Community Trainings & Events Calendar

D-tree International and Tech Networks of Boston are pleased to invite nonprofit professionals to a Roundtable session on mobile technology for nonprofits. The special focus will be on one nonprofit organization’s success in using mobile technology to support its global health mission. Our featured guest will be Steve Ollis, the chief operating officer of D-tree International.

Here’s what Steve has to say about this TNB Roundtable session:

“Learn about how D-tree International leverages the power of mobile technology by creating mobile health applications that are used by frontline health workers in Tanzania and Malawi. I will provide a demo of our mobile health apps, and discuss how they are being used to save lives. I will also lead a dialogue about how other organizations can leverage mobile technologies to achieve their mission. You can learn more about our work at D-tree.org, and connect with us on Twitter at @DtreeInt.”

Here’s a bit more about Steve:

Steve Ollis is D-tree’s chief operating officer, and has over 20 years of experience in management consulting, information technology, and public health. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the American University and a master’s degree in business administration in information systems and finance from the University of Maryland. He is also a certified project management professional. Prior to joining D-tree, Steve worked for the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative in Tanzania, directing programs in pediatrics, prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV, and rural care and treatment.

Please note:

1) In keeping with the spirit of the TNB Roundtable series, this session will NOT be a sales pitch for any product or service. This will be a professional development opportunity for nonprofit professionals who want to learn with and from their peers in other organizations.

2) This session is for employees of nonprofit organizations. It is not designed to meet the needs of vendors, volunteers, students, consultants, job-seekers, and others.

3) Priority in registration will be given to those who are employed by nonprofit organizations that hold full membership in the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.

4) Participation in this session is free of charge for nonprofit professionals. However, you must have a confirmed reservation in order to attend.

5) If this session is booked to capacity by the time you seek to register for it, please go ahead and put yourself on the waiting list. We have a good track record of finding seats for nonprofit professionals on the waiting list.

We hope that you can join us for a vigorous and informative conversation, in which you will be welcome to share your knowledge and experience with your peers.

Tech Networks of Boston (also known as “TNB”) is pleased to invite nonprofit professionals to a Roundtable session on nonprofit chief executive officers as technology decision makers. The featured guests for this session will be Joe Kriesberg and John Fitterer of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations.

Here is what John and Joe say about the session:

“What happens when you’re told that your servers are at capacity? Do you buy another server, or do you migrate your entire operation to the cloud? It’s always a challenge to change the ways in which you work, but with a highly mobile staff, a move to 3:1 computers (tablet, laptop and desktop) with seamless cloud services was necessary and not without challenges. Join MACDC’s President, Joe Kriesberg, and Director of Communications, John Fitterer, as they talk about the decision-making process, the goals, objectives, and long-term planning behind MACDC’s overhaul of their IT infrastructure.”

Here’s a little more about Joe:

Joe Kriesberg is the President and CEO of MACDC. He first joined MACDC in 1993 as Vice President and served in that capacity until he became President in July 2002. He oversees the agency’s advocacy work with public and private sector entities, its capacity building work with members, its long term strategic planning, it collaborations and partnerships and internal operations. He has launched several innovative new programs at MACDC, including the Community Investment Tax Credit, the Mel King Institute for Community Building, the GOALs Initiative, the biennial MACDC conventions and the Community Development Innovation Forum. During his tenure Joe has helped to pass many important bills through the Massachusetts Legislature, including the groundbreaking Insurance Industry Community Investment Act (1998,) the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (2000,) the Small Business Technical Assistance Program (2006,) a comprehensive anti-foreclosure law (2007), a new law to help preserve “expiring-use” affordable rental communities (2009) and the Community Investment Tax Credit (2012). Joe serves on the board of several state and national organizations, serves as chair of the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA), is frequently asked to speak on community development issues and trends here and around the country, and writes about these issues for the MACDC website. Joe also periodically teaches as a Visiting Lecturer at Northeastern University’s Center for Urban and Regional Policy. Prior to working for MACDC, Mr. Kriesberg worked for eight years on energy and environmental issues for non profit organizations in Washington, DC and Boston, MA. Mr. Kriesberg has a B.A. from Binghamton University (New York State) and a J.D. Degree from Northeastern University in Boston. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar.

Here’s a little more about John:

John Fitterer, Director of Communications, oversees MACDC’s fundraising, marketing and communications, knowledge management and IT, and serves on MACDC’s management team. Central to these core responsibilities is working with leaders in the philanthropic and business community to significantly raise the awareness of community development as a critical component to thriving communities. Currently, John is focusing on promoting and raising funds for the Community Investment Tax Credit, a $66 million / 6 year tax credit for CDCs in Massachusetts. Before working at MACDC, John was the Director of Resource Development and Marketing at Nuestra CDC in Roxbury, MA. Prior to switching to the nonprofit sector, John helped launch a successful web-application and software company across North America. John is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Binghamton University with a BA in English.

Please note:

1) In keeping with the spirit of the TNB Roundtable series, this session will NOT be a sales pitch for any product or service. This will be a professional development opportunity for nonprofit professionals who want to learn with and from their peers in other organizations.

