Serving Nonprofits. Strengthening West Virginia

Building Bridges Leadership Institute 2021
2021-07-30 09:00 - 2021-12-17 11:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
This series is offered by The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation.
July 30th, August 27th, September 24th, October 29th, November 19th, & December 17th
9:00 – 11:00 AM
Registration Fee: $25, Scholarships are available
Please note, if you attended this session last year you are asked NOT to register for this year, but instead recommend BBLI to a friend or colleague.
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Intermediate Grantwriting
2021-08-03 10:00 - 13:00
This workshop is offered in partnership with the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN).
Tuesday, August 3, 2021, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Fee: $89 for members (email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code)/$129 for nonmembers
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Many people who work in nonprofits find themselves in the position of “accidental grantwriter” and do not feel fully equipped for the challenge. This session will provide a balance of tools, practice of skills and significant writing opportunities to deepen participants’ knowledge of and skills in grantwriting.

This intermediate-level training is also a hands-on writing clinic, in which registrants will receive feedback from other participants about specific sections of one of their grant proposals as well as have an opportunity to create and/or improve some usable grant content for their organizations.

Learning Objectives

Develop grant content for your organization
Analyze actual grant applications, and recognize successful and unsuccessful strategies
Receive peer feedback on submitted grant applications and on the content written in the workshop

Workshop participants will receive a digital copy of the Handbook for Successful Grant Writing that covers topics ranging from research and planning to a glossary of commonly used terms. The Handbook is only available to participants and is not otherwise for sale.
This session is focused on writing. For a session on the grantseeking process, you may wish to instead register for the Beginner Grantwriting: Getting Started session.
Speaker Information
Kari Aanestad serves the director of advancement at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. In this role, Kari advances the mission and work of MCN and Minnesota’s nonprofit sector through strategic visioning, fundraising, relationship development, sector research, and education. Kari also serves as co-director of GrantAdvisor, an anonymous review site of grantmaking foundations, and vice president of the Minnesota-Northstar Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association. Kari holds an master of divinity degree from Luther Seminary and bachelor of arts degree from Augsburg College.

Board Training Series: Models of Governance
2021-08-04 16:30 - 18:00
This workshop is offered in partnership with the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN).
Wednesday, August 4, 2021, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Fee: $45 for members (email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code)/$65 for nonmembers
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Great boards don’t happen by accident. It takes vision, planning, training, structure, tools, technology, passion, and dedication to create a high-impact board. In this session, the presenter will lead nonprofit board members through an educational training on effective models of nonprofit governance. This workshop is great for current and future board members, along with nonprofit staff who work with boards.
Topics include:

Define “Governance” what it means to be on a nonprofit board
Develop a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities of a nonprofit board member
Learn the characteristics of a high-impact board
Understand various types of board: working board, managing board, policy board, ratifying board, and a failing board

Event Details
This workshop is one session of a four-part board training series. The other sessions are Legal Duties on July 7, Nonprofit Finance on July 21, and Inclusion and Diversity on August 28 from 3:30 – 5 p.m. central each day. Use the registration button at the top of this page to register only for the Models of Governance workshop. Use the following link to register for the full series for $115 for members and $165 for nonmembers: Register for the full series.
Special discount for this series: This workshop series is great for groups of board members and executive staff to attend together. Register more and save! As a special offer for this series only, buy three series registrations at the regular price and receive a fourth series registration for free. Instructions for group registrations are available on our Event and Registration FAQ page.
Please note that this special discounted rate is only for registrations to the full four-part series and does not apply to registration to individual workshops in the series.
Speaker Information
Jennifer Rajala Sawyer is a business entrepreneur, Partner and Founder of BoardBOS and Rebound Partners. Rebound Partners is an Investment Management and Services company for real estate, hospitality hotels & restaurants, manufacturing and banking. BoardBOS is a board governance consulting and technology company offering board operating tools, educational training and technology systems. Jennifer is dedicated to powering up boards by engaging, educating and empowering board members and executive leadership teams.
Jennifer specializes in three key areas: board governance, strategic planning and leadership development for nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses. She has been trained as a certified executive business coach, a certified Mastermind facilitator, and an expert in the EOS Traction Strategic Planning system.
Jennifer is currently a Board Member of Merchants Financial Bank in Winona, MN, serving on board Governance and Personnel Committees. She is also a board member and governance chair of Northfield Shares Community Foundation. She is a founding board member of Northfield Area YMCA, Past Board Chair of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, and has served on numerous nonprofit boards including St. Olaf Alumni Board, Junior League of Minneapolis, Northfield Arts Guild, WINGS, 5th Bridge, and Bethel Lutheran Church.

Investing ARPA Funds in the Work of Charitable Nonprofits
2021-08-10 15:00 - 16:15
This webinar is offered in partnership with the National Council of Nonprofits.
Tuesday, August 10, 2021, 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM
This is a FREE event.
Understanding (and Securing) New COVID Relief Funds
Don’t Miss Out on Once-In-a-Generation Opportunity for Support
How can your nonprofit access some of the $350 billion that Congress recently allocated for state, local, and Tribal governments to help “households, small businesses, and nonprofits” recover from the pandemic? What types of activities and costs are eligible for funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)? How can nonprofits make sure governments know how important it is to invest in the work of charitable nonprofits in their communities?
The answers to these and many other questions will be provided in a free national webinar: Investing ARPA Funds in the Work of Charitable Nonprofits | Promoting Nonprofit-Government Partnerships on Tuesday, August 10, 3:00 – 4:15 pm Eastern.
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Brief Background: The ARPA includes $350 billion for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund to provide “assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits, or to aid impacted industries” (emphasis added). State, local, and Tribal governments may use the federal funds directly or through others, meaning that charitable nonprofits can be both the recipient of assistance as well as the provider of assistance to others. In practice, charitable organizations are eligible for both direct assistance through grant programs and relief of unemployment costs and contracting burdens, and governments can use the funds to hire nonprofits to expand programs serving the public.
This Webinar: Recognizing that charitable nonprofits and governments are natural partners, serving the same constituents in the same communities, the webinar opens with remarks from Svante Myrick, Mayor of Ithaca, New York, a noted champion of the work of charitable nonprofits. Nonprofit leaders from across the country will share their experiences working with governments and nonprofits to develop effective COVID-related relief programs. All will offer advice and answer questions on how to make the case for investing the ARPA funds in community-based work performed by charitable organizations in partnerships between nonprofits and governments. Learn how to help set the priorities for spending the ARPA funds, consider recommendations for how the spending plans should (and should not) be implemented, and how to make the case for prioritizing the work of nonprofits. Also hear examples of successful approaches that have worked in many parts of the country and can be replicated in your community.
The Nonprofit Perspective: Learn more by reading the National Council of Nonprofits’ Special Report: Strengthening State and Local Economies in Partnership with Nonprofits: Principles, Recommendations, and Models for Investing Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.

