MCN : Management Events

Starting a Successful Nonprofit

The process for transforming your idea into an operating organization can be complicated. This workshop is designed to provide all the information you need to start a successful nonprofit organization in Minnesota -- beginning with an understanding of why you may or may not want to start a nonprofit organization and what other opportunities may be available to you.

By working closely with the easy-to-use Handbook for Starting a Successful Nonprofit, the session will lead participants through the step-by-step process for incorporating and applying for tax-exempt status. The Handbook is included in the workshop fee and contains all the forms necessary for starting a nonprofit in Minnesota.

Register early as the workshop has a limited number of participants to make sure that there is plenty of time for questions and answers about each potential organization’s specific needs. Please note that this session does not include legal advice and is recommended for those have not yet filed Form 1023 (the Application for Recognition of Exemption).

Dates:

- September 15
- December 7

Details for all:

9 a.m. - noon
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Conference Room
2314 University Avenue, Suite 20, St. Paul 55114
Directions and Parking
Fee: $85*
*includes the Handbook for Starting a Successful Nonprofit. If you already own the Handbook, registration for the workshop alone is $60. Please note that if you have the handbook you must register with the downloadable registration form by mail or fax, and NOT online.

To register:

1. Register online:

Register for September 15.
Register for December 7.

2. Register by fax - download and complete the registration form, include credit card information and fax the form to 651-642-1517.

3. Register by mail - download and complete the registration form, include payment and mail to: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; 2314 University Ave. W, Suite 20; St. Paul, MN; 55114-1802.

Scholarships are available!
Please read MCN's policies on refunds and substitutions.

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Maximize Your MCN Membership

This free session will introduce you to the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the benefits that MCN offers its growing membership of nearly 2,000 nonprofit organizations. Useful to any staff member of any nonprofit, this session will cover information about membership, including discounts on workshops and conferences, free resource publications, and discounts on the products and services that nonprofits use – office supplies, D&O insurance, banking, and much, much more. Learn more about the cost savings opportunities available to all members now.

This session is being offered as a free service for MCN’s members and other nonprofits that are interested in learning about the benefits of joining MCN. You can attend this course in person at the MCN offices and have a chance to meet MCN staff members and cost-saving partners; or you are invited to attend this session as a real-time, online Webinar.

Details for Workshop:

October 14, 8 - 9 a.m.
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Conference Room
2314 University Avenue, Suite 20, St. Paul 55114
Directions and Parking
Fee: Free, but advance registration is required

To register:

Register online now - log in and select "RSVP for Free Events, Briefings and Convenings."

For further information on the Maximize Your MCN Membership event, or any other membership questions, please contact Ruth Duran Deffley at 651-757-3070 or ruth@mncn.org.

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Take Charge of Your Programs: Developing Sound Programs from Birth to Maturity

Program managers face numerous challenges as they lead their programs. When new opportunities arise, or programs evolve in response to changing circumstances, there isn’t a well-recognized process for developing programs. This three-part workshop series presents an approach to program development, evaluation and refinement that is applicable to all different types of nonprofits. The series presents a methodology for program development that uses the inherent strengths of nonprofits – relationship building, experience, and sound instincts about local needs.

Attend a workshop individually or register for all three in the series and save!

By attending this series, nonprofit leaders will learn:
• Resources for helping to develop, evaluate and manage strong programs
• A method for designing programs that uses existing strengths and resources
• A method for evaluating programs whether internally or in partnership with an external consultant
• A method for managing programs that is focused on results-based leadership
• Tools and handbooks to support the work

After attending this workshop, nonprofit managers will have a set of resources they can put to use immediately in their programs, and have at their fingertips as new opportunities and circumstances arise.

Resources:
• Handouts
• Workbook in 3 sections
• Professional learning community – every participant will be given access to a group focused on effective program management

Intended audience: These workshops are targeted to nonprofit leaders, program managers, development officers, and/or board members serving on program committees

Details for all workshops:

Workshops may be attended individually or as a series.

Workshop 1: Program Design and Development, Thursday, September 23
Workshop 2: Evaluating Program Successes, Wednesday, October 13
Workshop 3: Completing the Circle: Using Evaluation Results to Strengthen Programs, Wednesday, November 3

Time for all: 9 a.m. – noon
Location for all: Neighborhood House/Wellstone Center
Room 212
179 Robie Street
East, St. Paul, 55107
Directions and Map
Fees: $149 for members for all 3 events / $199 for nonmembers for all 3 events OR
$65 for members per individual session / $85 for nonmembers per individual session

Space is limited to 50 people per workshop.

REGISTER NOW!

