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Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations

Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations (QENO, "key-know") helps strengthen nonprofits in southeastern North Carolina through leadership & organizational development and providing connections to UNCW faculty and students.

For Nonprofit Leaders QENO supports nonprofit leaders like you – executive staff and board members – to sustainably grow the capacity of your organization. Our Cadence Program supports nonprofits at all stages of development through monthly workshops, dedicated consulting, and tools & processes customized for your organization. Learn more
For Students We support applied learning experiences for UNCW students interested in the nonprofit sector. We can help students find a nonprofit to work with for a community-based internship or hands-on class assignment. QENO also regularly hosts interns from a variety of degree programs to support our nonprofits, either directly or behind the scenes. Schedule a conversation
For Faculty QENO is a resource for UNCW faculty members who are involved with local nonprofits. Whether you do engaged research, are involved in community partnerships, or assign applied learning projects, we can help make connections, facilitate collaborations, and support students. We are also available to visit your class to make presentations on a range of topics related to the nonprofit sector and relevant careers. Schedule a conversation
Nonprofit Capacity Building

QENO provides FREE consulting services to nonprofit organizations, customized to assist you with policies & procedures, data-driven decision making, and strategic annual planning in each of these areas: 

Programming, advocacy, human resources management, volunteer management, asset management, resource development, financial management, board development

Participating clients receive a variety of user-friendly tools for nonprofit management including a comprehensive organizational calendar, action plans for program or project management, a streamlined document storage system, data management plans, a policy log, and an annual strategic planning system. According to current clients, benefits include better program outcomes, greater efficiency, stronger organizational culture, and more grant funding secured.  

To become a QENO client and receive services, nonprofits first complete a confidential organizational assessment that takes stock of current strengths and opportunities. The process validates existing capabilities, identifies capacity building needs, and prioritizes organizational development goals. This allows QENO to serve more nonprofits as effectively and efficiently as possible. 

Email danielss@uncw.edu to learn more about how to get started. 

RESOURCE SHARING

QENO is facilitating a new collaborative effort to centralize resource sharing and data collection among local organizations. Information will be gathering continuously from nonprofits for standing resources including:

  • Directory of nonprofits
  • Directory of local & statewide grantmakers
  • Nonprofit job openings
  • Board of Directors openings
  • Continuing education & professional development opportunities
  • Recommendations for third-party administrative service providers (accountants, lawyers, HR firms, IT firms, etc.) 
  • Recommendations for nonprofit consultants

 There will also be weekly special topics related to emerging conditions in the community, such as:

  • Trends in nonprofit funding
  • Nonprofit capacity building needs
  • Compensation & benefits statistics
  • Feedback for grantmakers 

Starting the second week of February, information for both standing resources and special topics will be collected in two ways: 

  1. Weekly emails with a brief online survey - SIGN UP HERE to get emails 
  2. Weekly Zoom calls - SIGN UP HERE to get calendar invites
    • Your choice of Tuesdays at 10:00-10:30 OR Thursdays at 3:00-3:30pm


Organizations that participate in a given week, whether by email or Zoom, will receive a summary of that week's data. Sign up for the QENO Newsletter below to get regular previews of upcoming special topics.            

Get the QENO Newsletter

Subscribe for QENO Updates

Meet the Director
Sara Fletcher Daniels staff portrait

QENO Director, Sara "Fletcher" Daniels (she/they) holds a Masters of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from UNC Wilmington, as well as a bachelor's in Music Performance from the University of Georgia. Previous leadership roles included Finance Director at Thalian Hall, Executive Director of Feast Down East, Interim Director of the NC Blueberry Festival Association, and Executive Director of the New Hanover Disaster Coalition. Fletcher founded the Cape Fear Food Council, which was integral in coordinating food assistance services across the community after Hurricane Florence and early in the Covid-19 pandemic. She also owned and operated a consulting firm that offered nonprofit management services and also taught Nonprofit Financial Management in the MPA program at UNCW. Areas of expertise and passion include program design and evaluation, organizational development, inter-organizational collaboration, equity & diversity, and public policy advocacy. 

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