Group One Elective Courses

New curriculum for the summer of 2008:

E140 Building Organizational Excellence
Excellent organizations begin with integrity. Dig deep within your organization to find the core values to surpass expectations.

Course topics:
• Identifying principles and best practices of excellent organizations.
• Benchmarking your organization's performance against the standards of other excellent organizations.
• Implementing best practice techniques.

E142 Community Development [Introductory]
Assess the current state of your downtown area and identify ways to make your community a better place to do business. Learn how to structure and implement an economic development plan to ensure the retention and growth of your community's business base.

Course topics:
• Steps to develop a strategic plan to attract and retain businesses.
• Resources for making your community a better place to do business.
• Partners, initiatives, and resources for financing.

E160 Grant Writing
Tap the world of grants to get funding for community projects. Learn how to plan, research, organize, write, package, and submit proposals.

Course topics:
• The process of applying for a grant.
• The importance of targeting your proposal to your project.
• The reasons attention to detail can make or break your application.

E143 Leveraging Knowledge [Introductory]
The flow of knowledge is a competitive advantage. This course explores a people-first and principle-centered approach to leverage knowledge in nonprofits.

Course topics:
• Using data and databases effectively.
• Recording institutional knowledge.
• Linking surveys and research.

E150 Negotiation Skills
Effective negotiations are critical to your job as a nonprofit professional. Learn how to obtain the results you want through negotiations.

Course topics:
• Developing a planning guide for negotiating.
• Understanding standard negotiation strategies, tactics, and techniques to reach a win-win solution.
• Creating a plan of action for your next negotiation.

E180 Orientation for Board Success
Orientation sessions set the tone for new boards and create opportunities for them to operate cohesively. Learn the essential elements of a successful orientation and techniques to motivate your board.

Course topics:
• Structuring a board orientation.
• Setting expectations for board members.
• Coaching the board to think strategically.

E110 Revving Your Revenue Stream
Identify new ways to fund, raise, sponsor, and partner to bring revenue into your organization. Learn the steps involved to establish partnerships, including due diligence and safeguards to protect your organization and its members.

Course topics:
• Discover avenues to bring revenue into your organization.
• Examine potential new sources of nondues revenue through collaborations, partnerships, and fundraising.
• Understand the financial and legal implications associated with different revenue streams.

E126 The Rx for HR Headaches [New]
Handling difficult employee situations can be one of the most tedious and anxiety-producing aspects of management. By managing such situations effectively, it is often possible to turn a difficult situation into a great one.

Course topics:
• Identifying unsatisfactory employee performance.
• Redirecting problematic staff behavior.
• Taking action if you can't turn it around.

E161 Tech Tricks and Techniques [New]
Keeping up with technology can be challenging in any industry. Discover the latest trends in Web-based communications to effectively and efficiently grab the attention and esteem of your members.

Course topics:
• Implementing shortcuts and time-savers immediately.
• Building blogs and wikis.
• Reaching your audience with the latest Web tools.

E130 Understanding the Generations
From baby boomers to Generation Y, the dynamics of your organization are continually changing. Learn how to appeal to each generation and create an engaging environment where everyone can thrive.

Course topics:
• Understanding key characteristics of the generations.
• Identifying triggers that motivate different groups to action.
• Designing programs, incentives, and rewards to appeal to your staff and members.