Category: Nonprofit Leadership Initiative

It’s almost Halloween! While nonprofit leaders won’t be facing werewolves and witches, there are a few spooky things they face: The Invisible Line Item: The professional development line item seems to don an invisibility cloak too often, and it’s scary when nonprofit organizations don’t invest in themselves. Professional development has been shown to enhance job […]

What is your greatest strength? Many of us have been asked that question in an interview setting. Today, you’re invited to think about your strengths differently – How could you use your strengths to make a difference in the community? Our community is lucky. Nonprofits are already making a difference – whether they’re serving meals, […]

Do you have a job description? If so, have you looked at it recently? Job descriptions for nonprofit board members can be complicated and, like many job descriptions, can include the catch-all phrase “other duties as assigned.” Nonprofit Leadership Initiative’s Board Academy helps nonprofit board members understand the long list of responsibilities listed in their job […]

“Managing Strategy with Focus and Agility.” That was the theme of the day when the Nonprofit Leadership Initiative (NPLI) Steering Council met for a strategic planning retreat on March 7. Pictured above: Steering Council Retreat – front row – Becky Boulanger, Jeff Hunter, Tammy Geenen. Back row – Rich Thompson, Jeff Hahn, David Weiss, Andrew […]

If you are a nonprofit leader in the Fox Valley region, how many times today, this week, this month, have you had to have some tough conversations with employees, volunteers or board members? Was it zero? I’m pretty sure that’s not the case. If so, I would love to hear how you accomplish this! Was […]

Do you overuse a word? Maybe you say “awesome” or “obviously” too many times in a day. Lately, for me, it’s been the word “amazing.” “Amazing” pops up in a lot of my social media posts, emails and conversations. It’s a wonderful word, and I feel lucky to be amazed on an almost daily basis […]

The Nonprofit Leadership Initiative is kicking off its 5th cohort for the Leadership Institute which will run from May 2020 to April 2021. The deadline to apply is January 17. In collaboration with Fox Valley Technical College, the Leadership Institute is a year-long series of seminars led by experts in their particular competencies and enhanced […]

There is always a measure of risk when you try something new. This year the Nonprofit Leadership Initiative (NPLI), a program of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, was ready for a challenge and piloted a new program called the Board Academy. Based on the Board Academy’s wrap-up session, we’re glad we took […]

If you’ve ever adopted an animal, gone to a free concert, given blood, or given a financial donation, chances are you were engaging with a nonprofit. Nonprofits do amazing work, and just as important as the work you can see is the work done behind the scenes. Every nonprofit has a board of directors, which […]

It’s the season of graduations! The Nonprofit Leadership Initiative (NPLI), a program of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, is celebrating the graduation of 13 nonprofit leaders from the Leadership Institute. The Leadership Institute is a yearlong management program for nonprofit senior leaders presented in collaboration with Fox Valley Technical College. I am […]

Every nonprofit organization is guaranteed to have a few things in common.   Their nonprofit tax-exempt status.  They all have a mission that centers on the work that they do.   They all need or have budgets.   At the Nonprofit Leadership Initiative (NPLI), we’ve always integrated financial education into many of our programs, including our year-long Leadership […]

By Peter Mariahazy, Community Foundation Board of Directors As a donor and volunteer of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, I’m proud of the organization’s impact that goes well beyond financial support. The Community Foundation adheres to the highest standards in supporting agencies that improve and strengthen the community as a whole. With […]