FUND DEVELOPMENT SERIES Grants Research Say Goodbye to Benefit Auction Headaches Train Your Board to Ask Creating a 12-Week Major Gift Campaign Managing the Development  Office Writing the Case Statement Clinic Grants Research Introduction to Grant Writing       FINANCIAL EDUCATION SERIES   Project Management Made Simple Nonprofit Bookkeeping QuickBooks Level 1 QuickBooks Level 2 Nonprofit Accounting Fundraising for Start-Ups The Marketing/ Fundraising Relationship The One Page Business Plan	May 21 Fort Worth - Board Governance and Strategic Planning 9 am to 12 pm Get the support you need from Board and Staff for priorities in serving the community. Strategic Planning is critical to getting the alignment you need to further the mission of your organization. Learn how to develop a Strategic Plan in five phases: 1) Get organized 2)Take stock 3)Set direction 4)Develop your action plan and 5)Implement. May 22 The Board Meetings That Make A Difference 9 am to 1:30 pm This session will explore 11 board meeting best practices and 20 strategies that increase board meeting effectiveness. As a result, you can transform your board meetings to engage and inspire board members, tap their wisdom and focus on the future. Most importantly, you will offer board members the opportunity to invest their wisdom and passion in a cause that matters - and benefit from the deep gratification of making a significant difference through their participation. May 23 So You Want to be an Executive Director 9 am to 12 pm What's it like to run a non-profit organization? The good, the great, and the challenges...from a 35-year professional. We will include strategies for identifying the right ED role for you, and steps you can take to prepare for those interviews. May 29 Fort Worth - Managing the Development Office 9 am to 12:30 pm There are many roles and competing demands that a development officer must be attentive to in the course of raising funds. Staying focused on your organizational and fundraising goals, while planning, crafting, forecasting and reporting on them is a challenge - and that's all before lunch! May 30, June 6, June 13, June 20 The Intersection Between Branding, Culture and Strategy (One registration / price for all sessions) All sessions 9 am to 12 pm In this four-part series, attendees will walk through a self-discovery process that will link corporate values, business strategy and stakeholder commitment. As the competition for resources (financial and talent) escalates, it will be increasingly important for agencies to clearly identify their “corporate brand” and how it can be leveraged to support the mission of the organization.	June 04 Take Action - Running Effective PR Campaigns 11:30 am to 1 pm Take Action: How to get Lights, Camera, and Action for your organization! Get ready for a fun filled, highly interactive workshop to teach you how to get your organizations message out to the media. We will discuss ways to use social media for your organization and ways to create quick media opportunities.  June 05 Positioning Your Company to Manage Intermittent Leave 9 am to 10 am What rights do employers have when employees don’t come to work? This session will examine how the ADAAA and the EEOC’s recent enforcement initiative targeting allegedly inflexible leave policies impact employers’ obligations to provide job-protected leave as a reasonable accommodation. We will also discuss how employers can integrate their ADA, FMLA, short and long term disability, and workers’ compensation programs into a uniform risk-management strategy. June 06 Fort Worth Management Certificate -  Nonprofit Organizations and Volunteer Management 9 am to 4:30 pm Gain an overview of the nonprofit sector and discuss it's unique culture and challenges. June 11 Writing Great Government Grants 9 am to 12 pm Government grants are a good source of revenue for nonprofits to fund important community needs. Statistics show that various government entities provide more than $350 billion in grants annually to the sector. Government entities - because they are public - have distinct needs for purchasing services and, as a result, it is important to respond to their RFPs in a strategic and systematic way. This session will enable nonprofits to put their best foot forward and share tips on how to create a great government proposal. June 12 Building Sustainability and Flexibility into Your Volunteer Programs 9 am to 12 pm Using the exercise analogy, this workshop will address the importance of teamwork and relationships within the organization (staff and volunteers), change management and personal growth for volunteer managers. Attendees will spend time identifying program partnership opportunities with each other, and make action plans to implement at least one partnership in the future.  