The Erie Community Foundation

The Nonprofit Partnership

Erie needs a strong nonprofit community. Many programs funded by local governments are delivered through local nonprofit organizations. ECF works to increase the effectiveness and capacity of nonprofit organizations through our support of The Nonprofit Partnership (NPP). We believe this is one of the best programs of its kind in the nation.

NPP started as an operating program of the Foundation in 2001. Its growth and successes caused ECF to spin-off NPP and it is now a stand-alone membership-based program that provides education, training, and tools to strengthen local nonprofit agencies. ECF provides a significant operating grant to the NPP each year to support the capacity-building of our area nonprofits. Last year, the NPP provided over 70 training programs, servicing well over 1,500 staff and board of their 197 member organizations.

NPP Board of Directors:

  • Amy Cuzzola-Kern, PhD, Office of Congresswoman Dahlkemper
  • Jennifer Dobbs-Woods, United Way of Erie County
  • Paul Gambill, US District Court Probation Coordinator
  • Erica K. Jackson, Penn State Behrend
  • Susan Kemenyffy, ECF Trustee
  • Heidi Parr Kerner, Erie Small Business Alliance
  • Julie Kresge, Safe Harbor Behavioral Health
  • Vickie Lampe, PNC Financial Services
  • Char Mashyna, ArtsErie
  • Emma Lee McCloskey, Ed.D., The Catholic Foundation–Diocese of Erie
  • Tom Pysz, WQLN
  • Tom Tupitza, Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett
  • Shiloh Turner, The Erie Community Foundation
  • Gwendolyn White, Erie Insurance Group
  • Perry Wood, Technology Council of Northwest PA

NPP annually plans and hosts a signature event for local nonprofits; Nonprofit Day.