Conference Workshop: Finance 101

Speakers:  Angela Richardson and Brian Shull
http://www.cliftonlarsonallen.com/

Angela Richardson has over 14 years experience in the nonprofit industry and is the Senior Manager of Accounting and Auditing, Nonprofit Group at CliftonLarsonAllen. Her role involves substantial planning and supervising of audits of nonprofit and governmental entities, providing professional consulting and training to nonprofit organizations, related to board governance and financial management, and conducting quality control reviews for other CPA firms.

Brian Shull is one of the leaders of the Spokane and Pacific Northwest Governmental/Nonprofit Practice with CliftonLarsonAllen. He has over 14 years experience in public accounting spending the majority of his time servicing governmental and nonprofit entities.

Both Angela and Brian have their Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and are Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). 

From this workshop, the audience will gain a better understanding of: 

• Basic financial management best practices;
• Risk related to accounting for nonprofits; and 
• The role of the board of directors with regard to financial management.

Because of its popular demand, this is the third year this workshop has been offered! Join Angela and Brian at the 3rd annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference – Programs and Sustainability Series held Thursday, February 7th, 2013, at the Lincoln Center. For more information visit the AE website.

Conference Workshop: Board Development and Engagement

Speaker: Don Chalmers
http://www.sparrowhawkco.com

For over 40 years Don has worked successfully with groups of people in a wide variety of settings; from small “encounter” groups to audiences in the hundreds.  He has served as the Executive Director of a number of nonprofit organizations including a higher education foundation and a health care system foundation and has been a member of several non-profit boards.  As a seasoned consultant, he’s collaboratively worked with scores of Executive Directors and their Pacific Northwest nonprofit boards to help their organizations grow, develop, and flourish.

Board members are essential partners in the success of each nonprofit. They have specific roles and responsibilities that help sustain and grow their organization. Board members are not required to know everything about nonprofit management, but they are expected to act prudently and in the best interests of the organization. Is your board doing this optimally? This workshop will discuss how to cultivate active not passive board members who are truly engaged in advancing your mission. 

Join Don at the 3rd annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference – Programs and Sustainability Series held Thursday, February 7th, 2013, at the Lincoln Center. For more information visit the AE website.

Conference Workshop: The Science and Art of Writing Winning Grants

Speaker:  Katie Howard
www.thinkwritegrow.com

Katie has more than 11 years of professional proposal writing experience (both grants and contracts) with more than $61 million in awarded proposals. She also has over 8 years of experience training nonprofit professionals in grant writing strategies nationwide.

Do grants feel like a magic source of money that you’ll never be able to access? The process of developing a strong, compliant grant proposal can often feel like an uncertain venture that can leave us feeling overwhelmed and confused. The purpose of this workshop is to demystify the grant proposal process. We’ll review the proposal lifecycle, from research to submission, and review some of the top mistakes people make when preparing their proposals and how to avoid them. We’ll also examine short excerpts from proposals from a grant reviewer’s perspective.

By attending this session, you will:

• Learn about when you should and should NOT write grants
• Review types of funders and types of funding
• Learn the common elements of a grant proposal
• Discuss common mistakes and strategies to avoid making them
• And much more

***This class is especially intended for people new to the grant writing arena, people who have struggled to win grants in the past, and people who feel timid about writing.

Because of popular demand, this is the third year this class has been offered! Join Katie at the 3rd annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference – Programs and Sustainability Series, held Thursday, February 7th, 2012, at the Lincoln Center. For more information visit the AE website.

Conference Workshop: Risk Management and Compliance

Speakers:  Angela Richardson and Brian Shull

http://www.cliftonlarsonallen.com/

Angela Richardson has over 14 years experience in the nonprofit industry and is the Senior Manager of Accounting and Auditing, Nonprofit Group at CliftonLarsonAllen. Her role involves substantial planning and supervising of audits of nonprofit and governmental entities, providing professional consulting and training to nonprofit organizations, related to board governance and financial management, and conducting quality control reviews for other CPA firms.

Brian Shull is one of the leaders of the Spokane and Pacific Northwest Governmental/Nonprofit Practice with CliftonLarsonAllen. He has over 14 years experience in public accounting spending the majority of his time servicing governmental and nonprofit entities.

Both Angela and Brian have their Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and are Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). 

