Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director

Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

Greetings from nice and toasty Texas!

I hope that you all had a restful summer holiday, and that those of you who traveled to ISTR enjoyed your time in Antwerp!

Here in College Station, Texas, 72,000 students have moved back into town, which means I am hiding and increasing my dependency on delivery services until things calm down in a few weeks. But that’s part of the journey in Higher Education!

Behind the scenes, NACC continues its work to support nonprofit and philanthropic education. We have recently been engaging in many discussions about formalizing and scheduling regular program feedback and revisions. In addition, we have several important dates coming up, and things to keep in mind as the fall semester (or trimester) gets underway, where you are.

A few big topics are discussed in this issue worth highlighting: our research spotlights focus on various topics surrounding trust, including how foundations narrate their own paths, how they meet or exceed regulatory expectations, and how fundraisers are (or can be) compensated ethically. Together, they’re a good reminder that compliance and good judgment aren’t always the same thing, something many of us have considered and discussed at various points of our careers.

A few housekeeping notes: if you’re planning to join us at our Annual Member Meeting, don’t forget to register. The link is later in this issue. And as always, our updated curricular guidelines are open for feedback. We’d love to hear from more of you along the way, rather than only during the formal review cycle. You can share any feedback here.

As always, we are here for you. Reach out to me with questions, ideas, concerns, or just to catch up beyond our annual member meetings.

Wishing you all the best,
Nicole Collier

Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director

Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

Greetings,

Somehow, it feels like it’s been both a few weeks and a few years since I last wrote to you! I hope you all have been doing well and enjoyed the start of this year. As this is my first note of 2026, I want to honor one of my New Year’s resolutions to prioritize joy by sharing a bit of what is making me happy lately and what is happening at NACC right now.

Prioritizing Joy. Like many of you in public universities, I have been especially feeling the influence of outside pressures on my work and in the classrooms around me. I won’t pretend I have a solution, but I do know that one of the best ways to preserve my work is to preserve myself, which is why I am prioritizing joy in what I consume outside of the office.

Over the past month, I have been working my way through a playlist of the best podcast episodes ever. The list comes from an assortment of recommendations on social media and Reddit, so we should probably treat the superlative with some skepticism, but the episodes have been very enjoyable so far. If you would like the full playlist, send me an email, and I will happily pass it along. In the meantime, I have put information about one of the episodes I especially enjoyed below.

Show name: Reply All
Episode: The Case of the Missing Hit
Ways to listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud

What is something that is making you happy? I’d love it if you could email me a note or recommendation. I think we all need a little bit of joy in our inboxes occasionally!

What’s New With NACC. NACC itself is in what I like to call preparation mode. We are refining our goals, sharpening priorities, and planning upcoming events and programs. Our call for conference hosts is open for summer 2027, and we are already looking ahead to our member meeting in Philadelphia on November 18.

As part of this same preparation mode, I want to highlight that the most recent edition of the curricular guidelines is available for all to use for free and, just as importantly, to respond to. Our feedback form is always open, and I hope you will share how useful the guidelines are, what could be improved, and any additional thoughts you have. Your input will help shape future revisions and ensure the guidelines stay relevant to the evolving needs of our field. You can view the guidelines and access the feedback form here.

I hope you enjoy this edition of NACC News, which highlights ways to enrich our data and reporting practices and to better link evidence and experience to long-term impact.

Wishing you all the best,
Nicole

Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director

Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

Greetings,

I’m writing this update from the plane on my way back from NACC’s Annual Member Meeting in Indianapolis. I hope those of you who were able to join us and attend ARNOVA’s annual conference had a great time! As we enter the final stretch of the fall semester in College Station, I can’t help but reflect on how much has changed since our last member meeting. It has been a very busy year—both at work and emotionally—and I know many of you are feeling the same.

I will not pretend to have the words to fully capture everything happening in Texas, across the country, and around the world, nor do I have all the answers or a message that can erase the stress so many of you are dealing with. What I can say is that NACC continues to show me how deeply our network is committed to being a positive force for good in our sector.