Board Training Series: Inclusion & Diversity
2021-08-18 16:30 - 18:00
This workshop is offered in partnership with the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN).
Wednesday, August 18, 2021, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Fee: $45 for members (email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code)/$65 for nonmembers
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s building an inclusive and welcoming board culture a priority for your organization? While very important, even well-intended efforts to do so can be insensitive and harmful. It matters how your organization recruits board members, and recruiting efforts must be done thoughtfully to create a culture that values every perspective. How do you diversify board membership? How do you set up an environment that welcomes and encourages diverse perspectives? How do you name the privilege that is in inherently in the room to ensure privileged voices sit back?
Event Details
This workshop is one session of a four-part board training series. The other sessions are Legal Duties on July 7, Nonprofit Finance on July 21, and Models of Governance on August 4 from 3:30 – 5 p.m. central each day. Use the registration button at the top this page to register only for the Inclusion and Diversity workshop. Use the following link to register for the full series for $115 for members and $165 for nonmembers: Register for the full series.
Special discount for this series: This workshop series is great for groups of board members and executive staff to attend together. Register more and save! As a special offer for this series only, buy three series registrations at the regular price and receive a fourth series registration for free. Instructions for group registrations are available on our Event and Registration FAQ page.
Please note that this special discounted rate is only for registrations to the full four-part series and does not apply to registration to individual workshops in the series.
Speaker Information
The most important thing about Bukata Hayes is that he is the son of Dia Damani and Karen Hayes, husband to Lisa and father to Damani, Jalen, Zavier, and Zuri. In addition to this, he has served as the Executive Director of the Greater Mankato Diversity Council, a non-profit, focused on diversity, inclusion and equity in Southern Minnesota since September, 2006. In March 2020, he co-authored a book titled, WRITE on RACE to be RIGHT on RACE Resource Journaling Guide which is a self-study on race highlighting its many impacts on our communities. He also co-hosts a local radio show and podcast called DEI: Engaged Exchanges which discusses issues with diversity, equity and inclusion with local and statewide leaders. Bukata received his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. He has membership and/or is on the board of numerous organizations such as the Mankato Chapter of the NAACP (Executive Committee), Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Board (President), Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Board (Vice President) and the Blandin Foundation Board.

Assess and Communicate the Capacity of Your Nonprofit Organization
2021-08-26 09:00 - 12:00
This series is offered by Nonprofits LEAD.
August 26th
9:00 – 12:00 PM
Registration Fee: $35 (WVNPA Members save $5!), includes book, access to the recording, and all handouts
Learn to use the Nonprofit Lifecycles model to assess your nonprofit organization’s current capacity and communicate your capacity building needs to board members, funders and collaborative partners.
You will learn:
• An easy to communicate capacity and lifecycles model
• How to conduct a quick organizational assessment using these models
• How to represent capacity visual to your team, donors, funders and so forth
• How to categorize and prioritize organizational strengths and challenges
• How to use assessment results to communicate to funders and collaborators.
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DEI for Managers & Supervisors
2021-09-14 11:00 - 13:00
This series is offered by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.
September 14, 2021
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $45 for Members, $65 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
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Supervisors and managers play a critical role in reinforcing an organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). That role may involve particular challenges and opportunities, including how DEI affects hiring and promotion, performance reviews and improvement plans, managing conflict, addressing bias, engaging employees, and offering professional development, among others. In this interactive workshop, we create the space managers and supervisors need to explore how DEI impacts them, offering practical solutions for continued development as a leader on DEI.
Speaker Information
Anne Phibbs is the founder and president of Strategic Diversity Initiatives. Anne brings over 25 years’ experience helping organizations advance their equity, diversity, and inclusion goals. She is adept at assessing an organization’s strengths and challenges and tailoring her approach to its context, culture, and goals. Anne has delivered hundreds of workshops and classes for thousands of participants in corporate, government, higher education, nonprofit, healthcare, and faith community settings. Anne built a successful diversity and inclusion leadership program at the University of Minnesota, with a focus on emotional intelligence (EI), and she is an EI Practitioner certified in the EQ-i2.0 and EQ360 methods. As director of education at the University of Minnesota, she was responsible for developing and implementing their successful Certificate Program, a series of 10 workshops designed to increase capacity for diversity and inclusion work across every part of the institution. Anne earned her Ph.D. in philosophy and feminist studies from the University of Minnesota.

~POSTPONED~ The Organizational Assessment: An Annual Snapshot of a Nonprofit's Performance and Potential
2021-09-16 15:00 - 16:30
This series is offered by Washington Nonprofits.
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED, THE NEW DATES WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON.

3:00 PM – 4:30 PM ET
Registration Fee: $40 for Members, $80 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
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It’s a well-known fact that people and organizations are stronger and more grounded in creating their futures when accurate information is the basis for their decision-making. Yet, as diverse stakeholders are invited into solving problems, leveraging opportunities, and charting the future, many are taking part in conversations that are based on a low-degree of facts and a high-degree of subjectivity.
A well-timed and thoughtful assessment is as fundamental to the health and vitality of an organization as a physical examination is for any living thing. The results provide an indication of areas that are functioning as needed and expected. It also can draw attention to processes or systems that may be underperforming or putting the organization’s viability ultimately at risk.
This 90-minute overview of organizational assessments offers a framework for participants to consider the key elements of a reasonable review and have a discussion within their own association, congregation or charitable cause about what constitutes reasonable evaluation of the key indicators of their performance. At Third Sector Company, we believe that the results of an organizational assessment create a foundation for deeper dive evaluations aimed at the chief executive performance review process and an annual board assessment.
Learning Outcomes:
You will leave this course ready to:

Construct a thoughtful organizational assessment framework
Engage in a directed conversation with board and management about starting a reasonable organizational assessment process and its value to both management and governance
Coordinate a timed evaluation culture that creates a synergistic relationship between an organizational assessment and the resulting impact on executive and board performance reviews

Who Should Attend: Board Members, Nonprofit Staff, Executive Directors
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ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Jeffrey Wilcox, CFRE, is President and Chief Mission Advancement Officer for Third Sector Company. Founded in 2002, it is one of the largest teaching and support organizations for interim executive management and leadership continuity solutions for associations, congregations and charitable organizations in the country. He is the former Senior Vice President of Community Development for United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and Valley of the Sun United Way in Phoenix, Arizona. He is also the former nonprofit columnist for the Long Beach (CA) Business Journal, founder of “The Board Chairs Academy,” and author of “The Nonprofit Leader of the New Decade.” He co-developed and is the former lead trainer for the Wells Fargo New Executive Directors Institute of Greater Los Angeles. He is the immediate past chair of the Executive Advisory Board of the School of Business, Government and Economics at Seattle Pacific University and was named Alumnus of the Year in 2015. He is a past national chairman of the Executive Transitions and Succession Planning Affinity Group for the Alliance for Nonprofit Management and served as national governance chair for Camp Fire USA. He currently serves on the board of AFP Advancement Northwest in Seattle.

2021 Nonprofit Leadership Summit - Onward!
2021-09-21 10:00 - 2021-09-23 16:00
Regular Registration is Now CLOSED
Please call Mandy Ray at 304.646.7854 before 1 PM or email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org to register for the Summit. Note, all last minute registrations MUST be paid via credit card.
In registering for this event, you are consenting to appear in photographs and videos recorded at the event and consenting for these photos and videos to potentially be used in future marketing efforts. You are also consenting for your evaluation responses to be used in future marketing efforts

~POSTPONED~ The Board Assessment: Taking the Pulse of Governance Action
2021-09-23 15:00 - 16:30
This series is offered by Washington Nonprofits.
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED, THE NEW DATES WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON.
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM ET
Registration Fee: $40 for Members, $80 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
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A key responsibility of the board is to make sure it is supporting the chief executive and providing a fair and timely review of performance. But what about making sure the governance of the organization is also being reviewed and working just as effectively as it can for the advancement of the organization?
At Third Sector Company, we believe that a board should participate in a thoughtful self-assessment process. Conducting a periodic board evaluation reminds each member of their individual and collective responsibilities to the mission. It also creates a shared accountability for a board to effectively leverage its position to uplift staff and volunteers, contributors, the community and the users of service or members.
This 90-minute overview of board assessments offers a framework for participants to consider the key elements of a reasonable review of board processes and governance. The results can provide facts and documented perceptions for creating a year-long board development strategy.
Learning Outcomes:
You will leave this course ready to:

