Tag Archives: Karen Koller

RCAP partners with The Health Foundation of Central MA

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LogoRCAP Solutions partners with The Health Foundation of Central MA to Assist Rural Communities With Safe Drinking Water

Worcester, MA – RCAP Solutions has completed a project which assisted public water systems in the towns of Ashburnham, Hardwick, Wheelwright, Gilbertville, and Lancaster increase their capacity to plan, operate and manage existing drinking water facilities to ensure their efficiency, affordability, dependability and sustainability. By providing technical, managerial and financial needs assessments, deficiencies were identified, priorities selected, and issues were addressed. As a result, the long-term effects of the project will positively impact over 17,300 residents in small, rural communities and ensure their access to safe and affordable water.

“We are thrilled with the successful outcome of this project which was funded by The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts,” stated Karen A. Koller, President & CEO of RCAP Solutions. “Rural America is right here in our backyard, represented by many communities in Central Massachusetts. We are pleased to be able to fulfill our mission and meet the essential needs of small towns by providing this valuable technical assistance so that community water systems can provide safe, clean drinking water to their residents.”

“Especially because of the extreme drought conditions the region has been experiencing, our awareness of the need for a sufficient supply of clean water is heightened,” said Dr. Jan Yost, President of the Foundation. “We thank RCAP Solutions for helping to assure the residents in these rural communities of their water supply now and into the future.”

Asset management plans were created and implemented in all five of the drinking water systems, offering countless system efficiencies and ultimately enabling the participating communities to be proactive instead of reactive in their decision making processes. These plans help systems identify all of their assets, assess worth, expected lifetime remaining, replacement costs and ultimately look at financial planning to ensure their budgets have room for future needed improvements. Other outcomes which resulted from the project included regionalization studies focused on sharing services to create economies of scale and keep down costs, assistance with federal compliance issues, and uncovering new funding opportunities and potential revenue sources.

The project capstone was a day-long regional asset management training for small water system owners and operators which provided six training contact hours  to 26 attendees including 21 operators representing 17 small community systems. Asset Management may become a MA water system requirement so these three communities and the additional systems that attended the training will be ahead of the game if  a statewide mandate is eventually in place.

About RCAP Solutions, Inc.

Established in 1969, RCAP Solutions mission is to foster personal and public self-reliance and improve the quality of life for individuals, families and the communities in which they live. RCAP Solutions is a comprehensive nonprofit community development corporation that works with communities of all sizes to address a broad range of needs. RCAP Solutions is part of a coordinated nationwide network with an integrated, multi-faceted approach to delivering high-quality services customized to each community’s unique requirements. For more information, please visit www.rcapsolutions.org.

About The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts

The Foundation was established in 1999 with the proceeds from the sale of Central Massachusetts Health Care, Inc., a physician-initiated, not-for-profit HMO. The Foundation currently has assets of approximately $68 million and has awarded grants totaling approximately $36 million to improve the health of those who live or work in Central Massachusetts. For further information about the Foundation’s grant programs, please visit The Health Foundation’s website at www.hfcm.org.

Nonprofit Leaders Meet in Central MA

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The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network led a policy discussion with 14 Worcester area nonprofit leaders at the YWCA of Central Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network led a policy discussion with 14 Worcester area nonprofit leaders at the YWCA of Central Mass.

Nonprofit Leaders Convene at YWCA Central Massachusetts for the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network’s Regional Meeting

Nonprofit leaders from across Central Massachusetts came together this morning at YWCA Central Massachusetts for the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN)’s annual regional meeting. Throughout the morning, nonprofits shared best practices for advocacy, outlined issues important to the sector, and brainstormed on how to respond to state and federal policy issues impacting the sector. The MNN central Massachusetts regional meeting was presented in partnership with RCAP Solutions.

“We want to thank RCAP Solutions for partnering with us to make this meeting a meaningful event,” said Jim Klocke, CEO of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN). “As the voice of the nonprofit sector, it is critical that MNN gets out to meet with nonprofit leaders to exchange ideas, learn about regional issues affecting nonprofits, and prepare for policy issues and trends impacting the sector. Today we gained invaluable insight from our central Massachusetts colleagues into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the nonprofit sector.”

“I am honored to represent the greater Worcester county area for the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network,” said Karen Koller, President and CEO of RCAP Solutions. “Nonprofits are a core industry to the commonwealth and the more that can be done to unify the industry the better all will be. The regional meetings are essential to the ongoing collaboration of the MNN and those across the commonwealth.”

Each year, the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network holds eight regional meetings across the state to bring together leaders from the nonprofit sector. The meetings are an opportunity for local nonprofit leaders to network and discuss issues facing the sector. This year’s meetings focused on several policy issues that will have direct impact on Massachusetts including the Baker Administration’s proposed health care assessment for employers, PILOTs, repeal of the Johnson Amendment, and potential changes to the charitable giving incentive.

This year’s meetings have already attracted nearly 150 nonprofit leaders.

 

About the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network

The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) is the voice of the nonprofit sector and the only statewide organization that brings together all parts of the nonprofit ecosystem—nonprofits, funders, community and business leaders, and elected officials—to strengthen nonprofits and raise the sector’s voice on critical issues. MNN understands that strong nonprofits build strong communities. It is MNN’s mission to strengthen the nonprofit community through advocacy, public awareness, and capacity building. MNN has more than 650 nonprofit members and over 100 for-profit affiliate members. For more information or to become a member, visit www.massnonprofitnet.org.