ONE Worcester, a nonprofit offering free consulting and coaching services to fellow Worcester-area nonprofits, is closing as the organization has decided to shift to a legacy fund model.
ONE Worcester, a nonprofit offering free consulting and coaching services to fellow Worcester-area nonprofits, is closing as the organization has decided to shift to a legacy fund model.
ONE Worcester will transition to The ONE Worcester Legacy Fund at the end of the year, in congruence with the departure of its Executive Director Helen Segil, who is relocating, according to a Monday press release from the organization.
The ONE Worcester Legacy Fund will be headquartered at the Greater Worcester Community Foundation. ONE Worcester will transition its remaining assets to its new legacy fund, which will be distributed through GWCF’s Nonprofit Effectiveness Grant Program, said Melody MacLean, senior director of communications at GWCF, in an email to WBJ.
Instead of searching for Segil’s replacement, the nonprofit opted to close its doors and transition models due to what it refers to as a challenging period for small nonprofits.
“This transition allows our mission to live on sustainably and meaningfully, even as day-to-day operations wind down,” Segil said in the release. “It represents not an ending, but a continuation, one that ensures the relationships, values, and vision we built together will continue to strengthen Worcester’s nonprofit ecosystem for years to come.”
The President Donald Trump Administration’s cuts to funding to organizations with diversity, equity, and inclusion principles and those supporting low-income individuals has forced many local nonprofits to
lay off employees and
scramble for alternative funding.
ONE Worcester believes the shift in model will allow the organization the ability to continue to provide pro-bono support to its targeted demographic of early-stage, grassroots, BIPOC-led, and smaller-budget organizations.
Since opening, the nonprofit has worked with more than 90 nonprofits, partnering with organizations including the Worcester Children’s Chorus, Medway Community Farm, and ArtsWorcester, according to its website.
ONE Worcester generated $198,451 in revenue and had $150,782 in assets as of June 30, 2024, according to nonprofit financial tracker GuideStar.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