Lead a discussion that will result in conducting a board assessment
Complete a board assessment as part of an organizational commitment to accountability which also includes an organizational assessment and the executive performance review
Incorporate the results of a board assessment into a board development strategy
Formation of a governance committee if one does not currently exist

Who Should Attend: Board Members, Nonprofit Staff, Executive Directors
REGISTER NOW
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Jeffrey Wilcox, CFRE, is President and Chief Mission Advancement Officer for Third Sector Company. Founded in 2002, it is one of the largest teaching and support organizations for interim executive management and leadership continuity solutions for associations, congregations and charitable organizations in the country. He is the former Senior Vice President of Community Development for United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and Valley of the Sun United Way in Phoenix, Arizona. He is also the former nonprofit columnist for the Long Beach (CA) Business Journal, founder of “The Board Chairs Academy,” and author of “The Nonprofit Leader of the New Decade.” He co-developed and is the former lead trainer for the Wells Fargo New Executive Directors Institute of Greater Los Angeles. He is the immediate past chair of the Executive Advisory Board of the School of Business, Government and Economics at Seattle Pacific University and was named Alumnus of the Year in 2015. He is a past national chairman of the Executive Transitions and Succession Planning Affinity Group for the Alliance for Nonprofit Management and served as national governance chair for Camp Fire USA. He currently serves on the board of AFP Advancement Northwest in Seattle.

Conflict Resolution for Nonprofits
2021-09-28 10:00 - 12:00
This series is offered by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.
September 28, 2021
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $89 for Members, $129 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
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Conflict can be an opportunity for growth or the cause of chronic discord in your workplace. If you are uncomfortable with conflict, you are not alone. In this workshop, you will come to understand your own conflict resolution styles including their benefits and drawbacks. You will learn concrete skills that will allow you to successfully manage conflict in your workplace.
Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to:

Understand your own conflict management styles
Identify how to decide upon which style would work better in different conflictual situations
Learn tools for communication in conflict
Learn how to successfully manage defensiveness

This is a two-part event. Please make sure you can attend both dates before registering: September 28 & 30 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. eastern each day.
Speaker Information
Terri Allred learned the importance of communicating in conflictual circumstances as a therapist for people who had committed sexual offenses. Trained in Restorative Justice Peacekeeping, mediation and conflict resolution, Terri brings her 30 years of experience to help participants understand their own conflict communication style. She believes that there are no right or wrong styles, just more effective styles for different situations. Terri is the owner of Terri Allred Consulting and Director of the Rochester Nonprofit Consortium.

Intentional Impact: Organizational Assessment & Strategic Planning
2021-09-30 08:00 - 12:00
This series is offered by the Lewis College of Business, Brad D. Smith Schools of Business.
September 30, 2021
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $95

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~POSTPONED~ The Executive Director Performance Review: The Pinnacle Example of a Nonprofit's Commitment to Accountability, Talent Management and a Shared Leadership Culture
2021-09-30 15:00 - 16:30
This series is offered by Washington Nonprofits.
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED, THE NEW DATES WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON.
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM ET
Registration Fee: $40 for Members, $80 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
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It can be extremely challenging for a board of directors to provide a timely, thoughtful and fair evaluation of the chief professional officer. For some, the entire process can seem cumbersome and overwhelming. For others, it can be viewed as a political landmine. Yet, establishing an organizational process for setting goals, creating check-ins, and providing useful feedback lay the cornerstone for a culture of accountability and a commitment to developing and cultivating talent.
This 90-minute overview of executive leadership performance planning and review provides a framework for board members and executives to begin conversations to construct a review process that reflects a year-round commitment to executive success, mutual accountability between management and governance, and a climate of talent development, retention, and succession.
Learning Outcomes:
You will leave this course ready to:

Conduct a thoughtful executive performance review
Engage in a directed conversation between management and the board that results in a published strategy to co-create and sustain a culture of year-round accountability
Incorporate leadership succession planning into thoughtful long-range planning for the organization and its talent management

Who Should Attend: Board Members, Nonprofit Staff, Executive Directors
REGISTER NOW
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Jeffrey Wilcox, CFRE, is President and Chief Mission Advancement Officer for Third Sector Company. Founded in 2002, it is one of the largest teaching and support organizations for interim executive management and leadership continuity solutions for associations, congregations and charitable organizations in the country. He is the former Senior Vice President of Community Development for United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and Valley of the Sun United Way in Phoenix, Arizona. He is also the former nonprofit columnist for the Long Beach (CA) Business Journal, founder of “The Board Chairs Academy,” and author of “The Nonprofit Leader of the New Decade.” He co-developed and is the former lead trainer for the Wells Fargo New Executive Directors Institute of Greater Los Angeles. He is the immediate past chair of the Executive Advisory Board of the School of Business, Government and Economics at Seattle Pacific University and was named Alumnus of the Year in 2015. He is a past national chairman of the Executive Transitions and Succession Planning Affinity Group for the Alliance for Nonprofit Management and served as national governance chair for Camp Fire USA. He currently serves on the board of AFP Advancement Northwest in Seattle.

Cultural Differences: Leading Through Anti-Bias Practices
2021-10-05 11:00 - 13:00
This series is offered by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.
October 5, 2021
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $45 for Members, $65 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
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Leadership that embeds anti-bias practices creates a workplace culture that authentically welcomes, supports, and values people for all of who they are. This workshop will introduce participants to anti-bias leadership practices. These practices affirm healthy complex identities of staff and constituents, model respect and appreciation of differences, and appropriately respond to bias-based mistreatment as it appears in the workplace in order to create equity and belonging for all.
Speaker Information
Rebecca Slaby, executive director, leads AMAZEworks in working with schools, communities, and organizations to create equity and belonging for all. She gives workshops on Anti-Bias Education with a focus on cultural responsiveness, bias, identity, and stereotype threat and has co-authored two AMAZEworks curriculums. With an M.Ed. from DePaul University, she has 15 years of experience teaching middle school humanities/social studies and has worked with schools on issues of equity, inclusion, and justice on institutional, state, and regional levels. She has presented at Overcoming Racism, MEA, NAEYC, MnAEYC, Impact, and Minnesota Council of Nonprofits conferences and teaches courses on equity-based pedagogy at the University of Minnesota.

Building Better Boards: A three-part series for Board Leaders & Executive Directors Session 1
2021-10-06 13:00 - 14:30
This series is offered in partnership with the Maine Association of Nonprofits.

