CRC E-Line: Success Strategies for Colorado's Nonprofits

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E-Line

April 2010

Dear Friends of CRC:

Many of the problems that occur in an organization are the direct result of people failing to communicate clearly. Faulty communication causes the most problems. It leads to confusion and can cause a good plan to fail. Or stated another way, good communications can solve a problem. Remember Apollo 13? You might remember that Apollo 13 was a 1970 NASA moon walk mission that aborted due to a mid-flight explosion. Clear and strong communications was vital to the success of brining the crew home alive.

As a nonprofit leader with a full agenda and many top priority commitments, we sometimes might forget to take time to ensure that we are communicating clearly to our board, clients, co-workers and colleagues. Communication is a two-way skill, expressing our needs in words and listening to those of others. All too often we forget to check with others about what their understanding is. Occasionally this leads to a hilarious result and we all have a laugh. Sometimes, however, the consequences of poor communication can be serious, expensive or both. The ability to communicate clearly and concisely is arguably the most important leadership and management skill one can possess.

Here are four tips to use that can help you clearly communicate:

Present your message clearly and in detail, radiate integrity and authenticity;
Listen, really listen, then ask any clarifying questions only when the person sending the message is finished;
Choose an appropriate method to deliver the message;
Ask for feedback, check to make sure the other person/people heard what you wanted them to hear.

So remember when sending out our message to our staff, volunteers, client or community take the time and the space to make sure the message is well received.

Respectfully,

Carol Lynn Nickell

Executive Director

When a thought is too weak to be expressed simply, simply drop it.
--Marquis de Vauvenargues

In This Issue

Lessons From the Field: Investing in Your Volunteer Program

The Reading List: Engaging Volunteers

National Volunteer Week, April 18-25

CRC Workshops

Colorado Capacity Coaching Initiative

Around Colorado With CRC - Win a GRANTS GUIDE!

2009-2010 Colorado Grants Guide

Grant Application Deadlines

Lessons From the Field: Investing in Your Volunteer Program

Article contributed by Metro Volunteers Staff

Here at Metro Volunteers our mission is to mobilize and cultivate volunteers as a vital force in our community. For over 16 years, we've been helping connect organizations to potential volunteers and training nonprofits to maximize engagement of volunteers to build capacity and to use their volunteer assets strategically.

Like the rest of the community, the economic calamity in the fall of 2008 caused us to look closely at our bottom line as need for services increased while funding decreased. It led to difficult choices here at Metro Volunteers, including a staff reduction in January of 2009 when we went from 8 ½ fulltime employees to 3 ½. The need to fully engage volunteers became not only good strategy - but necessity. However, was our volunteer infrastructure ready? Aside from our board and committees, our volunteers were either in the field acting as project leaders for other organizations, or AmeriCorps volunteers supporting staff efforts. It was time to increase the responsibility of our current volunteers, increase our base of internal volunteers, and activate tools and processes to fully integrate volunteers in our work. In essence, to rebuild our staff - with both paid and volunteer positions. Over the past 15 months or so, we have taken our own advice and matured our volunteer program. We did this in several ways. Click here to read the full article.

The Reading List: Engaging Volunteers

HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector: Staff Volunteer Relations

The Huffington Post: Don't Let Goodwill Slip Through The Cracks

Energize, Inc. Hot Topics from Susan J. Ellis

The Cost of a Volunteer - Recognizing that "Volunteers aren't free," the Grantmaker Forum on Community & National Service decided to explore the question: What does it cost to mount an effective and high quality volunteer program?

Using Volunteers Effectively: Turning Short Term Volunteers Into Long Term Resources by Christina Jones

National Volunteer Week, April 18-24

This month we celebrate National Volunteer Week, April 18-24. CRC would like to recognize and thank our volunteers who currently donate their time and talent to our programs. Meet our volunteers.

Cindy Sorensen

Cindy has volunteered with CRC since September 2009 and contributed numerous hours to reshaping the Coaching program as well as training. CRC thanks Cindy for sharing her years of experience, believing in the CRC mission and her commitment to provide support to the nonprofit community in Colorado. Read about Cindy's experience volunteering at CRC.

"Cindy is an invaluable asset to the CRC team. We are thankful to have such a skilled professional with 20 years of nonprofit experience. Cindy has contributed in many areas and wears many hats as a personal coach, trainer and consultant. When you find the right boomer to commit on a regular basis, great things happen."--Carol Crawford

Hollie Hendrikson, Sam Gallaher and Will Paterson

"Hollie Hendrikson, Sam Gallaher and Will Paterson - CRC's spring interns - are a terrific team. Every day they give us their skill, curiosity, and sense of humor - we would not be able to do the work we do without their hard work and dedication! I am grateful that they are using their Masters-level education and broad work experience to advance CRC's mission, both in Denver and around the state. It is absolutely a privilege for me to work with these emerging professionals - and I cannot wait to see what they do with their careers after CRC! " --Lauren Price

Kate McDonnell
KateMcDonnell

Kate McDonnell came to CRC with extensive experience using a customer relationship management database. With her expertise, Kate is analyzing our data sources and perfecting methods for mass data imports.

"With Kate's help CRC is accomplishing things which we've wanted to do for years, but didn't have the time for! By educating Staff about unused modules it will boost our productivity. Thank you, Kate!" --Marianne Piech

CRC Internship Opportunities

The mission of our internship program is to prepare young leaders for entry into the nonprofit sector by providing a thorough understanding of the internal functions of a capacity building services organization, to include the practical application of attained knowledge. For summer 2010, we will select up to two interns for our Research and Evaluation internship and up to one intern for our PR & Communications internship.

