Often called the personality of an organization, organizational culture is a shared set of workplace beliefs, values, attitudes, standards, purposes, and behaviors. It reflects both the written and unwritten rules that people in an organization follow. Your organization’s culture is the sum of all that you and your colleagues think, say, and do as you work together. If that sounds important, it is. (Bamboo HR) For our purposes, when we speak of toxic nonprofit cultures, we are speaking of environments that stifle creativity and productivity, and prevents organizations from making the maximum impact on clients and the communities they serve. We will talk about 12 signs that your nonprofit's culture is toxic, and strategies you can use to make improvements.

The nonprofit employee handbook can be used to support operations, communicate benefits and other employment retention policies and minimize risks that might arise from lawsuits and failure to comply with state and federal regulators. We will show you how to develop an employee handbook, what should go into it, and refer you to professionals who can review your finished product. If you are a member of the Nonprofit Utopia community, we will share templates and free and low-cost resources you can use to develop employee handbooks that create winning situations for your organization's board and staff.

Sankofa is a word in the Twi language of Ghana meaning “to retrieve" More commonly, it symbolizes taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present in order to make positive progress through the benevolent use of knowledge. Sankofa is often symbolized by a mythical bird with its head turned backwards while its feet face forward carrying a precious egg in its mouth.   As we finish out the year in the Nonprofit Utopia community, we are taking stock of our wins, our losses and challenges in 2022 so that we can finish the year strong, and hit the ground running in 2023. One of our first steps is to use assessment tools to gauge our leadership styles and skills and organizational skills in order to get a true sense for where we are. Indeed, we believe that we can’t really know where we should be going until we know where we are and where we have been. Even if it means peeking through our fingers because the truth is so glaring that we could be startled into paralysis.   This podcast will help you understand   1. The power of assessments 2. How to use assessments to chart your professional course 3. How to use assessments to help your organization navigate community change Nonprofit Utopia community members will also have access to individual and organizational assessments and a members-only group coaching session to get answers to questions and draw from support of their peers.

Episode description not available.

I have worked with a number of nonprofit leaders who live by the adage, "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail." Often, when it comes to volunteer management, they don't pay quite as close attention. After all, volunteers are not salaried employees, and they are often brought on for ad hoc projects. The tendency is to give higher priority to processes that have greater budget impact. However, leaving volunteer management up to chance is doing your organization and volunteers a great disservice. The organization misses out on opportunities to leverage volunteers to grow capacity. At the same time, volunteers who are looking at volunteerism as a way to develop professionally are left feeling unfulfilled. Careful planning is necessary to create win-win situations for your organization and volunteers.   This session will show you how to assess your organization's readiness for volunteers, develop a volunteer management plan and develop policies and procedures. Nonprofit Utopia members will be able to download sample documents from the online community. SHOW LESS

According to Lawrence Wallack, a prominent health researcher, "media advocacy is rooted in community advocacy and has as its goal the promotion of healthy public policies. It can be differentiated from traditional mass media strategies in a number of ways. Media advocacy shifts the focus from the personal to the social, from the individual to the political, from the behavior or practice to the policy or environment. While traditional media approaches try to fill the 'knowledge gap,' media advocacy addresses the 'power gap'."   Join us for a lively discussion with Sarah Karp, a reporter with WBEZ in Chicago. We will talk about ways you can engage the media to bring about systems change in your own communities. You will learn   1. What makes a story concerning systems change newsworthy 2. The differences between a news story, press release and op-ed 3. The subtle differences between working with print media versus radio and other media 3. The do's and don'ts of working with the media 4. How to ride the news cycle

Generally speaking, when we think of organizational capacity building, we think of activities like board development, strategic planning and program evaluation. One often overlooked method for improving organizational capacity is developing issue advocacy campaigns. Not only do issue advocacy campaigns help develop leadership capacity for staff and stakeholders, but they can effect systems change, creating the environment to produce positive outcomes for your clients, communities and organizations. Valerie F. Leonard, the Founder of Nonprofit Utopia, LLC, will walk you through the process of creating issue advocacy campaigns and engaging community and public officials. Nonprofit Utopia members will have access to handouts to help them implement lessons learned immediately.

