HandsOn NWNC has a strong and deep partnership with the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, the statewide network of nonprofits, that dates back to the founding of the former Nonprofit Connections. Initially, the Center was approached about providing services that would help increase the capacity of Forsyth County nonprofits, and this led to the formation of the Forsyth County Capacity Building Consortium. For many years, the work of the consortium, supported by a network of local funders, was organized by a part-time Center staffer. Eventually, local leaders decided to take ownership of the consortium themselves, creating an advisory board consisting of both funders and local nonprofit leaders, and hiring a part-time director of its own. This re-vamped initiative was launched as Nonprofit Connections in 2006, and they entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits to continue to provide a seamless continuum of services to local nonprofits.

The ECHO (Everybody Can Help Out) Council came into existence at the end of 2003 when 40 community leaders gathered to promote the building of social capital in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County . Its mission is to build a better community by providing opportunities to create enriching, trusting and long-lasting relationships between people. Initiated by the Winston-Salem Foundation, the ECHO Council acts like a “think tank” for generating community innovations such as leadership summits, conversation groups and organizations such as Volunteer Connections, one of the predecessor organizations of our local HandsOn. More details on the ECHO Council and their ongoing initiatives can be found here: http://www.wsfoundation.org/fileadmin/pdf/ECHO.pdf

Locally, HandsOn currently partners with the ECHO Council in support of the Winston-Salem Time Bank Network. Time Banking is the reciprocal giving of one hour of time to do something for someone else, and getting in exchange one Time Dollar for something you need done. Local Time Banks, which are active in over 300 communities across the globe, build grassroots community and social capital by recognizing and valuing the talents and gifts that we can all bring to our neighbors, outside of traditional, organization-based “volunteering.” Other members of the network include faith organizations, neighborhood associations and grassroots nonprofits. Building of the network is ongoing, and has been receiving support from TimeBanks USA . HandsOn will continue to play a vital role in the development and eventually roll out of a community-wide Time Bank in Winston-Salem.  For more information about Time Banking, check out www.timebanks.org.