MADISON COUNTY — The Art and Science of Community Leadership, a four-part professional development workshop series, is scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. June 19, June 26, July 10 and July 17 at Pendleton Christian Church, 1170 S. Pendleton Ave.
The program, sponsored by South Madison Community Foundation and Leadership Academy of Madison County, is designed to help community organizations improve operations and take their projects to a new and better level.
“So many of the things we love about our community are the result of grassroots groups with a vision for a brighter future,” said Tammy Bowman, executive director of South Madison Community Foundation.
Successful community happenings take practical knowledge and a broad base of support, Bowman said, and the workshop is designed to show people how to create structure to get things done.
“Throughout our planning and visioning for this series, our focus has been on providing these organizations with tools and resources that they can use to facilitate a conversation with their stakeholders,” said Beth Erskine, executive director of Leadership Academy of Madison County.
Most local charitable organizations started with someone who felt there was a need to meet. For long-term sustainability and success, there are steps that are needed or highly recommended, organizers said.
“This series of workshops will help participants identify those critical elements and understand how to create an action plan to get them done,” Erskine said.
The program will discuss:
• Strategic planning — what it is and why it is important, along with developing a mission statement to guide an organization
• Board and volunteer development — strategies for recruiting a diverse group of volunteers and educating them on their roles and responsibilities, a basic understanding of reading financial statements, a basic understanding of insurance risk and liability for organizations and their volunteers, fundraising tips — strategies designed for different needs.
• How to identify the next generation of volunteers.
• Legal and ethical requirements governing nonprofit organizations.
“We hope it catalyzes our community organizations by providing a new skill set and a range of local advisers who can help them do what they do even better,” Bowman said.
The cost is $20 per session or $75 for the series; there also is a scholarship for free participation is open to organizations that qualify.
For more details or to sign up, visit https://thelamc.org/upcoming-events.
