Partnerships and Collaborative Learning Initiatives

Foundations, corporations and government agencies call on The Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP) to develop and implement their leadership development and capacity building initiatives.

MANP brings creative thinking; access to an extensive network of expert presenters and consultants; knowledge of nonprofit leadership and management; program and training design, organization development, collaborations and network development.

MANP executes projects on time and budget. MANP forms strong relationships with funders and nonprofits that lead to highly effective collaborative learning initiatives for the nonprofit sector.

These programs bring the most up-to-date knowledge and trends to nonprofit leaders. They center on the belief that interaction between peers is a highly effective approach to learning. Programs emphasize key leadership and management skills, innovation and collaboration, and using networks to develop a ‘solutions-based’ approach to social issues.

Current Partnerships

2010 Nonprofit Leadership Institute
Maine executive directors who are working in economically distressed regions and interested in building the relationships, organizational capacity, and the knowledge necessary to create lasting collaborative efforts to meet regional needs, are invited to apply to participate in MANP’s 2010 Nonprofit Leadership Institute.

This program is funded by The American Recovery and Reimbursement Act, and there will be no fee for participants selected to participate.

MANP’s Nonprofit Leadership Institute, is designed to help executive directors develop the essential skills needed to capture creative opportunities.  Program goals include:

• Helping leaders set goals and develop action plans for personal, board leadership and organization development;
• Focusing on content needed for the executive director’s role and leading through a strengths/asset model;
• Emphasizing network-building; identifying trends and opportunities; needs and resources; and mission sustainability.

The Institute will be held in the Mid-Coast, and will run from 9am - 3:30 pm each day. For more information contact Annie Sutton.

Executive Transitions Initiative for Boards of Directors and Departing Executive Directors
This program assists Maine nonprofit boards of directors and organizations in managing the departure of their executive director. Through this partnership, MANP trained 10 Maine nonprofit consultants and developed a fee-for-service training for boards of directors that are managing the anticipated departure of their organization’s executive director. The training is based on a proven national leadership transition model, called ETM, developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and CompassPoint Nonprofit Services.

Refugee Leader Learning Institutes
Funded by a three year federal grant, this partnership with the Maine Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs (MOMA) and Tufts University seeks to build the leadership and organizational capacity of refugee lead groups in Lewiston and Portland. A series of two day learning institutes and “train the trainers” programs comprise this cohort-based program, which is modeled after the Learning Institutes, created by the Aspen Institutes to develop community foundations and their leaders. In 2008, 36 refugee leaders graduated from this program, representing Maine’s Congolese, Sudanese, Somali, Azerbaijani communities in Maine.

Past Partnerships

Two 2-Day Nonprofit Leadership Institute in the Western Mountains
Funded by the Cummings Trust of the Maine Community Foundation and The Betterment Fund, this two day leadership program was designed to build the capacity of nonprofit leaders in Somerset, Franklin and Piscataquis Counties. Key elements will included an organizational assessment, peer networking, and nonprofit management intensives in topic areas identified by participants.

6 Month Nonprofit Leadership Institute in Bangor
MANP developed this comprehensive 6-month program to expand the knowledge base and build a supportive network for nonprofit leaders in the Greater Bangor area. The program consisted of capacity assessments; a series of educational workshops that address common needs (e.g. strategic planning, effective fundraising, achieving economies in service delivery); and the creation of a network of nonprofit leaders. The program was subsidized by grants from the Mimi and Maine Community Foundations.

Nine-month program for 30 Waldo and Knox County executive directors
Created through a partnership between MANP, six funders and the University of Maine Hutchinson Center, this program was created to help Waldo and Knox county nonprofits develop the organizational resilience to respond to the changing funding landscape. This cohort-based program included a capacity assessment, leadership development, peer networking, as well as sessions devoted to critical aspects of nonprofit management, including: fundraising, strategic planning, strategic alliances/mergers, financial management, federal grant writing, marketing, and board development.  Funding partners included United Way of Eastern Maine; United Midcoast Charities; Maine Community Foundation, Unity Foundation, Bangor Savings Foundation, and Bank of America.

Program for 80-100 executive directors in Cumberland, York, Hancock, Washington counties
Funded by the Maine Community Foundation’s Hancock and Washington County Funds and the Sam L. Cohen Foundation, this initiative was designed to build the leadership and organizational capacity of nonprofit leaders in these counties through a series of two day programs. Key elements included a Principles and Practices organizational assessment, peer networking, and custom-designed nonprofit management intensives in topic areas identified by participants.

Capacity and Lifecycle Assessment
Funded by the Betterment Foundation, this initiative assisted 25 Maine organizations in assessing the “life-cycle” and technical, management, leadership and adaptive capacities of their organizations, and subsequently, helped them develop a plan strengthening their organizations. MANP contracted with the TCC Group to use their core capacity assessment (CCAT) with these organizations, and then held debrief sessions to help leaders think through how they would integrate their results into their planning processes.