Increasing Board Engagement: Governance as Leadership
Tuesday, October 6, 2021, 1:00 – 2:30 PM
Fortifying the Board-Executive Director Partnership
Tuesday, October 27, 1:00 – 2:30 PM
Who’s Next: Proactively Navigating Successful Leadership Transitions
Wednesday, November 9, 1:00 – 2:30 PM
Registration Information:
Series:
$129 Members/$179 Nonmembers, $40 off additional registrations from the same team (applies to both members and nonmembers) Click HERE to register for the whole series.
Single Sessions:
$49 Members/$69 Nonmembers, $20 off additional registrations from the same team (applies to both members and nonmembers). Click the session titles above to register.
DESCRIPTION:
We’re excited to welcome back international governance consultant Susan Meier to lead this three-part series for board leaders and executive directors as a chance to collectively discuss the various challenges nonprofits face in board development and how to overcome them by fostering a healthy board culture built on trust, candor, and mutual respect. Participants can register for single sessions or the entire series. You will find intended audiences within each session description specific to current and future board leaders and executive directors. Attending as a team is highly encouraged for maximum benefit; discounts on multiple registrations from the same organization.
Session 1: Increasing Board Engagement: Governance as Leadership
October 6, 1pm-2:30pm EDT
This session is for board leaders grappling with questions like: Is your board struggling to effectively engage on matters of the greatest importance? Is it trapped by habitual tasks and routine, marginal work? Does it fail to ask the hard questions, or any questions at all? Does it suffer from groupthink, or even worse, tend to listen to the same handful of board members over and over?
Many nonprofit boards, especially as we emerge from the pandemic, are rethinking how they govern in order to more effectively advance our missions in constructive partnership with the chief executive. Based on the book, Governance as Leadership, we will engage in a highly interactive discussion on how to effectively reframe the work of the board using the fiduciary, strategic, and generative modes. We will also explore how boards can cultivate a culture where assumptions are challenged and tough questions are asked to ensure due diligence and ethical decision-making.
In this session, you will learn how to:

Better engage your board by offering more meaningful and consequential work
Increase the value of board contributions to fiduciary and strategic work
Invite your board to engage in generative thinking, the most underutilized of the three modes
Build a culture of inquiry in your boardroom

Who should attend Session #1
This session is for current and future Board Leaders and Executive Directors interested in building a board culture for effective engagement. Discounts on team registrations!
Learn about Session 2.
Learn about Session 3.
Register for Session 1 HERE or for the entire Series HERE.
PRESENTER BIO:
Susan Meier, Principal at Susan Meier and Associates, LLC and Senior Governance Consultant with BoardSource, brings over 30 years of governance and nonprofit experience to her work. From 2004 through 2011, Susan served as the vice president of consulting and training for BoardSource, the nation’s premier governance resource for nonprofit organizations. She works collaboratively with nonprofit executives and board leadership to identify governance challenges and opportunities and to implement proven strategies to address a broad array of governance issues.
Susan works with all types and sizes of nonprofit organizations from charities to associations to foundations who are advancing their missions in the U.S. and around the world. Much of her work has focused on increasing board engagement, the board/staff partnership, and addressing culture and dynamics in the boardroom. Specifically, she engages boards in a deeper understanding of roles and responsibilities, strategic and generative thinking, governance structures, concrete ways to maximize board meetings, and leadership transitions.
In addition, Susan has served on a number of boards of directors and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Ripon College Board of Trustees where she graduated cum laude. She has served as guest faculty for the Kellogg School of Management Nonprofit Executive Education program, American University, and George Washington University. And, she is the author of the BoardSource publication The Board-Building Cycle: Finding, Engaging, and Strengthening Nonprofit Board Members, Third Edition.
Testimonials about Susan Meier and her work
“Your workshop was one of the BEST I’ve ever attended. Your presentation was excellent. Frank, honest, to the point, and right on target. It seemed that you were able to look into my head and see all of the concerns and you spoke directly to them! Thank you for this excellent workshop.”
—Executive Director, Winter Harbor, Maine
“In spite of having decades of experience on boards and staffing boards, I learned a TON at Susan’s governance training.”
—Senior executive, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Ask the Experts: Marketing and Communication for Nonprofits with Firespring
2021-10-19 10:30 - 11:30
Tuesday, October 19th, 10:30 AM
Fee: FREE
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This Ask the Expert Session will introduce you to the WVNPA’s newest partner, Firespring, and their expertise in marketing and communication for the nonprofit sector. This webinar will allow you a chance to ask questions regarding marketing and communication issue that you are having or ask for that advice that you have been seeking. Firespring has expert solutions and services regarding nonprofit websites, creative services, marketing workshops and services, as well as print and direct mail for nonprofits. If you are a WVNPA member be sure to check out the amazing member benefit this new partnership provides! Just log in to the member portal for more details.
About the Speaker:
Kiersten Hill has almost 2 decades of experience in nonprofit management and fundraising. She has raised over $20 Million for Nebraska nonprofit organizations and worked to better train and equip nonprofit leaders and Boards of Directors.
She frequently speaks to nonprofit groups and other organizations about fundraising, board development and organizational change. Kiersten, her husband Chad and their thirteen-year-old son Cooper live in Seward, Nebraska, with one large dog and one tiny cat. She has passions for leadership, networking, fundraising and nonprofit organizations.

Learn more about AmeriCorps NCCC
2021-10-19 14:00 - 17:00
This informational webinar is offered by Volunteer West Virginia.
Tuesday, October 19th, 2:00 PM
REGISTER NOW
Get A FREE Team of Volunteers For Your Organization
Learn More About AmeriCorps NCCC

Could your nonprofit, school, or State Agency use a free team of volunteers to accomplish a big task or a series of tasks on your to-do list?

AmeriCorps NCCC is hosting an Informational Webinar on Tuesday, October 19th at 2PM.

The webinar will cover the basics of the program, what NCCC teams can do, and will walk you through the application process with plenty of time after for questions.

Teams are available for the spring of 2022. These teams come at no cost and projects typically last 3-8 weeks.

Building Better Boards: A three-part series for Board Leaders & Executive Directors Session 2
2021-10-27 13:00 - 14:30
This series is offered in partnership with the Maine Association of Nonprofits.

Increasing Board Engagement: Governance as Leadership
Tuesday, October 6, 2021, 1:00 – 2:30 PM
Fortifying the Board-Executive Director Partnership
Tuesday, October 27, 1:00 – 2:30 PM
Who’s Next: Proactively Navigating Successful Leadership Transitions
Wednesday, November 9, 1:00 – 2:30 PM
Registration Information:
Single Sessions:
$49 Members/$69 Nonmembers, $20 off additional registrations from the same team (applies to both members and nonmembers). Click the HERE to register.
DESCRIPTION:
We’re excited to welcome back international governance consultant Susan Meier to lead this three-part series for board leaders and executive directors as a chance to collectively discuss the various challenges nonprofits face in board development and how to overcome them by fostering a healthy board culture built on trust, candor, and mutual respect. Participants can register for single sessions or the entire series. You will find intended audiences within each session description specific to current and future board leaders and executive directors. Attending as a team is highly encouraged for maximum benefit; discounts on multiple registrations from the same organization.
Session 2: Fortifying the Board-Executive Director Partnership
October 27, 1pm-2:30pm EDT
In today’s complex world, it is paramount for Board Leaders and the Executive Director to work in alignment and respect the division of labor between governing and managing. Yet these relationships are often challenged by differing understanding of roles, leadership turnover, personalities, and a lack of good communication. Too often we are content to accept an “ok” relationship rather than investing the time to build a stronger partnership that will advance the mission and strengthen the organization. It’s time to make this a priority.
In this interactive session, you will learn:

Key elements and proven outcomes of a constructive partnership
How to move from a good relationship to a great relationship
The importance of this relationship to overall Board-staff relations
How to disagree and still serve as a strong leadership team
The integral connection between the Board Chair-Executive Director partnership and Board culture

