While the State of the State, State of the Union, State of the Judiciary, and more are in full swing on stages across the nation, nonprofit leaders in Connecticut are inviting residents to actively engage in a series of regional events: The State of Community Nonprofits.

The CT Community Nonprofit Alliance, the state association of nonprofits known as “The Alliance,” regularly engages community-based organizations in advocacy and public policy matters. In a series of five regional events, The Alliance has invited state and local officials to come together with frontline nonprofits to hear directly from their constituents and better understand how the state budget and related issues affect people who rely on community services. Starting on January 29 and ending February 8, the events will be held in Hartford, Bridgeport, South Windham, Norwich, and New Haven.

The Alliance invites advocates around the state to share their stories directly with state and local officials, providing a clear line of communication on issues directly affecting their communities. Importantly, The Alliance is opening participation in the events to staff, board members, family members, volunteers, consumers, and clients. The Alliance also encourages local media to attend the events to generate more coverage, demonstrating how media coverage grows more media coverage and greater public understanding.

These gatherings – obvious, but occurring much too rarely – demonstrate that advancing one’s mission can be as simple as sitting down with the community and talking about problems and solutions.