shreveport-Bossier area.
But INAR is expanding its reach through a deepening partnership with the Louisiana Alliance for Nonprofits, a statewide organization that aims to improve nonprofit connectivity and efficiency.
“As our partnership has evolved since co-hosting the statewide nonprofit conference this past September, we recognized that INAR’s statewide database of nonprofits and Louisiana Alliance’s statewide presence would be most effective working together to convene and support nonprofits throughout the state,” said Dr. Heather Carpenter, INAR’s executive director. “Both of our missions involve building the capacity of and to serve the most nonprofits possible throughout Louisiana.”
The Louisiana Alliance has contracted with INAR to host quarterly networking and professional event for nonprofits in North Louisiana, which includes Shreveport, Monroe, and Alexandria.
The first Shreveport networking event earlier this month attracted 17 area nonprofits, who exchanged ideas and best practices. Twenty-one nonprofits attended the Monroe networking event.
Future Shreveport networking events are scheduled for April 10, May 2 and Nov. 7. In Monroe, events are scheduled for April 23, May 16 and Nov. 8. INAR will head to Alexandria on April 18, May 15 and Nov. 6.
“We’re offering all of the North Louisiana professional development events this year to increase organizations’ knowledge base and to also help make connections to other nonprofits in the area,” Carpenter said. “We have a really robust nonprofit sector with about 2,000 registered organizations just in the Shreveport-Bossier area that play a significant role in the local economy.”
INAR will again co-host the statewide annual conference with Louisiana Alliance this coming September in Baton Rouge.
The LSUS entity will also serve as the Louisiana Alliance call center, meaning that when a nonprofit calls the Louisiana Alliance for technical assistance, INAR representatives are on hand to offer their academic and professional expertise.
The expanded partnership will increase access to services INAR is already offering, including a booklet titled “Journey to Nonprofit Success” and research about the “State of the Nonprofit Sector in Louisiana.”
The research includes an interactive map that contains every registered nonprofit in the state, which can lead to collaborations between nonprofits with similar missions.
The report includes detailed nonprofit statistics from every metropolitan area of the state.
INAR offers an array of certificates or full bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nonprofit administration.
For more information, visit the INAR web page on the LSUS website, email inar@lsus.edu or call 318-795-4264.
