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AMPT Crisis Management Consulting
- Valerie F. Leonard, Dec 14, 2020
Nonprofit Utopia has just completed a 6-week engagement, participating in a pool of highly experienced consultants to nonprofits to provide coaching services through AMPT’s Crisis Management Consulting Services. In this capacity, the company provided a total of 21.5 consulting hours to 6 organizations, helping them to address some of their most pressing capacity building issues within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Nonprofit Utopia Takes To YouTube to Provide Free Fundraising Help for Nonprofits
- Valerie F. Leonard, Oct 25, 2020
Successful fundraising includes more than developing a strong case for support and writing the "perfect" grant proposal. The depth and quality of your relationships with funders can make the difference between getting funded or not. Most importantly, in this day and age, the relationships your organization has can make the difference in your organization's ability to keep its doors open. With this in mind, Valerie F. Leonard, the Founder of Nonprofit Utopia, LLC, will host an interactive, livestreamed presentation to take viewers through the entire cycle of donor cultivation, from prospect research to stewarding their gifts. The presentation will be aired on Nonprofit Utopia Live, on Thursday, October 29, from 10:00 am until 11:00 am CDT.
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Complete the Nonprofit Utopia Survey for a Chance to Win
- Valerie F. Leonard, Sep 30, 2019
With a year of data and experience under its belt, the Nonprofit Utopia community is poised to go to the next level of its development. In so doing, the community is surveying its members and stakeholders to create better value for the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit Utopia is is asking nonprofit stakeholders to complete a survey to get a sense for what a typical work day is like; their aspirations and challenges. The results will be kept confidential. Respondents will get free admission to an upcoming paid webinar of their choice and a chance to win a $50.00 Amazon gift card.
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Lessons Learned from Email Marketing
- Valerie F. Leonard, Dec 27, 2018
As we wind down 2018 in preparation for 2019, there is no doubt in my mind that you are in the process of thanking donors, identifying new prospects, reaching out to your clients and community. As you solidify your marketing and outreach strategies for 2019, I thought you might find Alexie Ward’s article, Our 9 Biggest Email Marketing Pet Peeves for 2019, to be of interest. Alexie lists 9 email pet peeves and alternatives, that I think are relevant to everyone, including professionals in the nonprofit and for-profit arenas.
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Justice Informed
- Valerie F. Leonard, Oct 4, 2018
Xavier Ramey, the CEO and Lead Strategist for Justice Informed, LLC, will be a guest on the Nonprofit Utopia podcast on Monday, October 8, 2018, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., CST. The Nonprofit Utopia podcast is an online forum where nonprofit stakeholders can discuss the latest developments in the sector and increase their capacity to serve their clients and build sustainable communities. Valerie F. Leonard, the Founder of Nonprofit Utopia, is the host.
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Making the Case for Support in Times of Change
- Valerie F. Leonard, Oct 4, 2018
Writing a compelling case for support is not always as easy as it seems. In Case Development 201, Communications Consultant Andrew Brommel writes “an organization’s case for support is ultimately ‘your message to your donors—why should they give to your organization?’” In this day and age of increased competition for fewer dollars, a nonprofit’s answer to the funders’ question must be stronger than ever before.
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Look Before You Leap: 5 Things You Must Do Before Joining That Board
- Valerie F. Leonard, Oct 4, 2018
You have just been invited to join a board of directors of one of the hottest local nonprofits in the city. What should you do before accepting?
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Thought Leadership: The Often Overlooked Organizational Capacity Building Strategy
- Valerie F. Leonard, Aug 15, 2018
When we talk about nonprofit capacity building, we typically refer to ways we can strengthen our organizations’ leaders and internal systems so that we can make a stronger impact to our clients and communities. We usually look at factors like board development, human resource development, financial management, networking ability, impact, and program management.
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Build the Backdrop for Your #GivingTuesday Story by Refining Your Community Needs Assessment Skills
- Valerie F. Leonard, Aug 15, 2018
The Nonprofit Utopia community will be hosting 2 free webinars to help nonprofit professionals strengthen their community assessment skills. Facilitated by Valerie F. Leonard, the community's founder, the webinars will provide an overview of the community assessment process and help participants demonstrate need, even in communities that seem to be over-resourced.
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Nonprofit Utopia Launches on Mighty Networks to Develop the Next Generation of Ethical Leaders
- Valerie F. Leonard, May 31, 2018
(Chicago, Illinois, May 31, 2018) Nonprofit Utopia informally launched yesterday as a community of emerging nonprofit leaders, designed to provide a safe environment in which members can innovate, speak candidly about the issues and concerns they face on a daily basis, and share ideas and resources. Mighty Networks is a professional networking platform that provides a safe alternative to Facebook and LinkedIn groups.
