Developing a Contingency Plan and Exploring Strategic Opportunities

In this uncertain economic climate, this timely workshop is designed to provide participants with a step-by-step process in assessing the current status of their organizations, how to plan for the unknown, and what actions may be taken to strengthen their organizations.

Beginning with "Developing a Contingency Plan", our presenters will provide participants with the process and tools needed to assess their organizations in a rapidly changing environment. We will then "Explore Strategic Opportunities," offering an overview of the array of strategic alliances available to nonprofits and how to begin building these connections with other important allies.

In addition to covering the essentials of contingency planning and strategic alliances, this workshop also highlights the "human element" of change, and the importance of developing communication strategies within your organization.

Track: Collaboration

Skill Level: Mid-Advanced

• Presenters: Bethany Kendall, Mike Stauff, Sue Ogle, ESC

  • Bethany Kendall is President and Chief Executive Officer of ESC of New England, a nonprofit management consulting organization that provides services exclusively to other nonprofits in eastern MA and RI. Ms. Kendall previously held the position of President of The Ad Club, the largest advertising and marketing communications trade organization in the country. In this capacity, she oversaw all strategic planning and alliances, educational and professional development programs, advocacy, and a $2 million budget, as well as presided over a $1.5 million endowment to promote workplace diversity. Prior to her tenure at The Ad Club, Ms. Kendall was the first chief executive hired by the Downtown Crossing Association where as President she served as spokesperson for several hundred businesses and successfully advocated for a multi-million dollar improvement in infrastructure and municipal services. Just prior to her current position, she was Executive Director of The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, where she managed all international and U.S. activities for this prestigious organization devoted to developing “leaders in service”, graduate students addressing heath related needs in underserved communities. She began her career with Beth Israel Hospital as Director of Volunteer Services, managing 250 volunteers in direct patient care, administration and research. Ms. Kendall holds a master’s degree from Boston University’s College of Communications and is a graduate of Simmons College. She has been involved on the boards and committees of a number of civic initiatives and human service agencies.

     

    Mike Stauff, an ESC consultant since October 2001, has been involved with non-profit organizations in education, health care, community development and other services, specifically in strategic management and board development efforts. Mike is the current Board Chair of ESC and also sits on the Board of Julie’s Family Learning Program. Mike is the former Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for TranSwitch Corporation. He has great experience in creating and managing systems and controls necessary to support rapidly growing organizations at both public and private companies. Mike has been involved in growing two successful start-up companies to substantial sizes.
    
    Sue Ogle, an ESC Consultant since 2002, has worked with organizations such as Bayside Family Healthcare, John Hope Settlement House, and Providence Women’s Center on organizational development, strategic planning, and team building. She has been lead designer and trainer for ESC Team Building, Constructive Feedback, and Trainer Programs as well as co-leader for Facilitation and Meeting Management and Lead Consultant Programs. Sue was awarded by ESC in 2004 and 2008 for outstanding consulting and training work. She also volunteers on the Personnel Committee for the Dunn’s Corner Church. She has 25 years of training and consulting experience that include founder in 1992 of OGLE Training and Consulting, 10 years in financial services, Assistant Director for Career Placement at Yale School of Management, and Managing Partner of Career/Life Alternatives. Her initial career was social work for the City of Bridgeport in CT. In addition, she was Regional Director for the Northeast Region of the American Society for Training and Development as well as ASTD President of the Southern CT Chapter. She resides in Charlestown, RI.

Make Your Case, Bring in the Bucks

Did you know you have only seven seconds to capture someone s attention? In a congested domestic marketplace of 1.4m nonprofits (excluding religious institutions!), we need to find a way to stand out from the crowd, to draw attention to the good work we re doing, and make a lasting impression in the first seven seconds that someone is listening to our pitch, reading our proposal, or attending our event. In this workshop, participants will discuss current trends and how they re impacting our ability to raise funds, learn the basics of message marketing, and have the opportunity to craft a powerful case statement to use in conversations, presentations, publications and proposals with existing and prospective donors and funders.

Track: Fund Development

Skill Level: Mid-Advanced

• Presenters: Sarah Lange, Legacy Consulting, Inc.