At this year’s member meeting, we heard from both new and longtime colleagues. We shared our successes and our struggles, and we learned new things about each other that will shape how we move forward together.

We also recently convened four new committees to help guide NACC’s priorities for the coming year and beyond. Each committee shared guiding prompts and gathered feedback, and while I cannot capture everything here, I want to highlight two key themes:

1. Meaningful collaborations. Members mentioned the importance of creating, sustaining, and strengthening key partnerships in intentional and strategic ways, and focusing on those who are also invested in the important work NACC upholds. While we have had more informal collaborations in the past, now seems like a time to formalize these relationships and ensure we are dedicating our efforts where they can make the most impact.
2. Articulating our value. We discussed how to better define our value to the sector and clarify who the primary users and beneficiaries of our work are. While a simple enough-sounding idea, we serve many populations directly and indirectly. The Value-Added committee in the future may work on creating a ‘Theory of Change’ to articulate some of these values.

These are only two of the important insights from the meeting. I would love to have more of you involved in these conversations going forward. If you are interested in joining a committee or contributing your perspective, please reach out.

Our annual member meeting also marks the end and beginning of NACC’s board terms. We said thank you to two outgoing board members, Alex Skailes at City, University of London, and Will Brown from Texas A&M University. We also welcomed Roseanne Mirabella at Kean University and Michelle Wooddell at Grand Valley State University. This also marks the beginning of Peter Weber’s term as board president and Angela Logan’s transition to immediate past president. I want to take a moment to thank them all for their service and dedication to the sector!

I hope you all have meaningful time to spend with all those you hold dear and especially find time to take care of yourselves as we head towards the winter holidays. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with ideas, questions, or to chat with us!

Wishing you all the best!
Nicole

Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director

Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

To be honest, I’m not quite sure how to write about the past few months.

NACC has a wide-ranging membership and (dare I say it) a diverse group of stakeholders. I won’t presume to know what everyone feels or believes, and I certainly don’t want readers to think that whatever I write here is NACC’s official stance, or what is 100% going to happen to the sector or how we will be impacted. It feels foolish and irresponsible to share updates like everything is normal, but I also know that stopping work is the only way to ensure that our work is disrupted.

Here is a fact: It’s a stressful time to be in the nonprofit and philanthropic space. I wax and wane between wanting to research and prepare as much as I can and then wanting to tune it all out. It truly depends on the week/day/hour/moment.

However, these problems are not new. It’s something our board, membership, and programs have been discussing. Similar stressors were part of how our upcoming conference came up with its theme. It came up during our annual member meeting with the U.S. H.R. 9495, and several states have had legislation that has slowed down the work of nonprofits. It does feel different though. Things that felt like peripheral distractions, are now staring us in the face demanding our time and attention. I know we are all being flooded with articles, requests for comment, and discussions that can be mentally taxing. But, if for whatever reason, you need some resources, I’ve made a landing page on our website that compiles a few resources that our members have shared or that I have found useful. If you have any you want to add, you can fill out the form on the page, or email them to me at nicollier@tamu.edu

I’ve been thinking of one of my favorite lines from the musical, Hadestown.

Orpheus was a poor boy
But he had a gift to give
He could make you see how the world could be
In spite of the way that it is

That line also is a way we view the meaning of the nonprofit sector. We work to see how the world could be, and I know that we, as academics, researchers, practitioners, teachers, and students who will move the sector forward, will continue to chase that vision. Of that, I have no doubt.

Thank you for all you do – you are appreciated!

Nicole

Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director

Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

I don’t know about you, but I am so excited for fall to finally arrive!

Of course, by fall, I mean the official season. I’m sure many of us have been caught up in the academic fall semester and all the joys, stresses, and details that come with it. My hope is that, at least here in Texas, all the things that come with the fall semester can be somewhat aided by it not being over 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

It has been busy here, so it’s been a bit overwhelming to be perfectly candid and honest with you. Here are a few of the things on my mind related to NACC.