2) This session is for employees of nonprofit organizations. It is not designed to meet the needs of vendors, volunteers, students, consultants, job-seekers, and others.

3) Priority in registration will be given to those who are employed by nonprofit organizations that hold full membership in the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.

4) Participation in this session is free of charge for nonprofit professionals. However, you must have a confirmed reservation in order to attend.

5) If this session is booked to capacity by the time you seek to register for it, please go ahead and put yourself on the waiting list. We have a good track record of finding seats for nonprofit professionals on the waiting list.

We hope that you can join us for a vigorous and informative conversation, in which you will be welcome to share your knowledge and experience with your peers.

We are excited to present a 4-session, live, online training series, “Become a Grant God/Goddess in 22 Days!” beginning January 19th.

Successful grant seeking goes way beyond a well-written proposal. In addition to the key components of a compelling grant narrative, we’ll cover the elements of a “grant-ready” organization, the logic model, prospect research and prioritization, relationship development and funder retention strategies, budgeting – and more!

You will come away with all the knowledge and tools you will need to realize grant seeking success!

How it will go down:
• We will present live webinars at Noon Eastern on four consecutive Thursdays: January 19th and 26th and February 2nd and 9th.
• You will be able to email questions at any point during the training period and expect a timely response.
• You also will be able to download informative tools, templates and other pieces relevant to that week’s topic.
• Want to participate but can’t make the live webinars? No problem! You will be able to access the recorded sessions within a day following the live event – and you will still receive all the materials, and be able to get your questions answered in a timely fashion.

We are excited to present a 4-session, live, online training series, “Become a Grant God/Goddess in 22 Days!” beginning January 19th.

Successful grant seeking goes way beyond a well-written proposal. In addition to the key components of a compelling grant narrative, we’ll cover the elements of a “grant-ready” organization, the logic model, prospect research and prioritization, relationship development and funder retention strategies, budgeting – and more!

You will come away with all the knowledge and tools you will need to realize grant seeking success!

How it will go down:
• We will present live webinars at Noon Eastern on four consecutive Thursdays: January 19th and 26th and February 2nd and 9th.
• You will be able to email questions at any point during the training period and expect a timely response.
• You also will be able to download informative tools, templates and other pieces relevant to that week’s topic.
• Want to participate but can’t make the live webinars? No problem! You will be able to access the recorded sessions within a day following the live event – and you will still receive all the materials, and be able to get your questions answered in a timely fashion.

This in-depth advanced grant writing workshop will build on existing grant writing knowledge.
Participants will be writing synopsis versions of the Need Statement, Organizational Information and the all important ASK or request for funds. It is recommended that participants have taken Grantwriting 101 to participate.
Laptops or writing materials (pen and paper) a must. Participants will be chosen at random to present their writing.
About our Presenter: Sunny Stich, Sunny Stich Consulting
Sunny Stich is a development professional with over twenty years of proven results helping non-profit agencies increase capacity. Throughout her career, she has helped over 100 organizations actualize their mission through a gamut of services around fundraising and capacity building, including federal, state, private, corporate, and foundation grant writing, major donor initiatives, capital campaigns, annual fund campaigns, fundraising events, public relations strategy, board trainings, and strategic planning. Sunny is a creative and enthusiastic innovator and collaborator who is able to see and create opportunities for organizations that has resulted in millions of dollars raised.

REGISTER: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grant-writing-201-tickets-29408178654

We are excited to present a 4-session, live, online training series, “Become a Grant God/Goddess in 22 Days!” beginning January 19th.

Successful grant seeking goes way beyond a well-written proposal. In addition to the key components of a compelling grant narrative, we’ll cover the elements of a “grant-ready” organization, the logic model, prospect research and prioritization, relationship development and funder retention strategies, budgeting – and more!

You will come away with all the knowledge and tools you will need to realize grant seeking success!

How it will go down:
• We will present live webinars at Noon Eastern on four consecutive Thursdays: January 19th and 26th and February 2nd and 9th.
• You will be able to email questions at any point during the training period and expect a timely response.
• You also will be able to download informative tools, templates and other pieces relevant to that week’s topic.
• Want to participate but can’t make the live webinars? No problem! You will be able to access the recorded sessions within a day following the live event – and you will still receive all the materials, and be able to get your questions answered in a timely fashion.

We are excited to present a 4-session, live, online training series, “Become a Grant God/Goddess in 22 Days!” beginning January 19th.

Successful grant seeking goes way beyond a well-written proposal. In addition to the key components of a compelling grant narrative, we’ll cover the elements of a “grant-ready” organization, the logic model, prospect research and prioritization, relationship development and funder retention strategies, budgeting – and more!

You will come away with all the knowledge and tools you will need to realize grant seeking success!

How it will go down:
• We will present live webinars at Noon Eastern on four consecutive Thursdays: January 19th and 26th and February 2nd and 9th.
• You will be able to email questions at any point during the training period and expect a timely response.
• You also will be able to download informative tools, templates and other pieces relevant to that week’s topic.
• Want to participate but can’t make the live webinars? No problem! You will be able to access the recorded sessions within a day following the live event – and you will still receive all the materials, and be able to get your questions answered in a timely fashion.

