Courses geared
for county non-profit leaders and volunteers
PRESQUE ISLE — Area residents interested in and involved with non-profit organizations have the opportunity to take specialized courses in the coming months through an initiative led by the Presque Isle Historical Society in partnership with Northern Maine Community College.
The pilot project, the first of its kind in northern Maine, is made possible through a grant from the Aroostook County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation. The program, which includes a total of eight special topic courses, covers a wide variety of topics identified as critical to the success of non-profit organizations. Four of the classes were offered this fall and the remaining sessions will be offered over the coming months.
Coordinated by the NMCC Continuing Education Division, workshops will run for four hours once monthly on Friday mornings — Jan. 20, Feb. 17, March 16 and April 20. According to Kimberly Smith, secretary/treasurer of the Presque Isle Historical Society and project grant writer and coordinator, the course offerings come at an ideal time.
“Our organization (Presque Isle Historical Society) recognizes the need for such training for our own board and volunteers, as well as that of the other 485 Aroostook County non-profit organizations if we are to be successful in achieving our missions in this economy,” said Smith. “It is imperative that non-profit executives, as well as key staff and volunteers, have the skills and resources necessary to meet the challenges facing them.”
Among the goals of the initial program offering, made possible through the Maine Community Foundation grant, is to demonstrate the need for and potential success of such a program moving forward in the region. More and more institutions of higher learning across the country are recognizing the need for training specific to the non-profit arena.
“This program provides a valuable opportunity for professional development that might ordinarily be both too costly and time consuming for many local non-profit agencies. It integrates NMCC’s commitment to academic excellence with the practical knowledge of the instructors and the realistic work experience of the participants,” said Beth Hummel, business and industry coordinator in the NMCC Continuing Education Division.
The workshops, offered on the NMCC campus, will cover the following topics: Strategic Planning for Non-Profits (Jan. 20), Leadership Development for Non-Profits (Feb. 17), Effective Use of Volunteers (March 16) and Financial Management for Non-Profits (April 20). Individuals may enroll in as many or as few workshops as desired.
“We established these courses to provide necessary resources and skills to strengthen non-profit leadership as they deal with today’s challenges. The program workshops are designed to offer strategies to improve the effectiveness of executive directors, staff, board members and key volunteers responsible for the day-to-day operations of non-profit organizations,” said Smith. “We want the sessions to be as informative and helpful as possible, so we encourage participants to interact and provide real-life experiences.”
The cost for each course is $79 per person. Any organization that pays for three attendees in one session may send a fourth at no cost.
For more information on the workshops or to enroll in any or all of the sessions, please contact the NMCC Continuing Education Division at (207) 768-2849 or bhummel@nmcc.edu.
