Mission:

The Nonprofit Center is the hub for the nonprofit sector, providing services and expertise that promote organizational strength and improve the level of excellence in the nonprofit sector.

Providing services in:

Advocacy (The Center offers quarterly workshops, technical assistance and newsletter information regarding advocacy and lobbying for nonprofits including annual workshop with the Alliance for Justice. It offers a variety of publications from the Alliance and other sources and continues to provide a platform for nonpartisan discussion about critical issues facing nonprofits and strategies for addressing these issues as a sector. The Center is a member of Independent Sector.)

Governance (The Center offers workshops on board development, board fundraising and other training including satellite downlinks from the National Center for Nonprofit Boards and a Treasurers' Roundtable. Through the Management Assistance Program (MAP) the Center provides technical assistance and consultation to nonprofit boards and staff. Library resources and fax-on-demand services are also available. The Center is a member of the National Center for Nonprofit Boards, and is an affiliate of the National Executive Service Corporation.)

Finance (The Center offers workshops and training series in the area of finance. Through a community partnership, the Center can match a financial consultant with nonprofits for a range of projects. A Finance Task Group is working to expand services to the sector in the area of finance.)

Fundraising (The Center offers extensive fund development and grant writing workshops, and has a development consultant available to consult in all areas from running a capital campaign to creating an endowment. The Center's executive director and development specialist are members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP); the Center also co-sponsors the AFP Annual Fundraising Intensive.)

Human Resources (The Center coordinates a biennial Salary and Benefits survey for the sector in collaboration with the Management Association, Inc., and the Agency Executive Group, and offers a workshop to share the results. In addition to workshops offered on a variety of HR topics, staff and MAP consultants provide one-on-one technical assistance and consultation to boards and staff on HR issues. Nonprofits may purchase mailing labels of the sector to advertise job openings. The Center posts job notices from the sector on a lobby bulletin board and has plans to develop a publication and web site to expand this service.)

Information Technology (Efforts by nonprofits to effectively use information technology is often a part of a more comprehensive set of capacity support requirements for an organization. The Center offers such comprehensive support and collaborates with others to offer technology services. Conferences, sector assessments and workshops often address this topic. The Center has specifically addressed the adoption of internet tools by nonprofits--sponsoring conferences, workshops and a web site listing funding resources for internet application. The Center is also a part of a collaborative effort to build a local community network serving nonprofits, neighborhoods and public sector programs.)

Leadership Development (The Center is certified to provide the Stephen Covey Leadership programs and has provided these programs in the local area including, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Time Management Series, and Leadership. The Center offered a six-part series on "Leadership and Visioning" in 2000; and offers community organizers the opportunity to increase their leadership and organizing skills. The center piloted a City Resident Leadership and Organizing Institute and is expanding the Institute to the Lisbon Area Neighborhood Development area in fall 2001.)

Legal (The Center works closely with the Bar Association and Legal Aid to make referrals when newly emerging 501(c)(3)s are looking for legal advice regarding starting a nonprofit. The Center offers a quarterly workshop on "Starting a Nonprofit" with a lawyer as the trainer.)

Marketing (Series of workshops are offered annually in areas defined by our members including Marketing 101, Dealing with the Media, Writing Effective Press Releases, Developing Annual Reports, Developing a Strategic Marketing Plan, Newsletter Development. Staff and consultants work one-on-one with board and staff in the marketing and communication areas.)

Planning (Quarterly workshops on strategic planning held; staff and consultants facilitate strategic planning retreats and assist boards with implementation phase; the Center maintains a database of over 45 consultants who have been trained as facilitators of the Peter Drucker Self Assessment Process. The library has excellent materials on strategic planning and the Center has developed a prototype manual for board education and usage during the strategic planning process. The Data Center produces maps, graphs and charts that can assist board and staff to understand their service areas and constituencies.)

Trends & Research (The Data Center program maintains a Clearinghouse of community data. Indicators drawn from population, housing, crime, program and other files follow tracking trends in detail across Milwaukee neighborhoods. In 1999, working through the Greater Milwaukee Nonprofit Agenda Network the Center facilitated the first phase of "Taking Stock of the Nonprofit Sector," which included a survey that looked at perceptions of the sector from the inside out. The Public Policy Forum was hired to compile and analyze the data from over 200 nonprofit executives.)