Did you know there are over 2,000 registered nonprofits in Ottawa County?
These organizations provide food and housing for children and families, support mental health, bring expertise and training for previously incarcerated people reentering the workforce, empower and encourage young people of color to achieve their potential, provide supportive faith communities, and so much more. Now imagine our community without these nonprofits, and you’ll feel how much we need them.
The Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance is focused on helping Ottawa County (and beyond!) nonprofit organizations succeed in their missions to care for and support the people in our area. What LNA brings is years of experience in the business and an educational side of running a nonprofit so that each organization can focus on their particular mission and services.
Who is Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance?
LNA is a small but mighty team of three passionate, committed people whose mission statement is to strengthen the ability of nonprofit organizations to successfully accomplish their missions by working together. In 2006 a group of nonprofit executive directors met regularly for coffee because they all realized they needed to support each other and help one another through their challenges. After 7 years, Patrick Cisler, LNA’s Executive Director, left his business sector job to become the first full-time employee at LNA, and now, almost ten years later, he’s still doing it and loving it.
Patrick's Passion
Patrick is passionate about collaborating with nonprofits because “We’re better together. What gets me excited every day is our community thriving together.” He loves interacting with so many different people, from brand new startup organizations to larger nonprofits that have been around more than 50 years. And what unites them all is their passion for changing our community for the better and seeing everyone thrive.
You may have seen that Patrick recently won one of the Grand Rapids Business Journal’s 40 under 40 awards, and it’s no surprise to us! Patrick is a smart and kind leader who values giving people a voice and seeing them succeed. In his non-work life he’s a husband and father to two kiddos, and he loves to golf when he’s not working or with his family.
At Yellow Lime, we are proud to work with Patrick, as well as the amazing and talented Meagan Maas and Robin Lane at LNA. (We’re a proud sponsor, too!) We encourage you to check them out, follow them on social media, and get involved!
