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NEWPORT NEWS — Karen Dutro, executive director of NetworkPeninsula, had a dream.
She said she dreamed of developing a hub — a shared office and meeting space for other local nonprofits — since she founded the nonprofit organization in 2007. That dream finally came true when its hub space opened earlier this year.
“Finding affordable and accessible office space for a small nonprofit is challenging, particularly when many of their resources are dedicated to providing programming,” Dutro said.
Even when a space is found, it is typically only a small office with no room for meetings, she said.
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Located at 749A Thimble Shoals Blvd. in Newport News, NetworkPeninsula’s hub occupies the building’s first floor totaling 2,400 square feet. It includes six offices, a tech-equipped conference/training room that seats 12 and a kitchen. A nonprofit lending library, stocked with books, magazines, white papers and reports, is also on-site for nonprofit staff to check out, read and return.
One of the offices is currently available as a coworking space. Plans are also underway to double the size of the conference room.
NetworkPeninsula now has two offices for its staff after receiving a grant to hire a second person, she said. Originally called NetworkWilliamsburg, the organization was renamed in 2014 to reflect its growth throughout the Peninsula. The nonprofit provides education, connections, advocacy and opportunities for collaboration to local nonprofits. It currently has more than 150 members from the nonprofit sector.
NetworkPeninsula currently shares its new space with Bacon Street Youth & Family Services and Social Butterflies Foundation.
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“This space also gives NetworkPeninsula a place to facilitate its own programs, including peer-to-peer coffees, hub huddles on various topics related to nonprofit work and smaller workshops and board trainings,” Dutro said.
Dutro said interest in the hub is growing — a few small nonprofits are inquiring about the office space that will be available in 2024 as Bacon Street Youth & Family Services will move upstairs and open up room for three more nonprofits to move in.
“In the long term, we would love to have an even larger space to house more nonprofits, possibly renting (or buying) the buildings on either side of us or moving to a larger location altogether,” Dutro said.
And NetworkPeninsula has no plans to stop there.
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“We are also hoping to open a hub in Williamsburg and possibly Gloucester/Mathews so we can meet the needs of nonprofits across the Peninsula,” she said.
Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@insidebiz.com