INRN Logo
Network Notes - Featured Events from Around the State
May 2016
Regional Featured Events
North
South
East
West
Central
Resources
 
 
Quick Links
 
 
 
 
 
Below are select offerings from each region. For the full listing of events and workshops go to our Searchable Calendar.
"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." ~ Dr. Seuss
 
Messaging Matters: Options and Opportunities
 
Dr. Suess had it right! And then again, sometimes the questions are simple and the answers are complicated. Either way, answering the question "What does your nonprofit do for your community?" is at the heart of communicating your message. Donors, prospective donors, and increasingly, volunteers, who may or may not become donors, want to know how their money or time and talents benefit the community. Being able to articulate that message clearly is crucial to an organization's continued success.
 
Let's give it a try: How would you describe what your organization does for your community (target audience, neighborhood, whatever the mission may be) in one sentence? Often, your answer depends on the person asking the question. For example:
  • The answer may be captured brilliantly with your mission statement.
  • The answer is statistical, reflecting the number of  books distributed at the summer reading program.
  • There is a complex answer showing the financial impact of volunteer hours.
  • There may be a compelling story about a program's impact on the life of a client.
     

When working with constituents in personal interactions, it's easier to determine the type of answer that will best resonate with them. Generally in written marketing materials, it works well to provide a mix of statistics, financial impact, and stories.

Here are some quick tips for marketing communications:
  • Start with a written case statement to define your message and keep your communications focused and consistent. What's the opportunity? What's the need?
  • Develop a list and/or calendar of all written (annual report, newsletters, fund raising appeals) and online (website, e-mail, Facebook, twitter) communication tools. Determine which message to use and when. Rotate statistics, financial impact, and stories throughout your media. Pictures do tell a thousand words and work extremely well in social media where words are best kept to a minimum.
  • Incorporate other types of messages as well - information, engagement opportunities, asking for assistance, and thanking donors and volunteers.
Effective communication requires a clear plan as well as repeating messages over various platforms.

This month's free download tackles communicating change. Try out the new tool, see link, left.

Keep questioning,

Bea Northcott
Training Associate
Indiana Nonprofit  Resource Network
 
Symposium for Women in Nonprofit Leadership

Map of Indiana with Northern Region HighlightedNorthern Region
  
Fundraising 101

Dave Sternberg Growing and maintaining your donor base is essential to fundraising success.  There may be new strategies... but what are the trends and how can we best grow our revenue?  Come analyze your results, modify your strategies, and see what the sectors are experiencing.

When: Thursday, May 12, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM EDT
Where: Huntington City-Township Public Library, 255 W. Park Drive, Huntington, IN
Presenter: Dave Sternberg, Spectrum Nonprofit Services
Cost: $65, includes lunch and all materials

 
Common Ground

An interactive, intensive workshop designed to explore the causes of poverty.
This training seeks to promote understanding and build relationships among people from all economic backgrounds so we can work together for a stronger community.
 
The training includes:
  • a brief study of the facts about poverty both locally and nationally
  • a role-playing experience stepping into the shoes of a family trying to pay its bills for a taste of life in poverty
  • sharing from the perspective of those who have experienced poverty
  • an exploration of the causes and effects of poverty, including racism, using interactive models
  • an assessment of the personal and community resources needed for all families to have security
  • brainstorming about opportunities and solutions in our community
     
When: Thursday, May 26, 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM EDT
Where: United Way of Elkhart County, LaSalle Bristol Building, Second Floor, 601 County Road 17, Elkhart, IN
Presenter: Rob Henson
Cost: $60, includes all materials, lunch, Space is limited to the first 25 applicants. 

For more information, contact Keith Sarber, Director, Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network, Northern Region.
Southern Region


The Boards Role in Fundraising
Rescheduled

junemillerGetting members of a nonprofit board of directors to actively participate in fundraising can be one of the biggest challenges faced by a nonprofit.  The first step is to understand the nature and facts about charitable giving.  Secondly, it is important to understand that there are dozens of ways in which board members can fundraise.  Participants in this workshop will understand these two concepts, and they will believe that fundraising is not begging, it is a values exchange.
  