Who should attend Session #2
This session is for current and future Board Leaders and Executive Directors who wish to gain concrete guidance on how to strengthen that alliance and lead more effectively into the future. Discounts on team registrations!
Learn about Session 1.
Learn about Session 3.
Register for Session 2 HERE or for the entire Series HERE.
PRESENTER BIO:
Susan Meier, Principal at Susan Meier and Associates, LLC and Senior Governance Consultant with BoardSource, brings over 30 years of governance and nonprofit experience to her work. From 2004 through 2011, Susan served as the vice president of consulting and training for BoardSource, the nation’s premier governance resource for nonprofit organizations. She works collaboratively with nonprofit executives and board leadership to identify governance challenges and opportunities and to implement proven strategies to address a broad array of governance issues.
Susan works with all types and sizes of nonprofit organizations from charities to associations to foundations who are advancing their missions in the U.S. and around the world. Much of her work has focused on increasing board engagement, the board/staff partnership, and addressing culture and dynamics in the boardroom. Specifically, she engages boards in a deeper understanding of roles and responsibilities, strategic and generative thinking, governance structures, concrete ways to maximize board meetings, and leadership transitions.
In addition, Susan has served on a number of boards of directors and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Ripon College Board of Trustees where she graduated cum laude. She has served as guest faculty for the Kellogg School of Management Nonprofit Executive Education program, American University, and George Washington University. And, she is the author of the BoardSource publication The Board-Building Cycle: Finding, Engaging, and Strengthening Nonprofit Board Members, Third Edition.
Testimonials about Susan Meier and her work
“Your workshop was one of the BEST I’ve ever attended. Your presentation was excellent. Frank, honest, to the point, and right on target. It seemed that you were able to look into my head and see all of the concerns and you spoke directly to them! Thank you for this excellent workshop.”
—Executive Director, Winter Harbor, Maine
“In spite of having decades of experience on boards and staffing boards, I learned a TON at Susan’s governance training.”
—Senior executive, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

10 Social Media Best Practices for Nonprofits in 2021
2021-10-28 15:00 - 16:00
This session is offered by the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits.
October 28, 2021
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $15 for WVNPA Members, $29 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
REGISTER NOW
It’s no secret that the algorithms are constantly changing and that the best practices of 2020 aren’t the same for 2021. From organic content to paid ads, we’ll arm you with the best practices you need to know. Following this session, you’ll be able to execute a social strategy that helps you stand out amongst competitors and succeed across all social platforms. In this session you will:

Understand how social media can make an impact.
Understand why consumers buy or donate through social media.
Understand how retargeting works.
Understand how to craft platform-specific content.
Understand how to plan and schedule for a content calendar.

Cost and Registration: National Council Affiliates: $15 / Non-Members $29
About the Speaker: Kindra Svendsen, Vice President of Client Partnerships
Kindra Svendsen serves Speak Creative as their VP of Client Partnerships. She’s known as an expert digital and marketing storyteller with a passion for identifying and targeting a brand’s core audience. Kindra helps organizations across the nation build a proactive presence whether it be through social, traditional or out-of-the-box marketing initiatives. Kindra is based in Nashville and in her free time enjoys connecting with other like minded professionals, through various marketing organizations, spending time with her family, and in her community. Kindra is also a permanent panelist for the marketing podcast, A Little Off Topic.

A to Z of Human Resources: HR Compliance
2021-11-02 10:00 - 12:00
This series is offered by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.
November 2, 2021
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $45 for Members, $65 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
REGISTER NOW

Small and medium-sized nonprofits typically don’t have the resources to create a human resources department with an experienced HR professional. The job of HR may be done by the executive director, the chief financial officer, a manager or administrative staff – wherever there is a little capacity or a little interest. So how do you know you’re really doing the right things, complying with the laws, and adhering to best practices?
In this session, we’ll highlight Minnesota and federal employment law so you better understand how to apply and integrate your legal obligations. Examples of what we’ll cover include a core understanding of HR’s legal alphabet soup:

EEO, ADA, ADEA, and the Minnesota Human Rights Act
Employment at will
FLSA and exempt status
Independent contractors
Federal and state leave of absence requirements
MN wage theft law
Miscellaneous Minnesota employment laws

Event Details
This workshop is one session of a two-part series. The second session is HR Best Practices on November 9 from 9 – 11 a.m Central. Use the registration button on this page to register only for the HR Compliance workshop, or register for the full series for $65 for members and $90 for nonmembers.
Speaker Information
Arlene Vernon is a human resource strategist with over 35 years of experience as a consultant and trusted resource for a diverse group of small and medium-sized organizations. She’s seen first-hand what nonprofit leaders face every day, and her results-oriented consulting and training successfully fills that gap. Having worked with over 200 nonprofit and 400 for-profit organizations since starting her firm HRx in 1992, she partners with leaders to develop and implement do-able strategies for the success of your organization. With an MBA in organizational behavior and a Master of Education in counseling, Arlene is both a studied and practiced authority in human resources and human relations. She offers practical, real solutions through her consulting, advising, and training that you can apply today.
REGISTER NOW

Facilitative Leadership
2021-11-03 10:00 - 13:00
This series is offered by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.
November 3, 2021
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $45 for Members, $65 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
REGISTER NOW
Facilitation is an essential leadership competency. Facilitative leaders take a step back and nurture collaboration, capacity, and commitment with employees, colleagues, and stakeholders. With effective facilitation, groups can work together to assess a situation, analyze information, create a plan, and make group decisions that stick. The results of facilitative leadership are engaged participants, stronger teams, and efficient collaboration.
In this workshop we explore the qualities, values, and benefits of facilitative leadership. Participants will learn techniques for facilitating meetings that are designed to activate the power of the group: including the focused conversation method of facilitating group discussion and decision-making and the carousel method of synthesizing ideas. Throughout, we will discuss common barriers to facilitative leadership and how to overcome them.
Participants will leave with instructions and further resources for each of the techniques presented.
Event Details
This event will have AI captions via Zoom’s transcription function. Please note that these captions are automatically generated by the computer software and may not always accurately transcribe what is said. If you need professional captioning, or have another accessibility accommodation, please email MCN’s program assistant with your request at least two weeks prior to the start of the event. Although we will attempt to meet all accessibility requests, late request may not be fulfilled.
Speaker Information
Sarah Cohn is a principal consultant at Aurora Consulting. She helps her clients discern their audience’s needs; think about their roles and opportunities as departments, organizations and within broader networks; and build their internal capacity to measure the impact of their organizations and programs. In her experience, complex collaborations with diverse partners succeed when they build in time for listening and honest reflection. She sees her clients as the content experts and herself as the facilitator of nuanced conversations.
Al Onkka is principal consultant at Aurora Consulting. Al is experienced in promoting data-based decision making and organizational learning having worked in the field of evaluation since 2009. Al uses, and builds the capacity of others to use, an evaluative lens to help organizations develop, understand, and improve at the programmatic and organizational level. Al has a master’s degree in evaluation studies from the University of Minnesota’s Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development and is a member of the Minnesota Evaluation Association’s board of directors.
REGISTER NOW

Diverse Recruitment and Hiring Strategies
2021-11-03 14:00 - 16:00
This session is offered by the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits.
November 3, 2021
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $15 for WVNPA Members, $29 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
REGISTER NOW
Please join us for an engaging discussion designed to empower you in taking bold, strategic action! You’ll learn more about auditing and revamping your nonprofit’s recruitment and hiring strategies through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and leave with at least a handful of immediate levers to pull on your teams.
As part of this training, you will walk out with an understanding of:

Understand the key components of a recruitment and hiring process audit through the lens of diversity and inclusion, from employer branding all the way through to interviews and onboarding
Have the opportunity to hear a case study about a local non-profit’s recent hiring audit and revamping journey
Feel they have concrete tactics for implementing in their own organizations
Have takeaway resources to leverage as next steps

Cost and Registration: National Council Affiliates: $15 / Non-Members $29
Featured Presenters: Viva Asmelash, Inclusion Strategist & Consultant
Viva’s professional purpose is to create environments where people feel truly seen and are inspired to be their best and most authentic selves. She brings this to life as a strategic and intuitive people operations professional with 15 years of experience in purpose-driven branding, high-impact DEI work, leadership training & development, and career-focused marketing. Her sweet spot is the intersection of inclusive messaging, driving people-centered strategic outcomes, and facilitating critical conversations with grace.
For over seven years, she developed the employer brand at Galileo Learning that drew an annual average of over 7,000 applicants, launched and co-led the multi-faceted DEI strategy, managed multiple thought leadership initiatives, and worked to ensure Galileo’s consistent recognition—including being named one of The SF Business Times’ Best Places to Work in the Bay Area (with over ten consecutive years on the list), a Real Leader Magazine Top 100 Impact Company, and one of Forbes’ 25 Best Small Companies in America.
She is a first generation Eritrean-American woman, whose mother—while pregnant with her—emigrated to the United States as a political refugee with three other small children. This has given her a unique, life-long perspective on race, gender, culture, belonging, privilege, and access to education.

