Nonprofit Leadership Training for Boards
and Staff

 

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Every nonprofit leader has experienced that dreaded moment where everyone looks to them for an answer and they realize the amount of weight on their shoulders. How do I make a decision that is fair for all involved? How do I win the trust of staff and stakeholders? This is especially challenging when you know a group of people will not be happy with the ultimate decision.

 

As a nonprofit leader, you face tremendous challenges on a daily basis. From managing personnel to maintaining healthy financial management practices within your organization, there is a lot riding on the decisions you make. Fortunately, you don’t have to make these decisions alone.

 

There are options available for nonprofit leadership training, and Team Kat & Mouse is here to help. As a consultancy that is made up of nonprofit professionals with decades of experience across the sector, we have a unique understanding of every challenge you could face. Whether you are looking for guidance on a specific problem or to build your overall capacity as a nonprofit leader, we can tailor our approach to your specific needs. Here are some of the areas we can help:

 

Leadership Training

 

There’s no instruction manual for nonprofit leadership. It’s an honor to be trusted with a management role in a nonprofit organization, but it comes with a heavy burden. When you’re the decision-maker, it’s easy to feel the weight of all you’re trusted with and struggle to trust your instincts. Our leadership training starts by recognizing where you are and validating the immensely challenging work you’re trying to do. We then work with you on developing the skills necessary to analyze any problem that comes your way, approach any issue with a solutions-oriented mindset, and make decisions that will be in the best interests of those you are entrusted to serve. 

 

Our nonprofit leadership training can take place one-on-one or in a group setting for boards, management teams, volunteer leadership teams, or any other unit that makes decisions in your organization. We recognize no two leadership groups are alike, so we will always begin the process with a discovery meeting to understand your specific challenges and what we can do to help.

 

Mentoring for New Nonprofit Leaders

 

Did your organization just hire a first-time Executive Director? Did a staff member just get promoted to a senior management role? These are delicate times in a person’s career; while they have demonstrated their capacity and are capable of accomplishing great things, this is a time when mentorship is vitally important. It can be make-or-break both for their career and your organization.

 

All of us at Team Kat & Mouse have lived through that transition and understand the pitfalls and opportunities that come along with it. We provide one-on-one support that will give new leaders a safe space to share their successes, struggles, and receive feedback from people who can help them successfully transition into their new roles. 

 

In addition to the one-on-one, real-time support, we offer, we continue this on an ongoing basis by offering our “office hours'' to those we mentor. No matter the challenge they are facing, we have someone on our team who can help them. We have people with every possible nonprofit expertise within our collective, so we'll always have someone who can support you and help you find solutions. Whether you’re trying to get a planned giving program off the ground, trying to develop a grant strategy, build strong relationships within your local corporate community, or anything else, we have someone you can sit down with to discuss solutions.

 

Hiring and Training Nonprofit Professionals

 

Nonprofit leadership training isn’t limited to those who are already part of your organization! Hiring is always a daunting proposition, and that’s especially true when you’re looking to hire for leadership roles. Add a tight labor market to the mix and it can be a major struggle to find the right talent to add to your team. We always tell organizations to “hire attitude and train skills,” and that’s the approach we bring to the table when we’re helping organizations hire.

 

Does the person you’re hiring handle pressure well? Are they friendly, engaging, and someone you would trust to represent your organization in the community? Are they creative? Do they have the energy to handle a job that can sometimes be draining? If you can find these attributes in a person you have the makings of a great leader. We help you find that person and give them the skills necessary to do the job.

 

This form of nonprofit leadership training can be tailored to your individual needs. We can be as involved in the hiring process as you would like, helping all the way from recruitment to onboarding. After the right candidate starts the job, we can stay on for several weeks or several months to continue guiding, training, and helping that person settle into the role and thrive as a new leader at your organization.

 

Nonprofit Board Training

 

Most people join a nonprofit Board of Directors understanding that they have an important role to play in the organization’s wellbeing and success, but they sometimes struggle to understand what they should do on a day-to-day basis to ensure the organization thrives.

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We’ve all served on boards and worked closely with them as staff members at nonprofits, so we have a unique understanding of what works - and doesn’t work - for nonprofit boards. We can explain the nonprofit life cycle, what a board should be doing at every stage in the process, and what expectations are reasonable for new board members. 

 

As with all nonprofit leadership training at Team Kat & Mouse, board training has to begin with a discovery process. We’ll understand who is on your board, what they have done in the past, and what expectations are currently placed on them. We’ll then work with the full group, creating an environment for open discussion and the establishment of best practices. We recognize the importance of a healthy, thriving board for your overall success, and we will make sure all board members leave our training understanding the role they will play in that.

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Training for Emerging Nonprofit Leaders

 

Do you have those staff members who stand out as people who could have a bright future with your organization? Now is the time to start working with them one-on-one to understand the leadership role they could play and the ways they need to prepare. Working one-on-one with people who have taken on leadership roles themselves will help them understand what they are stepping into and how they can position themselves as leaders who will quickly win the respect of staff and stakeholders. We will work with those we train to develop both short-term and long-term goals that will set them up as successful nonprofit leaders.

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Questions:

 

• What Makes a Good Nonprofit Leader?

The ability to see the vision and work with their team to make it a reality.

 

• What are Common Challenges Faced by Nonprofit Leaders?

Time---So much is asked of them and often it is training that falls by the wayside.

 

• What are the Benefits of Nonprofit Leadership Training?

A well trained staff raises more money and feels successful avoiding the quick turnarover of Fundraising staff.

 

• Who Provides Nonprofit Leadership Training Programs? 

Team Kat and Mouse will discuss your needs and then prepare a training customized to your organization. Team Kat and Mouse provides Training, Tactics and Tools!

 

• What Types of Nonprofit Leadership Training Exist?

There are many types of trainings available-. Find the one (or selection) that matches your needs and your organization’s culture.

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