Community Trainings & Events Calendar

This workshop has been designed for nonprofits that are short on time, staff, and budget, but need to figure out how to increase funding without increasing expenses. Executive directors, emerging development directors, and enterprising board members will all learn how to time-efficiently build and implement a right-sized fundraising plan that works within their existing limitations, to actually raise more money during 2018.

Learning Objectives: Participants will leave this workshop with the training and templates to successfully:

Develop a right-sized, 2018 development plan that retains & upgrades existing donors;
Engage board and volunteers in direct fundraising to acquire donors during the new year;
Build an impact-driven fundraising message, and all related, written fundraising assets.
Who should attend: Executive directors, development directors/officers, and board members

Offered in collaboration with the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires. How to develop a social media system for your business that works for you, that doesn’t take up all of your time, that conveys your brand, and gets people in your door.

Dawn Stanyon helps businesses and nonprofits in the Berkshires MA to tell their stories to grow their success through digital marketing. Prior to founding Professionality Consulting in 2014, she worked with The Emily Post Institute and in non-profit fundraising, event planning and communications.

There are two primary areas of focus for nonprofit Boards that are critical to organizational success. The first, governance, has a set of defined responsibilities and accountabilities that comes with its own set of challenges. The second area includes development and fundraising, and can and should include many other substantial community-facing activities. We describe this area as Ambassadorship. To position your nonprofit for continuous improvement of sustainable Board and Leadership team dynamics and mission delivery, join us for this workshop designed to help Board members and nonprofit leaders create meaningful structure and impact for the Board Ambassadorship role in your organization.

Learning objectives: This workshop gives attendees tools and materials that effectively define and successfully support the Ambassadorship role of Board members for your mission and organization, including:

Identifying Board Ambassadorship priorities

Achieving Ambassadorship goals as Board members and as a Board/executive leadership team

Tools for supporting Board members in achieving personal and community fundraising goals

Who should attend: Nonprofit staff and/or leaders who are responsible for managing board recruitment and relations; Board members

A successful fundraising program is as much about knowing your donors as it is about achieving financial goals. The bottom line is that you MUST talk about money with your donors in order to both know them and ask for their charitable contributions.

Join TSNE MissionWorks’ highly rated and trainers, Anne Peyton CFRE and Jenn Hayslett, for an interactive and engaging day of practice in “listening the gift” and the “art of the ask.” You will learn best practices and develop the skills involved in donor-centered fundraising conversations.

This workshop covers the basics of nonprofit management including governance, finance, fundraising, legal, and best practices. Aimed at directors, board members, and volunteer leaders who want to build a solid foundation or address gaps, this day-long session is a wonderful opportunity for staff and board to attend together. Topics will be addressed through a combination of facilitator led instruction, interactive discussion, outside experts, and panel discussion.

Attendees will leave with a 100+ page handbook containing templates, sample descriptions, articles, and other resources to guide them in the coming months. Attending organizations will also have a free hour of phone consultation with the Boot Camp presenter, good anytime in 2018, to help their organization past any hurdles.

Tech Networks of Boston (TNB) exists to provide integrated technology services to nonprofits and other mission-based organizations, and it’s also our pleasure to offer you professional development opportunities though our Roundtable series.

We invite you to apply for a full scholarship to a two-part Roundtable on how nonprofit organizations can effectively combine storytelling with data in order to achieve their goals. Our featured guest will be Omar Rashed, director of systems and data management at Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation.

“Tech Networks of Boston Roundtable: Write For Impact and Reach Your Goals”” (Part 1)
July 17th, 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

o Learn to use an effective tool
o See for yourself the power of applying storytelling principles (and the disadvantage of neglecting them)
o Practice implementing the tool for relevant, real-life situations specific to your work
o Collaborate with your peers and the facilitator to maximize your understanding and application of the tool
o Walk away with simple one-page references that will help you continue to use the tool on an ongoing basis

“Tech Networks of Boston Roundtable: Data For Impact With Different Audiences” (Part 2)
10:00 am to 12:00 noon

o Understand the principles of effective versus ineffective data presentation approaches
o Learn how to connect “numbers” to real stories (i.e. individuals) for maximum impac
o Understand what “social math” is, and how you can use it to your advantage so your audience can understand and relate to the data instead of getting lost and overwhelmed by the numbers
o See for yourself what impacts you can accomplish by telling a good story with data
o Practice generating meaningful data presentations with relevant, real-life situations specific to your work
o Learn how to tailor data presentations to various audiences
o Collaborate with your peers and the facilitator to maximize your understanding and application of the data principles for different audiences
o Walk away with simple one-page references that will help you continue to use these data presentation strategies and adaptations for various audiences

If you are an employee of a nonprofit organization, and would like to apply for a full scholarship to this Tech Networks of Boston offering, please follow this link:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Tech-Networks-of-Boston-Roundtables–Write-for-Impact-and-Reach-Your-Goals–and-Data-for-Impact-with-Different-Audiences.html?soid=1101034548868&aid=BLFMYKh-6Yg

HSF is hosting their first human services job fair! This event is tailored to job seekers who are looking to make a difference in their communities every day. Join us for a day of networking with nonprofit organizations, where you can be passionate about the incredible work you do for your community. This event is FREE for job seekers.

