Before July of 2018, ReUSE Minnesota (ReUSE) had been solely run by volunteers. These generous and dedicated volunteers had done an outstanding job of launching and supporting the organization. And they were volunteers with full-time work outside of their work with the association.
After receiving a grant from the State of Minnesota Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, ReUSE selected Management HQ (MHQ) as their association management partner.
Of course, we at MHQ were thrilled. We believe in ReUSE’s vision that reuse is good for people and communities, and our values align with ReUSE’s work as the only organization promoting Minnesota’s reuse, rental and repair sector.
We were also prepared for a challenge.
MHQ would now run the entire business of ReUSE – serving as their office and staff, managing reception and financials, growing membership, and launching major events for the first time. MHQ was even tasked with hiring an executive director as part of the MHQ team who would serve ReUSE.
We understood that this would be a very entrepreneurial undertaking, essentially growing the organization to a financially sustainable position within the 2-year period of the grant.
During our first six months together, we developed and implemented systems and processes. We created financial reports, deciphered ReUSE’s then-challenging technology systems, and designed plans to launch the first-ever ReUSE Minnesota Regional Conference in November 2019.
The next months were spent securing the right executive director, selecting a vendor to measure the impact of reuse, building the conference, and driving membership growth.
We are now beginning to see the results of our efforts. Jen Newberg, our ReUSE Executive Director, began her work with MHQ in August. We have implemented sustainable and accessible technology systems. We have developed marketing communications that drove a three-fold increase in membership.
We’ve only just begun. This next year will focus on MHQ supporting the strategic goals that ReUSE set in 2018 and continuing to secure a sustainable financial future for ReUSE.
I couldn’t be more proud of the work the outstanding MHQ team has done in partnership with the remarkable ReUSE Board of Directors. I also couldn’t feel more privileged to serve ReUSE. What an adventure!
