Each year on August 17, National Nonprofit Day gives us an opportunity to pause and recognize the essential role nonprofit organizations play in our communities. But this day should be about more than appreciation alone. It should also be a moment to acknowledge the many roles nonprofits play as community builders, problem-solvers, employers, advocates, conveners, and trusted partners in building a stronger future.

At the CNE), we know that when nonprofits are strong, communities are stronger. Across Virginia, nonprofit organizations are meeting needs that are both urgent and enduring. They are feeding families, expanding access to healthcare, creating opportunities for young people, supporting artists and educators, protecting the environment, strengthening neighborhoods, and advocating for systems that work better for everyone. They do this work every day with deep commitment, creativity, and care—in a moment that demands more of them than ever.

Nonprofits are operating in an environment shaped by economic uncertainty, workforce challenges, rising community need, evolving public policy, and increasing pressure to do more with limited resources. Yet communities continue to turn to nonprofit organizations for leadership, stability, and hope. Nonprofits are often among the first to see emerging needs and among the last to walk away from them. They stay rooted in their communities, listening, adapting, collaborating, and building bridges across differences. In doing so, they help ensure our communities are not only responsive in times of crisis, but more connected, equitable, and resilient over time.

National Nonprofit Day is also a reminder that the health of the nonprofit sector does not rest on nonprofits alone. A strong sector requires investment, partnership, and shared responsibility. It requires funders who support capacity as well as programs, policymakers who remove barriers to impact, businesses and institutions that see nonprofits as essential partners, and communities that recognize nonprofit effectiveness depends on the systems, resources, and relationships surrounding it.

For 20 years, CNE has worked alongside nonprofits across Virginia as a champion, learning partner, and advisor—helping organizations strengthen leadership, governance, strategy, advocacy, and long-term sustainability. We believe healthy nonprofits are vital to equitable, thriving, and just communities, and we know that building a stronger sector takes more than one-day recognition. It takes sustained commitment to learning, collaboration, and investing in the people and organizations doing the work.

National Nonprofit Day gives us a chance to celebrate the extraordinary contributions of nonprofit organizations. It should also challenge us to ask what it would look like to truly support them—not only with gratitude, but with action.

  • What would it look like to invest in nonprofit staff and leaders as the workforce our communities depend on?
  • What would it look like to fund infrastructure, leadership development, and organizational health as seriously as we fund programs?
  • What would it look like to create public policy that recognizes nonprofits as critical partners in meeting community needs?
  • What would it look like to move from admiration of nonprofit work to meaningful, long-term support for nonprofit impact?

These are the questions that matter—not just on August 17, but all year long.

This National Nonprofit Day, we celebrate the organizations, leaders, staff, board members, volunteers, donors, and advocates whose dedication strengthens communities across Virginia every day. For 20 years, CNE has been proud to stand alongside Virginia’s nonprofit sector as a champion, learning partner, and advisor, and we remain committed to helping nonprofits thrive for years to come. Join us in celebrating National Nonprofit Day and the remarkable impact of our sector, because one thing is clear: Nonprofits get it done in Virginia.