At the heart of Morningside Heights, The Interchurch Center is more than a landmark building. It’s a gathering place for nonprofits, faith-based groups, and cultural organizations that rely on collaboration and connection with their communities as much as they do programs and networking.
This October, the Center will spotlight that mission with two major events. One honors cancer survivors through storytelling, and the other brings together nonprofit leaders to share resources and build connections across New York City. Both events reflect the Center’s commitment to healing, collaboration, and resilience in New York.
Honoring survivors through storytelling
On October 2nd, The Interchurch Center will host “United by Unique: Every Ribbon, Every Story,” a cancer awareness event dedicated to honoring survivors. The gathering underscores the significance of storytelling as a vital tool for promoting public health, resilience, and healing.
“Every ribbon is more than a symbol. It carries a life story,” shares Robert Bolton, President of The Interchurch Center. “We want to create a space where survivors are seen, where their voices add strength to the larger fight against cancer.”
The program will highlight personal testimonies from survivors, weaving together experiences across different cancer journeys. By focusing on narrative rather than statistics alone, the event seeks to humanize public health challenges and remind communities of the power of shared stories in building awareness and support networks.
Strengthening nonprofits through collaboration
Later in the month, on October 15th, The Interchurch Center will convene its Annual Nonprofit Networking Exchange. Now a cornerstone event in New York City’s nonprofit calendar, the exchange draws together leaders, innovators, and mission-driven organizations to share resources, forge partnerships, and explore new approaches to sustainability.
Bolton views the networking exchange as a continuation of the Center’s founding mission. “This building has always been a place where collaboration happens in the hallways,” he says. “The exchange takes that same spirit of community and makes it intentional, connecting nonprofits that might otherwise never find each other.”
Workshops, roundtables, and one-on-one conversations will allow participants to move beyond competition toward genuine collaboration. Topics range from nonprofit infrastructure to leadership development, with a focus on practical strategies that help organizations navigate economic challenges while staying true to their missions.
Extending the impact beyond its walls
While hosting events is central to its mission, The Interchurch Center also extends its influence by participating in citywide gatherings and events. This fall, the organization will take part in the Nonprofit New York 2025 Annual Conference, one of the region’s most important convenings for nonprofit professionals. Though not held at the Center itself, the conference aligns with its broader commitment to building resilient networks across New York.
By showing up alongside other leaders in the nonprofit ecosystem, the Center reinforces its role as both a convener and a participant in the ongoing dialogue about the sector’s future. “We believe the health of New York’s nonprofits depends on a culture of mutual support,” Bolton said. “Being present in these larger forums allows us to contribute and to learn.”
A broader vision for New York’s nonprofit ecosystem
Together, these October events illustrate how The Interchurch Center is working to strengthen the nonprofit ecosystem at a time when communities are facing both social fragmentation and institutional uncertainty.
The survivor-centered storytelling on October 2nd underscores the importance of creating healing spaces in public health conversations. The networking exchange on October 15th provides a platform for nonprofits to share knowledge and resources, countering the isolation that many small and mid-size organizations face. Participation in the Nonprofit New York conference connects these efforts to a regional movement for stronger, more collaborative nonprofit infrastructure.
Bolton’s leadership emphasizes this holistic approach. With decades of experience in ministry, nonprofit leadership, and facilities management, he has positioned The Interchurch Center as an intentional environment where mission-driven work thrives. His vision for the Center is not simply to house organizations but to cultivate synergy, support, and sustainability across them.
Why it matters for New York City communities
As New York continues to navigate economic shifts, public health challenges, and questions of equity, the role of institutions like The Interchurch Center becomes increasingly vital. By convening survivors, nonprofit leaders, and community partners, the Center is helping to shape a city where healing and collaboration are not afterthoughts, but foundations.
“In a city this complex, no one organization can do it alone,” Bolton reflected. “Our role is to make sure that both physical and cultural spaces exist where people can come together to find strength, share resources, and build legacies of impact.”
For New Yorkers, the message of October’s programming is clear: whether through the stories of survivors or the connections forged between nonprofits, resilience is a collective endeavor. And for The Interchurch Center, that mission remains as urgent — and as hopeful — as ever.