  • Sarah Lange, MSW, is the Principal of Legacy Consulting, Inc. and has served as counsel to more than 100 organizations across New England. Sarah is well known and respected for her depth and breadth of expertise in the areas of systems change, fund development, strategic planning, board development, program evaluation and needs assessments. In the field since 1989, she has raised more than $45m. In addition to her work with Legacy, Sarah has served on the faculty at Clark University, Boston University School of Social Work, Worcester State College, Assumption College, and University of Massachusetts, Boston. Sarah s extensive experience fuels frequent requests for her services as a trainer and she has presented more than 100 workshops to a variety of audiences. She earned her Masters Degree from Boston University School of Social Work and her B.A. from Colgate University.

How to Create a Fundraising Plan: Save Time and Money by Planning Ahead

Some say there are four steps to fundraising: plan, plan, plan, and work your plan. Unfortunately, some of us are so busy fundraising that we feel like we don t have time to plan. But, in the long run, this only costs us more time (and money!). Time management experts calculate that every hour we spend planning saves us five hours of work. In this interactive workshop, you will start to win back some of your lost time by learning how to create an annual fundraising plan for your organization. We will go over the internal and external factors to consider when creating your plan, the financial information you need to gather and analyze, how to develop your goals, and the key components of each fundraising strategy. You will leave with a customizable planning worksheet to take back to your full staff and board to complete your organizations fundraising plan. 

Track: Fund Development

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenter: Tina Cincotti, Funding Change Consulting

  • Tina Cincotti is the founder and principal consultant of Funding Change. Funding Change works with organizations to raise more money by building stronger relationships with their donors and by giving donors what they want and need to be invested, loyal supporters even in a recession. With 12 years experience in fund development, Tina specializes in improving donor relations, strengthening individual donor programs, creating development plans, and training and coaching boards and staff new to fundraising. Through her training and consulting, she helps groups develop the tools and skills to improve donor retention, attract new supporters, and create communications that will have a greater impact. Her particular focus is on working with grassroots nonprofits, social change groups, and political organizations. Tina is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Women In Development, the Nonprofit Consultants Network, and the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.

Succession Planning: Good Endings Lead to Good Beginnings

While organizations are cognizant of the fact that leadership will turnover through planned departures (i.e.: retirement or job change) or unplanned circumstance (firing, illness), there often-times exists a cultural hesitancy for advance planning of such happenings. This session will focus on how to replace organizational reliance on individuals with reliance on systems and how to create systems that allow an organization to achieve its mission when a key individual leaves, short -term or long- term.

Track: Leadership

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenters: Michelle Heck & Todd Owens, Dewey & Kaye

  • Michelle Pagano Heck has over 15 years of nonprofit management experience. She is responsible for the creation and implementation of the Interim Management Services division, a new program of Dewey and Kaye specializing in supporting organizations in transition through interim leadership. Additionally, she works with the Executive Search program. Prior to joining Dewey and Kaye, Michelle was sole proprietor of MCP Resources, LLC, providing local organizations with support and management and development strategies. She has held positions in management with WQED Multimedia, The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, the American Cancer Society, and the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force.
    
    As a community volunteer, Michelle was honored by Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP as one of “40 under 40.” She is currently the Chairman of the Board of the Allegheny County Housing Authority.
    
    Todd Owens has worked with Dewey & Kaye since 2000. As the manager of Dewey & Kaye’s Transition Management Practice, he is responsible for managing clients’ needs related to succession planning, interim executive leadership, and executive search. Prior to taking charge of the firm's Transition Management Practice, Todd served Dewey & Kaye's clients as a project manager, facilitator, and organizational development consultant.
    
    Before his work with Dewey & Kaye, Todd was awarded a prestigious Fellowship in Public Affairs with the Coro Center for Civic Leadership. During this intensive nine-month program, Todd worked on a wide variety of projects including development of an international employee volunteer and grant matching program for Alcoa Corporation, as well as a marketing and identity strategy for the Builder's Guild of Western Pennsylvania, and assisting with the strategic planning and technology grant applications of Career Connections Charter High School.

