Leadership Institute

Hone and grow your leadership skills. Leadership profiles will be completed as part of a pre-module assignment. The profile will be assessed on day one with the instructor and small group activities. This module will focus on effective approaches to leading a team of people to accomplish shared goals and discover creative ways to achieve positive outcomes.

Laura Balliet, Leadership and Organizational Development Manager, Community First Credit Union, leads this module to help participants grow the following competencies:

• building high-trust relationships and managing conflict effectively
• understanding leadership principles and how to apply to lead employees/volunteers
• using tools to evaluate risk and opportunities
• developing a process for leading change

Explore reasons why boards exist, and examine the roles, responsibilities and relationship to staff. Gain tools for enhancing board effectiveness, including recruitment and development, board engagement, board structure, meeting management, and board self-assessment.

This module will be covering:

• 10 responsibilities of a board and 10 responsibilities of a non-profit CEO
• how to lead the board through self-assessment and prioritize needs
• negotiating your role as CEO with your board based on the life cycle of the organization
• best practices and tools for effective recruitment and retention of board members
• how to effectively connect the board to the mission

Analyze the principles of financial management for nonprofits. Learn to apply the fundamentals of accounting, cash flow analysis, expenditure control, and audits. Study budgeting and planning, tax issues, and internal/external reporting requirements for solid fiscal management.

Steve Zimmerman, Principal, Spectrum Nonprofit Services, will lead this module covering:

• revenue-based budgeting
• identifying financial vulnerabilities in your organization
• how to assess the short and long-term financial health of the organization
• using the budget as a tool to make data-driven decisions
• visual mapping of programs to support decisions on growth and sustainability

In this session you will integrate what you’ve learned from personal leadership, board governance, and finance into clear, strategic action that supports your organization’s mission and your leadership growth.

Hope Schaefer, Executive Director of the Nonprofit Leadership Initiative leads this module which includes:

• dedicated workshop time with small groups where you can talk through your learning and create an action plan to apply your takeaways
• additional time to get to know your cohort members through interactive activity
• time to discuss your organization’s strategic plans/priorities and how you are weaving them into your programming, budgeting, board work, and operations. How are you keeping your strategic priorities in the forefront?
• identifying any internal or external barriers that may be getting in the way toward applying and living out these strategic priorities

Learn the basic types of revenue available to nonprofits, and how to connect fundraising to your organization’s mission. Zero in on principles of ethical fundraising, learn to manage the philanthropic process and develop plans that will enhance the effectiveness of staff and volunteers.

Courtney Weiland, Senior Consultant, DBD Group, leads this module covering:

• the structure of an effective development team, whatever the size of your organization
• how to set fundraising goals and accountability practices
• creating the annual development plan and enlisting support
• how to develop a compelling case for support to engage volunteers, staff, and donors

Explore a systematic framework for developing a comprehensive marketing and communication plan, whatever the size of your organization. Identify the most effective approaches to communication with your donors, volunteers, and the community.

Lisa Piikkila, Coalesce Marketing, leads this module. She will guide the participants through the following:

• brand identification to understand how to best promote your organization’s mission
• creating compelling messages with clear calls to action for target audiences
• identifying the best modes of communication for maximum results for fundraising
• roles and responsibilities for communication-based on best practices

Discuss critical human resource management issues for both employees and volunteers. Increase your awareness of best practices in performance management systems, personnel policies, and job designs.

Tricia Perkins, Senior Strategic HR Advisor, and Jane Clark, CEO & Managing Partner, Lake Effect HR & Law LLC, will lead this module covering:

• relevant aspects of human resources law
• talent acquisition steps and processes
• effective performance management systems (objective setting, coaching, disciplinary procedures) and relevant job descriptions
• potential employee ‘total rewards’ packages for retention and recruitment for small to medium-sized nonprofits
• policies and procedures in a nonprofit environment

Design programs that achieve your organization’s mission. Develop plans based on process thinking. Be proactive in identifying, analyzing and improving upon existing business processes within your organization to optimize your impact.

Jason Schulist, President of the Generative Local Community Institute (GLCI), and Fox Valley Data Exchange, leads this module covering:

• develop a skill of scientific thinking to apply within your organization
• practice with the four steps of the KATA Process Improvement approach through a simulation
• understand capability models for operationally excellent organizations when working with staff that are stuck in the same old process

This board simulation project work will take place as participants present an issue or idea they have identified in their own organization that they would like to review and improve. The simulation involves the participant presenting to classmates as a mock presentation to their board.

Explore key moral issues of, and managerial approaches to, promoting ethical conduct in the organization. Learn how to promote proper conduct, how to manage ethically, and how to handle potential problems in enforcing standards.  Learn how to build a culture that prevents ethical and compliance problems.

Nancy Heykes, JD, OnPoint Consulting will lead this module covering:

• identifying situations in the organization vulnerable to ethical challenges,
• defining processes to resolve ethical issues related to stakeholders (clients, employees, volunteers, donors, board, community),
• tools to build a culture to prevent ethical and compliance problems, and much more!

Wrap Up: Day 1

The Leadership Institute program is designed to increase nonprofit leaders’ effectiveness and skills in understanding and managing today’s nonprofit organizations.

In this last session, Laura  Balliet, Leadership and Organizational Development Manager, Community First Credit Union, in collaboration with Nancy Heykes, JD, Leadership Institute Coordinator& OnPoint Consulting, will help participants review the principles and practices of running an organization that measures success through service. Participants will review their personal leadership strengths and weaknesses and develop ways in which they will adapt to build a strong foundation for leadership based on what was learned in the Institute.

Graduation: Day 2

A short presentation will be required to reflect on an area of improvement or growth gained through the Institute modules. The Leadership Institute Coordinator will work with participants to develop the topics.

A graduation ceremony will take place on the last day with an invitation to all board members chairs, program funders, NPLI committee members and past graduates of the program.