From this workshop, the audience will gain a better understanding of:

• Best practices related to risk management within a nonprofit organization;
• The role of the board of directors and management with regard to risk; and
• Form 990 areas of risk as well as new tax areas you should be aware of.

Due to popular demand, this is the third year this workshop has been offered! Join Angela and Brian at the 3rd annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference - Programs and Sustainability Series on Thursday, February 7th, 2013, at the Lincoln Center. For more information visit the AE website.

Registration Now Open for 3rd Annual Inland NW Nonprofit Conference – February 7, 2013!

We are excited to announce registration is now open for our 3rd Annual Inland NW Nonprofit Conference on Thursday, February 7th, 2013 at the Lincoln Center in Spokane!

The theme for this year is Programs and Sustainability and will include:

• 11 educational workshops (including a Funders' Panel)
• Keynote plenary presentation, Ben Stuckart, Spokane City Council President
• Exhibitor tables and networking breakouts throughout the day

Purchase a day pass (includes 4 workshops and lunch), or each workshop individually (ala carte). Attending the entire day maximizes learning and networking opportunities. For information on workshop descriptions, prices, and discounts, visit our website.

To receive updates on speakers and other event information, be sure to sign-up for our e-newsletter!

Exhibitor opportunities are available. For more information, contact Nicole Ferrell, Event Manager, at nicole@ae-consulting.net.

Save the date! The 3rd Annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference is February 7, 2013!

The 3rd Annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference is just around the corner.  This year's conference theme will be Programs and Sustainability. This will be a full day event offering 11 classes covering topics such as grants, marketing, sustainability, and finance. A happy hour on location will follow adding more opportunity to network with other nonprofit professionals.

 

Mark your calendars for:

 

February 7, 2013 from 8 am - 4 pm 

(Check-in at 7:30 am / Happy Hour at 4 pm)

Location: Spokane, WA  (Exact location TBA)

 

Be sure to subscribe to AE's blog to stay in the loop on registration, classes, and dates as they become available. Also, visit our website for more information.

Need your input for 2013 Conference

Planning for the 3rd Annual Inland NW Nonprofit Conference is underway and we need your input!

The 3^rd annual Inland NW Nonprofit Conference will take place next February 2013. The 1-day educational and professional development conference is the only capacity building resource of its kind locally and welcomes those within the public, nonprofit, philanthropic, and academic or education sectors. 

Up to 12 educational classes, several networking breakouts, and a keynote plenary presentation will comprise the day’s events. Classes cover topics in finance, grants, marketing, leadership, and  much more! Scroll through this blog to see what has been offered in the past. 

By the end of August, we'll wrap up our intake of community market research. If you are someone that may be interested in attending this event either in 2013 or sometime down the road, let us know what class subjects you would want available! Let us know about the trends and topics you're faced with and how our educational services and materials can support you. 

Copy/paste the link below into a new browser and contribute to the very short survey: 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YMW99T8 

Proposal Writing Tip: Include useful and relevant data

As a consultant working with a variety of clients over the years on grant proposals, there are often commonalities that arise amongst each, and one is this, writing grant proposals with loads of passion but no solid data to support the issue addressed.

Chuck Putney, a consultant trainer for The Grantsmanship Center, has written a concise and applicable article on the use of data in proposals in the recent Centered publication (June 2012 (Vol. 5, No. 6). I strongly recommend reading this if you are planning on developing proposals of any type. An excerpt;

Data--numbers--are critical in proposals. The ability to seek out and provide data to bolster an argument is an indication of the applicant's level of professionalism. The less the argument is supported by appropriate data, the harder it is for the reviewer to see the proposal as a substantive and meaningful program plan.

At the same time, data alone will not make the argument for you. Read more…

He continues to outline how to use that data and what to include. Equally as important, don’t forget to include why you’re the most competent to address this issue or execute your program! Use data to back that up as well.

Happy grant seeking!

“The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price.”

Vincent "Vince" Lombardi (1913-1970);

Athletic coach

Grant Seeking Development Tip: Monitor Trends from the Giving-Side

Guest Blogger: Katie Howard

One of the biggest mistakes nonprofits often make when deciding to develop grant proposals is that they often surge ahead without a plan, submitting proposals with very little justification. For example, they may be pursuing a funder merely because they know the funder makes awards in their geographic region but did not conduct deeper research to determine if the funder is truly the best fit for the organization, program, or community need. Taking this type of “shotgun” approach in grant proposal development is as ineffective as throwing darts blindfolded.

