We are excited to share that after an 8-month-long merger exploration process, the Nonprofit Assistance Center (NAC) and Wayfind are joining forces to provide integrated services for the community under one roof. Soon, the new organization will undergo a rebrand to create a new name and logo. Until then, we want to share our new mission with you: to promote social welfare by fostering movements to build power in communities impacted by systemic oppression through community partnerships, capacity building, and legal services for community organizations and microenterprises.
Why?
The need to build power in communities impacted by systemic oppression is greater than ever. For years NAC and Wayfind have held a deep partnership, frequently referring services to each other and working side by side, literally in the same office! We are excited about this opportunity to deepen the synergy of our work and to continue building off of Sarah Tran’s vision of working alongside community organizations in communities of color and other oppressed communities as more than recipients of service, but as leaders of a collective movement.
Together, the new merged organization will build on the histories and strengths of both NAC and Wayfind so we are able to better support community organizations under one roof. Nonprofits will have access to legal services, organizational and leadership coaching, peer learning and innovation, and tools that build community analysis and action against oppressive systems of power. Microenterprises will continue to have access to legal services they need to run their businesses. Philanthropic leaders will still have a place to create connections with community groups, challenge the limits that currently bind the funder/grantee relationship, and offer new possibilities for collaboration.
More than the sum of these parts, a merged organization will be uniquely able to address systemic issues for communities of color in the sector. Our integrated services will increase our capacity to serve communities; will offer opportunities for new programming; will enhance our ability to provide thought leadership, convening, and collaboration to change systems to build and balance power in and for communities of color; and will create stronger connections between the legal community and communities of color.
When and where will there be changes?
The services of NAC and Wayfind will continue! As we work on integrating our internal systems and embark on our strategic planning and rebranding process, all current programs of NAC and Wayfind will continue and all staff will continue doing their great work fulfilling their commitment to community. Jodi Nishioka is now the Executive Director for the new merged organization. Until we have a new name, our programming will continue under our separate names and websites, so you will not experience any immediate changes to how you interact with us.
We want to hear from you! We are excited about strengthening our current programs and discovering the new areas of opportunity that will be responsive to community identified needs. In the coming weeks you will be invited to share your ideas on how to make our services even better, and we will share more information on how to engage with these opportunities.
In the coming months, we will also be doing deep community-based strategic planning to discover the gaps of opportunities for the communities we serve and our new organization. We will forge new ways of doing this work so that we can balance and build power for our communities and work in solidarity with community partners and funders to make our world a more just and equitable one.
Gratitude
Thank you for your support during our merger exploration, and we appreciate your continued support and patience as we navigate our next chapter together. What we have learned through our merger process is that truly inclusive community work takes time and patience. We want to do this work aligned with our values of authenticity, equity, collaboration, intersectionality, transformation, accountability and gratitude. To do this we must take the time to connect with the communities we work with in our planning process.
Thank you for being a part of our history and our future. We look forward to what the future holds. Together, we can create a just and interdependent world where every person can live with dignity and realize their fullest potential through access to power, opportunity, resources, and connection to community.
To learn more, read the NAC-Wayfind Merger FAQ.