Michigan Nonprofit Association

Lansing Office

330 Marshall St,
Suite 200
Lansing, MI 48912
517.492.2400

Payment Remittance

P.O. Box 771958
Detroit, MI 48277-1958
Arrow Icon Back to News

MNA Announces Statewide Survey to Capture First Ever Comprehensive Nonprofit Leadership Dataset

January 26, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 26, 2022
Contact: Tammy Pitts // tpitts@mnaonline.org

Statewide Survey Will Capture the First Ever Comprehensive Dataset on Nonprofit Leadership in Michigan

The Michigan Nonprofit Association — in partnership with Data Driven Detroit (D3) and the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy — is working to build the first comprehensive dataset about the demographics of nonprofit leadership throughout Michigan.

This project is supported with funding from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. It will collect staff and board demographic information and resource- and equity-related data from participants. The partners hope to capture information from all regions of the state.

The first phase of this project – the Detroit Nonprofit Leadership Census survey – was conducted in February 2021. The survey’s results constitute the first-ever detailed dataset about the demographics of Detroit nonprofit leaders, board members, and staff, as well as their connections with local funders.

The partners are now expanding this survey to collect information from nonprofits statewide.

The survey is open to all nonprofits in Michigan (Detroit-area nonprofits are encouraged to participate whether or not they participated in the previous study). Amid a global racial reckoning, the effect of such a survey on identifying, connecting, and supporting nonprofits, their leaders, and communities could be transformative.

“The last two years have shown us all how critical our existing networks of service providers, leaders, and doers really are to our communities’ strength,” said Kelley Kuhn, president and CEO of the Michigan Nonprofit Association. “Pinpointing where these networks exist and where they don’t will enable the nonprofit sector and our partners to nurture connections and resilience.”

"The Detroit survey was a really great first step in creating information that can be used to strengthen the sector," says Noah Urban, Co-Executive Director of Data Driven Detroit. "We're starting to see a movement come together around this data in Detroit, and we're excited and grateful to have the opportunity to update the data we collected last year and expand the impact of this work statewide."

The results from the survey will be used to elevate the stories of community leaders in Michigan, with an emphasis on Black and Brown leaders, to better facilitate connections between community-based organizations, funders, corporations, and other resource and service providers who want to support them. “We have the technology to map where in our state nonprofits are providing services. What we need now is the data to better understand the stories of the people and neighborhoods behind those services to ensure they have the best chance of advancing their missions,” said Jeff Williams, director of the Community Data and Research Lab at the Johnson Center.

Additional information and promotional materials are available in this Google Drive Folder Michigan Nonprofit Leadership Survey Outreach Toolkit– for anyone wishing to promote participation in the survey.

About MNA

Founded in 1990, Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) is a 501 © (3) charitable organization dedicated to nonprofits and the communities they serve by promoting anti-racism and social justice. MNA is a statewide membership organization that achieves its mission through advocacy, training, technology services and civic engagement. More at www.mnaonline.org.

About Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy:

The Johnson Center is an academic center of Grand Valley State University. We provide competency-based professional development, research and evaluation services, and tools to help individuals and organizations understand, strengthen, and advance philanthropy. For more, visit www.johnsoncenter.org or follow @johnsoncenter on social media.

About Data Driven Detroit (D3):

Data Driven Detroit (D3) is metro Detroit’s community data hub. We collect, analyze, interpret, and share accessible, high-quality data and information to drive informed decision-making. Our work is focused on increasing data-driven outcomes and facilitating collaborative processes throughout metro Detroit and Michigan. For more, visit www.datadrivendetroit.org.

About the C.S. Mott Foundation

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, established in 1926 in Flint, Michigan, by an automotive pioneer, is a private philanthropy committed to supporting projects that promote a just, equitable and sustainable society. It supports nonprofit programs throughout the United States and, on a limited basis, internationally. Grantmaking is focused in four programs: Civil Society, Education, Environment and Flint Area. In addition to Flint, offices are located in metropolitan Detroit, Johannesburg and London. For more information, visit www.mott.org.

Download pressreleasemichigannonprofitleadershipsurvey01262022.pdf

Related News

Explore More

Stay Informed

Sign up for the MI Nonprofit Connection to stay up to date on all things MNA and the Nonprofit Sector in Michigan.

Share This Page

Stay Informed

Get the latest resources and alerts sent to your inbox.