June 13 Fort Worth Management Certificate -  Strategic Planning for Nonprofits 9 am to 4:30 pm Examine the fundamental role that strategic thinking, alignment and planning play in building highly effective, sustainable organizations. June 18 Fort Worth - Writing the Case Statement Clinic 9 am to 4:30 pm In this workshop style class, Learn how to prepare and use the case statement -- one of the most powerful tools in nonprofit management and fundraising. It is recommended that at least two people from each organization participate. June 18 Stand Out From The Crowd 11:30 am to 1 pm You've earned your certification, now what? How do you leverage it to advance your career without being boastful or a braggart? Yet it's important to be recognized for the valuable contributions that you make. This program focuses on personal branding and how you stand out individually while working cooperatively and synergistically within your internal network.  June 18 Grassroots Fundraising 9 am to 12 pm Grassroots fundraising is more than a common ordinary initiative. When truly understood, it can have a sustainable impact on fundraising initiatives. We will go beyond the concepts of small fundraising initiatives to get a better understanding. Through the workshop, you will be able to understand how grassroots fundraising can be a powerful method of raising funds to support your organization. June 19 IRS Audits - Make Sure Your Organizations Is Ready. 9 am to 11 am This class will help you prepare for an IRS audit. Come learn about: The likelihood of an audit, The 2013 areas of interest for the IRS and a discussion of each area. Actions to take when an audit happens.  June 20 Fort Worth Management Certificate -  Financial Management 9 am to 4:30 pm Learn the financial management essentials for effective and legal operations. June 25 Fort Worth - How to Attract Corporate Sponsors 11:30 am to 1 pm Nonprofits can thrive off of support from the corporate community. What strategies can you put in place today to open the lines of communication with potential corporate sponsors? Join our lunch and learn discussion as we discuss the top 10 strategic moves that your organization can make to increase potential opportunities for support. June 26 Board Governance and Strategic Planning 9 am to 12 pm Get the support you need from Board and Staff for priorities in serving the community. Strategic Planning is critical to getting the alignment you need to further the mission of your organization. Learn how to develop a Strategic Plan in five phases: 1) Get organized 2)Take stock 3)Set direction 4)Develop your action plan and 5)Implement. June 27 Fort Worth Management Certificate -  Program Planning & Evaluation 9 am to 4:30 pm Address the programmatic component of nonprofit operations, detailing how activities of the organization provide the vehicle for delivering on the agency's mission.	August 06 Designing Annual Strategies for Your Budget 9 am to 12 pm Similar to your operational strategic plan, fundraising strategies require the same time and thought process to ensure that you reach your fundraising goals. We will discuss: Planning fundraising initiative timelines Identifying resource needs Determining fundraising goals Reviewing past strategies and modifying for future opportunities August 07 Managing the Development Office 9 am to 12:30 pm There are many roles and competing demands that a development officer must be attentive to in the course of raising funds. Staying focused on your organizational and fundraising goals, while planning, crafting, forecasting and reporting on them is a challenge - and that's all before lunch?  August 13 Performance Metrics - Tying the Strategic Plan to Staff Performance 9 am to 12 pm The session will focus on tying individual performance metrics back to the organization's strategic plan. We'll also talk about regular performance reviews and how to structure positive conversations. Target audience: those who manage others; especially Executive Directors and members of the senior management team. August 14 Fort Worth - Creating a Successful Fundraising Culture 9 am to 12 pm This workshop provides the concepts, tools and activities that board leadership and staff can use to: Provide a framework for understanding prospect and donor needs Increase the comfort level and confidence of staff and volunteers in approaching prospects and donors In this practical train the trainer workshop, topics address the needs of nonprofit leaders who want to increase volunteer and staff participation in approaching and engaging prospects and donors. August 15 Fort Worth Management Certificate -  Human Resource Management 9 am to 4:30 pm Learn about the unique human resource and legal structures that are fundamental to the organization, no matter the size of your staff.  