Guest post by Ellen SturgisNight Heron Consulting Like New Years and the Fourth of July, the annual audit is a fact of life for nonprofits. What also seems to be almost required is the near panic that sets in when the annual Engagement letter shows up with a proposed start date. But it’s a terrific […]
Capacity Building
Working with Consultants
Most of our capacity building grants involve working with a consultant. There’s considerable value from such collaborations including gaining a fresh perspective or specific expertise. It can be especially helpful when previous efforts have stalled or stakeholders have wildly differing points of view. But there are an equal number of headaches as well — from the resistance of staff […]
Nonprofit Staff Development
Have you invested in your staff lately? It’s one of the most important things you can do. Providing professional development opportunities is a great way to help your staff grow and thrive while demonstrating your commitment to them. Here are some good resources for excellent but affordable nonprofit workshops and trainings. Workshops & Trainings Associated Grant Makers […]
Upcoming Professional Development
Professional development trainings are a great way to boost your skills and connect with peers. Workshops are also a way to spark new ideas and re-energize yourself and your organization. We don’t think of professional development as a luxury but as a worthwhile investment in staff. After all, they’re what make your organization great. Here’s a […]
Our Latest Grant Partners
We’re pleased to announce our grant recipients for the first half of 2015. 2015 Children, Youth & Families Program Grants: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass/MetroWest, Worcester, MA $16,400To purchase new customer relationship management software and ancillary hardware. Doc Wayne Youth Services, Boston, MA $24,000For a fund development consultation. Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, Framingham, […]
2014 Grants
We’re pleased to have provided financial support to the following organizations in 2014. Children, Youth & Families Program Grants After School Matters Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston, MA, $25,000To develop a strategic business plan for the new Outdoors Rx program recently piloted in Framingham and Waltham designed to get families outdoors and enjoying nature. Learn more… […]
Pro Bono Consulting Available
Could your nonprofit use the help of highly-skilled pro bono consultants to become more focused, efficient, and effective? Is there a project you are postponing because you lack the time and resources to make it happen? SOAR 55 is currently accepting requests from local nonprofit organizations that would benefit from the pro bono management consulting […]
Technology Re-Boot
Pictured left: Boys & Girls Clubs of Metrowest (B&GCMW) staff member Lauren Confort is hard at work at one of the new workstations the B&GCMW received as part of a Sudbury Foundation grant. For many agencies, keeping up with technology advances — especially in conjunction with agency growth – is a challenge. At some point, a […]
CY&F Grants Awarded
Some great capacity-building projects designed to support youth-serving agencies in our region are about to begin. Here are the grants approved by the Foundation’s trustees through the Children, Youth & Families Grant Program in June. After School Matters RFPAppalachian Mountain Club, Boston, MA, $25,000To develop a strategic business plan for the new Outdoors Rx program […]
CRM: What’s the Best Choice for Your Nonprofit?
Within days of each other, we recently received updates from two grant partners touting new, low-cost CRM/database software products that they selected after considering better known, higher-priced options recommended by the consultants they were working with. While the “usual suspects” for nonprofit database work are comprehensive and proven, they can be difficult to learn, often […]
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