A to Z of Human Resources: HR Best Practices
2021-11-09 10:00 - 12:00
This series is offered by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.
November 9, 2021
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $45 for Members, $65 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
REGISTER NOW

Small and medium-sized nonprofits typically don’t have the resources to create a human resources department with an experienced HR professional. The job of HR may be done by the executive director, the chief financial officer, a manager or administrative staff – wherever there is a little capacity or a little interest. So how do you know you’re really doing the right things, complying with the laws, and adhering to best practices?
In this session, we’ll conduct an audit of your HR practices from employee entrance to exit to ensure you’re on track. Examples of what we’ll cover include practical approaches and solutions to:

Hiring practices
Orientation and onboarding
Performance management
HR administration and personnel files
Employee handbooks
Corrective action and termination
What to outsource and what to DIY

Event Details
This workshop is one session of a two-part series. The first session is HR Compliance on November 2 from 9 – 11 a.m Central. Use the registration button on this page to register only for the HR Best Practices workshop, or register for the full series for $65 for members and $90 for nonmembers.
This event will have AI captions via Zoom’s transcription function. Please note that these captions are automatically generated by the computer software and may not always accurately transcribe what is said. If you need professional captioning, or have another accessibility accommodation, please email MCN’s program assistant with your request at least two weeks prior to the start of the event. Although we will attempt to meet all accessibility requests, late request may not be fulfilled.
Speaker Information
Arlene Vernon is a human resource strategist with over 35 years of experience as a consultant and trusted resource for a diverse group of small and medium-sized organizations. She’s seen first-hand what nonprofit leaders face every day, and her results-oriented consulting and training successfully fills that gap. Having worked with over 200 nonprofit and 400 for-profit organizations since starting her firm HRx in 1992, she partners with leaders to develop and implement do-able strategies for the success of your organization. With an MBA in organizational behavior and a Master of Education in counseling, Arlene is both a studied and practiced authority in human resources and human relations. She offers practical, real solutions through her consulting, advising, and training that you can apply today.

Tactical Technology Planning
2021-11-09 13:00 - 14:00
This series is offered in partnership with TechImpact.
November 9, 16, 23, 30, December 7, 14, 2021
1:00 – 2:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $160 for Members, $200 for Nonmembers for the entire series. Login to the Member Portal to find the the discount code.
REGISTER NOW
Pre-Work: Introduction to the Planning Process (Prior to November 8)
Let’s set the stage for a great learning experience. Complete your pre-course self-assessment, learn the difference between tactical and strategic planning, and form your technology planning committee.
Session 1: Infrastructure and Security
After introductions and an overview of the course, we’ll dive into hardware best practices, choosing the right software programs and platforms, and how to audit your security infrastructure. You’ll learn how to answer such questions as, how often should you replace computers? What networking equipment should you buy? What kinds of systems should you use for file sharing and collaboration?
Session 2: Data Management
You don’t need to be a data scientist in order to make smart decisions that lead to better outcomes for your nonprofit. Here we’ll cover what it means to be a data–informed organization, along with tools and platforms to help you. Most importantly, we’ll help you learn how to make sense of data and how to use it to strengthen your organization.
Session 3: Technology for Digital Marketing, Outreach, and Fundraising
Whether you are trying to raise money, educate, recruit, or persuade, technology can help. A nonprofit’s digital communication toolkit includes its website, email strategy, social media platforms, messaging, and reporting. In this session, we’ll cover how to create effective communication goals that can determine your strategies and tactics. We’ll also review your website functions and structure, email tools and strategy, and social media use.
Session 4: Technology for Program Service and Delivery
If you’re in the habit of thinking of technology as a back-office utility, it’s time to consider the many ways it can directly help you advance your mission. In this three-part lesson, we’ll cover ways to use technology to increase your reach to people in remote areas or who struggle with barriers to receiving services in person; using prompts and feedback mechanisms to enhance experiences; and connecting communities together.
Session 5: Technology Strategy and Governance
Technology strategy and governance is the way you align technology decisions and practices to your organization’s mission. Strategy relates to the way you align technology decisions to your organization’s mission through roadmaps and blueprints of your overall approach to technology. Governance refers to practices and policies that state how technology should be used. In this session, we’ll cover elements of both strategy and governance, including budgeting and planning, policy creation and staff training, and supporting technology use.
Session 6: Creating Your Tactical Technology Plan
Now that we’re covered the five main areas of technology in nonprofits, you’ve likely identified multiple projects and improvements you want to make. In this last session, we’ll provide frameworks to help identify essential projects and ways to prepare yourself and your project for funding requests. At the end, you’ll put the final touches on your Technology Action Plan and review your next steps.
Who should take this course?
The course is primarily designed for small– to medium–sized nonprofits at a low–to–medium level of technology maturity. However, organizations of all sizes and stages have benefited from this experience. If you have any questions about whether the course is right for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
To get the most out of your training investment, we recommend having two people from your organization participate, including the person with primary responsibility for technology and the person who has authority to approve technology expenditures and changes. Allow up to two and a half hours of each homework after each session.
Audience
Accidental Techies, Executives who approve tech

About Our Instructors
Eric Leland
Founder and Director, FivePaths
Eric Leland has spent 15 years working with progressive organizations and businesses tackling online and offline technology challenges. Eric is a founding partner of FivePaths (fivepaths.com), a technology firm that brings unparalleled strategic technology consulting, information architecture, and web CMS and CRM platforms development expertise to each project.

Melanie Meyer
Tech Advisor, Tech Impact​
Melanie works directly with nonprofits to help elevate their technology use to further their mission. Melanie has a 20-year history working with a nonprofit for the overall strategic direction of technology, systems and processes, marketing, communications, and event management.

Building Better Boards: A three-part series for Board Leaders & Executive Directors Session 3
2021-11-09 13:00 - 14:30
This series is offered in partnership with the Maine Association of Nonprofits.