Our annual member meeting is next month in Washington, D.C.! I’m looking forward to seeing you all there, so be sure that if you are a member representative, you’ve signed up to join us! We plan to have many engaging discussions about what is happening in our programs, schools, and communities.

We are wrapping up the fall honor society! Many of you remember Carley, our awesome student worker. They graduated after working with NACC for over 18 months and have begun their job at Boston University. I won’t lie, though; I’m selfishly missing their assistance with balancing all that’s going on with the honor society. On a more positive note, we have an awesome new student worker starting in the next few weeks that I can’t wait to introduce to you!

Finally, I’m thinking about our July conference at the University of Maryland! Our committee has been meeting and working on the core themes of our conference. Soon we will be putting out our call for presentations, so be sure to keep an eye out and let us know if you have a session or presenter in mind!

While this isn’t close to all that’s going on with NACC, they are currently running around in my mind as the big three things. There’s lots to look forward to, and it’s so easy to get caught up in the stress of all the details that I have to take a second to step back and think about all that I’m grateful for in this community. Our community is the core of what makes NACC….well, NACC, and I’m so glad to have been part of it for over 5 years!

Take care of yourselves. Take some deep breaths. We’ve got this.

Nicole

Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director

Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

And just like that, summer is almost over!

It’s hard to believe that August is at our doorstep when I have barely recovered from commencement ceremonies in early May. As many of you have experienced, academic life seems to be stating, “Next month will be calmer” or “Things will be calmer in the summer so I can catch up” over and over. And this year has been no different.

In that spirit, I’m going to be keeping this one super short. There’s so much to do, and so little time to do it!

Even though it has been a busy summer, NACC won’t be slowing down any time soon! As many programs prepare to welcome a new class of students, we will be preparing to welcome our fall class of Nu Lambda Mu, preparing for our annual member meeting at ARNOVA’s conference, and getting ready for NACC’s 2025 conference. Keep an eye out here and on our website to see the latest for those upcoming events and more!

This coming month also marks a change for NACC. Joshua Carley, who has been serving as our student program coordinator for almost two years, will be leaving to start their new role at Boston University! While I am thrilled for them, it’s going to be hard saying goodbye and finding someone to fill their shoes. Carley approached their work with dedication and professionalism. I know Boston University is going to benefit immensely from his skills, and I also know that NACC has been made better by having them be part of our organization. Best of luck, Carley!

Wishing you all the best!
Nicole Collier

Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director

Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

Hello, everyone!

I know there are several updates, new honor society members to welcome, and more to share, but I wanted to reminisce about my time at NACC.

This month marks five years since I stepped into the role of interim executive director for NACC on May 1st, 2019. That version of me, let’s call her “Past Nicole”, was a duck desperately treading water and trying to look calm on the surface. I was attempting to learn the ropes of NACC, trying to measure up to the example and expertise that Erin Vokes demonstrated (hi, Erin!), and wrapping up the planning and logistics for NACC’s 2019 conference in London, England!

Past Nicole made a lot of mistakes. The first was when Dr. Will Brown came into my office in November of 2018 and asked if I knew about NACC. In my mind, I thought they were asking about my hometown, Nacogdoches, commonly referred to as “Nac.” So, I very confidently answered, “I know everything about Nac!” Turns out I lied.

I quickly learned about this amazing group of people when I acted as a stand-in note-taker during the 2018 member meeting in Austin, Texas. I learned even more and haven’t stopped learning since. I became interim executive director in 2019, and the official executive director the next year. I continue to make mistakes, hopefully not as many as Past Nicole; and I continue to be amazed at the work our members undertake, the dedication of the students that join our honor society, and the passion we all share for nonprofit education.

By the time this newsletter comes out, I will also have celebrated a birthday where my age will end in “0” (I’ll let y’all guess which decade beyond that). It’s a natural point to reflect on how far I’ve come, what I want to improve on, and what I hope for the future. So it’s natural that I combine both of these milestones to think about how lucky I am.

So. I hope Future Nicole keeps making mistakes, but more importantly, that she learns from those inevitable mistakes and keeps working to improve. I hope she keeps learning from the amazing people around her. Finally, I hope she takes time to enjoy the things in her life and take care of herself.