Nonprofit employers working in human services are invited to attend for a day of networking, meeting candidates, and sharing the amazing work we do with our community. Space is limited! Register ASAP!

August 22, 2018
2:00pm to 6:00pm
La Quinta Inn & Suites, 12th Floor Ballroom
100 Congress St, Springfield

Pricing for employers
HSF Member Employers: $100
Non-members $200
MNN Members receive a 20% discount off the “Non-member” fee. Please contact us to register.

Employers receive a table and two chairs, and two staff attendees. Additional staff is an extra $45. Coffee and light snacks will be available.

Registration is limited to non-profit organizations at this time. If you think you are a good fit for this event but are a for-profit company, please contact us to see if space is available.

Do you need inspiration to write this year’s appeal letter? Do you know who you are writing to and whether they are excited to read and give? Would you like some fresh eyes on your writing to help you make it stronger?

This workshop will help fundraising staff strengthen their copywriting skills and compose clear, bold appeal letters that emotionally connect with donors. In a small group format, we will engage in group discussion and writing exercises designed to help you:

– identify and feel connected to your audience of prospective donors
– tap into your organization’s core values and translate them into an emotional response in your readers
– write fearlessly – find the big bold words that express your organization’s vision
– write simply – craft copy that is short, clear and easy for your audience to read

We will also discuss and give feedback on each participants’ appeal letter. You can work from last year’s annual appeal or with a draft of your current appeal. Each participant will leave with some concrete suggestions for how to strengthen this year’s ask!

Jenni Haley is a development writer and communications consultant with over 15 years of nonprofit communications and fundraising experience. Residing in South Deerfield, MA, and serving clients across Massachusetts, Jenni specializes in appeal letter writing, communications materials, and grants. She believes that good copy can help caring people understand, connect with, and invest in your mission.

Small group format: limit 8 participants

Do you want to build your ability to ask donors for support?

In this lively three-hour workshop, you will learn the principles behind donor-centered and relationship-based cultivation and stewardship – and how to reach out to your donors to more fully engage them in the life of your organization.

A successful fundraising program is as much about knowing your donors as it is about achieving financial goals. During the workshop, you will learn to build relationships with donors in meaningful ways by developing your authentic curiosity and “fundraising listening” skills to help match your mission with your donors’ philanthropic goals. As part of your practice, you will build a multi-step donor cultivation and stewardship plan using real donors to your organization.

Highly rated and dynamic trainer, Jenn Hayslett, combines her years of leadership experience as a fundraiser in small and mid-sized non-profits with brain-science research on best practices. She will lead you through hands-on activities designed to decrease anxiety and increase your confidence by practicing skills that are needed to involve your donors.

This workshop is designed for those who are relatively new to donor cultivation, as well those with a few years of experience.

Presenter
Jenn Hayslett, principal at Jenn Hayslett Coaching and Consulting, brings 25 years of leadership experience as a successful fundraiser, manager, facilitator and trainer to her work as a coach and non-profit consultant. Jenn has direct experience in all areas of fundraising and marketing for small to mid-sized non-profits including design and management of annual operations fundraising, major gift solicitation and stewardship, capital campaign organization and management, grant writing, marketing, community organizing, and volunteer management. Her specialty is in supporting board members and staff in building and improving relationship-based fund development programs.

Jenn’s engaging presentation style has made her a highly-rated trainer and presenter at Third Sector New England, MissionWorks where she created Aim, Ask, Achieve a 6-month intensive training program. Jenn received her coach training through Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and her certification as a trainer, facilitator and consultant through the Center for New Leadership at Marlboro College. Jenn works with non-profits and individuals to clarify purpose, establish goals, and design systems to stay on course and achieve outcomes.

Join us and your development peers for our 2nd Annual Fundraising Accelerator, a half day of networking and learning!

