Training and Technical Assistance Topics

This process reviews current organizational structure, policies and procedures, resources, and programming relative to existing organizational goals or in preparation for a new strategic planning process. The deliverable will be a formal report with recommendations for future action.

When was the last time you reviewed your bylaws or your personnel, fiscal, or other corporate policies for compliance with updated regulations or best practices? These need to be living documents that evolve over time. After reviewing your documents, I will provide red-lined copies with detailed edits and recommended changes, providing you with links to sources for more information.

You know what your organization does, but can you and your team clearly explain your work in clear, simple terms? Can you create an emotional connection between the public and your mission? Learn how to share the story of your organization in two minutes or less, so the listener cannot help but be interested in learning more. 

There is a need your organization can address, and there is a funder interested in the same issue. How do you tell your story within the limited framework of a grant application to maximize your chances of being funded? Provide a current or past application, and together we will make it better. 

Crafting the proper objectives in a grant proposal not only makes it easier to design your program, but they ensure you keep the program on track during implementation and can demonstrate clear results. Together, we can take one of your existing programs or work from a grant application to draft objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. 

How do you show a logical path from what you want to do to proof you have done it? What resources do you require, what activities will you undertake, what results do you expect, and how do you evaluate success? Logic models provide a graphic representation of how a program’s resources and activities lead to the expected results. Most nonprofits struggle with them, but many funders require them. Learn how to make logic models you can use to not only write a better grant proposal but also serve as implementation and evaluation tools once you are awarded the grant. 

You received the grant and did the work, but how do you capture everything you want to say about what you did in the grant report? What does the funder want to hear? What’s the story you want to tell? Provide a current or past report, and together we will create a compelling narrative. 

Using the proper evaluation tools, it is possible to course correct during program implementation, determine what barriers may exist to success, and effectively prove that your program led to the results you observed. Whether your program has been running for years or is still in the planning phase, I can teach you to incorporate evaluation efforts into multiple aspects of your program. 

You know what you want to do, but how much will it cost, how do you properly track expenditures, and how do you write reports that link what you have done with what you spent? Whether you need help creating a budget for a specific project or grant application, or if you need assistance drafting the annual budget for your organization, I can help create one that is realistic, easy to follow, and comprehensive. If needed, I can also help create board reports that meet the needs of your finance committee.