June 3, 2025
A Place for Nonprofits to Grow
A conversation with Andy Davey about how the Goodman Nonprofit Center is creating space for connection, learning and collaboration
In May 2024, the Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Foundation announced a $5 million lead gift to jumpstart the creation of the Goodman Nonprofit Center. Support for the Nonprofit Center has continued to grow, with the Roots & Wings Foundation and United Way of Dane County joining MCF as Founding Partners.
The Goodman Nonprofit Center aims to connect nonprofits in the Greater Madison region to information, professional development and networking opportunities to more effectively advance their work. The Center is housed at Madison Community Foundation’s offices in downtown Madison.
In January 2025, Andy Davey was selected as the Center’s Director and has since been working to plan and develop its programming. We sat down with Andy to discuss his aspirations for the Nonprofit Center and his role as its inaugural Director.
What excites you most about leading this new initiative?
I am thrilled to be playing a central role in finally building a dedicated place in Madison for our amazing nonprofits to get practical training, lots of useful information, and more ways to connect with each other. The nonprofit sector plays such a critical role in our community, doing everything from providing housing and healthcare to families, to protecting our natural resources, to creating enriching arts and experiences, to supporting citizens to engage in our democracy and more. While nonprofit work is deeply meaningful, it can be overwhelming. Having a reliable, sustainably funded support institution will benefit nonprofit staff and volunteers and, by extension, our community as a whole.
With our upcoming fellowship program (for which we’re accepting applications for now), I can’t wait to dig into some rich learning and community building with a group of talented, thoughtful and dedicated nonprofit leaders. I know many leaders feel isolated and alone in their roles and I think this program will help alleviate those feelings. I also am excited to see what kind of creative ideas and opportunities for collaboration emerge during extended dialogue among these leaders.
What are your hopes for the Nonprofit Center’s impact on the nonprofit community?
My primary hope is that by gathering nonprofits together in meaningful and pragmatic ways, we will help surface new and collaborative perspectives, strategies and momentum for pursuing a vision of Madison where everyone truly thrives. For me, a major impact would be building stronger and larger coalitions to realize some beneficial changes in public policy.
In pursuit of that larger goal, I hope the nonprofit community feels supported by the Center and feels that they have a new dependable partner committed to their success and well-being.
Why is this the right time for a resource like this in Madison?
I think it’s been a long time coming. But recent national-level attacks on the nonprofit sector – the loss of funding, the narrative that nonprofit work lacks value or is fraudulent – have created additional urgency.
While the number of nonprofits in our area has doubled over the last two decades, the sector hasn’t had a sufficient support structure. Madison has never had a nonprofit center like this, and Wisconsin is one of only four states without a statewide nonprofit association.
Can you share an overview of the Goodman Nonprofit Fellowship program launching this fall?
This year-long program focuses on professional leadership development for a cohort of 15 to 20 relatively new nonprofit executive directors from the Greater Madison area. We will gather every month from September 2025 to June 2026. Each session will feature an instructor with expertise on the following fundamental topics: board governance; crafting a unique value proposition; human resources and organizational culture; marketing and communications; fundraising; financial management; advocacy; and strategy and evaluation.
Sessions will also include ample time for fellows to discuss what they learned, to begin applying it and helping one another navigate real situations in their respective organizations.
What will fellows gain from the program?
The fellows should gain enhanced skills to help them grow as leaders and be more confident and comfortable managing their organizations. They should also gain a community of trusted peers they can reach out to in the future for support and guidance.
What was the thinking behind launching this fellowship as the Nonprofit Center’s first program?
We conducted a major research project a few years ago to better understand the needs of nonprofits. There were two reoccurring themes:
- Access to affordable, in-depth, extended learning programs, and
- Opportunities to learn from and with peers and to deepen relationships with colleagues from other organizations.
The fellowship responds directly to those needs. Moreover, we know from examining other nonprofit centers around the country that these types of programs often form the backbone of their offerings and can really build capacity in the sector.
How can community members, donors, and others support this initiative?
The Nonprofit Center has reached $8 million of its $12.5 million fundraising goal. We are currently working to recruit founding partners to build the Center’s endowment fund to fully launch and sustain future programs. If you are interested becoming a founding partner or donating to the Nonprofit Center endowment, please contact one of our Donor Engagement team members.
We’d love for folks to spread the word about our new website, www.gnpc.org, which will continue to be updated with more information about programs and resources for nonprofits. Please also spread the word about our Goodman Nonprofit Fellowship program.