Agenda
8:30 AM – Registration, breakfast, and networking
9:15 AM – Welcome remarks
9:30 AM – Session 1
10:45 AM – Networking
11:15 AM – Session 2
12:30 PM – Wrap-up

Who Should Attend
Hard Skills: Intended for development professionals who are seeking to hone their skills.

Session 1 – Raise More Money Online – The 5 Key Characteristics of a Great Donation Form
Are your online donation forms ho hum? Have you made changes to your forms but aren’t seeing more gifts come in? Get ready to dissect some high-performing donation forms with an industry expert! We’ll review the five most important characteristics of a great donation form, and talk about why they are so important to your online giving program. No need to be a tech whiz to get a lot from this session- you’ll see awesome examples of those key characteristics in action and take away some new ideas for end-of-year giving.
Presenter: Maureen Wallbeoff, Nonprofit Strategist & Technology Coach

Session 2 – The ABC’s of Corporate Sponsorships
Nonprofits are consistently turning to local businesses, seeking their support for programs or specials events. Is a sponsorship a qualified charitable donation? How do you secure a corporate sponsorship? What are corporations looking for from their nonprofit partners? Set your organization up to effectively pursue corporate funding streams, and learn from an industry pro!
Presenter: Heather Amsden, Amsden Consulting

Where did your organization come from? How are you transforming your community? Who is helping you make a difference?

Sharing powerful stories from staff, clients and donors is a key component of fundraising and communications strategy. In the age of digital communication, nonprofits need to continually generate new stories, to keep engagement high on their social media feeds and make multi-channel appeals to donors fresh and interesting.

Crafting good stories takes time and thought—but there are strategies to make it simpler. In this workshop participants will be introduced to three templates for storytelling, which can be used in appeal letters, social media campaigns, annual reports, or other materials. These templates provide simple frameworks on which to hang the wonderful stories that are unique to your organization.

In this workshop we’ll cover:

– storytelling as a strategy and why it has a positive impact on fundraising and communications
– the key components of three story types: the origin story, the impact story, and the hero story
– how to structure interviews of staff, clients, and donors to generate great story material
– strategies to short-cut your storytelling process, so you always have a great story ready to go for your materials or next campaign

Jenni Haley is a development writer and communications consultant with over 15 years of nonprofit communications and fundraising experience. Residing in South Deerfield, MA, and serving clients across Massachusetts, Jenni specializes in appeal letter writing, communications materials, and grants. She believes that good copy can help caring people understand, connect with, and invest in your mission.

Join us for one workshop, or all three! Click the links below for more information on each workshop. Send one staff to the entire series, or multiple staff to each workshop.

#1 – Increasing Philanthropic Revenues by Endowing Projects with Chuck Gordon
#2 – Cost-Savings for Nonprofit Organizations with Alyssa Wright
#3 – Building Organizational Capacity Through Volunteer Engagement with VQ Volunteer Strategies

#2 – Cost-Savings for Nonprofit Organizations
Presenter: Alyssa Wright, Wright Consulting Group

Join Alyssa Wright for an informative and interactive workshop on cost-savings for nonprofit organizations.

In this workshop, Alyssa will cover:
– How to Conduct an Organizational Cost Savings Analysis
– 30 Nonprofit Savings Tips from Utilities to Fundraising to Tax Breaks
– Creating a Culture of “Savvy”
By the end of the workshop, attendees will leave with knowledge on how to conduct an organizational audit, effective nonprofit savings tips, an action plan for implementing changes, and ways to engage board members, staff, volunteers, and donors to create a culture of savvy.

Full Series
HSF Members – $450
Not Yet Members – $900
*MNN members receive 20% off the non-member series price. Please contact us for more information or to register.

Individual Workshops
HSF Members – $180
Not Yet Members – $350

Drawing from his 16 years’ experience, Kenny Weill will lead attendees through the process of writing a clear, concise, and compelling foundation grant narrative. This includes both the longer “full proposal” narrative and the shorter concept paper or letter of inquiry. He will end with tips to avoid common pitfalls, and ways to determine whether your nonprofit is “grant-ready.” Participants will have the tools necessary to tell their organization’s and program’s story in a narrative that will be compelling to funders – and increase their chances of landing more grants.

This workshop will cover:

– What funders really want to know about your organization
– mportance of differentiating your organization and/or program from all others
– What to include in a logic model that will prepare you to write a grant proposal
– What to include in the Statement of Need
– The difference between outputs and outcomes
– How to craft S.M.A.R.T. objectives
– How to tie in outcomes with the evaluation

By the end of the session, participants will be able to craft all sections of a compelling grant proposal including:

– Organization background
– Target population
– Statement of need
– Goals and S.M.A.R.T. objectives
– Activities and outputs
– Outcomes and evaluation
– Sustainability

This session is ideal for leaders, board members and development staff of small- to mid-sized organizations.