Orientation for new interns will begin on Tuesday June 15. The ending date will be Friday August 20, although both the starting and ending date may be flexible to accommodate interns' academic schedules and requirements. The deadline for applications is Friday May 14, 2010. You can download the description and application here.

YNPN
Co-sponsored by School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver

Space is limited.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE!

Please join us for a full day of top-notch local and national presenters, covering issues that matter to you.

Friday, April 23, 2010
10am - 5pm
NEW LOCATION: Auraria Campus
Happy Hour Reception following - open to those not attending

Registration Fee - $50 for entire day
Keynote Speaker: Robert Egger, Founder and President of the DC Central Kitchen

CRC Workshops

At the Community Resource Center we believe that nonprofit organizations and community groups need access to on-going, quality training opportunities to gain the skills, tools, and strategies they need to accomplish their missions. Our training series provides up-to-date and practical information covering topic areas that can be easily applied within organizations.

CRC offers classroom, customized classes and individual coaching sessions statewide.

Workshop Title	Date	Time	Category
SALIDA: Heart of Colorado RPD Workshops	April 15	9:30 am - 3 pm	Fundraising, Marketing & PR, Financial Management
New to Nonprofits? An Overview	April 20	1 pm - 4 pm	501(c)3 Formation, Capacity Building Workshop
Master the Common Grant Application & Report!	April 21	1 pm - 4 pm	Grant Seeking Clinic, Fundraising, Principles & Practices
NEW! Online Marketing - Getting to the Top of Google	April 22	10 am - 12 pm	Marketing & PR, Tech Skills
Getting Your Board Onboard	April 28	1 pm - 4 pm	Governance, Capacity Building Workshop
TELECLASS: Online Marketing - Getting to the Top of Google	April 29	6 pm - 7 pm	Marketing & PR, Tech Skills
Management and Supervision: Using a Coach-Approach	May 11	9 am - 4 pm	Human Resources, Capacity Building Workshop
Using QuickBooks in Your Nonprofit	May 12	10 am - 4 pm	Financial Management, Tech Skills
8 Great Ways To Improve Your Marketing & Messaging	May 13	10 am - 12 pm	Marketing & PR, Capacity Building Workshop
Grant Seeking Clinic & Grants Guide Special Offer!	May 19	Day 1: 1 pm -4pm, Day 2 & 3: 9 am - 4 pm	Grant Seeking Clinic, Fundraising, Capacity Building Workshop
Capital Campaigns! An Expert Funder Panel	May 25	1 pm - 3:30 pm	Fundraising, Capacity Building Workshop
Engaging the Power of Your Annual Financial Budgets	May 26	5:30 pm - 8:30 pm	Financial Management, Capacity Building Workshop
Maximizing Board Effectiveness	May 26	1 pm - 4 pm	Governance, Capacity Building Workshop
Social Media - The Latest, Greatest Marketing Tool	May 27	10 am - 12 pm	Marketing & PR, Tech Skills, Capacity Building Workshop
Developing Your Best Revenue Stream--Your Donors!	June 2	1 pm - 4 pm	Fundraising, Marketing & PR, Capacity Building Workshop
TELECLASS: Social Media - The Latest, Greatest Marketing Tool	June 3	6 pm - 7 pm	Marketing & PR, Tech Skills, Capacity Building Workshop
Financial Statements Tell It All!	June 9	5:30 pm - 8:30 pm	Financial Management, Capacity Building Workshop
TELECLASS: Pay-Per-Click 101	June 15	4 pm - 5 pm	Marketing & PR, Fundraising, Tech Skills
Building and Empowering Your Fundraising Board	June 16	1 pm - 4 pm	Capacity Building Workshop, Fundraising
Pay-Per-Click 101	June 22	10 am - 12 pm	Marketing & PR, Fundraising, Tech Skills
Program Performance Using Functional Expenses	June 23	5:30 pm - 8:30 pm	Financial Management, Capacity Building Workshop
New to Nonprofits? An Overview	June 24	1 pm - 4 pm	501(c)3 Formation, Capacity Building Workshop

Colorado Capacity Coaching Initiative

In 2004, CRC introduced the Capacity Coaching Initiative for Colorado's nonprofit staff and board members. Now, more than ever, nonprofit members are seeking support from professional coaches to increase his or her productivity or discover their ideal job.

Why Seek Coaching Services?

You want more confidence in your role.
Your work and personal life are out of balance, creating stressful consequences.
You want to identify/clarify your values and strengths to be more focused and satisfied.
You are facing a challenge or opportunity and want help mapping out an effective plan of action.
You want to improve your knowledge, skills, resources, and/or accelerate productivity.
Things just don't seem to be "right." Is it the economy? Is it burnout? What to do?

Program Benefits:

Through a coaching partnership, you can expect to gain new approaches on personal challenges and opportunities, enhanced decision-making ability, increased interpersonal effectiveness, and heightened confidence in carrying out your life's work. People who have receive coachingfrom CRC report that they see appreciable results in productivity, increased personal and organizational satisfaction, and the achievement of career their goals.

Contact Carol Crawford, 303.623.1540 or 800.516.6284 x13

Where in Colorado?

Take a guess for a chance to win a copy of the Colorado Grants Guide.

Each month, we feature a photo taken during our travels around Colorado. Last month, we featured this photograph of Rocky Ford. Congratulations to Cliff. He wins a copy of Collaboration and Strategic Alliances: Essential Strategies for Success During an Economic Downturn. Thanks for participating!

For this month's "Where in Colorado?" we are inviting guesses on a photo from a different part of Colorado.