Wendy and I recently celebrated the significant milestone of the two-year anniversary of Nonprofit Sidekick. This is a testament to our growth and success. During this time, we successfully launched our IMPACT Program, connected with 30 new and amazing clients, expanded our ventures with existing clients, and began recording our new podcast!
Looking back on what year two has brought to our community, coaching, and consulting; we have partnered with organizations to evaluate their growth opportunities, worked with boards of directors to shore up governance, supported new leaders in finding their footing and integrating into a new organization, assisted seasoned leaders in reflecting on their strengths and areas for growth, and developed our IMPACT Program, which truly transforms how Executives lead their organizations.
We have not only established new community partnerships but also strengthened the relationships with those who have believed in us from the beginning. This is evidence of our collective growth and the promising future ahead. Here are a few highlights!
- Our partnership with the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management, Wendy has worked with them for over nine years delivering board training and the Executive Director Boot Camp, in 2025 we will be expanding our partnership to add additional workshops that leverage the CliftonStrengths assessment in nonprofit leadership and leading teams.
- The Washington County Community Foundation provided us the opportunity to partner with them on their Pillars program and capacity building board training, introducing us to even more amazing nonprofit leaders in our region.
- Brentwood Bank, specifically Jen Hisdorf and Joe Verduci, invited us to co-develop a workshop for their nonprofit customers where we presented on the importance of evaluating organizational governance and fraud prevention.
- Monkeypod, a nonprofit CRM, invited us to deliver quarterly workshops to holistically support their clients. We presented on topics such as the unique balancing act of nonprofit leadership, how to build a strong culture, time management and prioritization, and emotional intelligence.
- The Ignite Center of Washington and Jefferson College invited us to partner with them to host panel discussions on fundraising. We partner with their I2E entrepreneurship program to provide the CliftonStrengths assessment to their participants to support them in their own development as business entrepreneurs.
- Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber of Commerce invited us to present at their annual Strategic Business Tools Conference at LaRoche University.
We are so thankful to these community partners for believing in our work in the sector.
Wendy and I hosted the NPSK Book Club, reading and discussing leadership topics that support growth and development for individuals and teams. Our first in-person book club was “ADHD for Smart Ass Women” by Tracy Otsuka, and it was truly a time to connect, discuss and share how to best harness our strengths at work and in our lives.
Collaborating with boards. We worked with multiple boards to support their annual retreats, assimilate new board members, and develop their business or strategic plans. Each board shows dedication to its organization’s mission and collaborative partnership with its Executive Directors.
Our online community has hosted monthly Executive Director Huddles, posted numerous articles discussing hot topics of 2023, our Executive Director Boot Camp Workshop, TEDtalks, and easy-to-use resources that can help any executive director manage the governance of their organization and how to lead people alongside the operational framework.
So, where do we go from here? What does year three look like for us?
We are launching our second cohort of the IMPACT program in January. This six-month program delves into each area of nonprofit executive leadership, providing a comprehensive framework for success. It offers guidance and support in building an actionable plan for each attendee to take into their own organization post-program, and includes:
- Learning about all areas of nonprofit leadership. Each monthly session is a full day, and you acquire skills and resources for each subject area.
- The ‘nuts & bolts’ of nonprofit sector management – from finances to human resources, managing a nonprofit is different from for-profit or government leadership. We teach you what you NEED to lead successfully in a complex sector.
- The ‘heart & soul’ of nonprofit leadership—how to lead people who are not just passionate but also determined and mission-driven. At the beginning of the program, the Clifton Strengths assessment will provide your personal insights to guide you through how to leverage your innate talents as a leader.
- Developing your unique strengths to create and execute your leadership growth action plan for success.
We will continue to leverage the CliftonStrengths assessment in our coaching packages with both executive directors and boards. We have had tremendous success supporting organizations looking to strategically align their talent to the needs of the organization. This helps set the stage for business planning, strategic planning and recruitment of talent.
