The Washington State Nonprofit Governance Conference will feature a wide variety of sessions focused on nonprofit governance for organizations of all sizes. Board members and Executive Directors can expect to learn about many topics ranging from the basics for new board members to recent research on complex nonprofit governance issues. Exhibitors will present information on resources of value to nonprofits and their boards, and the bookstore will feature a number of publications focused just on governance.
This will be a landmark opportunity for nonprofit board education, and you don’t want to miss it. Presenter biographies are available here.
The conference will include sessions on:
| Know Your Sector | Many people are surprised to learn of the significant role that nonprofit organizations play in our world. Nonprofits in the U.S. generate $1.1 trillion every year, which is more than the entire economies of Saudi Arabia and Sweden combined. Nonprofits have strong brands and get important work done! The video, Know Your Sector, was designed as a free resource for nonprofit employees and donors to help them understand the scope of their sector. | Ben Klasky |
| Nonprofits in Washington & Washington Nonprofits | Information about Washington’s nonprofit sector and how we can be more effective together will be the focus of this presentation of two critical areas of focus. The data about the sector included in “Nonprofits in Washington 2009” will be reviewed by its Principal Author who will also describe the plans of our new state association of nonprofits, Washington Nonprofits. | Putnam Barber |
| Keynote Presentation: Transformative Governance | Though the economy may be stabilizing, there is no going back to business as usual for the nonprofit sector. Going forward requires us to envision a different future for our organizations. But only those boards that are willing to transform themselves will succeed in transforming their organizations. | Linda Crompton |
| What Board Members Need to Know about Not-for-Profit Finance & Accounting | Financial statements and the Form 990 can be intimidating to Board members and non-financial staff. Our luncheon presentation will feature speed reading tips and tricks that help board members spot “red flag” issues; how to best present key information to donors and the board; and how to protect your tax exempt status with the IRS. Each participant will receive a copy of “What Board Members Need to Know about Not-For-Profit Finance and Accounting” to help them understand their responsibilities. | Carolyn Hojaboom |
| Financial Oversight Basics | When it comes to the financial health of your nonprofit, the Board plays a major role. This session will help Board members and those who work with boards understand their fiduciary responsibilities, how to assess the board’s financial performance, and the financial reports they should be looking at – and what information they should be getting from them. | Alan Strand |
| Fundraising Without Fear | A down economy. Falling revenues. More need for fundraising. And you’re a board member responsible for making it happen. No wonder you’re concerned. This interactive, entertaining session will provide you with techniques to understand and overcome your fears, give you confidence to approach potential donors, gain a better understanding of why people give or don’t give. You’ll also discover that if you do your job correctly, you may become a successful fundraiser without ever actually asking for a gift! | Stuart Grover |
| Inspired Leadership | Nonprofit leaders want the best for their organizations yet sometimes are tripped up by the process of achieving their goals. This presentation offers specific and practical insights into how to get the most out of your meeting time and allow the creative energy of your board to flourish. | Ann Macfarlane |
| What’s My Job? For New Board Members Only | It has been said that there are two jobs in life for which we receive no training – parenting and serving on a nonprofit board. Here’s your chance to change that. By learning about your legal and functional responsibilities in this session you will have the confidence of understanding your role and being prepared to become an active, contributing board member. | Ann Macfarlane |
| Lifecycles/Life Stages | Researchers find that organizations, private sector and nonprofit alike, go through predictable developmental stages of growth. These stages can present common challenges, hassles and demons, as well as joys & successes. Knowing these can make the difference between effective growth, or a ‘passion-play’ with all its drama. In this session you will learn about organizational stages and where your organization fits. Participants will also gain an understanding of common challenges and strategies for growth. | Lynn Hagerman |
| Measuring Impact | Do you hear your staff members discussing Outcome-based Evaluation (OBE)? Do you know what they’re talking about? Why should you care? OBE is a process by which many funders measure the impact of their grants. The information provided is not just for funders, however. Participants in this session will gain an understanding of the OBE process and what it can do to help you determine your impact in the community. | Mike Walsh |
| Asking the Tough Questions: The Board’s Role in Strategic Planning | We all want a strategic plan that is truly relevant to the times, unites board and staff toward a common vision, and provides the necessary road map to ensure we meet our goals.
