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Convene and Connect

Fostering Connection and Collaboration Among SLO County Nonprofits

Generously Supported by the Shanbrom Family Foundation

San Luis Obispo County is currently home to roughly 1,500 nonprofit organizations––many of which share common purpose and resource pools. 

While the benefits to coordinated nonprofit collaboration are many––from leveraging resources and pursuing joint funding to increasing service impact and visibility––local feedback from nonprofits indicates the resource of cooperative unity remains relatively untapped.

Spokes, in coordination with generous financial support from the Shanbrom Family Foundation, wants to facilitate change.

Our goal is to Convene & Connect.

With the mission of developing and bringing awareness to networking and collaborative opportunities designed to maximize advantageous outcomes for nonprofits, our approach is two-pronged:

  1. Increase connectivity among SLO County nonprofits serving common sectors, e.g. housing, youth services, arts and culture, animal services and more
  2. Increase connectivity among SLO County nonprofits across all service sectors

FREE Fostering Common Purpose Roundtables

With the goal of gathering nonprofits that serve common service sectors, these monthly, sector-specific roundtables encourage networking and problem-solving in a confidential space, supported by a nonprofit professional. 

All Fostering Common Purpose Roundtables are offered online in Zoom.

Register FREE here:

  • Sept. 17: Museums

2024 Live Symposium

With the goal of gathering nonprofits across all services sectors, Spokes will host a live symposium November 7. Save the date!

Held in-person to allow for increased interaction and collaboration, this event will include a keynote speaker, case studies of successful collaborations, and ample opportunity for discussion and interaction. 

Stay tuned for more details to be posted here.

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Member Testimonial

Spokes help has been transformative for the Garden in many areas, ranging from budgets, operations, policies and procedures, and long-term vision, just to name a few. The impact of SPOKES has been HUGE, and having a Spokes interim Executive Director was lifesaving. Personally, Spokes has made my work at the Garden so much more organized, less stressful , and hopeful for future success.”

Discover more about the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden:

  • View their website
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Ke-Ping Tsao
Board President
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden
San Luis Obispo, California

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