NVAC’s mission is to promote relationships among UNC Charlotte faculty and graduate students with research and teaching interests in nonprofit organizations, philanthropy and voluntary action with the aim of increasing our knowledge of the nonprofit sector, fostering interdisciplinary research and engaging in community outreach in the Charlotte Metropolitan area.
Monthly Meetings
NVAC’s monthly meetings are used for a variety of purposes—to share and discuss each other’s research, to discuss current events in the local nonprofit world, to learn about specific nonprofit issues, to visit or hear from representatives of local nonprofit organizations, and to develop new research projects that span our common interests.
Working Papers and Community Reports
NVAC will be publishing a series of working papers and community reports to provide information to Mecklenburg County leaders and nonprofit managers about the local nonprofit sector. These papers are available under the heading in the Community Reports section of our website.
Invited Speaker Series
To further foster good research and strong relationships across academic institutions, NVAC will be hosting an annual invited speaker series every Spring that will feature the research and insights of noted scholars in the areas of nonprofit management, volunteering and arts administration.
Community Workshop Series
In the future, NVAC will be sponsoring and organizing a series of community workshops as another community outreach initiative. NVAC members, talented practitioners and other invited speakers will present information about nonprofit organizations’ best practices and strategies for effectively running a nonprofit organization.
Action Research
NVAC members share an interest in basing their research in the local Charlotte community. As part of our community outreach, we want to engage in academically rigorous research that will benefit local nonprofit and arts organizations. Our goal is to establish an ongoing dialogue with community organizations about how we can support and inform them as they strive to accomplish their missions in the community.