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Building Organizational Capacity On the Ground
- Valerie Leonard, May 8, 2017
Otis Monroe, President and CEO of the Monroe Foundation, was a recent guest on the Nonprofit “U” radio blog talk show. Nonprofit "U" is an online forum where nonprofit stakeholders can discuss the latest developments in the sector and increase their capacity to serve their clients and build sustainable communities. Valerie F. Leonard, an expert in community and organizational development served as the host.
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Where Sustainability Meets Environmental Justice
- Valerie F. Leonard, Dec 6, 2016
Naomi Denise Davis, Founder of Blacks in Green TM, will be a guest on the Nonprofit “U” radio blog talk show on Monday, December 12, 2016, from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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Benefiting the Community By Mutual Agreement
- Valerie F. Leonard, Nov 3, 2016
Allegra Cira Fischer, Staff Attorney with The Law Project, will be a guest on the Nonprofit “U” radio blog talk show on Monday, November 7, 2016, from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nonprofit "U" is an online forum where nonprofit stakeholders can discuss the latest developments in the sector and increase their capacity to serve their clients and build sustainable communities. Valerie F. Leonard, an expert in community and organizational development is the host.
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Increasing Fundraising Through Transparency
- Valerie F. Leonard, Nov 25, 2015
Join us for a lively discussion on how nonprofit organizations may increase their fundraising capacity through transparency and enhanced disclosure utilizing GuideStar Profiles. Our special guest will be Jasmine Marrow, the Director of Nonprofit Strategy for GuideStar. Jasmine develops strategy for and oversees the GuideStar Exchange program, GuideStar's primary initiative to engage nonprofits.
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Keeping the Promise: A Virtual Teach-In on the Promise Neighborhoods Model
- Valerie F. Leonard, Nov 16, 2015
Join us for a virtual teach-in as Michael McAfee, EdD, PolicyLink's Vice President of Programs, shares an overview of the evidence-based Promise Neighborhood Institute.
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Keeping the Promise: A Virtual Teach-In on the Promise Neighborhoods Model
- Valerie F. Leonard, Nov 16, 2015
Join us for a virtual teach-in as Michael McAfee, EdD, PolicyLink's Vice President of Programs, shares an overview of the evidence-based Promise Neighborhood Institute.
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Census Bureau Makes Community Assets Count on Nonprofit “U”
- Valerie F. Leonard, Aug 12, 2015
Ileana Serrano, Data Dissemination Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau, will be a guest on the Nonprofit “U” radio blog talk show on Monday, August 17, 2015, from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nonprofit "U" is an online forum where nonprofit stakeholders can discuss the latest developments in the sector and increase their capacity to serve their clients and build sustainable communities. Valerie F. Leonard, an expert in community and organizational development, is the host. The show will stream live from BlogTalkRadio.com/nonprofit_u. The podcast will be archived on iTunes, BlogTalkRadio.com/nonprofit_u, Valeriefleonard.com/NonprofitU and Stitcher.
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Building A Movement: Strengthening the Nonprofit Sector Through Advocacy and Action
- Valerie F. Leonard, Jul 7, 2015
Eric Weinheimer, President and CEO of the Donors Forum, will be a guest on the Nonprofit “U” radio blog talk show on Monday, July 13, 2015, from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nonprofit "U" is an online forum where nonprofit stakeholders can discuss the latest developments in the sector and increase their capacity to serve their clients and build sustainable communities. Valerie F. Leonard, an expert in community and organizational development is the host. The show will stream live from BlogTalkRadio.com/nonprofit_u. The archived podcast will be available on BlogTalkRadio and Stitcher.
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Brenda's Secret Sauce
- Valerie F. Leonard, Jun 8, 2015
Brenda Palms Barber, CEO of the North Lawndale Employment Network on Chicago's West Side, will be the featured guest on Brenda's Secret Sauce, the first episode of Nonprofit "U". Palms Barber moved to Chicago 15 years ago and started the North Lawndale Employment Network to assist returning citizens transition back to society through employment and other resources. She found a community that ranked in the top 6 in the state with respect to prisoners returning home. Today, her clients as a group have a recidivism rate of 6% compared to 43% for the country. Under her leadership, NLEN has grown from 2 to 21 employees, and provides job training and financial literacy to over 2,000 men and women. She launched the Sweet Beginnings social enterprise, which produces local honey and skincare products under the beelove brand, where 383 returning citizens have been employed, since 2007.