Setting grant funding priorities and timelines as an organization is an important first step; so is conducting comprehensive funding leads research to identify the foundations and corporate donors that are most likely to be a fit for your organizational and community needs. Monitoring giving trends is another activity that can help inform you and your grant seeking priorities.

One of our recommended reads is Trends in Northwest Giving. Compiled every two years by Philanthropy Northwest, this report analyzes grant making to Northwest nonprofits to help organizational leaders understand trends across the region, focusing on each of the six states in Philanthropy Northwest’s region (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming). 

The 2012 edition analyzes nearly 20,000 grants from 316 funders awarded to Northwest nonprofits in 2010. A few of the trends discussed in the report include:

• post-recession reductions in capital grantmaking;
• the continuing prevalence of small grant awards (more than half of the grants awarded were under $10,000); and
• a 16% increase in grant funding to American Indian/Alaska Native communities.

This report is an excellent tool to inform nonprofit organizations’ grant seeking goals for 2012 and beyond. The entire report is available at http://www.philanthropynw.org/s_pnw/bin.asp?CID=8175&DID=56039&DOC=FILE.PDF.

[bio]

Katie Howard is the owner and principal consultant of KH Consulting. She has more than 10 years of proposal writing experience and has won approximately $60 million in grant and contract funds. Her grant writing training Think, Write, Grow: Practical Strategies for Writing Winning Grants is now available in DVD format at http://thinkwritegrow.com

Funding Leads Research Tip - Have it come to you!

One of my favorite listservs to receive is the Foundation Center’s RFP weekly update.

“The RFP Bulletin is a publication of the Foundation Center. RFPs posted within the past week are listed below, sorted by topic. To search or browse all RFP postings, visit our Web site — new RFPs appear daily. PND posts RFPs free of charge submitted by U.S. grantmaking organizations.”

The announcements provide non-government funding leads in areas such as Aging, Arts and Culture, Children and Youth, Community Development, Education, Medical Research, and many others. 

Sign-up to receive the emails. If you find a funding announcement that sparks your interest, click on the RFP title and let your leads research begin! Receiving email blasts from highly reputable listservs such as this one (or ones that are directly related to your service area) help support your busy schedule and the need for continued research.

Debrief on Giving Panel 4/19 5pm at LaunchPad

Please join your nonprofit community moderators, Andrea Estes and Katie Howard, for a Nonprofit Community offline meet-up on April 19th from 5-7pm. We’ll be debriefing information from the Giving in the 21st Century panel on philanthropy presented earlier in the week by the Empire Health Foundation (if you are interested in attending that event, please click here for details (http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=84f07c8dc45f7531c1d545b38&id=b54e9f9e07&e=bb3a7325d1)).

Katie and Andrea will have attended the discussion and will bring notes back to the group to discuss. We welcome anyone to attend regardless of attending the panel. 

Both Katie and Andrea’s consulting businesses have a large focus in grant funding development. Plan to participate in an engaging, inspiring, and informative discussion! Please RSVP to attend on the event schedule on LaunchPad or post a Comment on this blog. There will definitely be time to mingle with colleagues as well!

Light refreshments will be provided.

Cost: Free to members, $10 for non-members

Where: Launchpad Training and Co-working Center at 120 N. Stevens in downtown Spokane

Thank you.

Thank you to those of you who attended and/or supported the 2nd Annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference. We will be sending out a survey to attendees for feedback, please let us know your thoughts on the details of the event. Doing so helps those of us invested in supporting our sector do our best!

Please stay up to date on future events through the AE Blog, LinkedIn Group "Inland NW Nonprofit Conference", or through LaunchPad's Nonprofit Community.

http://ae-consulting.blogspot.com/
(Click on Subscribe To and follow the steps)

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=4222659&trk=anet_ug_hm
(Join LinkedIn to subscribe, it's free)

http://www.launchpadinw.com/group/nonprofit
(Join LaunchPad and join the group, also free)

Open Seats for FREE Roundtables Only! Pre-Registration is Required!