Tech Networks of Boston (TNB) and TNB Labs (TNBL) are pleased to invite you to a Roundtable session on how best practices for nonprofits that want to find and make use of public data. Our featured guest will be George Reuter of Compass Working Capital.

Here is what George says about this session:

“Have you written a needs statement for your nonprofit recently? Struggled with what indicators to collect to evaluate your program? Nonprofits are regularly asked to put their mission and their program activities in the context of (or alongside) benchmark comparison data. “Collective impact” initiatives frequently ask nonprofits to align their activities toward key outcomes that are collected consistently in multiple geographies. Meanwhile, government entities at all levels are increasingly making access to public data a priority. Join us for a conversation about public data sources, tools to manipulate and visualize that data, and some examples of how to frame your nonprofits’ story (your mission and impact!) using publically available data.”

Registration is free of charge for nonprofit professionals; however, you MUST have a confirmed reservation in order to attend! To make your reservation, please follow this link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tnb-roundtable-how-nonprofits-can-find-and-use-public-data-effectively-registration-30591480943

We hope that you can join us for a vigorous and informative conversation, in which you will be welcome to share your knowledge and experience with your peers!

Please register by April 10.

Mission-driven founders of charitable organizations are visionaries. They see unmet needs and are driven to fill them. But decisions must be made on how to best capture the founder’s vision in an effective legal structure. There are several options to consider, all with advantages and disadvantages, and all with legal issues to consider:

For example, should they:

• become a tax exempt nonprofit?
• work through a “fiscal agent”?
• merge with an existing nonprofit?
• become an unincorporated association and trust?

Additionally, existing nonprofits are often asked to become a fiscal agent or take over a newly formed charitable group. What legal ramifications should be considered before accepting this role?

Come learn about various options that are available to engage in charitable activities while remaining in compliance with pertinent laws and regulations.

Presenter: Elizabeth Reinhardt, of the Law Offices of Elizabeth S. Reinhardt, will lead a lively interactive presentation to help you consider these options and make an informed decision.

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 (Registration / Networking 9:00)

This workshop is a joint project of Community InRoads and Lawyers Clearinghouse with pro bono support from Law Offices of Elizabeth S. Reinhardt.

Workshop participants will have an in-depth review of the major building blocks of successful grant proposals. Special attention will be paid to case statements, preparing budgets, management plans, and evaluation. Pitfalls and best practices will be discussed, as well as what reviewers and funders are looking for. Ample time for challenging questions and hands-on experience will be included in the presentation.

For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.agmconnect.org/events/breakthrough-workshop-advanced-proposal-writing-5112016

BOLD. What does it look like for small and medium nonprofit organizations?
Join us for our annual Meet the Funders event. Engage with your colleagues in a thought-provoking conversation about what it means to “be bold” in today’s uncertain times. Hear from funders and experts who represent a wide range of philanthropic interests and are changing the way we think about solving complex challenges.

Drawing from his 14 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 key components of a strong proposal.

Participants will have the tools necessary to tell their organization’s and program’s story in a narrative that will be compelling to funders.

This workshop will cover:

Importance of the needs statement.
Importance of including measurable objectives and outcomes.
Importance 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.

Tech Networks of Boston (TNB) exists to provide nonprofit organizations with integrated technology services. It’s also our privilege to offer you professional development opportunities that are both free of charge and free of sales pitches.

In that spirit, we’re pleased to invite nonprofit professionals to a TNB Roundtable session about how nonprofits can build an effective data culture. Our featured guest will be Ashley Winning, vice president of research and evaluation at Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath).

Here is what Ashley says about this session:

Is your organization grappling with how to build a strong and positive data culture? Do staff ever struggle to see the importance of data? Does data collection sometimes feel meaningless, cumbersome, confusing, or boring?

In this highly interactive roundtable discussion, we will share and learn about strategies to:

● Understand your organization’s existing data culture, and break down barriers to building a stronger data culture

● Integrate data into organizational practice, and encourage staff at all levels to use data to inform decisions

● Move from numbers to stories, and make data meaningful and even fun!

Please note that you will need a confirmed registration in order to attend. To find more information, or to register, please follow this link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tnb-roundtable-building-an-effective-data-culture-at-your-nonprofit-registration-37849934172?aff=mnn

If this session is booked to capacity by the time you seek to register for it, please go ahead and put yourself on the waiting list. We have a good track record of finding seats for nonprofit professionals on the waiting list.

We hope that you can join us for a vigorous and informative conversation, in which you will be welcome to share your knowledge and experience with your peers!

Drawing from his 14 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 key components of a strong proposal.

Participants will have the tools necessary to tell their organization’s and program’s story in a narrative that will be compelling to funders.

This workshop will cover:

Importance of the needs statement.
Importance of including measurable objectives and outcomes.
Importance 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.

Workshop participants will have an in-depth review of the major building blocks of successful grant proposals. Special attention will be paid to case statements, preparing budgets, management plans, and evaluation. Pitfalls and best practices will be discussed, as well as what reviewers and funders are looking for. Ample time for challenging questions and hands-on experience will be included in the presentation.

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.

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.

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.

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.