RISE Northwest Ohio
Community Impact Alliance
Download an overview of the Community Impact Alliance, including program highlights, member requirements, meeting dates and application process.
Purpose
To build a rural social impact sector that leads the national conversation on sustainability, dignity, and innovation; where communities no longer survive on scarcity but thrive through measurable mission impact.
RISE Community Impact Alliance
The social sector powers 12.5 million jobs and contributes $1.4 trillion to the U.S. economy, yet outdated systems, myths, and funding models limit its full potential. Social Current, a partner to 1,800+ human and social service organizations in the U.S., Canada and the Center for Community Impact, a consulting agency with 25 years of social impact experience, have launched Five & Rising in Northwest Ohio, a bold national+local movement to change that.
To fully realize social impact, a social enterprise must recognize itself as a business. Operating as a business doesn’t mean abandoning purpose; it means strengthening it. Businesses attract capital because they leverage alliances, show discipline in planning, measuring outcomes, and demonstrating return on investment. Social Impact organizations that adopt business rigor inspire greater confidence in donors, investors, and partners – unlocking new streams of financial support and scaling community impact.
The Center for Community Impact is recruiting 15+ organizations in rural Northwest Ohio to join the Community Impact Alliance which will leverage alliances, employ strategy with sustainability, and work to position themselves not as charity cases, but as mission-driven enterprises delivering scalable community impact.
Community Impact Alliance Participants will:
Align with the Five & Rising Movement
Through the national cohort of which RISE Northwest Ohio is a part, participants will gain direct access to tools, templates, expertise and mentorship.
Graduate from the GrowthWheel Training Program
This 10-session program equips nonprofit leaders with a proven decision-making framework that strengthens operations across 20 focus areas, from funding models to organizational structure. Under the facilitation of Lisa Becher, Director of the Small Business Development Center of Northwest Ohio, participants will transform big goals into actionable strategies. Assisting Lisa in each course will be a local, regional or national subject matter expert to speak in-depth on the course focus area.
Become BOLD Certified
The Bold Training, inspired by Dan Pallotta’s work in the social sector, shifts mindset. It challenges outdated beliefs about the nonprofit sector, giving leaders the permission, tools, and language to pursue bold growth just like their for-profit peers. These sessions will be facilitated by Aileen Meyer, MOL, CFRM and CEO of Center for Community Impact. Sessions will be completed in person. Each participant will receive a course certification and will have lifetime access to the course material.
Pilot RISE Northwest Ohio innovative solutions to industry barriers
Be the first to implement solutions to help take your organization to the next level.
Together, Capacity Building training, Collaboration, GrowthWheel, The BOLD Training and Five & Rising give social enterprises both the business tools and the cultural reset they need to attract larger investment, scale impact, and drive long-term community change. Upon satisfactory completion of GrowthWheel and the BOLD Training, organizations will receive a $500 unrestricted grant to assist with operational expenses.
What we are looking for in Cohort Members:
Location
Located in rural NW Ohio
Social enterprises
Preferably registered 501(c)3 entities
Budget
Annual budget under $1 M
Staff
Small to midsize, stable staff
Ideal Characteristics & Requirements of RISE Cohort Members
Organizations that are:
- Located in rural northwest Ohio (preference given to Defiance, Henry, Fulton, Paulding and Williams counties)
- Social Enterprises with a mission to invest profits in community improvement, preferably registered 501(c)3 entities
- Have an annual budget under $1M
- Have small to midsize stable staff
- Preferred mission services: youth services, mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, senior services, veteran services, animal welfare, education, economic development and food insecurity
Have an organizational culture that:
- Is willing to collaborate and share information
- Has a passionate Staff Leader and Board Member who are forward-thinking, ready to make change (and able to give a minimum of 3-5 hours a month to participate in meetings and prep/follow-up work for the term of the pilot program).
- Is open to innovation and risk taking
- Struggles with the “nonprofit starvation cycle” and scarcity mindset such as low capacity, underpaid staff or no budget for marketing and fundraising
Be able to:
- Commit to a minimum $100 participation investment.
(Full program cost per social enterprise is $1160, with grant funding assistance available on a limited basis.) - Attend the Alliance Information Webinar on October 27, 2025.
Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/XRDUXfAfSw-2dytf98sZGQ - Complete application by November 17, 2025
- Participate in application interview with board member and staff by December 10, 2025
Course Dates & Location
All sessions will be held at Northwest State Community College in Room C200 from 9:00 – 11:00 am.
- January 13 & 27, 2026
- February 10 & 24, 2026
- March 17 & 31, 2026
- April 14 & 28, 2026
- May 12 & 26, 2026
Additional training and collaboration dates to be determined. Selected participants will be notified by December 15, 2025.
Applications Closed
The application deadline has passed. If you are interested in other ways to be involved, please reach out!
RISE Northwest Ohio is recruiting rural nonprofits ready to challenge the outdated, restrictive narratives around nonprofit operations, especially in areas like business operations, employee compensation, investments in advertising & marketing, taking risks in pursuit of new revenue, the time and patience to see realize change and the ability to attract philanthropic risk capital.