Seats are available for the FREE roundtable session for individuals who think they want to start a nonprofit. The session will be held 9:30-11:30 am this Thursday, February 16th, during the 2nd Annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference. 

If you have an idea that you think would be eligible, if you have ever wanted to become part of the sector, or you have done some research and want to take your mission to the next level then please join us and come prepared with questions. Each table will have an individual present who can speak directly to the topic.

We encourage you to stay for the lunch and keynote presentation that immediately follows. Lunch is only $15 and includes exposure to all the Exhibitors who will offer more information and resources within the sector.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Please RSVP through the Contact Us page and note "RSVP for Roundtables."

REGISTRATION CLOSING this Friday! Inland NW Nonprofit Conference!

Registration Closes 2/10! Space available for ALL CLASSES.

We have confirmed our class schedule for our 2nd Annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference taking place on February 16, 2012 at the Spokane Masonic Center. The class schedule is as follows:

1st session (8 - 9:15am)

• Grants Research and Prospecting *Back by popular demand!
• Human Capital Management
• Endowments and Planned Giving 101

2nd session (9:30-11:30 am)

• Funders Panel (Participating organizations TBD)
• Succession Planning

Keynote Lunch Speaker: Deanna Davis

3rd session (1:10 - 2:30pm)

• The Science and Art of Grant Writing
• Strategic Planning
• Financial Management 101 *Back by popular demand!

4th session (2:45 - 4pm)

• Marketing in the Tech Era
• Board Management and Development (for Executive Management)
• The Uber Board Member: Adopting a Model for Guiding Your Organization (for Board Members)

Happy hour on-site to follow!

Class descriptions and speakers will be announced throughout the next few months. Stay in the loop by signing up for AE’s blog here.

Reduced Hotel Rate from the Spokane Club for Conference Attendees

If you’re coming from out of town for the Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference on February 16, 2012, the Spokane Club Inn has offered a reduced rate of $95 for King/Queen rooms and $115 for deluxe rooms, both with access to athletic facilities, for February 15-16.

For reservations, call the hotel directly at (509) 838-8511. They ask that you DO NOT make reservation online.

Conference Session: Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations

Speaker: Dave Heyamoto, SNAP Financial Access

www.snapaccess.org 

Dave is the Business Development Manager for SNAP Financial Access and assists low to moderate income families to increase family income, create financial assets, and build a financial future through small business ownership.  He has 34 years of experience in the corporate business world developing and implementing strategic planning initiatives. Dave has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and has completed course work through the EWU MBA Program.

By attending this class, you’ll cover subject matters such as: 

• What is a strategic plan, why is it important, and how to get started
• How strategic planning manages for the continuously changing environment including:
• Decreases in federal funding
• Changes in political winds
• Staffing issues  
• Competition for scarce resources
• Benefits to establishing a strategic plan and the consequences of not doing so
• Case-based examples of current non-profit strategic plans used at SNAP

Check out this video to learn more about SNAP's programs and services:

Join Dave at the 2nd annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference – Leadership Series held Thursday, February 16th, 2012, at the Spokane Masonic Center. For more information, visit the AE website.

Reduced Hotel Rate from the Red Lion for Conference Attendees

If you’re coming from out of town for the Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference on February 16, 2012, the Red Lion Hotel has offered a reduced room rate from February 15-16.

For reservations, visit their website or call 1-800-RED-LION (1-800-733-5466) and request "AE Consulting special rates."

Conference Session: Marketing in the Tech Era

Speakers: Tine and Ed Reese, Sixth Man Marketing
www.sixthmanmarketing.com

Tine and Ed Reese are a dynamic, engaging, and extremely knowledgeable duo that will offer information on this topic not to be missed! 

Tine Reese, Usability Analyst, has a BA in Communication Arts and Design and is passionate about thoughtfully integrating good design, clear communication, and user expectations in all facets of the online experience. She knows what motivates people to take action on the web and is also the founder and director of the local nonprofit Bloom Spokane. 

Ed Reese, Principal of Sixth Man Marketing, is equal parts website analyst, SEO, and online marketing strategist. He ensures that client websites and online marketing campaigns are optimized to produce a promising return on investment for the business. Ed is also a national marketing speaker, member of the Get Listed University Faculty, and has a BA in Mass Media Communications. 

