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• JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal
Nonprofits
Reaanddit
July 12, 2019
A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal
Opportunities to connect volunteers to nonprofits flourish in sixth-ranked state for volunteering by Michelle Leach
New avenues to donate time, skills, monies and needed items, and services to maximize every available dollar, are contributing favorably to Nebraska’s robust nonprofit industry. “Prior to SHARE Omaha coming on the scene, interested volunteers had to reach out to organizations individually to discover who had what volunteer needs,” said Executive Director Marjorie Maas. “Now, in one spot, volunteers can see the needs of the Omaha metro and sort volunteer postings by cause, group size, skills needed and Olson more.” Maas said this ease of identifying needs has increased volunteer leads across the metro. “SHARE Omaha is illuminating the needs of the entire nonprofit community, giving all organizations a chance to be seen and heard regardless of size, cause or budget,” she said, while a search via its site for organizations that match one’s passions was referenced. “This has leveled the playing field for many small nonprofit organizations.”
Marjorie Maas, executive director of SHARE Omaha. SHARE Omaha has also noticed the said a designer’s creation of a brochure or impact those “skills-based volunteers” are a lawyer’s legal help frees resources for having on organizations; for instance, Maas nonprofits to reallocate toward their mission.
“This skills-based volunteerism extends to nonprofit committees and board positions as well,” she said. “Nonprofits are having success using SHARE Omaha as a platform to find individuals who match their committee and board seat needs.” Maas said families are also volunteering together. “Much of our website traffic is exploring volunteer opportunities for kids aged 5 to 12 and 13 to 17,” she said. “Parents are using volunteering as a way to bond as a family.” In addition to cash donations, supporters are shopping Amazon Tulipana wish lists created by nonprofits to pay for goods that they need; nonprofits are also sharing resources to work together on community initiatives. “For example, Habitat for Humanity of Omaha is supporting Omaha Rapid Response, Heartland Hope Mission and others by sharing volunteers and assisting with volunteer scheduling related to flood assistance,” she said. SHARE Omaha is rolling out its Giving Tuesday campaign Dec. 3 (right after Cyber Monday). American National Bank, in a post on the Omaha Gives blog, highlighted its support of financial literacy (for instance, its partnership with New Cassel Retirement Center to bring a branch and personal banker to residents each month), and its 24 hours of volunteer time off for employees to support a nonprofit of his or her choice. First VP Treasury Management Amy Olson also works with organizations on a suite of products and services designed specifically for nonprofits; for instance, deposit and savings account options that provide flexible access to funds while maximizing earnings. “Our treasury management professionals will create a customized package based on the unique needs of the nonprofit, which may include remote deposit capture, ACH origination and fraud mitigation services,” Olson said. She also referred to the bank’s extensive experience in nonprofit construction financing and working capital lines of credit. “Every dollar counts for nonprofit orContinued on page 6.
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Nonprofits — inside JULY 12, 2019
THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS
THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE:
$2.00
VOL. 45 NO. 28
Nox-Crete increases sales by stressing complementary products by Richard D. Brown
Nebraska has something for everyone to do amid peak travel season, year-round. – Page 2
40 er d Un 40 Baird Holms’ Lawrenson strives for inclusion, diversity in the legal field. – Page 3
ess sin es u a B ag ah al P OmJourn
Exist Green brings zero waste market and boutique to Omaha. – Page 27
Changes at Nox-Crete, a 63-yearold Omaha-based firm that has relied on a concrete product engineering approach, have multiplied in recent years as the firm has sought to increase its revenues by offering products in addition to those developed by the company. In the past 13 years, the business that is operated in about 150,000 square feet of production, warehouse, and office space on both sides of the 1400 block of South 20th St., has grown from 35 to 50 employees, seen a substantial investment in its facilities and transitioned from family ownership to an ESOP. Among its growth, it has elevated an energetic Texas-born executive, Lori R. Reid, from the firm’s CFO to presidential responsibilities. Reid, who came to Omaha in 2015, said her move to the president’s office last month has caused her to shift her focus from being on key metrics, development of financial and operations strategy, asset preservation and financial reporting toward more Continued on page 10.
President Lori Reid … Expanding business by offering additional products to best suit the customer’s needs. (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)
Availa Bank bolsters its assets with additional markets in Iowa by Michelle Leach
Over its nearly 150 years of operations, what started as the German Bank of Carroll County grew with the opening or acquisition of banks in at least five western Iowa communities; today, united under the name and brand of “Availa Bank,” the family-owned financial institution boasts around $900 million total assets and employs approximately
150 people. Availa Bank acquired three new markets on June 24, 2019, according to Council Bluffs Market President Matthew D. Gronstal. “The new markets include Ames, Ankeny and Sioux City,” Gronstal said. “These markets will add approximately $130 million in total assets. This acquisition will bring the total assets of Continued on page 10. CEO Zach Dice … Geared to expand its commercial data projects in the U.S. and Canada, with a focus on the Midwest.
Dice Communications responds to rapid industry changes over the past decade by Becky McCarville
Council Bluffs Market President Matthew D. Gronstal … Mix of technology and smaller community bank-style service propels almost 150-year-old bank’s growth.
In the 10 years since the firm was founded, Dice Communications has evolved from a “very voice-centric company” to about 60% data projects and 40% voice, said CEO Zach Dice. If the company continues with this trajectory, it expects data projects to bring in around 75% and voice 25%. Dice Communications started to work on more data projects
through the company’s primary manufacturer, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, which called on the telecom company to help fix “troubled customers.” “We’ve got a really good reputation of being able to fix the complex issues that were out there,” he said. “But then as we continued to grow, they would bring us into more and more data projects and Continued on page 22.