Attorney General’s Division: Overview of its Regulatory and Policy Initiatives

The Attorney General of Massachusetts, through its Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division has oversight over the nonprofit, charitable sector in Massachusetts. Join David Spackman, chief of the Division and Division staff to learn more about the Division’s functions, current issues and initiatives. Areas to be discussed include, but are not limited to, executive compensation oversight, conflict of interest policies and procedures, the newly enacted Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds act (commonly known as UPMIFA), registration and filing compliance, consolidation, and enforcement priorities. They will also discuss pending legislation designed to enhance the Division’s enforcement authority and to streamline the voluntary dissolution process.

Track: Regulatory/Legal

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenter: David Spackman, Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General
  • David Spackman is the Chief of the Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division of the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General. He has held this position since May of 2007. Before joining the AG’s Office, Spackman practiced health care law, as general counsel to the then Department of Health and Hospitals of the City of Boston, and most recently with the Boston Office of the law firm of Greenberg Traurig. Spackman received his undergraduate degree from Beloit College in 1970 and his law degree from Suffolk University in 1976.

Understanding Our State Budget – Spending and Revenue

This workshop “” will explore both sides of the state budget equation with a focus on the current fiscal crisis. Topics will include long and short term causes of the crisis, its impact on current and upcoming years’ state budgets, and possible new revenue solutions. Come get a head start on the Fiscal Year 2011 state budget process with information and resources you can use – including a look at MassBudget’s new user-friendly online Budget Browser.

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) provides independent research and analysis of state budget and tax policies, as well as economic issues, with particular attention to the effects on low- and moderate-income people. MassBudget also produces reports on specific topics such as education, health care, economic development and tax policy.

Track: Public Policy/Advocacy

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenters: Noah Berger, Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center

  • Noah Berger is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, an independent research organization that provides timely, trusted and accessible analysis of how state tax, budget and economic policies effect low and moderate income people in Massachusetts. Prior to joining the MassBudget, Noah served as Counsel and Policy Director for the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ways and Means from 1993 to 1996 and as Policy Director for Senate President Tom Birmingham from 1996 to 2002. He currently serves on the advisory board of the Economic Analysis and Research Network and the steering committee of the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative. Noah writes and speaks on state tax, budget, and economic policies, and is frequently quoted in news stories on those topics. Noah graduated from Harvard College and has a JD from Harvard Law School.

How to Talk to Your Legislator

Nonprofit organizations have every right to engage in advocacy. You can (and should) talk to your elected officials about anything related to your work, including the necessity of government funding. This workshop will cover what nonprofits are allowed to do under state and federal law. Participants will also discuss strategies to advance their issues and how to most effectively communicate with elected officials.

Track: Public Policy/Advocacy

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenters: Dan Hunter, Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities
  • Daniel R. Hunter has 17 years' experience in politics and arts advocacy, serving as Director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (a cabinet appointment requiring Senate confirmation) and running a successful advertising and political consultancy firm in Des Moines. An award-winning playwright, songwriter and humorist, Hunter was appointed in April 2002 by the MAASH-Ed board, Hunter took over the position full time in July 2002.
    
    Hunter is the author of two books, Let's Keep Des Moines a Private Joke and The Search for Iowa (& We Don't Grow Potatoes). He has written several plays including Un Tango en La Noche and La Mujer Sin Cara (The Woman without a Face). He is the composer and writer of Picture Postcard Musical, based on the texts of picture postcards from 1906-1910. He has performed a one-man show of topical humor in song accompanying himself on guitar. He has made numerous radio and television appearances including ABC's Good Morning America, National Public Radio, BBC, and CNN Nightly News.
    
    Hunter was managing director of Boston Playwrights' Theatre at Boston University from 1999 to 2002, and teaches creating writing at Boston University. He previously served in the Iowa State Governor's cabinet as Director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. On his departure,
    
    From 1980 to 1997, he owned and operated Dan Hunter Creative Services. Hunter was earned his B.A. from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA and his M.A. from Boston University.

     

Performance Measurement: Building a System to Drive Learning and Continuous Improvement

A rigorous measurement system empowers the leaders of nonprofit organizations to track their performance, learn from data, use that learning to make management decisions focused on continuous improvement, and share their progress against goals with stakeholders and funders.

Root Cause has worked closely with nonprofit organizations of different sizes and scale to develop and implement customized performance measurement systems, tailored to each organizations unique mission and vision of success.

