McLean’s vision started small; in fact the idea for NFP Connect came from regular coffee catch-ups for six friends from within the not-for-profit (NFP) industry.

McLean has had an extensive career in the NFP sector, having worked for CanTeen, the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, the Leukaemia Foundation and Camp Quality. Over time she had become increasingly aware of the stresses faced by workers in the sector as well as the lack of adequate training and support, and decided to do something about it.

“There are very little training or educational opportunities that meet the specific needs of NFP professionals. In regional Australia, they are non-existent,” says McLean.

“While there are many specialised roles within NFP organisations, there are also many individuals in regional areas who are in quite general positions that take care of things like marketing, fundraising, strategic planning, public relations, human resources and more at one time.”

After brainstorming with her peers, McLean formalised their routine catch-ups and founded NFP Connect in 2011, aiming to unite organisations from Lake Macquarie City and the broader Hunter region to network, learn from each other and get access to industry-specific training and support.

NFP Connect is now a thriving company that connects over 180 people from 80 NFP organisations through networking, support and training.

“Guest speakers that attend our monthly meetings are experts in a niche area of business or have amazing stories to tell that help our members to learn. Our members can ask questions, share their current challenges and get ideas on how they can overcome the roadblocks they face at any particular time,” says McLean.

“Social media also plays a role in connecting us because it’s a place where members can support each other and have questions answered between meetings.”

The University of Newcastle’s Philanthropy Manager, Libby Rodgers-McPhee, says the monthly meetings are an opportunity to network with other people in the field.

“For me, it’s an opportunity to keep up-to-date with new developments and to get to know other people in the field,” Rodgers-McPhee says.

“I’ve been in the NFP field for about 20 years so it’s a great to learn new ways of working in this space and to mentor others who are new to the field.”

Due to the impact NFP Connect is having, McLean wants to establish networking groups in regional areas of Australia and provide a greater level of service to NFP organisations through social entrepreneurship.

McLean recently launched NFP Connect Central Coast, and would like to expand multiple networks progressively across the country.

“The purpose of the networks is to provide a supportive forum where NFP professionals can gain new insights and learn from each other, while the NFP Connect business will provide a range of consulting, training and professional services,” Ms McLean said.

“I’m humbled to have received the Lake Macquarie Citizen of the Year award for this work but it is a bonus because creating NFP Connect was simply my way of giving back to the industry and organisations that helped to shape my career and life.”