Generally speaking, when we think of organizational capacity building, we think of activities like board development, strategic planning and program evaluation. One often overlooked method for improving organizational capacity is developing issue advocacy campaigns. Not only do issue advocacy campaigns help develop leadership capacity for staff and stakeholders, but they can effect systems change, creating the environment to produce positive outcomes for your clients, communities and organizations. Valerie F. Leonard, the Founder of Nonprofit Utopia, LLC, will walk you through the process of creating issue advocacy campaigns and engaging community and public officials. Nonprofit Utopia members will have access to handouts to help them implement lessons learned immediately.

All too often nonprofit leaders are so busy focusing on program development and fundraising that they often overlook policy advocacy as an effective means of capacity building. In this episode we will go over the various forms of advocacy and show you how to develop community action plans to effect systems change where you live.

FBRK Impact House is Chicago’s first dedicated work club focused on serving and supporting the philanthropic sector by providing a place where granting organizations can work together, intentionally sharing ideas and resources, to operate with greater efficiency. Home to 18 philanthropic organizations, the center is working across multiple sectors to develop innovative solutions to some of the most entrenched problems in the state of Illinois. Join us for a lively discussion with DeJuan Kea, Co-Founder of FBRK Brands, and Revin Fellows, Co-Founder of NBAC to talk about the latest developments at FBRK House and ways real estate development may be used to facilitate comprehensive capacity building for nonprofits and small businesses.

Monique B. Jones, LCSW is the President and CEO of Forefront, Illinois’ statewide association representing both grantmakers and nonprofits, as well as their advisors and allies. She is a visionary leader with an extensive background in mental health, violence prevention, philanthropy, and gender & racial equity.  Join us for a lively discussion as Monique shares lessons learned from her 100-day listening tour and ways she's preparing to lead Forefront to its next level of development.

Regardless of your position in a nonprofit organization, your job is to communicate with the public. This means talking about your programs and services, your impact to the community, upcoming events, etc. We will show you how to develop a solid communications strategy so that you can attract volunteers and funders and arm your board members and employees with strategies they need to attract more resources to the organization.

When you start your nonprofit organization, it is so easy to focus on filing forms to establish your organization, and then start on your application for tax-exempt status. There is a very strong possibility that you didn't know about the other forms you need to fill out so that your organization can start out on strong footing. You are not alone. This is very common for new organizations--and some established organizations. You would be surprised at how many organizations there are that have been in operation for years without knowing all the forms they need to complete. Sometimes they find out the hard way--by finding out they need to pay payroll taxes or unemployment insurance premiums. In worst case scenarios, their organizations could lose tax-exempt status or be involuntarily dissolved by the state. Join us as we give you an overview of all the forms you need to complete andhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UzX5HfkRYg&t=613s when. You can also check out the video on YouTube at

Filing for tax exemption is tedious, time-consuming, and not for the faint of heart. The process often requires applicants to “go back and forth” with the IRS for a number of reasons, including errors, clarification of statements and omission of key information. Clearly, following instructions is critical. Tune in as Valerie F. Leonard talks about some of the most common reasons the IRS rejects applications for tax exemption, and how you can avoid common mistakes.

James Mueller, President of Mueller & Associates, will be a guest on the Nonprofit Utopia Podcast to talk about his latest book, Onboarding Champions, the the essential guidebook for nonprofit board members and executives. It challenges board members to become champions of governance and provides a roadmap to get there. We will talk about seven recruiting principles of highly effective nonprofit boards, including culture, character, competence, connections, composition continuity and collaboration. James will share a wealth of information on a number of topics, including how to use a disciplined approach to building diverse and equitable boards; managing your board and leadership team remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic and how to confront board members who put their own self interests above the organization's best interests.