To often we end up with mission and vision statements that are just a collection of words that we don’t truly own, the environmental scan is superficial and inadequate, and we have difficulty discerning the key strategic issues we need to face. In this approach to strategic planning we will focus on asking the right questions and drilling down in the answers until we give real meaning to the mission and vision statements and distinguish the most important issues. This session is for those who want to create a plan that will be relevant and strategic, and build a greater sense of ownership among the board and staff. |
Melora Hiller |
| Be a Positive Force in Conflict | Conflict situations – whether between an Executive Director and a Board, between Board members, or between an Executive Director and staff – can be the most stressful aspect of being a Board member. Left unattended or poorly handled, conflict can damage or even destroy a nonprofit’s effectiveness. What’s a Board member to do? Between the two most common responses – staying out of the fight (and witnessing a train wreck that could have been avoided) or taking sides (and making things worse) – lies a whole set of positive actions you can take to restore harmony and alignment. By promoting positive and mature responses to conflict, you can diminish conflict’s destructive aspects, and release its creative potential for individual and organizational change and renewal. | Stewart Henderson |
| Business Planning | While mission is the driving force for every nonprofit, solid business planning is essential for mission fulfillment. In this session participants will discuss the role the board plays in ensuring long-term sustainability, primarily as it relates to the overall stewardship necessary to develop sustainable contributed and earned revenue streams. [Draft description] | Mike Walsh |
| Executive Transition | Is your organization looking for a new executive director now, or might it be in the foreseeable future? Is your board chair stepping down? Wherever your organization is in its lifecycle, it’s only a matter of time until its next leadership change. Succession Planning is an opportunity to build organizational resilience, and it doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. This interactive session will give you practical tips to use now to save time and trouble when the inevitable leadership change occurs. | Sharon Lucas |
| Master Class | Join our Keynote Speaker, Linda Crompton, to explore in greater detail the concepts presented in her presentation. This is a great opportunity to learn how to incorporate her wisdom into your organization. | Linda Crompton |
| Recruiting for Board Success | Have you ever wondered why some boards are so good at “minding the mission” and others are best at “running the business”? We’ll review some new research plus tried and true board recruitment methods to provide some answers to this question. Please come prepared to talk about what your board does well, what you wish it did better, and to share your own successful board recruitment methods | Sharon Lucas |
| The Key to Leadership – Being a Learner | For a non-profit to perform at its best, Board members, the Executive Director, and key staff all need to step up to the highest level of leadership. Of course, that means doing all the things you do well… but at critical times, it also means recognizing what you DON’T do well, where you need to change, and when it’s time to try something new. The bad news: We all have natural defensiveness that tries to block us from learning. The good news: We can actually learn to become better learners! This highly participatory session will give you concrete skills to sharpen your leadership by becoming a better learner, as well as tips on coaching others to do the same. (Warning: This session involves looking yourself in the mirror — it is only recommended for the brave of heart!) | Stewart Henderson |
| Voice of the Next Generation | Through a partnership between The Nonprofit Center and the Center for Leadership & Social Responsibility at the Milgard School of Business, UWT students are gaining first-hand experience as interns on nonprofit boards in the Tacoma area. Students will provide their perspectives on governance in this session based on their learnings in the classroom and the boardroom. | Liz Heath & students |
| Adaptive Leadership | Adaptive challenges are murky, systemic problems with no easy answers. Since executives and experts don’t have all the answers, finding solutions requires a new, collaborative approach. In this workshop, you will learn how to identify an adaptive challenge, and the type of leadership required to overcome it. We will explore six principles for adaptive leadership put forward by Ron Heifetz and Donald Laurie, and discuss how they apply in the board room. | Laura Pierce |
| Board/ED Partnerships | The relationship between the Board and the organization’s professional leader – Executive Director, CEO or whatever the title – has been characterized as one of the most challenging for a nonprofit as well as one of the most critical factors in the success of the organization. This session will offer opportunities to discuss and discover the components of this complex relationship as well as provide useful tools for strengthening the relationship. | Dennis McMillian |
| Establishing Common Ground | Board members and leaders of any organization are entitled to a clear and thorough account of an opportunity before being asked for their approval of large expenditures or new initiatives. Participants will gain an understanding of sensible expectations for project proposals that will:
Enforce reliable follow-up for learning and accountability |
Dave Wittenberg |
| The Nonprofit Sustainability Model | Join this session to learn about the four signs of nonprofit sustainability. Organizations that exhibit these factors are outperforming those that don’t, and knowing them can help you decide what type of capacity to invest in and feel confident in your decision | Dennis McMillian |
| How Do Board Members Really Assure Fundraising Success? | Every board member knows that successful fundraising is key! But very few know how to measure, manage and evaluate fundraising success as a matter of good governance. Sustainable nonprofit organizations must demonstrate progress with cash and “beyond cash” goals. Learn about the “Beyond Cash” Fundraising Management Dashboard, receive a copy, and learn how to customize it to your organization for use with board and executive leadership. | Peter Drury |
| Thriving in Tough Times | This workshop will provide nonprofit managers and leaders with grounding in concepts of business model assessment as well as a methodology for identifying potential strategies for financial restructuring in a challenging economic climate. At the end of the session, participants will have a deeper understanding of their organization’s business model, will understand a process for assessing strengths and weaknesses of their business model and will have explored potential financial strategies with peer-to-peer input. | Scott Schaffer |
