Fall: the Perfect Time to Go “Back To School”

By Pamela Block, Vice President, MissionWise  

With the leaves changing and my children heading off to school, fall has always struck me as the perfect time to renew my energy, re-charge my batteries, and increase my knowledge by heading “back to school” myself, and getting out and learning from my peers.

This fall has been a particularly fruitful time for learning. It began with the Annual Philanthropy Northwest Conference in September, where I was able to attend sessions on everything from Building Nonprofit Capacity to Nonprofit Financial Health with hundreds of attendees in beautiful Missoula, Montana.

At the PNW Conference, MissionWise was fortunate enough to conduct a workshop on grantee business planning, co-facilitated by consultant Cindy Coney, in partnership with Jeff Jessee, Chief Executive Officer of The Alaskan Mental Health Trust Authority.

I found it so interesting to hear the real-world examples of grantee business plans that Jeff and Cindy shared; but I felt the best part of the workshop was the organic dialogue that sprung up between the attendees themselves, and how we all came away with fresh insights into the current landscape of grantee funding and business planning, regardless of our role or the size of our organization.

Yesterday, I gained more insights on some of the challenges and opportunities facing Snohomish area nonprofits by attending a workshop closer to home. MissionWise consultant Kirsten Gagnaire led a session on Social Enterprise in partnership with Ed Petersen, Executive Director of Housing Hopeworks in Everett.

Ed and Kirsten provided several examples of social enterprise that they were involved with personally. Kirsten illustrated a more global perspective through her work in Africa with Grameen Phone, while Ed shared his endeavors locally with Housing HopeWorks. Also in attendance were several area nonprofits in varying stages of social enterprise development, with great stories to share and learn from.

It’s been rewarding for me to see the excellent work that’s going on in the region, and to gain insights that I can share with other nonprofit organizations to help them become healthier and more sustainable. MissionWise is excited to provide continued learning opportunities this fall and winter through a series of workshops on everything from Earned Income Strategies to Intellectual Property. I hope to see you there, and happy learning!