How to Respond to New Initiatives…
Determining your Organizational Capacity

Time: 1 to 1.5 hours
Target audiences: CEOs, Executive Directors and Senior Management of Nonprofits

Session description:

Every association leader has faced this challenge: A board or committee member dreams up a new program or project he or she feels is perfect for the organization. It’s well thought out, appears to fit into the strategic plan, and isn’t a budget buster. Sounds OK at first, but then the staff looks at the proposal and says (with appropriate eye rolls), “How are we supposed to do this with everything else we have on our plate? What current activities can we drop in order to start this new one?”

Sound familiar? As CEO or Executive Director you are caught in the dilemma of supporting your staff vs. satisfying the governing board or volunteer committee member. Either way the outcome may not be the best it could be. How could this decision process easily be resolved? How can you explain to the board the impact the new project will have on the association?

This seminar will offer you a way to illustrate your organization’s ability to carry out its ongoing functions as well as implement new initiatives that pop up. What is the association’s true operational capacity?

Learn how a conducting a “gap analysis” will help you guide the board to make informed decisions based on real data. This analysis defines your organizational capacity… the requirements for all activities being done now and what resources/manpower are required to start and maintain new programs.

You will leave the session with an assessment tool you can customize for your association. The interactive seminar format will help you gain ideas from colleagues about what to include in your “capacity charting process.