2011 Capacity Building Program for Broome, Chenango, Delaware and Tioga Nonprofits

New York Council of Nonprofits, The Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation, The Community Foundation for South Central New York, Conrad and Virginia Klee Foundation, and George A. and Margaret Mee Charitable Foundation Announce 2011 Capacity Building Program for Broome, Chenango, Delaware and Tioga Nonprofits. The Southern Tier Capacity Building Program will involve two free nonprofit trainings and capacity building resources.

The first of two trainings, Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Boards of Directors, will be offered on April 7th, and be presented by NYCON CEO Doug Sauer. The program, to be held at the Broome County Public Library, 185 Court Street, will be offered from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Nonprofit executive directors and board members from Broome, Chenango, Delaware and Tioga Counties are invited to register and attend for free. Two per organization can register. Participants at these trainings will qualify to apply for capacity building services, which include mini-grants and organizational assessments.

The April 7th training, Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Boards of Directors, will help nonprofits understand that now more than ever they need to wisely and effectively recruit, engage and retain good board members and leadership. This may be an uphill challenge as the pool of qualified and interested board members appears to be dwindling; there are anxieties around liability exposure; and increased expectations for board members to give time and money, as well as their wisdom.

This workshop is designed to help your nonprofit strategically assess, build and strengthen your board to achieve organizational success. There are no magic bullets. It takes work, determination, a positive attitude and, for some, the courage to change the board’s composition if not culture. This session will take comprehensive look at board development and will offer practical tips and tools for recruitment and retention. Registration is free and is available online at http://binghamtoncapcitybuildingapril7.eventbrite.com/

A second workshop, Balancing Good Management and Governance for Your Nonprofit, will be held on June 9th again at the Broome County Public Library. This session will help board members and staff understand the balance of governance and management roles, as well as how to develop an effective and successful partnership.

Registration is available here: http://binghamtonjune9th.eventbrite.com/

As a follow up to either workshop, participants can apply to receive capacity building services provided through a Mini-Grant Program and an Assessment Program. Training participants will be eligible to submit applications to either program beginning on April 7th.

The 2011 Southern Tier Capacity Building Mini-Grant Program is intended to measurably improve the governance and management operations of qualifying 501(c)3 nonprofits that are located or provide a substantial amount of services in Broome, Chenango, Delaware and/or Tioga Counties. The program is sponsored by NYCON, The Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation, The Community Foundation for South Central New York, Conrad and Virginia Klee Foundation, and George A. and Margaret Mee Charitable Foundation. The individual grant award limits are as follows:

• Up to $1,000 for general governance and management assistance
• Up to $1,000 for merger, consolidation or subsidiary development and for crisis management intervention services
• Up to $500 in scholarships for participation at qualified capacity building conferences, as submitted for approval.

The 2011 Southern Tier Capacity Building Assessment Program is intended to provide direct assistance to nonprofits in specific operations areas such as board governance, program, financial, planning, among others. This assessment will help improve the organizational performance and well-being of your nonprofit.

In order to qualify, applicants must attend one of two free trainings offered on April 7th or June 9th. The organization applying must be a qualified 501(c)3 organization located in or provide substantial service to residents and visitors of Broome, Chenango, Delaware or Tioga Counties. Projects must improve the governance, management and program service capacity of the nonprofit, and any proposed project consultant must be qualified and available at a reasonable cost. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and grants will be awarded to qualifying nonprofits with approved project activities. The grant criteria and application will be available online and in hard copy as of April 7th.

New York Council of Nonprofits is the premier governance, management, and support services organization serving charities in the state. NYCON has a membership of 3,000 charities of all types and has offices in Albany, New York City, Buffalo, Poughkeepsie, and Oneonta. For more Information visit www.nycon.org or contact Andrew Marietta at 607-436-3124, or at amarietta@nycon.org.

The mission of the Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation, Inc., created to perpetuate the Hoyts' charitable interest, is to use its resources to enhance the quality of life of the people of Broome County, primarily through judicious grantmaking. Stewart and Willma Hoyt’s vision and funding, coupled with the prudent management afforded by a dedicated Board, has created a strong mechanism to seek solutions to critical issues facing our community.

The Community Foundation for South Central New York is now in its 14th year of encouraging and facilitating philanthropy in the region, and serves five counties including Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Tioga. Dedicated to being a flexible endowment fund for its communities, it receives both large and small contributions from donors (including individuals, businesses and other foundations) to form the endowment from which grants are made. Since its inception in 1997 the Community Foundation has awarded more than $5.5 million in grants to not-for-profit organizations in the fields of health, human services, education, arts and humanities and has received over $16 million in contributions. More information about the Community Foundation may be found on its website at www.cfscny.org.

The Conrad and Virginia Klee Foundation is a private charitable foundation created in 1957 by Conrad Klee and his wife. Since that time it has made charitable grants to various qualified nonprofit organizations, primarily in Broome County, NY. The Klee Foundation is committed to promoting, nurturing and educating a healthy community. Accordingly, particular focus is placed upon grant proposals seeking funding to support sustainable programs that can demonstrate how they can help to achieve that goal. More information about the Klee Foundation may be found on its website at http://kleefoundation.org.

George A. and Margaret Mee Charitable Foundation invests in projects and programs of qualified nonprofit organizations that support the communities of Delaware County, New York, Cameron County, Pennsylvania and Broome County, New York and occasionally the surrounding areas. The general categories of funding are Education, Community and Recreation, Health and Human Services and Arts and Culture. It is the Foundation's intent through such investments to assist and support the nonprofit organizations in addressing the current issues and challenges within these communities, thereby working towards positive change and impact in the lives of those they serve. More information about the Mee Foundation may be found at http://www.meefoundation.org.