Workshops for Non-Profits
Building Better Boards
An agency's board is the key to its success.
Where boards are active and sure of their
role, typical agency problems such as inadequate
funding, poor public image, and unfocussed
program direction disappear. In this workshop,
board members learn what their role should
be and how best to carry it out. Workshop
topics include: board responsibilities; the
board's role in managing the agency; controlling
through policies; optimum size and composition
of the board; recruiting board members for
results; how to make committees effective;
how the board raises funds for the agency;
and building a productive relationship with
the executive director.
Designing Motivating Jobs for Volunteers
and Staff
Many problems of modern organizations have
their roots in poorly designed jobs. Although
most managers are unaware of it, most jobs
are designed so that they bring out the worst
in people, make communication and supervision
difficult, obscure the quality of performance,
lead to worker alienation, and increase the
amount of management effort and cost necessary
to achieve results through people. In this
workshop, participants learn to design jobs
for volunteers or staff so that results are
achieved as economically as possible and so
that the worker gets maximum satisfaction
form the work. Using the techniques learned
in this seminar, managers are able to draw
on the vast reserve of untapped employee and
volunteer potential, focusing the power of
that resource in an efficient and rewarding
manner on accomplishing meaningful goals.
Developing a High-impact Volunteer Program
Non-profit organizations will never get all
the funding they need to bring together all
the skills necessary to fully accomplish their
missions. To be as effective as possible,
agencies must involve significant numbers
of volunteers in professional and non-traditional
capacities. In this workshop, participants
learn how to identify ways in which volunteers
can make a significant contribution toward
achieving their agencies' missions. Volunteer
programs grow in stature and effectiveness
when utilizing these simple techniques.
Building Effective Teams
This workshop equips managers with skills
to build a sense of commitment and connection
in their people. It enables participants to
unleash the synergistic power of the collective
energies of their workforce, a power that
is greater than the sum of its parts. Managers
learn when teams are an appropriate work group
model and how to develop people to take team
responsibility. The ten characteristics of
effective teams are presented. Participants
learn how to turn groups of isolated individuals
into a cohesive working group by focusing
them on the purpose of the organization and
tapping their motivational needs. Participants
also learn skills in managing group interaction.
Helping Staff Work Effectively with Volunteers
This workshop is for those who work in agencies
where volunteers are supervised by staff who
may lack volunteer management skills. As a
consequence, volunteer turnover may by high.
In Some cases, volunteers who leave may have
a negative view of the agency, thus creating
a public image problem. This session show
volunteer directors how to influence staff
over whom they have no direct authority. It
equips participants with the ability to develop
a volunteer program that is supported strongly
by staff and in which volunteers have are
rewarding experience.
Managing Your Agency from A Marketing
Perspective
In this seminar, participants learn how non-profits
can increase the effectiveness of their service
to clients by adopting a marketing perspective.
Participants examine their agency from the
points of view of the people they want to
influence and learn how to increase the number
of favorable transactions with such people.
Participants learn how to apply marketing
principles to the recruitment of volunteers,
attraction of clients, raising of resources,
and enhancement of the agency's public image.
Essential Volunteer Management
This workshop presents an overview of the
main skills involved in managing a successful
volunteer program. The workshop covers
skills in recruiting volunteers, designing
effective jobs, creating a positive motivational
atmosphere, and identifying resources in
this growing field. The workshop uses a
number of powerful analogies to help participants
understand what works and how to insure
that volunteers receive their “motivational
paycheck.”
Strategic Planning
Often conducted in a retreat setting, this
seminar enables an agency to chart a prosperous
course through the often troubled waters of
the future. Participants will re-examine the
agency's mission, identify current and potential
obstacles to fulfilling that mission, and
set goals which are most likely to make a
significant impact. In doing so, participants
learn to avoid the common pitfalls of agency
planning efforts. Participants also learn
to manage the agency so that all the energies
of volunteers and staff are focused on achieving
important goals.
The Key to Volunteer Retention
Volunteer turnover is a major problem in
many organizations. It creates a constant
need to recruit additional volunteer help
and to train and orient new people. In this
session, volunteer directors learn how to
create a positive motivational climate that
volunteers are unlikely to experience anywhere
else in life. It is a climate that bolsters
and builds the volunteer's self esteem while
at the same time developing a strong sense
of loyalty to the organization. Using these
methods, volunteer managers create an environment
which makes people feel good about themselves
and the agency, a climate that helps volunteers
look forward to going to work.
Managing Quality Service
Sometimes agencies with high caliber people
fail to deliver high-quality service to
clients because of the way the service delivery
system is designed and managed. This workshop
equips managers of non-profit agencies with
skills to remove barriers to high quality
service. Topics include: the elements of
outstanding customer service, how to ensure
service quality, designing jobs for quality
service, creating a system of quality service,
empowering the front line, measuring service
effectiveness, and establishing quality
service values.
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