Increasing Board Engagement: Governance as Leadership
Tuesday, October 6, 2021, 1:00 – 2:30 PM
Fortifying the Board-Executive Director Partnership
Tuesday, October 27, 1:00 – 2:30 PM
Who’s Next: Proactively Navigating Successful Leadership Transitions
Tuesday, November 9, 1:00 – 2:30 PM
Registration Information:
Single Sessions:
$49 Members/$69 Nonmembers, $20 off additional registrations from the same team (applies to both members and nonmembers). Click HERE to register.
DESCRIPTION:
We’re excited to welcome back international governance consultant Susan Meier to lead this three-part series for board leaders and executive directors as a chance to collectively discuss the various challenges nonprofits face in board development and how to overcome them by fostering a healthy board culture built on trust, candor, and mutual respect. Participants can register for single sessions or the entire series. You will find intended audiences within each session description specific to current and future board leaders and executive directors. Attending as a team is highly encouraged for maximum benefit; discounts on multiple registrations from the same organization.
Session #3: Who’s Next: Proactively Navigating Successful Leadership Transitions
November 9, 1pm-2:30pm EST
Strong leadership is integral to our ability as nonprofits to be adaptive and responsive in advancing our missions. Leadership transitions are inevitable, and yet we rarely prepare for them and we seem surprised when they ‘suddenly’ appear. By avoiding the topic, one challenge is simply traded for a different one and a prime opportunity to strengthen the organization is missed. It’s time we reframed the conversation and shift the mindset about succession planning to one of deeper sustainability planning.
Join us for this interactive session to explore emerging practices in both executive and board leadership transitions. How are these processes different in the nonprofit sector vis a vis the corporate sector? What is the role of the executive director in succession planning? How do we ensure that our practices and procedures are culturally sensitive? Are we intentionally cultivating diverse candidates for leadership opportunities?
In this session, we will:

Explore important considerations of nonprofit leadership transitions and change management
Deepen our understanding of the promising practices and emerging trends regarding executive succession planning
Identify concrete steps to better cultivate board members for leadership roles
Discuss lessons learned about what to do and what not do to increase the chances of a healthy, smooth, and positive transition

Who should attend Session #3
This session is for current and future Board Leaders and Executive Directors interested in using succession planning as a strategy to ensure the sustainability of their missions. Discounts on team registrations!
Learn about Session 1.
Learn about Session 2.
Register for Session 3 HERE or for the entire Series HERE.
PRESENTER BIO:
Susan Meier, Principal at Susan Meier and Associates, LLC and Senior Governance Consultant with BoardSource, brings over 30 years of governance and nonprofit experience to her work. From 2004 through 2011, Susan served as the vice president of consulting and training for BoardSource, the nation’s premier governance resource for nonprofit organizations. She works collaboratively with nonprofit executives and board leadership to identify governance challenges and opportunities and to implement proven strategies to address a broad array of governance issues.
Susan works with all types and sizes of nonprofit organizations from charities to associations to foundations who are advancing their missions in the U.S. and around the world. Much of her work has focused on increasing board engagement, the board/staff partnership, and addressing culture and dynamics in the boardroom. Specifically, she engages boards in a deeper understanding of roles and responsibilities, strategic and generative thinking, governance structures, concrete ways to maximize board meetings, and leadership transitions.
In addition, Susan has served on a number of boards of directors and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Ripon College Board of Trustees where she graduated cum laude. She has served as guest faculty for the Kellogg School of Management Nonprofit Executive Education program, American University, and George Washington University. And, she is the author of the BoardSource publication The Board-Building Cycle: Finding, Engaging, and Strengthening Nonprofit Board Members, Third Edition.
Testimonials about Susan Meier and her work
“Your workshop was one of the BEST I’ve ever attended. Your presentation was excellent. Frank, honest, to the point, and right on target. It seemed that you were able to look into my head and see all of the concerns and you spoke directly to them! Thank you for this excellent workshop.”
—Executive Director, Winter Harbor, Maine
“In spite of having decades of experience on boards and staffing boards, I learned a TON at Susan’s governance training.”
—Senior executive, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Desktop: QuickBooks Made Easy for Nonprofits November 2021 Fundamentals
2021-11-09 14:00 - 16:00
This series is offered by Quickbooks Made Easy.
November 9th – 11th
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Registration Fee: $115 per day or $249 for all three days! WVNPA Members save $50 when attending all three days! Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the special coupon code.
This three day series focuses on QuickBooks materials – all nonprofit-focused!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE DESKTOP SESSION
Day 1: Tuesday, November 9th
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PST)
The material will cover the basics of setting up and entering transactions specifically for Nonprofits, an overview of the software updates included in the QuickBooks® 2021 as well as advanced topics including:

Welcome to QuickBooks – The different choices and which version is right for you.
What’s new in version 2021 that you may need.
Getting used to the screens and navigating around.
A lesson in accounting QuickBooks style!
Setting up the correct Accounts.
Entering Your Programs.
Adding Your Annual Budget.
Cutting and Pasting from Excel into QuickBooks
Entering Your Donors, Members or Students.
*Topics are subject to change.

Day 2: Wednesday, November 10th
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PST)
This section will cover advanced material to really help you do some helpful and amazing things:

Entering Your Income – Two Methods.
Entering Donations and Grants.
Entering Membership Dues and Tuition.
Entering Program Service Revenue.
How to get the most out of Items.
Entering and Paying Bills.
Spreading Costs to Programs/Grants.
Essential Reports for the Board/Auditor.
Attaching Scan Documents for free.
*Topics are subject to change.

Day 3: Thursday, November 11th
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PST)
This section will cover advanced material to really help you do some helpful and amazing things:

Entering Credit Card activity.
Tracking Pledges.
Tracking Restricted Grants.
Tracking Special Fundraising Events.
Printing personalized Donor Thank-You Letters directly from QuickBooks®.
Two Ways to get year-end donor-Acknowledgements.
Recording In-Kind Contributions.
Advanced method of Auto-Allocating Expenses to Programs/Grants.
And More!
Topics are subject to change.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE DESKTOP SESSION
Price: $115 Per Day or $249 for all three days! WVNPA members, save $50 when you register for all 3 days, email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org to request the coupon code.
Earn 6.0 hours of CPE credit! (2.0 each day)
All Participants will receive log-in information prior to the webinar!
MEET THE SPEAKER
Since 2000, QuickBooks® Made Easy™ has been teaching QuickBooks® seminars around the country for various groups, conducting webinars, providing technical support to hundreds of clients, one-one-one consulting, and offering industry-specific streamable training. Our leader and primary trainer Gregg S. Bossen, CPA is not only an expert in the program, but he is the nation’s leading expert when it comes to Nonprofits that use QuickBooks®. Gregg’s teaching style is funny and entertaining, and his energy and knowledge of Nonprofits make his classes a unique experience. Gregg has taught new users as well as other CPAs, who are themselves considered experts in the software. In total, we have taught over 3,500 seminars to more than 55,000 students.
We currently teach for over 24 Nonprofit State Associations, as well as annually at Scaling New Heights, QuickBooks Connect, Grant Station, and TechSoup.

Online: Quickbooks Made Easy for Nonprofits November 2021 Fundamentals
2021-11-16 14:00 - 16:00
This series is offered by Quickbooks Made Easy.
November 16th – 18th
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Registration Fee: $115 per day or $249 for all three days! WVNPA Members save $50 when attending all three days! Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the special coupon code.
This three day series focuses on QuickBooks materials – all nonprofit-focused!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE ONLINE SESSION
Day 1: Tuesday, November 16th
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PST)
The material will cover the basics of setting up and entering transactions specifically for Nonprofits, an overview of the software updates included in the QuickBooks® 2021 as well as advanced topics including:

Welcome to QuickBooks – The different choices and which version is right for you.
What’s new in version 2021 that you may need.
Getting used to the screens and navigating around.
A lesson in accounting QuickBooks style!
Setting up the correct Accounts.
Entering Your Programs.
Adding Your Annual Budget.
Cutting and Pasting from Excel into QuickBooks
Entering Your Donors, Members or Students.
*Topics are subject to change.

Day 2: Wednesday, November 17th
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PST)
This section will cover advanced material to really help you do some helpful and amazing things:

Entering Your Income – Two Methods.
Entering Donations and Grants.
Entering Membership Dues and Tuition.
Entering Program Service Revenue.
How to get the most out of Items.
Entering and Paying Bills.
Spreading Costs to Programs/Grants.
Essential Reports for the Board/Auditor.
Attaching Scan Documents for free.
*Topics are subject to change.

