On November 4, the Community Programs Accelerator at the University of Chicago will kick off a new series of workshops to improve the financial acumen of nonprofit leaders. The series is made possible by a $5,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase, and will enrich the Accelerator’s ongoing Community Programs Education Series of capacity-building workshops and seminars.
“Local nonprofit organizations are working every day to strengthen communities, provide critical services, and advance the causes of equality and opportunity,” said Damion Heron, Office of Non-profit Engagement, JPMorgan Chase. “The technical assistance and organizational capacity that the Accelerator provides will help strengthen nonprofits to better serve communities and we are proud to support the program.”
The 11-session series will cover: financial practices, taxes and legal responsibilities, social entrepreneurship, grant writing, and fund development. The workshops are free and open to any nonprofit in Chicago, and will be held at the Community Programs Accelerator office, at 5225 S. Cottage Grove Ave., twice a month until March. Presenters will include experienced nonprofit professionals, corporate experts, private consultants, and University instructors.
The first session will be Facing the Financial Challenges of Nonprofit Operations, on Friday, Nov. 4, led by Isaac Greene, CPA, of IBG & Associates. UChicago Lecturer Christa Velasquez, Public Policy Studies in the College, will lead two sessions: No Money, No Mission on Nov. 9, and Nonprofit Financial Statement Analysis on Nov. 18. Other presenters include Alyson Parham Small, president and founder of Partec Consulting Group, Inc., who will lead the Elements of a Winning Grant Proposal and Advanced Proposal Writing workshops, and India Parson, president and founder of Building Economic Stability Together (BEST) LLC, who will teach Nonprofit Fundraising Event Planning and Management.
“THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY THAT THE ACCELERATOR PROVIDES WILL HELP STRENGTHEN NONPROFITS TO BETTER SERVE COMMUNITIES AND WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM.” - DAMION HERON, OFFICE OF NON-PROFIT ENGAGEMENT, JPMORGAN CHASE
The complete Community Programs Education Series schedule and registration form can be found on the Community Programs Accelerator website, communityprograms.uchicago.edu. The dates and titles of the JPMorgan Chase workshop series are listed below:
• November 4, 12:30-2:00 p.m.: Facing The Financial Challenges of Nonprofit Operations
• November 9, 12:30-2:30 p.m.: No Money, No Mission
• November 16, 12:30-2:00 p.m.: Using Data Wisely: How Big Data Is Impacting Social Change
• November 18, 12:30-2:00 p.m.: Nonprofit Financial Statement Analysis
• November 19, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Proposal Writings Basics for Beginners
• December 2, 12:30-3 p.m.: Quick Books for Nonprofits
• December 9, 12:30-2:00 p.m.: Nonprofit Fundraising Event Planning and Management
• December 10, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Key Elements in Writing Foundation Proposals
• December 16, 12:30-2:00 p.m.: Crafting Letters of Appeal and Letters of Intent to Raise Money
• January 7, 2017, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Budgeting for Nonprofits
• January 13, 12:30-2:00 p.m.: Program/Project Budgets for Nonprofits
Isaac Greene, CPA, of IBG & Associates, leads Facing the Financial Challenges of Nonprofit Operations workshop, on Friday, Nov. 4. (Above photo: UChicago Lecturer Christa Velasquez leads No Money, No Mission on Nov. 9.)
“Obtaining and managing financial resources are among a nonprofit’s greatest challenges. These topics always rise to the top when we poll our nonprofit partners about the educational support that would benefit them most, said Derek Douglas, UChicago Vice President for Civic Engagement. “This financial workshop series adds significantly to our efforts to increase the capacity of nonprofits. We appreciate JPMorgan Chase’s investment in the series, the Community Programs Accelerator, and this city’s nonprofit community.”
The Office of Civic Engagement established the Community Programs Accelerator in 2014, to strengthen nonprofits that are either located or delivering substantial programming in the nine
For more information about the Community Programs Accelerator or the Accelerator Community Programs Education Series, visit communityprograms.uchicago.edu.
By Kim Grimshaw Bolton
Photos by Ryan K. Priester
