Nonprofit Alliance at UGA

Connecting UGA expertise with nonprofit needs across Georgia

The Interdisciplinary Alliance for Nonprofit Organizations at UGA works to collaboratively harness and make available the spectrum of the university’s academic resources—teaching, research, and service—in support of nonprofit organizations in the greater Athens area and throughout Georgia.

Nonprofit Alliance Research & Studies Nonprofit Alliance News

Sayge Medlin, Sharon Kane, Gabe Kidman, Julie Meehan, Rebecca Nesbit, Ph.D.

Members of the Alliance during a visit to South Georgia

The Alliance grew out of a small group of faculty who realized that their shared interests in nonprofit research, teaching, and communityengagement pointed toward a bigger opportunity: creating a stronger bridge between UGA’s expertise and the needs of local nonprofits. Conversations turned into a commitment to service, and that commitment sparked a series of nonprofit roundtable coffee hours where leaders could talk candidly about emerging challenges, learn about internships and student projects, explore research partnerships, and get practical support on everything from strategy to program design. Those early gatherings showed just how much demand there was for a university partner that listened first and responded with resources that actually helped.

Out of that momentum came the broader vision we pursue today—coordinating experiential learning, hosting community conversations across the state, offering training and technical assistance, and conducting community-engaged research that nonprofits can use to strengthen their organizations and the communities they serve.

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Click below to learn more.

Experiential Learning
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Experiential Learning (EL) at UGA is designed to deliver impact – for our communities, as well as for our students. There are a variety of ways community partners and faculty/staff can engage with the Alliance to create meaningful experiential learning opportunities for UGA students (hosting an internship, partnering with a service-learning course, or collaborating on a research project). We are more than happy to assist community partners and faculty in making partnerships to advance experiential learning opportunities. If you are interested in creating an EL opportunity that engages a community partner, or if you believe that you have a community based project or research that may be suitable for UGA student engagement, please contact the Alliance to see how we can assist you in finding a partner.

Training and Technical Assistance
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The Alliance provides practical, hands-on training and technical assistance designed to help nonprofits stay ahead of a rapidly shifting landscape. Our recent introductory workshop on artificial intelligence showed organizations how to use AI safely, ethically, and effectively in day-to-day operations—from drafting communications to improving workflow efficiency—and it has already sparked strong interest across the sector. Building on that momentum, we are developing a suite of future trainings that respond to what nonprofits have asked for: deeper AI skill-building, guidance on responsible implementation, and applied sessions on other emerging issues that shape nonprofit work. The goal is simple and ambitious at the same time: equip organizations with tools that expand their capacity, sharpen their strategy, and open the door to innovative ways of serving their communities.

For more information about training and technical assistance, visit the Fanning Institute’s Nonprofit Leadership Development.

Community Meetings
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Nonprofit leaders across Georgia have shared a common concern: even though they gather in the same meetings, they seldom have space to truly learn from one another. The Alliance was created to fill that gap. Our facilitated sessions—held in Athens and in communities statewide—give leaders the chance to access new resources, explore shared issues, voice challenges, and connect with peers. In Moultrie, for example, we brought research on nonprofit employee benefits, retention, and burnout. Leaders not only discussed the data but also shared strategies, insights, and solutions drawn from their own experience.

Research to Practice
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The Interdisciplinary Alliance for Nonprofit Organizations at UGA brings research to practitioners through presentations that cut through jargon and focus on what matters. We share evidence in clear, accessible ways—showing how findings translate into real decisions, strategic choices, and program improvements. Our research-to-practice sessions unpack what the research actually means for nonprofit leaders in their day-to-day work, helping organizations apply evidence to strengthen operations, deepen community impact, and respond more effectively to emerging challenges. We treat presentations not as lectures, but as practical, problem-solving conversations grounded in data.

Engaged Scholarship
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The Interdisciplinary Alliance for Nonprofit Organizations at UGA practices engaged scholarship rooted in genuine partnership. Our research projects begin with questions raised by local nonprofit leaders themselves, and we work alongside them throughout the process. Using principles of participatory action research, we collaborate on study design, data collection, and interpretation so the work reflects lived experience and organizational realities. The goal isn’t to produce academic artifacts—it’s to generate actionable insights that nonprofits can use immediately to strengthen their programs, adapt to changing conditions, and serve their communities more effectively.