Training Descriptions

Please check the United Way of King County training calendar for dates and locations.

Effective Volunteer Program Management 101: A Course for Volunteer Management Professionals
2 Day Training-October 13 & October 27  $170 

This 14.5-hour series is offered to meet the special needs of Volunteer Program Managers with less than two years experience. More experienced coordinators seeking "refresher" training are also welcome. The seminar provides an overview of the components of successful volunteer programs, identifies resources for future development and provides great networking opportunities. The session is offered as two full-day sessions. Topics will include:

  • Roles of the Volunteer Program Manager
  • Job Descriptions
  • Recruitment and marketing your program
  • Strategies for matching jobs and volunteers
  • Volunteer orientation and training
  • Supervisory skills
  • Recognition
  • Evaluation techniques
  • Network with other coordinators
Return to Calendar   Return to Top


Strategic Planning: Compass, May & Fuel for the Journey*

Nonprofits operate in an increasingly complex and challenging environment. The pace of change has increased, and we are asked to do more with less, in less time. A solid strategic planning process can bring your organization together behind a shared vision and course of action, while strengthening relationships with stakeholders and making you smarter about meeting your mission. We will explore the basic components and techniques of strategic planning, and learn about alternative models that offer a more streamlined approach to strategic planning efforts.

 

Participants will learn:

  • What strategic planning is and what it can do for your organization
  • The best practices to implement and pitfalls to avoid in the strategic planning process
  • How to make use of a strategic plan for maximum mission impact

Trainers: Jill Sheldon & Angela Powell

Jill Sheldon has been helping Puget Sound area nonprofits reach greater levels of impact and service for 18 years. For the past five years, Jill has offered the nonprofit and philanthropic communities executive coaching and results-focused consulting through her company Open Road Coaching and Consulting. She has facilitated numerous strategic planning efforts and board retreats, helped a number of organizations create effective long-term fundraising plans and worked as a leadership coach with many executive directors in the foundation and nonprofit communities.

Angela Powell has been organizing effective change efforts since the 3rd grade, when she instigated a school-wide anti-smoking campaign. After a substantive career working in nonprofit organizations, foundations, and community organizing, she launched Imago Organizational Design in 2002. Angela has had the honor of working with many amazing leaders and organizations over the past six years through Imago, with activities ranging from executive coaching and board and staff development, to strategic planning and research design. She has particular interest and expertise in supporting people and organizations to navigate the nuances of cultural difference well and in the service of their essential work.
 

Return to Calendar   Return to Top


Using Creative Practice to Turn Up the Vitality Dial on Board Dynamics*

The capacity of any board to direct resources--financial, intellectual or emotional - to help a non-profit achieve its vision depends on the depth of engagement of every board member, not just the few who carry the most water.   This training will focus on developing our "creative practice" for the purposes of deeper board engagement, during a single meeting and across a member's tenure.  Across the spectrum and throughout the range of our experience, creativity is the touchstone for success in all human endeavors. It is the essential force behind dynamic change, organizational transformation and can be broken down into several cognitive and non-cognitive creative habits we can learn and become fluent in.

 

In this training with the support of three facilitators, participants will experience an extensive series of self-reflective and interactive exercises to showcase the whole range of creative habits, as well as witness and reflect on the effect they have on individuals, as well as the group dynamic.  Our learning objectives for every participant are:

  • Greater understanding of what creativity is and why it's relevant for organizational transformation.
  • New skills to access creativity directly and put it to use in group processes and convenings.
  • A much expanded tool kit for engaging a diverse board of directors more deeply and authentically in the most important work of the organization.

Trainer: Lisa Fitzhugh has spent the last 20 years accessing and building a strong practice of creativity in all aspects of her work and life. She is the founder and former executive director of Arts Corps, a national model for combining the arts and social change. Before starting Arts Corps, Lisa's background was in politics, both on the inside for elected officials and as a consultant.  Today she is sought after as a "creativity catalyst" through her company Creative Ground  and, with the help of several collaborators, is helping organizations in every sector integrate active creative practice for robust growth and transformation.
 

Return to Calendar   Return to Top


Boards and Fundraising: What Every Board Member Needs to Know*

A critical governance responsibility of the board as a whole is to ensure that the organization has a realistic strategy for raising funds. As individuals, board members usually help implement that plan in various ways.  In this workshop participants will further understand the role of the board as a whole as well as the role of individual board members.  We will focus on:  

  • The importance of board giving
  • The board's role in fund development activities, planning, and monitoring
  • Fundraising methods and philanthropic resources.

Trainers: 
Ruby Love is the Chief Development Officer for College Success Foundation. Prior to CSF she was Director of the Gates Challenge with United Way of King County and worked for more than 15 years as a consultant to not-for-profit organizations.  She is an active lecturer and trainer on topics of board governance, leadership development, diversity and racial justice in the non-profit community and philanthropy. 