August 20 Top 3 Marketing Questions Answered 11:30 am to 1 pm Join Ann Ranson as she discusses the same basic questions that most people ask her. If you're involved in marketing - and everyone is - you'll want to attend to learn what everyone's asking and how you can use the answers to grow your business. Then you'll have time to ask your own top marketing question! August 21 The Perks and Perils of Social Media in the Workplace 9 am to 10 am Social media is both an essential part of doing business in today’s interconnected marketplace and a source of potential liability and confusion for employers. This multidisciplinary panel explores best practices for social media use and other electronic data and communication policies in the workplace from a number of angles, including e-discovery, labor relations, trade secrets, attorney ethical obligations, data breach avoidance and response, and privacy and security laws. August 22 Fort Worth Management Certificate -  Branding, Marketing and Public Relations 9 am to 4:30 pm Discover how essential  branding and marketing is to the success of your organization and how marketing goes hand in hand with the strategic and fundraising plans. August 27 Fort Worth - Board Member Boot Camp 2 pm to 7 pm There are fundamentals every board member should understand before serving on a board. In this one session participants will receive a comprehensive foundation in nonprofit governance so they are armed with the knowledge needed to responsibly serve their community.  August 29 Fort Worth Management Certificate -  Funds Development  9 am to 4:30 pm Explore the essentials to finding and cultivating financial resources that support delivering on the organization's mission. September 10 Writing the Case Statement Clinic 9 am to 4:30 pm In this workshop style class, Learn how to prepare and use the case statement -- one of the most powerful tools in nonprofit management and fundraising. It is recommended that at least two people from each organization participate. September 24 Fort Worth - Creating a Nonprofit Social Media Marketing Plan 11 am to 1:30 pm Are you effectively using social media as a marketing resource for your organization? Do you have a plan in place for using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media platforms? Learn tips, tools and resources that will allow you to: 1. Put an effective plan together; 2. Monitor impact; 3. Utilize social media more effectively to spread your organization’s mission, vision and programs. September 26 Fort Worth - Eight Proven Strategies for Keeping Development on Target 9 am to 12 pm The day-to-day demands of building relationships with prospects and donors and minding the minutia of managing a development office pull development officers in many directions at once, and sometimes off target. If you've ever been concerned about staying on target while responding to the everyday demands of managing a development program, this workshop is for you! October 08 Fort Worth - Board Meetings That Make A Difference 9 am to 1:30 pm This session will explore 11 board meeting best practices and 20 strategies that increase board meeting effectiveness. As a result, you can transform your board meetings to engage and inspire board members, tap their wisdom and focus on the future. Most importantly, you will offer board members the opportunity to invest their wisdom and passion in a cause that matters - and benefit from the deep gratification of making a significant difference through their participation. October 16 Employment Separation - Making sure the hard decision is done legally 9 am to 10 am It’s never easy when an employee must be let go. This presentation will focus on the most productive approaches, including common missteps, best practices in documentation, as well as practical steps for winning unemployment claims, from the separation notice to the final appeal.  October 17 Maximizing Sponsorship Partnerships 9 am to 12 pm This workshop will focus on critical aspects of sponsorships: creating a valuable sponsorship program, understanding the most valued rights and benefits and how to have engaging sponsorship conversations. Sponsorships are a popular funding strategy today, yet they require a specific skill set to maximize the effort. As with any partnership, you have to understand the others’ needs, know how to listen and what to listen for and ultimately how to provide value. This interactive workshop will provide you with what you need to walk out and create more sustainable sponsorship programs November 05 Creative Ways to Use Social Media for Fundraising 11 am to 1:30 pm With so many social media platforms available, which ones are most effective for nonprofit organizations? Join our lunch and learn discussion as we discuss the top 5 platforms that your organization can use and target your intended program and supporter audiences.