Knight center officially dedicated

By NICOLE DOW

 

GULFPORT -- A dedication ceremony for the John S. and James L. Knight Nonprofit Center was held Wednesday at its office at 11975 Seaway Road in Gulfport.

With renovations complete, the center was dedicated to its four owners: the Gulf Coast Business Council Research Foundation, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the United Way of South Mississippi.

Gulfport Mayor George Schloegel and Anthony Topazi, former president of the Gulf Coast Business Council, were the featured speakers. About 25 individuals and companies were recognized for their contributions in the development of the center.

The Summer Series of Nonprofit Workshops & Seminars is winding down.  There are still three more to go at the Knight Nonprofit Center...

 

Volunteer Recruitment:  Learn about untapped resources of qualified volunteers for your programs.  August 18th, 10:30-11:30am.  1st Floor East Conference Room.  FREE.  Register by email or phone provided below.

 

Promoting Awareness on a Small Budget:  Discover some proven low and no-cost ways to promote your organization and gain new supporters.  August 24th, 10:30-Noon.  1st Floor East Conference Room.  $25 (Free to KNC Tenants)  Register by sending payment and your contact info to the address below.

 

Budgeting Basics:  Learn the basics of developing a project budget to increase your chances of getting funding through grant writing.  August 31st, 10:30-Noon.  Oval Board Room. $25 (Free to KNC Tenants).  Register by sending payment and your contact info to the address below.

 

Melody Worsham

Coast Community Connect

www.CoastConnect.org

CoastConnect@cableone.net

(228) 209-4774

 

Building Capacity through Education & Training...  Register today!

 

August 4th & 5th:  Project Budgets:  This workshop will teach you easy ways to create a project budget and use it as a guide to manage your grant for excellent accountability. 8am-Noon, Both days in the Oval Board Room.

 

August 10th & 11th:  Grant Management:  This workshop will show you how to manage your grants through accuracy in reporting.  8:00-Noon, Both days.  KNC Tenants-$50.  Other Nonprofits-$100.  1st Floor East Conference Room

 

Board Enrichment Training:  Gain insight and strategies to become more effective in your vital role as a nonprofit board member.
Aug 12:  The Role of the Board
Aug 19:  Conducting Effective Meetings
Aug 26:  Recruiting New Board Members
Sept 2:  Managing Conflicts
5-6:30pm every Thursday afternoon.  KNC Tenants-$25, Other Nonprofits-$50 Per Session.  Glass Lobby Conference Room

 

Request a registration form by contacting Melody at CoastConnect@cableone.net or 228.209.4774

Knight Nonprofit Center Blood Drive will be held on Wednesday, July 14th from 9:00am until 5:00pm in the KNPC Banquet Hall.

T-shirt to all donors!  16 year olds are now eligible to donate blood with parental consent.  MBS suggests that all donors eat at least four hours within giving blood and drink plenty of fluids prior to and after making a donation.  Please bring ID. 

Mississippi Blood Services @ 1-888-90-BLOOD or www.msblood.com

Visit the new online store for exclusive Mississippi Blood Services apparel and other cool and exciting thank-you items.

June 22nd	Easy Fundraising for Board Members:  Improve your organization’s support from the community using these easy and proven strategies	5pm to 6pm	FREE to all Nonprofits	1st Floor East Conference Room
June 29th	Budgeting Basics:  Learn the basics of developing a project budget to increase your chances of getting funding.	10:30-Noon	KNC Tenants-FREE Other Nonprofits-$25	1st Floor East Conference Room
June 30th	Speed Networking:  A fun way to meet other nonprofits in your area and build partnerships.	8:30-10:00am	FREE to all Nonprofits	Banquet Hall
July 7th	Promoting Awareness on a Small Budget:  Discover some proven low and no-cost ways to promote your organization and gain new supporters	10:30-Noon	KNC Tenants-FREE Other Nonprofits-$25	1st Floor East Conference Room
July 13th	Collaboration-Creating Partnerships:  Discover how nonprofit partnerships can increase your organization's influence, enhance services, improve visibility, and raise funds.	10:30-11:30am	FREE to all Nonprofits	1st Floor East Conference Room
July 21st	Audits-Transparency:  Avoid legal problems with these easy tips for accurate reporting of your organization's financial transactions.	10:30-Noon	KNC Tenants-FREE Other Nonprofits-$25	1st Floor East Conference Room
July 21st	Board Recruitment:  Choosing the right board members is essential for direction, advocacy, and securing needed resources for your organization.	1-2:30pm	KNC Tenants-FREE Other Nonprofits-$25	1st Floor East Conference Room
July 27-28th	Grant-Writing Basics:  This workshop will provide you with the valuable skills necessary for sustainability in these tough economic times.	8:00-Noon Both days	KNC Tenants-$50 Other Nonprofits-$100	1st Floor East Conference Room