BIO
Kenny Weill launched K. Weill Consulting Group in 2002, which focuses on strategic fund development for nonprofits. His practice works with Boards and executive staff on fundraising assessments, creation of actionable Fund Development Plans, case statements, appeals, online giving strategy, grant research and writing, CRM (Constituent Relationship Management) database solutions, and more. He has published articles and regularly trains, coaches and presents on fund development strategy. In 2009, Kenny co-founded NPO Connect (http://npoconnect.org), an online skill-building platform for nonprofit professionals and volunteers.

Prior to consulting, Kenny held management, research and other positions in community-based, academic, health care and government settings. He received an M.S. in Health Policy and Management from Harvard School of Public Health and a B.A. from Wesleyan University.

Kenny is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and adheres to their Code of Ethical Standards and Principles. He also is a member of the Nonprofit Consultants Network, Independent Advancement Consultants, and Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, and enjoys working collaboratively with other consultants.

Kenny has a long history of community-based volunteerism.

This introductory workshop will start participants on the road to finding appropriate prospective grantmakers for their organizations.

The program begins with a quick overview of how to make sure your organization is “grant ready” so that when you start your research and find prospective funders, your organization is poised to make a strong impression.

We will review helpful resources for locating funding opportunities and learn how to determine if your organization’s work aligns with the funding priorities of a potential grantmaker.

We’ll cover:

– where you can locate Requests for Proposals (RFPs)
– resources for finding corporate donors
– how to find contributors to your peer organizations
– Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) and what they are
– a little bit about individual donor cultivation
And more!

Sprinkled throughout will be some takeaways and tips we have collected over the years from foundation program officers, about how to strengthen the odds of receiving a grant.

The resources available at the Essex County Community Foundation will also be covered.

In the last 30 minutes of the session we will demonstrate how to use the Foundation Directory Online and run a few trial searches.

This program is recommended for those who are new to grantseeking.

Nonprofit organizations often seek grant support but fall short in receiving an award. Competition for grants continue to grow as government funding dwindles. Learn how to present your case for support no matter the type or size of grant you are requesting. This session will sharpen your grant-seeking skills by making your proposal more competitive.

From logic models to making your case for support using 2,000 or less characters, this workshop will help you prepare successful paper and paperless proposal narratives including those to the different levels of government. There will be a discussion on the use of Gantt and PERT charts and other visual aids to help reviewers quickly understand the intent of your proposed project. You will also learn techniques to use when preparing proposals to obtain grants for capacity-building projects and capital campaigns.

The intended learning goals are as follows:

– Understand the current giving trends of foundations, corporations, and government agencies
– Analyze request for proposals (RFPs) to determine a fit with your proposed project
– Prepare reviewer friendly proposals
– Formulate strategies to develop proposals for special projects, capacity-building efforts, and capital campaigns
– Learn techniques to apply for a multi-year or million-dollar grant

This workshop provides learning opportunities for intermediate to advanced (10+ years) grant seekers. The ideal participants will be those with two or more years of experience preparing grant proposals who have an understanding how to develop a strong needs statement, goals and outcomes, evaluation strategies, and the budget and justification for the project/program they propose.

Presenter
Diane Gedeon-Martin is a nationally recognized grants consultant, instructor, and lecturer in the area of grants and grant seeking for nonprofit organizations. For more than 25 years, she has trained over 20,000 people through her grant-seeking workshops and conference sessions. Her dedication to the field is evident in the way she speaks about the grant seeking process; her enthusiasm is contagious!

For 13 years, she was a member of the faculty of the former Connecticut Association of Nonprofits (CT Nonprofits, now renamed The Alliance after a merger) where she conducted several grant-seeking workshops annually including the popular two-day, semi-annual Grant Proposal Certificate Series. In 2015, she retired from the her position as an adjunct faculty member of The Fund Raising School (TFRS) at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University where she not only taught for 14 years but also co-developed the curriculum for the Preparing Successful Grant Proposals course.

Diane is a certified Master Trainer through the Faculty Training Academy of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International. She is a frequent presenter at regional, national, and international conferences including six consecutive AFP International Conferences, an AFP International Audioconference, and several Grant Professionals Association (GPA) regional and national conferences. In 2017, she was the keynote speaker at the New England (NE) GPA regional conference.

We have all seen the “sustainability question” asking one way or another:

– How will the program be sustained after the grant ends?
– What is your plan for sustaining the project beyond the grant period?
– Describe the future of this program and how will you support it beyond the grant.

