SHREVEPORT, La. ( KTAL/KMSS ) - The Red River Arts Festival begins this Saturday, September 28, through October 6, 2024, and has been part of the community since 197 6. Shreveport's Red River Revel 2024 is coming; what to expect With any non-profit organization, growth, impact, sustainability, and reach is crucial, which is why the Red River Arts Festival took part in a program LSUS Shreveport offers. LSU Shreveport's Institute for Nonprofit Administration & Research (INAR) provides training and research-based support for more than 22,000 nonprofits in Louisiana. Red River Revel executive director Logan Lewis participated in this program and learned how to grow and reach new audiences. As a participant in this program, weekly sessions, assigned mentor meetings, individual research projects, and presentation of findings were some of the items the program entails. Lewis also shared that investing in technology is essential to running a nonprofit. Particularly if the software allows the organizers to manage the volunteer database and help with fundraising. "Something INAR helped us with is clearer communication on who we are and what we do," stated Lewis. Lewis also learned that the organization of the board members is a big thing to consider and analyze. (Red River Revel executive director Logan Lewis and team members Credit: LSUS Public Relations) "You want each member of your board to bring something different to the table that you would have to pay for services for otherwise. You need someone who represents wealth, someone who represents the legal system. You need an eager beaver. It's like building an ultimate team, and working with INAR opened my mind to a higher order of thinking about how we do that," shared Logan Lewis. Red River Revel is one of 15 nonprofit organizations that piloted a new research-based tool developed by INAR. This economic impact calculator is geared explicitly for nonprofits. The new tool considers factors like social return on investment, value of volunteer hours, mission-oriented contributions, and more. More on education LSU Shreveport's Institute for Nonprofit Administration & Research (INAR) was founded in 2001 to conduct research and share knowledge about nonprofit organizations. The program strives to help and elevate the nonprofit sectors through education, research, and professional development. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com.
