The Nonprofit sector in Grand Rapids is big, and a huge influence in the community. There are over 2300 nonprofit organizations in Kent County alone. If you include the largest healthcare providers in West Michigan, the number of people working in this sector numbers in the tens of thousands.
Nonprofit organizations provide important services to the area, but they also compete with each other for a finite amount of resources: grants, sponsors, donors, volunteers, community capital and employees. Most of the time, the competitive spirit is cordial, and even collaborative.
But for one night only on March 25th, Rapid Growth Media and Young Nonprofit Professionals Network - Grand Rapids have teamed up to provide an outlet for this competitive spirit: the Nonprofit Smackdown. Representatives from eight different sectors will square off on stage pitching why their sector deserves the most attention. This fun and light-hearted, but high-spirited event will culminate in the audience choosing the winner of each of four rounds and who moves on to compete for the grand title.
The event wraps up a day full of events as part of YNPN's National Conference being held here in Grand Rapids at Wealthy Theatre. Attendees of the conference will be treated to sessions and speakers like Sam Davidson of Cool People Care of Nashville, Reed Sandridge of Year of Giving and Uma Mishra of clean water initiative Love Is What We Are.
However, you don't need to attend the conference to join us for Nonprofit Smackdown. If you're interested in what exciting things are going on in the local nonprofit sector, and love to see a good throwdown of our area's top young leaders, then mark your calendar for March 25th at Wealthy Theatre. The audience will decide by a show of support who moves through the rounds, so be sure to bring your favorite noisemakers! (We need more cowbell!)
Event details:
Friday, March 25th, Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy Street SE.
Admission is free and open to the public; you do not need to be a YNPN member.
Doors and concessions open at 7:00 PM for pre-event mingling and networking, Smackdown begins at 8:00.
Either RSVP at our Facebook Event Page, or use the form below.
Event is sponsored by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and produced by Rapid Growth Media and YNPN-GR.
Promotional poster by
Erwin Erkfitz, Photos courtesy of Wealthy Theatre.
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