Thank you all for being part of this journey me, whether you are reading this for the first time and have no clue who I am, or have been part of NACC since the beginning. I am thankful for all of you.

All the best,
Nicole

Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director

Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

Well, I have discovered a new form of anxiety…having to follow Angela Logan’s newsletter articles.

I hope you are all having an excellent spring! It’s hard to believe spring classes are almost done here in College Station. My brain still thinks it’s recovering from winter break!

I have been pretty busy the past few months. The Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy at Texas A&M, where I dedicate the rest of my work time, hosted its first Nonprofit BRIDGE Conference. The conference was dedicated to fostering partnerships between nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions. I saw many familiar faces there, including several NACC members based in Texas. It was a great event and I’m looking forward to future conferences.

Now that I am done with that conference and can take a deep breath, it’s time to return to several NACC projects and initiatives. It’s time to send the updated curricular guidelines to an editor and printer. We need to continue welcoming applicants of Nu Lambda Mu through the rest of the application cycle. Finally, it’s time to start planning our summer 2025 conference! It’s going to be a busy year, but I can’t wait to dig back in.

I’ll keep it short and sweet this month. I look forward to sharing more. Until then, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

All the best,
Nicole

Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director

Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

Hello, and Happy New Year!

I hope you all enjoyed the winter holidays and are refreshed and ready for the next semester or cohort of students!

At NACC I’m thinking ahead for what 2024 can have in store and am excited to get started!

Of course, you never know what a year will bring, but I’m ready to continue connecting with all our members to see the great things they will accomplish.

Even distant events like the U.S. Election and our annual member meeting at ARNOVA on November 20th seem impossibly far in the future, but it will be here before we know it. I am excited to see how the initiatives we discussed around membership, accreditation, marketing, and more will unfold throughout the year to provide more value to nonprofit and philanthropic education programs around the world.

So, here is to the new year! I am so thankful for all you have done for NACC, all you do to support the next generation of nonprofit leaders, and what we will continue to achieve in 2024 and beyond.

All the best,
Nicole

Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director

Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

Greetings!

Everything is totally calm here in College Station! (a little football and leadership humor for anyone who may have heard news about Texas A&M). I hope you are all doing well and had a lovely Thanksgiving Holiday. I wanted to thank everyone who attended our annual member meeting or who stopped by to say hi during ARNOVA’s conference in Orlando! I had a great time meeting with so many of you during our member meeting, discussing what is going on at your programs and chatting about the latest events with NACC.

I wanted to take this chance to thank several of our board members whose board service officially ended at our member meeting.

• John Casey, Baruch College CUNY
• David Springer, University of Texas Austin
• Alicia Schatteman, Northern Illinois University
• Renee Irvin, University of Oregon

Thank you for all you have done! I will miss seeing you each month.

The meeting also marked the end of Dr. Will Brown’s term as President of the board. I wanted to thank him for his hard work and dedication to NACC. While he will still be on the board as our Immediate Past-President (and he works down the hall from me, so he couldn’t escape NACC if he tried), I wanted to take this opportunity to thank him for his work and dedication.

Finally, I wanted to welcome our newest board members as the year begins! We are incredibly fortunate to welcome four new people to our board.

• Nathan Grasse, Carleton University
• Ruth Hansen, University of Wisconsin Whitewater
• Genevieve Shaker, IUPUI
• Ellen Winiarczyk, University of Denver

Our Board Officers for 2024

• Angela Logan, President, University of Notre Dame
• Heather Carpenter, President-Elect, Louisiana State University Shreveport
• Signe Bell, Vice President for Membership, University of Delaware
• Peter Weber, Vice President for Governance, Auburn University
• Robert Fischer, Treasurer, Case Western University
• Alex Skailes, Secretary, City University of London
• Will Brown, Past President, Texas A&M University

I hope you will all join me in thanking our outgoing board members and welcoming our newest members. You can always see our board of directors on our website.

Wishing you all the best!
Nicole