At last count, Ohio City was home to nearly 90 nonprofit organizations and community groups. Combined they employ 3,000 individuals and have a collective budget totaling several hundred million dollars. They also attract over 100,000 customers annually, and boast more than 10,000 committed volunteers.

Since the recession began, the groups that make up this sizeable nonprofit community have met regularly to discuss ways to combine purchasing, share services and leverage their resources. Such conversations have led to Ohio City Dialogues, an effort to bring together and strengthen the nonprofits in the neighborhood that is being managed by the community development corporation Ohio City Inc.

"These groups are able to accomplish more and better achieve their missions by working together," says Jeffrey Verespej, Director of Operations and Advocacy with Ohio City Inc. "They are able to get better services at lower rates because they're sharing the burden across so many different organizations."

The group is now working with the Sourcing Office, a local company that helps governments, businesses and nonprofits obtain competitive rates for goods and services. Recently, they crafted a Request for Proposals for an information technology provider and selected Onelink, a Westlake-based company.

Verespej says that the Ohio City Dialogues group will display its growing influence in the coming year. The group is planning to hold its annual meeting in March, with Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson scheduled to deliver the keynote address.

"There's a real nonprofit economy here, and nonprofits have an economic impact that's not often seen," Verespej says. "We think we can tell a different story, and leverage nonprofits into a stronger impact for the community."

Source: Jeff Verespej
Writer: Lee Chilcote