Berkshire Taconic’s Annual Seminar Series for Regional Nonprofits Begins October 15
Sheffield, Mass.—Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s popular annual “Seminars in Nonprofit Excellence” series returns this fall with four days of workshops from national experts in nonprofit fundraising, board development and technology. A hands-on training and professional development opportunity for staff and board members of nonprofits of all sizes in Berkshire, Columbia, northeast Dutchess and northwest Litchfield counties, the seminar series begins on October 15. Registration is now open atwww.berkshiretaconic.org/FallSeminars.
GRANTS: AN EXPENSIVE INVESTMENT. MAKE IT COUNT!
Writing a grant can be a time-consuming, hair-yanking experience with a hit-or-miss outcome. Yet so often, board members or executive directors believe that “getting a grant for that” will be the answer to your nonprofit’s financial needs. How can a nonprofit make sure that its grant writing efforts are strategic and effective? How does it make the initial approach to a foundation? What should it do if its proposal is rejected? Accepted? This two-part seminar will cover grant writing from research to stewarding the relationship with your foundation funders. We’ll spend time on the different kinds of foundations, the nuts and bolts of writing the proposal, thinking strategically about what a funder is looking for, and grant writing as an organization-wide responsibility.
Dates: Thursday, October 15 and Thursday, October 22, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: 1Berkshire, 66 Allen Street, Pittsfield, MA
Fee: $40 per person/per session
Presenter: Betsy McNamara
Betsy McNamara is a principal with Full Circle Consulting with 25 years’ experience fundraising for nonprofit organizations. Ms. McNamara has raised tens of millions of dollars for organizations in education, human services, affordable housing, the arts and land conservation. Ms. McNamara counsels nonprofit organizations on how to raise money for programs or capital campaigns from individuals, businesses, religious organizations, civic groups, foundations and government grants.
MAKING THE INTERNET WORK FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION
This half-day workshop will focus on the strategic use of Internet-based tools by nonprofits. New technologies can be overwhelming, and we’re often drawn to the latest trend or buzzword. But by defining and prioritizing goals, an organization can make appropriate choices and leverage Internet technologies for success. In this workshop, we’ll explore a planning process that an organization can use to make the most of the Internet, including ways to evaluate their existing Internet infrastructure. We’ll discuss: the basic web presence (the website); managing content updates; mobile; social media presence and sharing; search engine optimization; fundraising and constituent relationship management; and internal business tools (Intranet).
Date: Wednesday, October 28, from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: Berkshire South Regional Community Center, 15 Crissey Road, Great Barrington, MA
Fee: $40 per person
Presenter: Jim Jasper
Jim Jasper has been crafting Internet experiences since he built Audubon’s first website in 1994. His company, Jasper Design, has served many of the world’s leading nonprofits, including American Diabetes Association, American Jewish World Service, Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and the Henry Luce Foundation.
PURPOSEFUL BOARDS, POWERFUL FUNDRAISING: A TEAM WORKSHOP
It’s never been more important for boards and staff to work together effectively to solicit financial support for your organization. Perfect for board-staff teams, this practical session addresses the complementary roles board members play in their organization’s governance and resource development. The session begins with a close look at board recruitment, structure, operations and culture. The second part of the session focuses on how to involve board members in effective fundraising and their role in supporting your bequest and planned giving program.
Topics covered in this day-long session will include:
- Trends impacting governance and fundraising in the nonprofit sector
- How successful fundraising is not about asking for money
- Periodic fundraising exercises you can do with your board
- How to get your board to articulate your organization’s value
- How every single willing board member can be a great fundraiser
Date: Friday, November 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Country Club of Pittsfield, 639 South Street, Pittsfield, MA
Fee: $100 per group of four (1-2 senior staff and 2-3 board members)
Presenter: Chuck V. Loring
Chuck V. Loring, MBA, CFRE, is the senior partner of the Fort Lauderdale and Indianapolis-based firm of Loring, Sternberg, & Associates, which provides fundraising and governance consulting services to nonprofits. Chuck is also a senior governance consultant for BoardSource, offering expertise in board development and other governance issues to nonprofit boards across the country. Chuck has helped hundreds of local and regional nonprofits across the country improve their governance, including such prominent charities as Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Girl Scouts USA, Planned Parenthood and Feeding America.
About Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
For over 27 years, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation has built stronger communities and helped donors make a difference through charitable giving in northwest Litchfield County, CT; Berkshire County, MA; and Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY. Each year, the foundation distributes over $8 million through grants and scholarships to nonprofits and individuals in the arts and education, health and human services and environmental protection. Berkshire Taconic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity. You can make a difference. We can help.