This approach provides flexibility for an organization to strengthen its existing measurement efforts or to build a new system. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to begin to develop a cohesive performance measurement cycle for their organizations. The leader of a nonprofit organization will co-facilitate the session, and can provide real-life insights into the performance measurement development process and the value of measurement for the organization.

Track: Capacity Building

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenters: Abby Fung & Elizabeth Reardon, Root Cause

  • Abby Fung is a project consultant at Root Cause in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Abby has worked with nonprofit organizations locally and throughout the US to strengthen their financial sustainability, operations, performance measurement, and organizational team and governance. She received a BA from Harvard and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

     

    Elizabeth Reardon is the program director of Close to Home, an award-winning domestic violence prevention initiative in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Elizabeth has worked in the Fields Corner Neighborhood of Dorchester as a community and youth organizer for seven years. She holds a master s of public health with a concentration in international health from Boston University.

Building a Better Board: Getting the Right People For The Job

Are you struggling to find great new board members ones who will get engaged and take an active role on your board? Are your new board members not meeting your expectations? This workshop will give you practical tips and tools to help find, recruit, elect, and retain qualified, engaged board members.

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenter: Amy Cahners & Susan Donahue, Cahners & Donahue Associates

  • Amy and Susan are professional consultants who work with non-profit organizations primarily in the areas of board governance, strategy, and fundraising. They combine established best practices with over 30 years of for-profit and non-profit leadership experience to give clients customized, common-sense approaches to their challenges.
    
    Amy and Susan have been, and continue to be, non-profit professionals, board members, board chairs and active volunteers. In addition to consulting with Cahners & Donahue Associates, Amy co-chaired the board of Community Action Partners, the Harvard Business School alumni pro bono consulting organization. She also serves on the Board of Overseers of Newton Wellesley Hospital. Susan has served as the board chair of The Food Project and currently serves as president of the Alumni Council of Phillips Academy.

MNN Action Session II: Regional and Statewide Strategies; An Evolving Partnership

This interactive session will be lead by two of the MNN Regional Board Representatives. This session will solicit feedback on how MNN can best insure regional representation in its events, awards, public awareness and other activities. Other issues of regional and statewide collaboration including discussion on how do we work with local networks, while leveraging everyone’s strengths will also occur. Participants will meet with MNN Regional Representatives to the Board who guide the policies and activities of the network, Rebecca Donham and Tim Garvin.

Track: MNN Action Session

Skill Level: General Audience

• Presenters: Rebecca Donham, MetroWest Nonprofit Network
  Tim Garvin, United Way of Central Massachusetts

  • Since arriving at the United Way of Central Massachusetts in March, 2006, Tim Garvin energized the 87-year-old philanthropic organization. United Way of Central Massachusetts works to change the lives of the citizens in central Massachusetts by ensuring the children, youth, families, and people most in need have the opportunity to become self-sufficient and successful members of society.
    
    In just 18 months, Tim has stabilized the organization financially: revenue has increased to more than $6.5 million; spending has decreased; and more money is being granted back to the community to make a lasting impact in the lives of children, youth, and adults most in need. Tim is most proud of the community change in ‘supporting positive youth development’ and ‘ensuring children’s readiness for school,’ where youth violence and pre-school expulsion issues are at the forefront of what the United Way is working to address.
    
    Prior to joining the United Way of Central Massachusetts, Tim spent 19 years in non-profit agencies including serving as the Vice President/Executive Director of the Central Branch of the YMCA, Boston; Executive Director of the Allston Brighton Family YMCA/Oak Square YMCA; and as a volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps in Jamaica, West Indies.
    
    Tim Co-Chairs the American Diabetes Association Advocacy Group, where he spends many hours speaking with legislators and advocating for diabetes issues at the state level. Tim is a volunteer soccer coach; and enjoys spending time with his three young children: Colin, Erin and Meghan; and his wife of 17 years, Theresa.

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    Rebecca Donham is the Senior Program Officer of the MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation, an independent philanthropy serving the unmet health needs of a twenty-five town area west of Boston. Prior to that, she served as Program Officer at the Crossroads Community Foundation in Natick, Massachusetts, and Program Associate at Associated Grant Makers in Boston. Her career also includes development positions at two nonprofit organizations in Philadelphia. Ms. Donham received her bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and MPA from the University of Pennsylvania. She serves on the board of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.