If you answered “We’ll get more grants”, you failed the test. This practical session is designed to spark new ideas on how to answer the question for your organization or program. It will offer grant maker insights, new ways to look at the question, and strategies for answering it.

Through:

– interviews with funders on what they look for in the answer;
– examples of different ways to look at the question;
– factors that help prove sustainability that may not seem obvious or even related; and
– concrete examples to illustrate principles

Participants are invited to bring their best examples of answering this question to share.

Presenter:
Ellen Gugel GPC, Principal of Grants & More, has developed hundreds of successful proposals for environmental, social services, advocacy and arts organizations from grassroots to $60+ million agencies. As Director of Foundation & Corporate Relations at Ascentria Care Alliance (formerly Lutheran Social Services) 2010-14, she established a successful grants program. Prior: consultant (2007-10); Development Manager, Tower Hill Botanic Garden (2004-07); Executive Director, Orenda Wildlife Land Trust (1998-2003) of Cape Cod. She earned her MBA at Boston University in Public & Nonprofit Management. She is a member of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) and currently serves as the GPA Regional Representative. She is a Grant Professional Certified (GPC) since 2010.

Human Service Forum, in partnership with The Beveridge Family Foundation, is proud to present the third session of our Alternative Funding Series.
Join presenters Beth Steinhorn and Linda Puckett in this program and start implementing a culture of volunteer engagement at your organization!
In this program, our presenters will share research on volunteering and giving, describe the current volunteer engagement trends, explain how organizations can maximize existing resources and unlock their potential, and provide tools on how to achieve mission by integrating volunteer engagement as a core strategy.
Don’t miss this interactive and engaging workshop! Shift your organization from a culture of volunteer management to a culture of volunteer engagement!

Did you know that only 28% of nonprofits have a current logic model, which experts consider to be the foundation for promising evaluation capacities? Come learn how this tool provides the foundation for a quality program design! You will learn about logic models for program planning, program improvement, and as the first step to prepare for outcome measurement.

Participants will:
– Learn the five components of a logic model (participants, inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes)
– Understand criteria for a quality logic model
– Illustrate how a logic model will help you make improvements to your program design and daily program practices
– Draft an outcomes ladder for your own program

This logic model session will draw from Theory of Change concepts including target population definition, participant strengths and challenges, reasons for program, and unintended negative outcomes. A logic model can help ensure that your program staff and your development staff are marching to the same tune!

Presenters:

Ellen Bass, Director, Capacity Institute

Ellen Bass launched and directs the Capacity Institute, which helps nonprofits Improve participant outcomes as a measure of mission attainment, by building and implementing their theory of change and performance management systems over two-years. Nonprofits have improved intermediate outcome success rates by 212% and long-term outcome success rates by 388%! For twenty years, Ellen has taught and coached staff from more than three hundred nonprofits how to use logic models and outcome measurement to strengthen participant outcomes, programs, staff, strategy, partnerships, and fundraising. Ellen also founded and leads the Nonprofit Performance Management Network, to improve the effectiveness of human service nonprofits nationally by engaging consultants, nonprofits and funders to invest in performance management practices. Ellen is a member of the Leap of Reason Ambassadors Community, which includes more than 150 nonprofit thought leaders and practitioners who advance nonprofit high performance as the norm.

Pieta Blakely, Principal, Blakely Consulting, LLC

Pieta is the Principal of Blakely Consulting, LLC, a certified minority- and woman-owned business enterprise. She is a researcher and evaluator of programs and policy, specializing in non-profit management and workforce development. She has over ten years’ experience in program evaluation and performance management in non-profit programs.

She has experience working in agencies of various sizes, including Commonwealth Corporation and Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, where she was the Director of Research and Evaluation. She specializes in designing data systems that support quality programming, creating organizational accountability plans, and using knowledge to improve program performance. Her practice focuses on anti-poverty programs and youth-serving programs.

Pieta received her BA from Brown University in Organizational Behavior and Management and Anthropology, her MS in Administrative Science from Boston University, her MEd from Harvard University and her PhD in Social Policy from Brandeis University.

A nonprofit board navigates an organization’s path toward a sustainable future by creating an effective governance structure with sound, legal and financial management policies, and a plan that ensures adequate resources to advance its mission.

Board Basics: A Toolkit of Best Practices for Nonprofit Boards will explore the components of a strong board including planning, governance, operations, corporate responsibility, fundraising, and more. Participants will be asked to complete a board assessment prior to the session which will set the stage for discussion, problem solving and strategies for addressing board “pain-points.”

Save 10% on Registration with Promo Code NEWYEAR10