Nonprofit leaders learn from outcomes expert
Author and nonprofit consultant Dr. Robert Penna leads a West Virginia Nonprofit Association workshop at The Wells in, in Sistersville on April 3. His Nonprofit Outcomes Toolbox workshop comes to Flatwoods Conference Center on May 15.
On May 15, nonprofit leaders from around the state will convene at Flatwoods Conference Center for an in-depth workshop with an international expert on gauging nonprofit effectiveness.
The workshop marks the second installment of The Nonprofit Outcomes Toolbox, with Dr. Robert H. Penna, presented by the West Virginia Nonprofit Association.
Participants in the first workshop, held April 3 in Sistersville, said they gained new insights into program planning and measuring the performance of their organizations.
“I gained tools to set a course and guide all of our staff in planning and focusing on outcomes,” said Patti Phillips, of Catholic Charities, West Virginia.
During the day-long workshop, Dr. Penna will help nonprofit participants gain access to the basic information they need to be able to compete in the evolving, results-based grants marketplace. Workshop participants will learn how an outcomes approach differs from more traditional, comfortable, and familiar approaches the nonprofit sector has employed in the past and gain hands-on practice developing outcome statements and outcome indicators for their programs.
Dr. Penna serves on the advisory board of Charity Navigator and works with the organization as a consultant on grants and performance measures, as its International Coordinator responsible for the development of Charity Navigator’s activities beyond the borders of the United States. He is also the outcomes consultant for the Geneva-based World Scout Bureau.
Dr. Penna’s previous work includes consulting with The Rensselaerville Institute, facilitating seminars at the Institute’s The Center for Outcomes and leading training sessions at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, as well as working on such projects as the Ohio Outcome Funding Community Development effort, projects for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the National Geographic Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
The May 15 workshop takes place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Flatwoods Conference Center in Sutton.
Presented with support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and BB&T, the workshops are open to WVNPA member organizations and non-members alike.
WVNPA member registration is $75. Non-member registration is $125. All participants will receive a copy of Dr. Penna’s book, The Nonprofit Outcomes Toolbox, a retail value of $70.00.
The workshop is also approved for six hours in the West Virginia University Continuing Education Certificate in Nonprofit Management.
Workshop registration information is available on the Program Calendar at wvnpa.org or by calling WVNPA Executive Director Laura Lee Haddad at 304-667-2248.
Membership in the WVNPA is open to all 501(c)3 West Virginia nonprofit organizations.
The WVNPA is an Emerging Member of the National Council of Nonprofits and serves as a clearinghouse for a wide range of benefits, services, best practices and planning that strengthen individual organizations and, in turn, serves as a platform for agencies and other service providers to reach nonprofits. The association also works to build awareness and public support for the importance and work of nonprofits in the Mountain State.
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