Nonprofit training coming to Havre

Press release

Bear Paw Development Corp., in cooperation with the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce, is partnering with the Montana Nonprofit Association to bring a series of four nonprofit management workshops to Havre for nonprofit organizations in northern Montana. The first workshop will take place this Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the TownHouse Inn of Havre. The cost is $100 for MNA members and $160 for nonmembers, but a discounted rate of $90 and $150 will apply for early registration for future workshops in this series. Lunch is included as part of the registration fee, as is all workshop materials. The title of the series is “Principles and

Practices for Nonprofit Excellence.”

“This upcoming workshop on Wednesday, and the entire series, will be top-notch training from the only organization in Montana focused exclusively on the health of our state’s nonprofit

sector,” said Paul Tuss, executive director of Bear Paw Development. “Once a month, from February to May, MNA and their professional staff, along with nonprofit consultants, will be here on the Hi-Line to discuss best practices and demonstrate how to most appropriately manage a nonprofit organization. This training will be applicable for veteran nonprofit leaders, newcomers, and board member as well.”

The topic of Wednesday’s session is “Best Practices for

Your Nonprofit Board: Ensuring Legal Compliance, Engaging Members to Bring Their Best, The Board’s Role in Fundraising.” March’s session is titled “The Art of Planning: Creating an Organizational Plan that is Living and Operational,”

April’s is “Financial Management: Planning, Accountability, Board Reporting and Internal Controls,” and the final session, in May, will focus on “Best Practices for Fund Development: Planning, Board Engagement and Solicitation.”

Debbie Vandeberg, executive director of the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce, said that a key reason the Chamber is sponsoring this training series is that the area has many nonprofits that are important players in the overall economic wellbeing of the region.

“In Havre, and across northern Montana, nonprofit groups, in collaboration with our business and government partners, make our communities vibrant, and contribute to a quality of life that adds so much to this area as a place to live, work and play,” she said. “I hope nonprofits in our area take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn from the very best about how to have an even bigger impact, understand how high-functioning organizations operate and to share best practices that are working.”

To register for the upcoming session or the four-part series, people can visit MNA’s website at http://www.mtnonprofit.org, call their office at 406-449-3717, or call Bear Paw Development at 265-9226.