UCF Center for Public and Nonprofit Management

⏰ Last Call, Orange County Nonprofits!

Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your organization, sharpen your leadership, and grow your impact through our Capacity Building Program.

Gain practical tools in board governance, financial management, grant writing, and program evaluation, plus receive up to 20 hours of technical assistance from UCF graduate students.

💛 Invest in your mission. Build for long-term impact. 8-week Capacity Building Training from June 5th to July 31st.
📅 Applications close May 22!
👉 Apply now: https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bl40U8WmMLE5Om2

UCF School of Public Administration

We’re excited to share that the Osceola County Capacity Building Program is officially underway! After a successful kick-off and second session.

A special thank you to Professor Dr. Angela White-Jones, Ph.D., Dr. Daniel Stephens, Ph.D., and Dr. Andrew Sullivan for leading our first two sessions with insight, expertise, and a genuine commitment to strengthening the nonprofit sector through practical learning and meaningful dialogue.

Here’s to building stronger organizations, stronger leaders, and stronger communities—together. 🚀💫

UCF School of Public Administration

Before we move too far into May, we’re taking a moment to look back at a good month filled with meaningful conversations, community partnerships, student engagement, research highlights, and opportunities to strengthen the nonprofit sector.

📬 Our April Newsletter is here—catch up on everything we did, celebrated, and learned together. Take a look! ✨https://heyzine.com/flip-book/0c2459d6df.html

Thank you for your continued support!

The Elevate Summit with 100 Women Strong was filled with powerful stories and meaningful conversations.

Thank you 100 Women Strong at Central Florida Foundation , Kay Rawlins for such a great event! Nina Yon thanks for being our liaison and supporter of our work in the nonprofit community.
J Andrea Fong for representing the CPNM team!

🚀 Research Highlight #9

What drives accountability in local government? 💡

New research by Dr. Steve Modlin, Dr. LaShonda Stewart and Dr. Doug Goodman (2025) reveals that official bonding isn’t just a routine requirement—it’s shaped by who’s in the room, how counties are structured, and what audits uncover. From experienced finance officers reducing risk to audit findings signaling deeper financial vulnerabilities, the message is clear: strong personnel and systems matter.

🔍 Investing in people isn’t optional—it’s essential for transparency, trust, and effective governance. UCF School of Public Administration

Read full research here: https://jpna.org/index.php/jpna/article/view/1086

Join our Orange County Capacity Building Program and gain the tools you need to lead with confidence—from board governance and financial management to grant writing and program evaluation. Plus, receive up to 20 hours of hands-on technical assistance from UCF graduate students!

This hybrid program is designed to meet you where you are and help you grow sustainably.

https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bl40U8WmMLE5Om2

📅 June 5 – July 24
🗓 Apply by May 14

✨ Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your organization’s future—apply today!

🛎️ Save the date and register today! 📝

Join us for a powerful morning of insight, research, and real conversations on some of the most pressing challenges facing our communities.

From homelessness and digital access to public safety, governance, and social impact—this mini conference brings together faculty and emerging scholars to share research that matters for practice.

📅 April 28 | ⏰ 9 AM – 12 PM
📍 Christian Service Center

Open to nonprofits, students, and the broader community—come learn, connect, and be part of the conversation driving change.

✨ Register today!

Powerful conversations!

Our recent networking session #7 may have been intimate, but the level of connection and engagement was truly meaningful. Through thoughtful discussions and vision board reflections, participants shared their goals and gained deeper insight into each other’s personal and professional journeys.

We also had engaging conversations around social media strategies and the real barriers nonprofits face, creating space for honest dialogue and shared learning.

Thank you to Carol Lambert, Seva Reilly and Brianna Archuleta for leading this conversations and to everyone who showed up ready to be open, intentional, and collaborative—this is where real growth happens. 💛

🌟 Congratulations on your well-deserved award! BSW Student of the Year Cristina Pizarro

We are proud to celebrate one of our outstanding social work students for being recognized as Bachelor in Social Work Student of the Year! 🎉

Her dedication, compassion, and commitment to service have made a meaningful impact—not only in her field, but also here at our Center. Through her work, she has consistently gone above and beyond to support our programs, uplift our community, and embody the values of public service and nonprofit leadership.

We can’t wait to see all the great things ahead for her! 💛
Dr. Seongho An
UCF College of Health Professions and Sciences
UCF School of Public Administration

🌍 From connection to real experience: Reflections from our second visit to Panama 🇵🇦

Our recent visit to Panama was rooted in a clear purpose— Learning and building meaningful partnerships that bridge academia and community impact beyond borders. Throughout this second trip, we had the privilege of meeting with more nonprofits, community leaders, and institutional partners who are driving real change on the ground.

These conversations reinforced the importance of collaboration, cultural understanding, and shared commitment in addressing complex social challenges. By connecting the strengths of the Center for Public and Nonprofit Management with the expertise and leadership of organizations in Panama City, we are laying the foundation for service-learning opportunities, applied research, and sustainable community initiatives. ✨

More than meetings, this experience was about listening, learning, and aligning efforts to create meaningful collaboration.
🤲🏼We are grateful to Mercy Foundation, Fundación Islámica de Panamá for hosting us and every organization who welcomed us and shared their work.
Mercy Foundation
Esperanza
Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua Barbara Barrios
Eduardo Gaitán Beitia
OIM Latinoamérica y el Caribe Noëlle Lebedinsky-Darbellay

✨ This is just the beginning—excited for what is next to come! Dr. Andrew Sullivan, Julia A. Fong

UCF School of Public Administration University of Central Florida