Workshop 1: Program Design and Development, Thursday, September 23

When nonprofits design programs or enhance existing programs, they draw on their experiences and knowledge. However, few know the components of strong program design, including steps to take to ensure the design is well-founded and evidence-based, and/or that the program design truly meets the needs of the community. In this workshop, participants will learn a method for designing programs that ensures the programs are financially sound, have strong results and address community needs. Participants will leave the workshop with a toolkit for designing programs, resources to draw on when designing programs, and a program development framework. During the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to explore their own programs and services from the program design framework.

During this workshop, we will answer:
- What are the elements of strong program design?
- What steps and tools can you take when designing and developing programs to support future success?
- What factors should you consider when designing or developing programs?
- How do you engage staff, leaders and even participants when developing programs?
- How do you address sustainability when designing a program?
- How can the concepts associated with continuous quality improvement benefit your program design and development?
- At what stages is it appropriate to take on various program design and development activities?

Workshop Presenters: Leah Goldstein Moses, president and CEO, The Improve Group and Amy Kondziolka, program manager, Children, Youth & Families Program, Cornerstone Advocacy Services

Workshop 2: Evaluating Program Successes, Wednesday, October 13

When faced with a need for program evaluation, nonprofits face three primary challenges: finding the time and resources for evaluation, selecting an evaluation approach that is both appropriate and valid, and ensuring that evaluation findings are relevant to the needs of the organization and all of its stakeholders. In this workshop, participants will learn how to find resources for evaluation, how to select the best evaluation methods for their needs, what the typical evaluation cycle contains, and how to implement an evaluation. Participants will leave the workshop with an evaluation toolkit for their program. During the workshop each participant will have the opportunity to develop evaluation plans specific to their programs and services.

During this workshop, we will answer:
- What are the benefits of evaluation?
- How can you integrate evaluation into your program design?
- What are appropriate roles for leaders, staff, volunteers and participants in evaluation?
- How can you manage evaluation responsibilities easily?
- What are some simple steps you can take when designing your evaluation?
- What evaluation methods are appropriate for different evaluation questions?

Workshop Presenters: Leah Goldstein Moses, president and CEO, The Improve Group and Mary Sue Hansen, director, Suburban Ramsey Family Collaborative

Workshop 3: Completing the Circle: Using Evaluation Results to Strengthen Programs, Wednesday, November 3

You may have evaluation data from your administrative records, from surveys your staff have administered, from an external evaluation, or from another organization with similar programs. However, your programs are constrained by funder requirements, expectations held by your participants or partners, or other factors. In this workshop, participants will learn how to make use of evaluation data to improve and develop programs within a real-world context. Participants will leave the workshop with a toolkit for using evaluation findings in their work. During the workshop, each participant will have the opportunity to develop a program-improvement model for their programs that includes evaluation findings and addresses contextual constraints.

During this workshop, we will answer:
- How can evaluation results be used to improve programs?
- What are some steps you can take to use evaluation results?
- Who can be involved in using evaluation results, and how?
- What can you do with positive results? What can you do with negative results?
- What are the primary concerns of different stakeholders?

Workshop Presenters: Leah Goldstein Moses, president and CEO, The Improve Group and Mary Hartmann, executive director, New Foundations

To register:

This series is full.

About the Presenters:
Leah Goldstein Moses, president and CEO, The Improve Group is an expert in evaluation and strategic planning and management. She began her professional career as program manager of a grant-funded program. She has worked extensively with nonprofit and public agencies to use data to help programs and people reach their full potential. In over a decade of work with nonprofit organizations, Leah has developed a number of tools that are applicable across fields and disciplines. Over the years, she has specialized in finding creative ways to answer questions. For example, when a neighborhood organization wanted to find new ways to engage their community, Leah suggested a “convenience sampling” approach – pick a few nice afternoons when people would be out running errands and at the park, and approach every fifth person with three short questions about community involvement. Since 2000, Leah has worked on over 100 evaluations, strategic plans and original research projects. She has worked with small school districts in rural Minnesota, large urban organizations like the Minneapolis Urban League, and a number of nonprofit and public agencies. Leah is frequently consulted as a trainer on program management and evaluation.

Amy Kondziolka is the program manager of the Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) Program at Cornerstone Advocacy Services in Bloomington, Minnesota. She has over 20 years of professional experience in delivering a continuum of services for children and youth (ages birth – 18) and their families as they heal from the effects of domestic violence. Current CYF programming includes: individual counseling and therapy for parents and youth, support and psycho-educational groups, school-based prevention and intervention, mentorship, enrichment activities, and pre-school.

Cornerstone was born when its three founders served on a domestic violence task force and decided to take action. From its roots as an advocacy organization, Cornerstone began taking on and solving the full cycle of family violence – from prevention in public schools, to emergency response and shelter for families, to advocacy and legal action in the courts.