 
 
When:  Thursday, May 5, 11:15 AM to 1:30 PM EDT
Where: Community Foundation of Jackson County, 107 Community Drive, Seymour, IN
Presenter: June Miller, Southern Regional Director, Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network
Sponsors: Jackson County United Way and the Community Foundation of Jackson County
Cost: $15, includes lunch and materials
Register: E-mail Tonja Couch, Executive Director, Jackson County United Way


Nonprofit Boards That Work

The United Way of Posey County, Inc., is pleased to announce a workshop designed to help nonprofit organizations learn how to maximize the support of their Boards.  The end result will be a stronger Board of Directors, and a more effective organization.
 
Attendance is open to all area nonprofit organizations. Staff and volunteers of member agencies of the United Way of Posey County are eligible for scholarships provided by the United Way.  
 
When: Wednesday, May 11, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM CDT
Where: Alexandrian Public Library, 115 W 5th Street, Mount Vernon, IN
Presenter: June Miller, Southern Regional Director, Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network
Sponsor: United Way of Posey County
Cost: $10, Free for United Way of Posey County member agencies
Register: Contact Grant Beloat, Executive Director, United Way of Posey County, at 812-838-3637

Finding Grant Opportunities & Preparing Grant Proposals

The Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network is pleased to Join the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library to help nonprofit organizations find the grant opportunities they are looking for.  Participants will learn what funders are expecting in completed grant proposals and how to find applicable grants.

When: Tuesday, June 28, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM CDT
Where: Central Library, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Evansville, IN
Presenter: June Miller, Southern Regional Director, Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network and Nathan Jochum, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library 
Sponsors: Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network Southern Region and the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library
Cost: $39, includes lunch and materials

For more information, contact June Miller, Director, Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network, Southern Region.
State of Indiana with Eastern Region Hightlighted
Eastern Region
   
Let's Practice Outcomes

Janice Replogle Capturing and communicating the outcomes of your programs and services are critically important to retaining the support of your funders, donors, and community partners. In this workshop, you will briefly review the major concepts and finalize your logic model. The remainder of the time will be spent practicing outcomes. Agencies are encouraged to bring outcome statements for individual critique, or for those comfortable doing so, group discussion. All staff can benefit from this training. 
 
The session will include:  
  • Exercises and worksheets that illustrate the process
  • Hands-on practice
  • Assessment of outcomes statements from agencies representing other communities
  • Review of the process for selecting measurement tools
 
When: Thursday, May 19, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT
Where: Ivy Tech Community College Conference Center, 261 Commerce Drive, Marion, IN
Presenter: Janice Replogle, J/G Consulting
Sponsors:  United Way of Grant County, Community Foundation of Grant County, Ivy Tech Community College
Cost: $10

7 Secret Questions to Reveal the Hidden Communication Styles of Your Colleagues, Volunteers, and Board

Have you ever had a conversation where you thought, "Wow. We just were not on the same page, and I'm not sure what she wanted."?
  
Did you know that we only process about 5% of our environments at any given time? In addition, we filter that 5% of information through a set of lenses that are largely unknown to us. In this 90-minute presentation, we'll discover together the different sets of lenses that each of us use to view the world. We'll then learn how to interact and communicate with others who are using a different set of lenses.
  
Are you a possibilities or process person? Are you future oriented or past oriented? Do you say, "Yes, and ..." or "No, but..." more often?
  
Come learn a series of simple questions you can ask in any situation to better understand how to communicate with your colleagues. These tools aren't in any personality assessment you've taken before.
  
When: Tuesday, May 24, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM EDT
Where: Ball State University Alumni Center, 2800 West Bethel Avenue, Muncie, IN 
Presenter: Stefanie Krievins, Radiancy Coaching Partners
Cost: $20, includes lunch

Developing Your Fundraising Plan

A Nick Parkevichsound fundraising plan engages your board, staff, volunteers, and those you serve by putting in place strategies to help fund your organization's vision. This hands-on session will provide participants with an outline for beginning the process of developing their own fundraising plan that is tailored to the specific needs of their organization.
 