Adrienne Caver-Hall is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department.  Prior experiences include serving as Managing Director of Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, consulting for the African American Elders Project, and serving for three years as the Director of Festival Sundiata. Ms. Caver-Hall has sixteen years of experience in fundraising, event management and organizational development through her work and membership in various political and civic organizations in the community. 

Return to Calendar   Return to Top


Advanced Board Leadership
October 21 and 28, 8:30am-12:30pm
A partnership between
ArtsFund
Social Venture Partners
United Way of King County &
University of Washington's Evans School's Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits & Philanthropy

Outstanding board members are effective individual contributors who also contribute to the performance of the entire board team.  Strong board leaders catalyze exceptional performance by the group, allowing the board - and the organization - to soar.  They also create the conditions for a resilient board - one that can effectively govern during a crisis. 

A committee of seasoned nonprofit professionals searched promising practices across the country and interviewed some of our region's most outstanding leaders to distill the key characteristics of people who consistently move their boards to higher levels of performance, achievement, and governance.  The result is an advanced course outlining and nurturing the competencies that were identified. 

This course goes beyond the standard orientation to board roles and responsibilities.  In two half-day course sessions, participants will explore a variety of leadership challenges.  The sessions will cover the context of leadership; adaptive leadership; elements of effective board leadership; leading change; generative governance; effective partnerships between board members and with the organization's CEO; and the application of concepts to participants' specific leadership work in the community.  Course sessions will be reinforced with reading assignments. 

This course is designed for people who have three to ten years experience on a nonprofit board, have taken a leadership role on a board, and have completed basic board training courses.  A desire to be more engaged, intentional, and effective as a board member is also essential.  This course is for board members only.  Enrollment is limited to 40 participants, with a maximum of four board members from any single organization.

Return to Calendar   Return to Top


Board Roles and Responsibilities*

Are you considering board service, or desiring to be more effective in your current role as a board member? This workshop will help new and prospective board members gain an appreciation for the roles and responsibilities of nonprofit boards, individual board members, board officers, and board committees. Other topics will include: legal issues for nonprofit boards, organizational life cycles, and effective meeting tactics.

The workshop will be engaging and interactive, and will include opportunities for participants to apply the concepts and models to their own organizations.

Trainer:  Cory Sbarbaro
is founder and principal of Turnpoint Consulting, an independent firm dedicated to guiding nonprofit organizations through change and transition.  His areas of expertise include interim leadership, organizational assessment, planning and strategy formation, executive coaching, and board development. Cory holds an MPA from the Evans School of Public Affairs. Cory is a past Board President of Solid Ground (formerly the Fremont Public Association), and currently serves on the board at New Beginnings.

Return to Calendar   Return to Top


It's Your Turn:  The Role of the Board Chair*

Participants will learn about the role and responsibility of the board chair in strengthening and improving the leadership work of the board as a whole. This session is particularly designed for executive directors and new chairs or chair-elects. If you have a lot of experience as a Chair, this may not be for you.  Please note: We have designed this session to focus specifically on the role of the Board Chair. This session will not cover overall board roles and responsibilities, board development, recruiting, orientation, and other board-related issues. 

This session will provide participants with the information they need to:

  • Understand their role as board chair
  • Run effective meetings
  • Manage conflict and group process

Trainer: Amanda Madorno, owner of Roam Consulting LLC, coaches and consults with executives and boards of directors, boosting organizational and leadership performance throughout the country.  Amanda speaks nationally and guest lectures at Leadership Institutes around the country and serves as lead faculty for the University of Washington’s Advanced Fundraising Management Certificate Program.  She is a preferred consulting provider to the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.  In 2007, she received the 2007 Volunteer of the Year award from United Way King County in recognition for her popular and well-received trainings and workshops.  In a former life, Amanda sang professionally.

Return to Calendar   Return to Top


Board Recruitment*

One of the most important responsibilities of nonprofit boards is board development:  renewing and strengthening the board through skills development and recruitment of talented new members. In this workshop, participants will focus on the recruitment side, learning: 

  • The three life stages of nonprofit boards and what type of board members are needed at each stage of development
  • A six step process for board recruitment
  • How to identify board members with the skills and experience your organization needs

Trainer: Laura Pierce founded Laura Pierce Consulting in 1998.  She assists nonprofit clients with strategic planning, board development and capacity building.  In addition, she has served as Interim Executive Director for seven area nonprofits.  Over the past ten years, LPC has providing consulting services for more than 100 nonprofits, including social justice, human service, advocacy and arts organizations.  Laura also teaches nonprofit management at the UW Evans School and the UW Certificate Program in Nonprofit Management.  She earned her Masters in Public Administration from University of Washington in 1996. 

Return to Calendar   Return to Top

Post your volunteer opps!

United Way of King County's online database is the place where volunteers and opportunities meet in King County.

Register your organization and list your volunteer positions with us. It's FREE!