Amy has extensive experience developing policies and procedures, outcome-based objectives, and program curriculum. She also participates in development duties for the CYF Program which includes grant writing and budgeting. Amy graduated from Gustavus Adophus College with bachelor of arts degrees in criminal justice and sociology/anthropology. She earned her master’s degree in counseling psychology from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Mary Sue Hansen is the director of The Suburban Ramsey Family Collaborative (SRFC). She has over 23 years of professional experience in delivering human services and managing collaborative systems of care. Over the past 12 years at SRFC she has supported and sustained a comprehensive continuum of integrated and coordinated services for children and youth (ages birth – 21) and their families in the areas of Health, Learning, Safety and Security. She has managed school-linked mental health and community social work services for four districts and 57 schools and enhanced the system of care through collective grant writing, leveraging 10 million dollars in added resources for Suburban Ramsey County and an additional five million countywide since 1998.

The Suburban Ramsey Family Collaborative (SRFC) is made up of over 250 caring professionals and community members in the Suburban Ramsey Area. These members include parents and youth who have experienced services, community members, health and human service providers, city and county government and educators.

Mary Sue graduated from The College of St. Catherine with a bachelor of social work degree and was a case manager and collaborative team facilitator for over 10 Years. She earned her master’s degree in management administration from Metropolitan State University.

Mary Hartmann is the co-founder and executive director of New Foundations, Inc., a sixteen year old organization providing housing and comprehensive services for homeless families with children struggling with poverty, addiction and mental illness. For over thirty years, Mary has created and nurtured partnerships among government, business, philanthropic and community organizations to address community needs. She is a graduate of the University of St. Catherine.

Mary served for ten years as the executive director of Wayside House, Inc., where she developed the state’s first permanent supportive housing program for homeless families; was executive director for the St. Paul YWCA, Hennepin County Affirmative Action Programs, and the Minneapolis Head Start Program.

Mary serves on the doard Congregation Shir Tikvah. She is a member of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless; the Ramsey County Continuum of Care Committee; member of the Legislative Commission to End Long Term Homelessness; founding member of National Building Better Communities Alliance; member of the Family Supportive Housing Provider Group; Family Supportive Housing Network; Ramsey County Systems Change Team; Metro Services Funding Work Group; State Ending Long Tem Homelessness Services Funding Work Group; Jewish Community Action, and National Coalition for the Homeless. She is a national and local speaker and workshop facilitator on issues of homelessness among families and children - including speaking at the President’s Roundtable, Washington D.C.; Congressional Subcommittee on Finance, National Supportive Housing Conferences, Faith Communities, and Colleges and Universities.

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Overcoming Racism: Recognizing and Challenging the Legacies That Oppress Us

The Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative (FREC), a collective of organizations committed to overcoming racism in Minnesota, will be presenting the 2nd Annual Overcoming Racism Conference in October 2010.

Conference Mission: Advancing antiracist transformation of ourselves, our institutions and our communities

Purposes:

* Address colonization, historical trauma and decolonization—the colonizer and colonized interactions, social arrangements, and mindsets
* Communicate how historical trauma* developed (who? why?)
* Understand how oppressive legacies are embedded (polices, institutions, social systems) and perpetuated today (practices, belief systems, behaviors) in the form of institutional and structural or systemic racism as well as its individual manifestations.
* Understand what oppressive legacies looks like/how they manifest themselves, how they get all of us stuck (oppressor/oppressed), and how we get unstuck; what this understanding implies and demands in action (So what?)
* Provide models, skills and tools for advancing antiracist transformation that participants can apply in their daily lives, their work and their institutional and community contexts.

Participants will:

* Understand the challenges and benefits to having honest conversations about systemic racism, ongoing colonization, white privilege and white supremacy as manifested in and flowing from historical traumas resulting from the violence of colonialism
* Gain practical skills and tools for countering racism, facilitating difficult conversations about race and racism, and for challenging institutional racism in their own life contexts.
* Explore the unique challenges, possibilities and practical application of racial justice skills, tools and facilitation in their particular settings

For more information on the conference, visit the conference website: http://www.overcomingracism.org/index.html.

Please direct all questions not related to registration to FREC.

Details:

Friday, October 29, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday, October 30, 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Location: William Mitchell College of Law
875 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105
Directions and Map
Fee: $120 for both days/$75 for a single day

Register:

1. Register online. Online registration ends at noon the day before the event. This event may have limited walk-in registration available.

Register for BOTH days

Register for Friday, October 29 ONLY
Register for Saturday, October 30 ONLY

2. Register by fax - download and complete the registration form, include credit card information, and fax the form to 651-642-1517.

3. Register by mail - download and complete the registration form, include payment and mail to: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; 2314 University Ave. W, Suite 20; St. Paul, MN; 55114-1802.

Learn about MCN's policies on refunds and substitutions.

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