This session’s learning objectives will cover:

• The nitty-gritty of the ever-changing social media landscape 
• The multiple tools available and what’s best for what activity 
• And how to create a plan to engage an audience and offer content that cuts through the noise!

Join Tine and Ed at the 2nd annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference – Leadership Series Thursday, February 16th, 2011, at the Spokane Masonic Center. For more information visit the AE website.

OPEN SEATS!! Getting Started Roundtable Sessions – FREE (9:30a – 11:30am)

Seating available!! Please RSVP for attendance and/or lunch!!

The February 16, 2012 Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference will host a NEW and FREE roundtable session for individuals who think they want to start a nonprofit. If you have an idea that you think would be eligible, if you have ever wanted to become part of the sector, or you have done some research and want to take your mission to the next level then please join us.

Table Topics will be:

• Understanding the 501(c)(3) application process;
• Legal considerations when getting started;
• How a state association connects you to the nonprofit community;
• Finding work in the nonprofit sector; job roles and functions;
• Starting a capital project, what’s involved from the outset; and
• Options other than starting a nonprofit (fiscal sponsor, B Corp).

Each table will have an individual present who can speak directly to the topic. Come prepared with questions.

We encourage you to stay for the lunch and keynote presentation that immediately follows. Lunch is only $15 and includes exposure to all the Exhibitors who will offer more information and resources within the sector.

To register for the Roundtables, please RSVP through the Contact Us page and note “RSVP for Roundtables.”

To register for lunch, visit the AE website.

Conference Session: Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations

Speaker: Angela M. Richardson, CPA, Manager, CliftonLarsonAllen

Angela has 13 years of experience within accounting and financial management. Currently she is involved in substantial planning and supervising of audits of nonprofit and governmental entities, providing professional consulting and training to nonprofit organizations related to board governance and financial management, and conducting quality control reviews for other CPA firms. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

From this session, the audience will gain a better understanding of: 

• Basic financial management best practices;
• Risks related to accounting for nonprofits; and 
• The role of the board of directors with regard to financial management.

Reviews from this class last year stated stellar remarks and attendees wanted more! Join Angela at the 2nd annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference – Leadership Series held Thursday, February 16th, 2012, at the Spokane Masonic Center. For more information visit the AE website.

Conference Session: The Uber Board Member: Adopting a Model for Guiding Your Organization (for Board Members)

Speaker: John Ferrone, Ferrone Associates

www.ferroneassociates.com

John has been a consultant for 15+ years with the majority of his engagements focused on assisting organization leaders to evolve their perspective about what it means to lead the organization. He has developed a framework that provides leaders with a roadmap for leading the organization; a framework which dozens of client organizations have employed to great use in achieving higher levels of staff accountability, achievement of the mission via outcomes, and the identification and attainment of new funding sources towards sustainability. (EOE Sustainability Model)

The audience will walk away with:

• A new perspective, or context, as to what it means to be a Board member;
• Tools that can easily be employed within any organization; and
• The ability to answer questions such as: 
• “How and where should I plug in my most valuable talent?”; 
• “How do I know we are doing well and accomplishing our mission?”; 
• “What is the donor looking for in an investment-worthy organization, and what is my role as a Board member to help shape our organization to deliver it?”

Join John at the 2nd annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference – Leadership Series held Thursday, February 16th, 2011, at the Spokane Masonic Center. For more information visit the AE website.

Conference Session: The Art and Science of Grant Writing

Speaker: Katie Howard, KH Consulting
www.thinkwritegrow.com

Katie has more than 10 years of professional proposal writing experience (both grants and contracts), during which time she has raised $15+ million in grant awards and $40+ million in contract awards.  She has been providing grant writing trainings to audiences ranging in size from 5 to 350 since 2004. Most recently, Katie has trained nonprofit professionals in five cities nationwide using her proprietary curriculum sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. She has also taught grant writing courses for the Institute for Extended Learning housed within the Spokane Community Colleges system.

By attending this session, you will:

• Learn about when you should and should NOT write grants
• Review types of funders and types of funding
• Learn the common elements of a grant proposal
• Discuss common mistakes and strategies to avoid making them
• And much more

Join Katie at the 2nd annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference – Leadership Series held Thursday, February 16th, 2012, at the Spokane Masonic Center. For more information visit the AE website.