Insight - September 30, 2011

When I became a member of HSC's Board of Directors last year, I did so because I share HSC's vision of Prince George's County as one the best places in the region to live and work. I was asked to co-chair the Communications Committee to help strengthen HSC's brand of empowering nonprofits and to give our initiatives and members greater exposure.

The Communications Committee believes the best way to serve HSC and its members, today, is by providing both strategic guidance and hands-on project development through our wide range of expertise in the field. Our passion is your organizational strength. So, we plan to keep delivering the tools and resources that empower you to Be Active, Be Strong and Be Heard!

The newsletter you are reading, Insight, was one of our first undertakings in the strategic development of this HSC communication brand. We are currently updating HSC's website to give nonprofits an online experience that is accessible, usable and adaptable to content change.

Soon, we will introduce In Touch, a seasonal journal to capture the spirit of growing membership and highlight our collective achievement. The first issue of In Touch will include HSC's annual report and membership directory. Join HSC or renew your membership before October 7th to ensure your organization is represented in the publication.

In 2012, HSC will roll out plans for members to develop and share their own messages via radio programming. And, our communications team will continue to develop and explore economical and efficient messaging methods to give HSC and our members a bigger, brighter spotlight in Prince George's County.

Changing, growing, evolving for the better. At HSC, all of us--board, staff, consultants, members, sponsors, partners--are working hard to advance vibrant communities through excellent nonprofits.

In This Issue of Insight

HSC's Nonprofit Incubator Program is gearing up, so find out what you need to do to be a part of NIP. Check out highlights from the recent IDEAS&INFO luncheon and get an update on the Executive Director search. Get a brief overview of the website being developed--just for you. And, click on some cutting-edge links to communication tools for your nonprofit.

Yours in Excellence,

Colette Gingles

Communications Committee, Co-Chair

Service Organization: coProductions LLC

2012 Nonprofit Incubator Program| Apply Week of Oct. 3rd!

HSC is very excited to announce the 2011-12 launch of our highly successful Nonprofit Incubator Program (NIP) week of Oct. 3rd.

We thank the Prince George's County Department of Housing and Community Development, Capitol One, and the Freddie Mac Foundation whose investment is making the continuation of HSC's successful programming possible.

NIP--the flagship of HSC's capacity building efforts--has met the organizational and leadership needs of some of the fastest growing nonprofits in the region. In three short years, 16 organizations have improved their organizational performance and significantly increased their direct impact in the communities and the lives of the neediest people in Prince George's County. Through increased service levels and effective community-building partnerships, NIP participants generated over $4 million in funding and additional resources for long-term sustainability.

Prospective participants may review the submission and selection process and access the NIP application package on the HSC website.

The program will begin with an orientation followed by a comprehensive series of training and one-on-one technical assistance provided by highly competent consultants and facilitators such as the Foundation Center of Greater Washington and J&G Consultants, LLC.

Please, contact Denise Harris or Michelle Dunn at 301-429-0414 with any questions.

HSC Building New Website to Serve Growing Nonprofits

The Human Services Coalition of Prince George's County (HSC), a leading nonprofit capacity-building association in the Washington metropolitan region, is changing the look, feel and functionality of our website to better serve the ever-changing needs of our members and the local nonprofit community.

On Monday, October 3rd, visitors to our site will find a fresher design that is easy to navigate. While development will continue over the next two months, current features include: a growing resource library, online membership and training applications, and nonprofit news from around the County.

"The changes to our website will help us provide accurate information, uncommon insight, and great connections for service providers in our region. Maintaining the site 'in house,' we'll see a significant cost savings that can be put back into programming--the type of efficiency move we encourage our members to make," commented Dawn Goodman Washington, Communications Consultant for HSC.

We are working to empower excellent nonprofits to be active, to be strong and to be heard. Under Be Active, you will find a wide range of networking, collaboration and sponsorship opportunities--like the IDEAS&INFO luncheons and updates on the 2012 Nonprofit Bus Tour. Visit Be Strong to take part in the 2012 Nonprofit Incubator Program (NIP) and upcoming trainings offered by HSC and our community partners. And, learn to embrace and engage your role as an advocate for important public policy change under Be Heard.