Date	Topic	Time	Price	Location
August 4-5th	Project Budgets:  This workshop will teach you easy ways to create a project budget and use it as a guide to manage your grant for excellent accountability.	8:00-Noon Both days	KNC Tenants-$50 Other Nonprofits-$100	Oval Board Room
August 10-11th	Grant Management:  This workshop will show you how to manage your grant for excellent accountability.	8:00-Noon Both days	KNC Tenants-$50 Other Nonprofits-$100	1st Floor East Conference Room
August 12th, 19th, 26th & Sept. 2nd	Board Training:  Gain insight and strategies to become more effective in your vital role as a board member. Aug 12:  The Role of the Board Aug 19:  Conducting Effective Meetings Aug 26:  Recruiting New Board Members Sept 2:  Managing Conflicts	5-6:30pm Every Thursday afternoon	KNC Tenants-$25 Other Nonprofits-$50 Per Session	Glass Lobby Conference Room
August 18th	Volunteer Recruitment:  Learn about untapped resources of qualified volunteers for your programs.	10:30-11:30am	FREE to all Nonprofits	1st Floor East Conference Room
August 24th	Promoting Awareness on a Small Budget:  Discover some proven low and no-cost ways to promote your organization and gain new supporters	10:30-Noon	KNC Tenants-FREE Other Nonprofits-$25	1st Floor East Conference Room
August 31st	Budgeting Basics:  Learn the basics of developing a project budget to increase your chances of getting funding.	10:30-Noon	KNC Tenants-FREE Other Nonprofits-$25	Oval Board Room

 

Megan Lee, a sophomore in the Graphic Design Technology program at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston Campus, was recognized as the winning logo designer at the Jan. 12 grand opening of the John S. and James L. Knight Nonprofit Organization Center in Gulfport. The center serves as an umbrella agency that provides services and facilities to other non-profit organizations on the Gulf Coast.

Several GDT students submitted logo designs to the center, with Lee’s design selected as the winner. “It was a class assignment, and once I turned in the project to my instructor, Jeff Jones, I didn’t think about it anymore,” she said. “When Mr. Jones told the class that my logo was the winning design, I couldn’t believe it. Having my design chosen to be used by a community agency is thrilling.”

Jones, GDT instructor at Gulf Coast since 1994, said “The students and I were thrilled when, in August 2008, the Knight Nonprofit Center contacted us about possible design work. Our graphic design majors have interned and worked on various projects with great success for a variety of Coast community organizations, including the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce.

“When Kathryn Satcher, with the Gulf Coast Business Council, told us that the Knight Nonprofit Center Board thought that our students’ designs were ‘wonderful’ and had chosen Megan Lee’s design, we were thrilled. The students and I enjoy working on creative projects. Some projects have a greater sense of purpose and satisfaction. The Knight Nonprofit Center project was one of those great projects,” Jones explained.

At the Jan. 12 ceremony, Morris Strickland, president of the Knight Nonprofit Center Board of Directors, stressed how important it was to have the logo provided by the GDT program. “We are a non-profit organization, and knowing that we had such an outstanding design program to call on was a relief. We offer our thanks to Mr. Jones for all he did in setting this up and for his leadership. We especially appreciate Megan Lee for her work on the design.”

Lee, a Stone County resident and graduate of Stone High School, said she decided to become a graphic-design major during high school. “I’ve always loved to draw then scan my pictures into the computer to work on them. One of my friends suggested I do something in graphic arts, and it just stuck. I enjoy both the artistic side and the computer/technical side of the work.” She plans to get a local job in the field after she graduates in May.

GULFPORT, Miss. - Community and business leaders gathered today for a ceremony that announced the official naming of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Nonprofit Center. Named in recognition of the organization's generous contribution to the purchase of the facility, the building on Seaway Road is jointly owned by United Way of South Mississippi, Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Gulf Coast Business Council Research Foundation.

“Knight Foundation has been a partner since day one of our recovery and rebuilding efforts,” said Anthony Topazi, Mississippi Power Company CEO and chairman of the Gulf Coast Business Council. “This grant has significantly increased not only our capacity to serve but our speed in doing so. Knight Foundation is having a profound effect on the lives of people on the Gulf Coast, and for that we are very grateful.”

“We have strong roots in this community and have been involved in the region’s long-term recovery from the beginning,” said Alberto Ibarguën, president and CEO of the Miami-based national foundation. “This nonprofit center bearing the Knight brothers’ names is a significant and thoughtful step in the recovery.”

Morris Strickland, president of the Knight Nonprofit Center board of directors, stressed the importance of a quality, nonprofit center for the Coast.

“With more than 300 nonprofit organizations on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, there is an obvious need for a world-class nonprofit center,” said Strickland.  “With the financial support of Knight Foundation, Southern Company, Harrah’s Entertainment, and the Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund, we will create a workplace that not only meets the needs of organizations in our area, but also enhances their ability to transform the communities they serve.”

The center now provides permanent, affordable office space to eight tenants and plans to house up to 22 after renovations are complete. The 73,000 square-foot property will undergo extensive renovations, designed by JBHM Architects, to increase the common spaces, facilities and resources among tenants.

One of the earliest stated priorities for the Gulf Coast Business Council was to build or buy a facility to house the many nonprofit and civic organizations whose offices were destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. The building became available when Harrah’s consolidated its Coast operations in Biloxi.

In September 2007, Knight Foundation awarded a $2,355,000 grant to buy and renovate the building housing the center to encourage a stronger, more viable local nonprofit sector. Knight Foundation’s funds also cover technical assistance, training and outreach programs for area nonprofits.

For more information on the Knight Nonprofit Center, please contact Gulf Coast Business Council Communications Manager Kathryn John at (228) 897-2020.

Morris Strickland, President, Knight Nonprofit Center Board of Directors, (228) 872-6272, mgstrickland@cableone.net