When Veronica McMillian founded the Micro-Nonprofit Network in 2009, she wanted to educate, empower, and equip small nonprofits through capacity building and program development. Since then, the Network has helped more than 300 small nonprofits (making $50,000 or less in the first three years) become 501c3 organizations and create sustainable infrastructure that empowers them to thrive with pride.

Though she holds an M.A. in Human Services Counseling from Regent University and is an adjunct instructor at Tidewater Community College, her nonprofit expertise comes from firsthand experience starting and running her own nonprofits. After her first nonprofit shuttered in the 2008 recession, Veronica recalls, “I vowed I would never do nonprofit work again, but I realized I was a trailblazer for small nonprofits because I had that lived experience.” Her focus is most often on capacity building and helping those new to nonprofits understand what it means to be a nonprofit. “We understand the needs of small nonprofits and helping them understand that whole process,” says Veronica. “We can share our stories, our heartaches, our blood, sweat, and tears.”

Now serving as the Micro-Nonprofit Network’s president, Veronica is an outspoken advocate for community and social programs that serve the educational needs of children, offer counseling services, provide resources to young women aging out of the foster care system, and more. Through its community programs, the Micro-Nonprofit Network provides trauma-informed support and access to mental health services for single mothers, early childhood care providers, and youth, especially those who have engaged with the foster care system. These programs are coordinated with the additional support of two part-time staff and numerous volunteers.

At the end of the day, “We’re invested in these nonprofits, these children, these women, and we want to make sure they’re heard,” says Veronica. “You can never go wrong when you authentically invest in people. So that’s where my heart and passion is.”