January 2022: Message from the President

Dear ARNOVANs –

• We’re at the end of the first month of this new year of 2022, and many are again feeling down about the future. But let’s take a few moments to appreciate some of the recent high points we experienced in 2021. We had a great conference in Atlanta and hosted 435 people in-person, as well as another 245 on-line in either the hybrid or virtual sessions. Those who joined us in person expressed delight to be together again – despite the masks, social distance, temp checks, and box lunches. ARNOVANs just look forward to connecting and enjoyed doing so for the first time since 2019 in San Diego!
• I’d like to offer a heartfelt “THANK YOU” to the ARNOVA staff – some who traveled a great distance to be with us in person to ensure that all went smoothly. Lynnette is doing a great job at the end of her second year with us as ED – in bringing together a group of staff members who are committed to the work of ARNOVA. We also had an amazing group of volunteers – most from regional universities near Georgia, as well as the father of one of our staffers - to assist and ensure that everyone enjoyed the time spent together.
• We began the celebration of 50 years of ARNOVA – which will continue through the end of 2022. In that connection, we enjoyed a novel approach to the opening conference session that the conference committee had organized – that allowed members – both in-person and on-line – to reflect on ARNOVA’s personal meaning to them. This was followed by singing in the tradition of Dwight Burlingame.
• Thank you to members as well as 100% of the board that joined together in support of the “50 days/50 donors/$50” campaign leading up to the conference. We raised nearly $9,000; a small portion of the gifts were designated for specific purposes, and the remaining will support programming with Diversity Scholars and Emerging scholars, as well as other work of ARNOVA. This was a great way to demonstrate our support for ARNOVA and in celebration of our 50th anniversary as an association. Let’s continue and give to ARNOVA in the coming year and years. Remember that when we demonstrate our commitment to ARNOVA through our giving of any amount, we signal to external funders our belief in our mission, which they look for in their decisions to provide support.
• There’s still time to share feedback on the Nov. 2021 conference ARNOVA staff, the conference co-chairs as well as the board would benefit greatly from your thoughts. Offering that information will help with continuous improvement. Especially since this was the first year we did a hybrid conference – we want to know about your experience, ways we can improve, the significance of having a hybrid conference (despite the higher associated costs), and more. Reach out to: Lynnette (lynnette@arnova.org) and share your feedback.

But back to business.

Let me offer a heartfelt “thank-you” to Shena Ashley for her service to ARNOVA over the past few years as she served on the board and in several other committee roles.  She determined it best to step down from her ARNOVA board service due to exciting and demanding new responsibilities she’s leading at the Urban Institute as V.P. of Research Innovation, Office of Race and Equity Research. Jason Coupet has accepted the board’s invitation to fulfill the remainder of Shena’s board term (through Nov. 2023). 

Jason is a joint winner of the 2020 Editor’s Prize for Best Scholarly Paper in Nonprofit Management and Leadership (v. 29) for "Toward a Valid Approach to Nonprofit Efficiency Measurement" – with Jessica Berrett and is a member of ARNOVA’s Data and Analytics Section.  Jason recently joined Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies as an Associate Professor (he was formerly at North Carolina State University).  So, let’s give Jason a “welcome” to his term on the board and encourage him in that work.

A few last details:

• The Section leaders determined last year that they can benefit greatly from more frequent interaction with one another. In 2022, they continue in that new push – with meetings of Section leaders coming together virtually on a quarterly basis.
• The 50th anniversary celebration continues, as 2022 is the 50th anniversary for our journal – NVSQ. We will celebrate more – both ARNOVA’s anniversary and that of NVSQ – when we convene at our annual conference in November in Raleigh, NC.
• We’ve been under the guidance of a strategic plan whose ending date was Dec. 2021.The board began conversations in November 2021 and will be engaged in a new strategic planning process during 2022.We’ll also be seeking your input during this process. More information will be coming in the near future.

I’m looking forward to seeing you in Raleigh, N.C. in November 2022!

Pier C. Rogers, President