Tune in as Valerie F. Leonard talks about how to start and manage a nonprofit business in the State of Illinois. Topics of discussion include conducting a community needs assessment; selecting your team; developing the bylaws; incorporating your organization, filing for tax exemption and managing the organization.

Peter Hoy, the Founding Executive Director of the Stein Learning Gardens of St. Sabina was preparing for the organization's third season when the COVID-19 shutdown hit Chicago. Gardening supplies and materials were just delivered; schools were closed and everyone was sheltering in place. On top of that, the organization lost a much-needed $90,000 grant, jeopardizing the very existence of a program that served over 150 youth on Chicago's South Side. Tune in to find out how Peter, with the help of Orrin Williams, Executive Director, Center for Urban Transformation, successfully pivoted the organization to its next level of growth.

Earth Wind and Fire is one of the most influential bands of all time, transcending R&B and shaping pop culture around the world. With global sales of over 90 million records, the band has earned more than 50 gold and platinum albums, 7 Grammys, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and 4 American Music Awards. The group has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame, and Hollywood's Rockwalk, in addition to receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   The band has also received an ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, BET Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Soul Train Legend Award, as well as a NARAS Signature Governor's Award and the Congressional Horizon Award. Earth Wind and Fire members were celebrated during the Kennedy Center Honors in 2019, along with Sally Field, Linda Ronstadt, Sesame Street and Michael Tilson Thomas.   Verdine White, Earth Wind and Fire’s bassist and co-founder, was presented with Bass Player magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate degree from the American Conservatory of Music. He is ranked number 19 of Rolling Stone Australia Magazine’s list of the 50 Greatest Bassists of All Time. Verdine co-authored a book with Louis Satterfield, "Playing The Bass Guitar, A Beginner's Guide To The Electric Bass". He also wrote “Rhythm of the Earth: Advanced Bass Techniques” and “Rhythms of the Earth”.   In spite of all his achievements, Verdine and his wife, Shelly Clark White, continue to give back to the industry and the community through their advocacy, time and talent. Mayor John Hamilton of Bloomington, Indiana proclaimed February 1, 2021 as Shelly and Verdine White Day in honor of Black History Month, with a focus on appreciating the resilience of Black people and how they have used creative and artistic expression historically to overcome struggles.   The couple co-founded the Verdine White Performing Arts Center, which encourages students to reach their fullest potential as artists and people, equipped with a well-rounded performing arts education and the confidence to take on whatever path they choose within the arts.   Verdine was inducted into the Boys and Girls Club's Alumni Hall of Fame, and serves as an Ambassador, encouraging youth to get involved in the civic affairs of their communities. He was awarded the Walt Disney Motif Award for Excellence for his work with students.   Join us for a lively discussion of Verdine’s professional journey and ways he is preparing the next generation of musicians through the Verdine White Performing Arts Center.

I was scrolling down my Facebook feed and was totally amazed to read my Whitney Young High School classmate Vanessa McNorton's testimony: "1 year ago today Quadruple Bypass Surgery. Actually spent 8 hours pre-transplant taking all the EK,EEG and more E test, passed NO Heart Issues, Received Call to receive the Kidney Transplant on 2--20-20,heart attack 2 days later! That's Why I Praise Him!!! I GOT A TEST-A-MO-O-NY!!..." ("Testimony" purposely misspelled in reference to a popular gospel song) Vanessa went on to write about her journey to wellness over the past year; who was there for her and how she made it through with the Grace of God. Her story is so powerful that we can't just let it stay on Facebook. Join us as she gives an account of how her faith, mindfulness and informal network made the difference.

We will kick off Nonprofit Utopia's Resilience Month with an interview with John Emenecker, a peer support specialist and mental health advocate. John will share his wellness journey, including surviving cancer; coping with illness that threatens his vision; anxiety and depression. John will also share his vision and business model for Resilience House. Resilience House will be a wellness community to help members cope with challenges caused by adversity, including serious illness, depression and anxiety. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions and react to John's business model and appeal for board members