Nonprofit Utopia Podcast

When we speak of capacity, we are generally referring to organization’s potential to marshal their human, financial and other resources to effect positive change in the communities and clients they serve. Organizational capacity is impacted by a  number of factors, including leadership, the organization’s stage of development and changes in the environment, to name a few.  Organizations engage in capacity building activities in order to increase their effectiveness in serving their constituencies. Such activities include, but are not limited to, hiring new employees to meet increased demand for services; strategic planning to position themselves for changes in the environment; training board and staff on their roles and responsibilities, or automating financial systems.

 

Tune in as Valerie F. Leonard, an expert in community and organizational development, talks about ways organizations may strengthen their organizational capacity and better position themselves for fundraising.

Ileana Serrano, Data Dissemination Specialist with the Census Bureau, will be the featured guest on Monday’s episode. “People tend to think about the Census as an event that happens every ten years”, Serrano said.  “They would be amazed at the resources we have for small businesses and nonprofits to make plans that will take them to the next level.” The American Fact Finder and Economic Census can help nonprofit leaders and small business owners develop customized data sets to develop business plans, proposals, programs, advocate for their communities and roll out new products.

The Census Bureau is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The U.S. Census Bureau is overseen by the Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) within the Department of Commerce. The Economics and Statistics Administration provides high-quality economic analysis and fosters the missions of the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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By the time Crystal Sowemimo graduated from college, she had at least 5 years of volunteerism under her belt.  As a high school senior,  she served as a tutor and mentor to at-risk refugee children in Houston, Texas. As a college student, she worked in broad based coalitions to advocate against sweatshops; engaged other youth in voter education and registration campaigns and started a public interest group. She currently lives in Chicago, and is actively working with a number of issue campaigns. Crystal works for Holsten Human Capital Development as the Community Outreach and Development VISTA, where she builds resources for the Workforce Development team for their North Lawndale site. She plans to go to law school in the near future and pursue a career in law, focusing on issues that impact low income communities.

Call in live at (347) 884-8121. You don't need an account to listen, but, if you want to participate in an online chat, open a listener-only account at https://secure.blogtalkradio.com/register.aspx?type=listener to participate in a live chat.

Visit http://valeriefleonard.com and http://valeriefleonard.com/nonprofitu

Follow @VFLeonard and @NonprofitU

In 1993 Dan Bassill and founders of a new Chicago tutor/mentor program (Cabrini Connections) decided to also create the Tutor/Mentor Connection. The T/MC’s goal was to "collect all that is known" about tutoring/mentoring and education-to-careers in a "library" of knowledge that anyone can draw from at any time to help kids from a poverty neighborhood get the adult support they need to move to careers. Since that time, Dan has developed an extensive database of maps, visualization tools, and a 4-pronged strategy, to arm thousands of youth development professionals along with business and philanthropic leaders, with information they can use to strengthen tutor and mentoring programs in Chicago and other cities. Today, Dan continues to support this strategy as CEO of Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC.

Call in live at (347) 884-8121. You don't need an account to listen, but, if you want to participate in an online chat, open a listener-only account at https://secure.blogtalkradio.com/register.aspx?type=listener to participate in a live chat.

Visit http://valeriefleonard.com and http://valeriefleonard.com/nonprofitu

Follow @VFLeonard and @NonprofitU

When Shelby Parchman started his job as Director of Programs at Sunshine Enterprises, his charge was to create 200 businesses along the 61st Street Corridor in Chicago’s Woodlawn community.  Since that time, he has expanded  the vision to include businesses in under-served communities on Chicago’s Southside, Westside and Southwestside.  Using the evidence-based Rising Tide Model, Sunshine Enterprises operates the Community Business Academy and the Business Acceleration Services initiative to help small business owners transform communities throughout the City of Chicago. Read Six ways to make sure you don't tank your business plan http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/chi-business-plan-tips-bsi-ngux-story.html

 

Call in live at (347) 884-8121. You don't need an account to listen, but, if you want to participate in an online chat, open a listener-only account at https://secure.blogtalkradio.com/register.aspx?type=listener to participate in a live chat.

Visit http://valeriefleonard.com and http://valeriefleonard.com/nonprofitu

Follow @VFLeonard and @NonprofitU

Upon first glance, the North Lawndale community does not seem to be a place budding entrepreneurs would look to start a business. Indeed, there are challenges on every front. Where others see problems, Dr. Dennis Deer and Rodney Brown see potential.  Tune in to find out how they are working with local businesses and residents, one by one to revitalize the business climate in North Lawndale.  Dr. Dennis Deer, CEO of Deer Rehabilitation Services, Inc., will talk about the relationships between mental health and economic development. Rodney Brown, Vice President of the Board of Directors for New Covenant CDC will share lessons learned from his work with the chamber of commerce and business development center.

Call in live at (347) 884-8121. You don't need an account to listen, but, if you want to participate in an online chat, open a listener-only account at https://secure.blogtalkradio.com/register.aspx?type=listener to participate in a live chat.

Visit http://valeriefleonard.com and http://valeriefleonard.com/nonprofitu

Follow @VFLeonard and @NonprofitU

When we read about TIF’s in Chicago, we typically read of lack of transparency, extreme surpluses, lack of accountability, and how large corporations benefit, while residents of impacted communities are left “on the outside looking in”  in their own communities.  Not so in Humboldt Park. Tune in Monday, July 6, 2015  to find out how Carolina Gaete and Cecile Carroll DeMello, Co-Directors of Blocks Together, have managed to work with local residents and elected officials to bring democracy to the TIF program, develop affordable housing and make micro-financing available to small businesses from the neighborhood. 

Call in live at (347) 884-8121. You don't need an account to listen, but, if you want to participate in an online chat, open a listener-only account at https://secure.blogtalkradio.com/register.aspx?type=listener to participate in a live chat.

The State of Illinois is the largest contributor to the state’s nonprofit sector. In spite of the fact that the Illinois economy is in recovery, the state is experiencing a $4 billion budget gap for FY 2016. Reduction in tax receipts make it difficult for state and local governments to meet their obligations and address the growing need for social services. The inability of the State to pay nonprofits on time is one of the greatest threats to the viability of the nonprofit sector. The nonprofit sector accounted for 8% of the State’s workers and 8.7% of the Gross State Product in 2000 (Donors Forum 2003).

How are your nonprofit peers dealing with tough times? Tune in Monday, June 29, 2015 to participate in a discussion of how nonprofits are coping with state budget cuts and other threats to the funding environment. Call in live at (347) 884-8121. You don't need an account to listen, but, if you want to participate in an online chat, open a listener-only account at https://secure.blogtalkradio.com/register.aspx?type=listener to participate in a live chat.

Brenda Palms Barber moved to Chicago 15 years ago and started the North Lawndale Employment Network to assist returning citizens transition back to society through employment and other resources. She found a community that ranked in the top 6 in the state with respect to prisoners returning home. Today, her clients as a group have a recidivism rate of 6% compared to 43% for the country. Under her leadership, NLEN has grown from 2 to 21 employees, and provides job training and financial literacy to over 2,000 men and women. She launched the Sweet Beginnings social enterprise, which produces local honey and skincare products under the beelove brand, where 383 returning citizens have been employed, since 2007. What’s Brenda’s secret sauce? Call in and see! (347) 884-8121