Day 3: Thursday, November 18th
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PST)
This section will cover advanced material to really help you do some helpful and amazing things:

Entering Credit Card activity.
Tracking Pledges.
Tracking Restricted Grants.
Tracking Special Fundraising Events.
Printing personalized Donor Thank-You Letters directly from QuickBooks®.
Two Ways to get year-end donor-Acknowledgements.
Recording In-Kind Contributions.
Advanced method of Auto-Allocating Expenses to Programs/Grants.
And More!
Topics are subject to change.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE ONLINE SESSION
Price: $115 Per Day or $249 for all three days! WVNPA members, save $50 when you register for all 3 days, email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org to request the coupon code.
Earn 6.0 hours of CPE credit! (2.0 each day)
All Participants will receive log-in information prior to the webinar!
MEET THE SPEAKER
Since 2000, QuickBooks® Made Easy™ has been teaching QuickBooks® seminars around the country for various groups, conducting webinars, providing technical support to hundreds of clients, one-one-one consulting, and offering industry-specific streamable training. Our leader and primary trainer Gregg S. Bossen, CPA is not only an expert in the program, but he is the nation’s leading expert when it comes to Nonprofits that use QuickBooks®. Gregg’s teaching style is funny and entertaining, and his energy and knowledge of Nonprofits make his classes a unique experience. Gregg has taught new users as well as other CPAs, who are themselves considered experts in the software. In total, we have taught over 3,500 seminars to more than 55,000 students.
We currently teach for over 24 Nonprofit State Associations, as well as annually at Scaling New Heights, QuickBooks Connect, Grant Station, and TechSoup.

GrantStation Tour
2021-11-18 11:00 - 12:00
Thursday, November 18th, 11:00 AM
Fee: FREE
REGISTER NOW
Is GrantStation right for your organization?
Are you a member of the West Virginia Nonprofit Association and want to learn more about your member benefit?
Join us for a free tour of GrantStation on Thursday, November 18th at 11:00 AM EST
Learn more about how to make GrantStation work for your organization. This overview tour of GrantStation is a great resource for Members to ensure that they are getting the most out of their Membership, and for potential Members to see GrantStation in action! During the hour-long tour, you’ll see GrantStations many learning resources, as well as some new tools, like The Benchmarker. We’ll also discuss best practices for research in the interactive grant-opportunity databases. Sample searches will use real examples based on the mission of the first few organizations to register!

Developing Your Personal DEI Statement
2021-11-18 14:00 - 15:30
This session is offered by the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits.
November 18, 2021
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM ET
Registration Fee: $15 for WVNPA Members, $29 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
REGISTER NOW
Championing diversity, equity or inclusion within an organization requires that individuals reflect deeply on their own lived and personal experiences, belief systems, and culture. By understanding your own core values, leadership strengths, privileges, and skills, you will be a stronger advocate for equity and will develop the confidence to stand up for the organization’s shared values. This workshop will provide you a process and tools for reflection to draft the first iteration of a personal DEI Statement.
As part of this workshop, you will:

Build a draft of a personal DEI statement
Create a personal inventory of meaningful reflections about your values and goals for DEI
Develop confidence to stand up for the organization’s values shared or need to develop DEI practice, policies, and procedures

Cost and Registration: National Council Affiliates: $15 / Non-Members $29
Featured Presenter:
Teniqua Broughton, M.Ed., CNAP
Founder & CEO
VerveSimone Consulting
As the founder and CEO of VerveSimone Consulting, a minority woman owned small business providing consulting services to individuals and organizations. Teniqua Broughton is noted for her impact in both national and local sectors. Leading with passion, she identifies strategies that support the sustainability of organizations by leveraging her experience, initiative, and insight gained throughout her professional career. Her services focus on nonprofit governance consulting, arts and culture project management and equity, DEI workshops and assessments.A focus of her work is leading Equity, DEI assessments and workshops with staff and boards. The goal is to help teams begin equity work, reform practices, and develop a deeper understanding of conflict and race, and attitudes and hidden biases.In 2017, AZ Central selected Teniqua as the Who’s Next award, for emerging leaders making a difference in the arts. By her peers, she was selected as the Arizona Champion Award for the Central Arizona region from the Flinn Foundation’s Arizona Center for Civic Leadership, for significant contributions to the civic leadership. She was individual nominee for 2020 Governor’s Arts Award. Early this year, ASU awarded her the MLK Servant Leader- Leadership award and Phoenix Business Journal’s 2021 Most Admired Leader recipient.Teniqua has her master’s degree in education with a focus on Educational Administration and Supervision, and her bachelor’s degree in educational psychology, with an emphasis on theater for youth. With certifications as a Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP) and in Equity and Inclusion from Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.

Developing Your Evaluation Strategy and Plan
2021-11-23 11:00 - 13:00
This session is offered by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.
November 23, 2021
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $129 for Members, $169 for Nonmembers. Email hilaria@dev.wvnpa.org for the discount code.
REGISTER NOW
Nonprofits with a strategy and plan for evaluation gain new insights about their work, have stories to share with funders and other stakeholders, and generate ideas to strengthen their programs. Without an evaluation strategy and plan, nonprofits may waste valuable time and resources on surveys and other data-gathering methods that don’t provide helpful insights.
In this three-part virtual training, you’ll learn how to develop an evaluation plan designed to inform strategy and decision making for your program or organization.
This training will be highly interactive – combining presentations, conversations, and individual reflection and work. By the end, you will have the tools and training to craft a complete evaluation plan for a program, small organization or department of your choosing.
As a result of participating in this training, you will be able to:

Define a clear purpose for your evaluation;
Plan for evaluation activities; and
Overcome common challenges.

Learners will experience engaging interaction with the training team throughout the training and will have access to their expertise during and between sessions. There will be assignments during sessions and suggested work between sessions so that by the end of the third session you will have a complete or nearly complete evaluation plan for a program, small organization, or department of your choosing.
Event Details
This training is over the course of three days: November 23, November 30, and December 7 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. central each day.

In addition to reserving time to attend the two hours of live training each week, you will also need time to work on developing your evaluation strategy and plan; this may be an additional 2 or more hours each week.
Participants will be most successful if they have a program in mind that they would like to create an evaluation plan for.
This event will have AI captions via Zoom’s transcription function. Please note that these captions are automatically generated by the computer software and may not always accurately transcribe what is said. If you need professional captioning, or have another accessibility accommodation, please email MCN’s program assistant with your request at least two weeks prior to the start of the event. Although we will attempt to meet all accessibility requests, late request may not be fulfilled.
Event FAQ
What if I have a conflict with one of the three dates?
Each session builds upon the previous session. Therefore, if you have a conflict with one or more of the sessions, we recommend not registering for this training.
Will the sessions be recorded?
Because of the highly interactive nature of this training, which will include ongoing conversation via chat and polls, it will not be recorded. Instead, materials summarizing the week’s lesson will be provided.
Can registrations be shared between people?
Each individual wanting to attend the event must register separately. Please see our Event & Registration FAQ page for instructions on how to register a group.
Speaker Information
This training will be led by The Improve Group’s experts in evaluation capacity building. The Improve Group is a St. Paul-based, international consulting firm focused on research, evaluation and strategic planning. The Improve Group team has worked with hundreds of nonprofits, including building the capacity for evaluation with many of these clients. For nearly 20 years they have been helping nonprofits measure and demonstrate impact, which in turn leads to improved services, innovation and increased ability to build support. The team is keen at making evaluation meaningful, engaging and fun! With a team approach to training, The Improve Group is able to drawn on a broad range of on-the-ground experiences, providing participants applicable tips and examples of why and how to conduct evaluations in their organizations.