When: Thursday, June 9, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT
Where: Hampton Inn & Suites, 2075 North Michigan Avenue, Greensburg, IN
Presenter: Nick Parkevich, CFRE, Loring, Sternberg & Associates
Sponsor: Decatur County United Fund
Cost: TBA
 
For more information, contact Lesley Devine, Director, Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network, Eastern  Region.
State of Indiana with Western Region HighlightedWestern Region
 
Grant Writing: Back to Basics - What Every Grant Proposal Should Include

Part of the 2016 Non-Profit Learning Series: Preparing well-written grant proposals is an essential element in the fundraising effort and sustainability of every nonprofit. This workshop will outline the most important elements of getting started in writing grant proposals that will result in additional funding. The benefit of this workshop will be a greater understanding of what is involved in grant proposal writing and more funding for area nonprofits. You will learn:
  • Grant writing myths
  • Where to look for funding opportunities
  • What nearly every grant proposal will include, every time
  • How to complete the proposal form
  • What funders are looking for in your proposal
When: Tuesday, May 10, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM EDT
Where: Crawfordsville Country Club, 3272 W. Country Club Road, Crawfordsville, IN
Presenter: June Miller, Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network, Southern Regional Director
Cost: $15, one week in advance: $25, at the door or less than one week in advance

Innovation for Social Change

Part of the 2016 Douglas W. Eberle Not-for-Profit Board Governance Series: Every change to an organization comes with a certain amount of risk. For social sector leaders looking to innovate, this hands-on workshop takes participants through a toolkit of strategies for prototyping, a process for lowering risk when taking new ideas from concept to reality.

In the session, participants will start with an idea for improvement, either to their internal operations or external programming. Then they'll work through a 4-step process - write, draw, build, act - in order to kick-start the idea's development. The end result is a mindset shift away from costly pilots and towards quick, iterative cycles of learning and change. Brainstorming, a critical tool for generating innovative ideas will also be discussed as a key principle in design (e.g. deferring judgment, going for quantity, making things visual). This is a workshop sure to ignite new ideas for your organization.
When: Wednesday, June 1, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM EDT
Where: Lafayette Country Club, 1500 S. 9th Street, Lafayette, IN
Presenter: Sara Cantor Aye & George Aye, Greater Good Studio
Cost: $20, includes lunch

Summer Communications Series
 
All Wednesdays in July
July 6 - Develop and Execute a Communications Plan
July 13- Write for and Work Effectively with the Media
July 20 - Create Content for Brochures, Newsletters, Websites, Social Media
July 27 - Meet the Media

When: 9:30 AM - Noon EDT
Where: Matchbox Co-Working Studio, Ivy Tech Room, 17 S. 6th Street
Lafayette, IN
Presenter: Kathy Mayer, Writer
Cost: $50 for series or $15per session, participation is limited to 30 per session
For more information, contact Jillian Henry, Director, Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network, Western Region.
State of Indiana with Central Region HighlightedCentral Region 
 
Personal Leadership Development

Be a leader at every level. Learn leadership skills that will support you in this job and all your future jobs, regardless of title. This workshop will help you learn personal leadership skills that you can practice every day, regardless of your role within your nonprofit. There are key behaviors and beliefs for the most successful leaders: self-awareness (for success and stress), understanding your core values, setting and communicating a vision, and proactively managing time. Those who exercise personal leadership take responsibility for what they can, avoid blame and burnout, and take action. Join us to learn these skills and the difference between leadership and management.
 
Participants will be asked to complete a free personality profile before the workshop and come with a current and future project list to learn a new way to manage your productivity.

When: Tuesday, May 10, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT
Where: United Way of Central Indiana, 3901 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN
Presenters:  Stefanie Krievens, Radiancy Coaching 
Cost: $20, United Way agencies; $25, others

For more information, contact Beth Mussman, Director, Nonprofit Training Center, United Way of Central Indiana.

Indiana Association of United Ways | 3901 N Meridian St #306 | Indianapolis | IN | 46208