HSC strives to infuse excellence--and, innovation--into everything we do. So, our site will eventually include training webinars from our forward-thinking communications team, specialized blogs sharing the rich knowledge and experience of new HSC contributors, and mini-documentaries sharing the untold (but, you-oughta-know) stories of HSC member organizations making a real difference where we live and work.

Give us your thoughts and ideas on what information would best help you. Email us at insight@hscofpgc.org.

IDEAS&INFO LUNCHEON Recap: Significant Change Marks New Decade for HSC

At the September IDEAS&INFO luncheon, HSC Board Chair Maggie Holmes greeted guests with a warm welcome and the bittersweet news that Executive Director Jerry Adams will retire his post this December. Holmes stated, "This is a time of great change for HSC. This is our 10th year and we will be offering many new and exciting opportunities to our members under new leadership. We thank Jerry for all his hard work and the expertise he's shared with us over the years. But, we look forward to what's ahead for HSC."

"The staff is committed to ensuring that services to members continue to be delivered without interruption and in the best way possible during this transition," said HSC Human Resources Committee Chair Jonathan Rondeau. "We will secure an executive search firm to help us retain an excellent candidate for this position."

HSC Committee members and supporters shared the wide range of new programming to be presented throughout 2011-12, including: new community-wide forums and events, webinars, new publications and a newly re-designed website. And, in late spring, the HSC Nonprofit Bus Tour could be rolling through a neighborhood near you. The tour of Prince George's County's most successful and impactful nonprofits will showcase the efforts and the outcomes HSC members are achieving-with our support.

During her nostalgic reflections on the genesis of HSC, co-founder Donna Crocker Mason (The Arc of Prince George's County), said the organization was formally established in 2001 but had roots that could be traced back as far as 30 years. It was as early as 1980 that local nonprofit professionals came together informally to pool resources and garner financial and legislative support for the work their agencies were doing.

According to Mason, "There was a loosely organized group of us serving youth in the 1970s. There was absolutely no money or resources to help us unify. In the 1980s, the Department of Family Services tried to reach out to County nonprofits and enlist their aid in meeting the increasing demand for direct services. That worked, to some degree. But, because nothing was truly centralized, we could never seem to move forward. We were finally able to make it happen in 2001. And, what HSC has become--what it has been able to achieve--is just incredible."

HSC leadership, past and present, is celebrating the organization's benchmarks and its bright future.

"Transition is good. Growth is good." commented Mason, "It is so important that we continue to rally and to work together to improve the quality of life in Prince George's County. There is nothing but good ahead for HSC."

HSC Seeks Experienced Visionary As Executive Director

HSC is looking for an exceptional, experienced and visionary, results-oriented business savvy leader who is dedicated to advancing the organization's mission and will leverage and strategically guide its current and future growth and development.

Specifically, this individual will oversee and assure the success of HSC's operations, its financial performance, external relations, strategic planning, resource development and organizational management. The Executive Director charters and oversees the work of standing and ad hoc committees and assists them to achieve goals and outcomes, as well as serve as HSC's key spokesperson. The ideal candidate will have the recognized interest and skills necessary to be an effective leader of HSC community and have the ability to understand and clearly articulate the essential importance of the organization.

Access full position description via HSC website, here.

For fullest consideration, submit a resume and cover letter responding specifically to the experience and qualifications being sought, to: execsearch@nonprofithr.com, mail or fax to: Nonprofit HR Solutions LLC,
Attn: HSC Executive Director Search, 1712 I Street, NW, Suite 306, Washington, DC 20006, or fax 202.785.2064.

Electronic submissions preferred. Applications will be accepted until position is filled but interested individuals are encouraged to apply by October 31, 2011.

HSC is an equal opportunity employer committed to actively seeking a diverse pool of candidates.

Copyright © 2011 - Human Services Coalition. All rights reserved. Insight is published monthly by Human Services Coalition of Prince George's County, Inc. E-mail: insight@hscofpgc.org, Web site: www.hscofpgc.org. Phone: 301-429-0414.

Editor: Dawn Goodman Washington. Contributors: Jerry Adams, Denise Harris. Publication Advisor: Colette Gingles.