Aspiring CEO Webinar Series
So you’ve decided that you want to lead a nonprofit organization. Regardless of your past experiences, this will be a job unlike any other. This web-based seminar series offered by the Axelson Center, in partnership with Achieve, will help you avoid the common pitfalls that have troubled hundreds of nonprofit CEOs before you.
The six-session series will offer monthly 60-minute webinars from October 2009 to February 2010 and culminate in an in-person session in Chicago. Each monthly webinar will cover a topic specifically chosen to provide you with the knowledge required to excel as a new nonprofit CEO.
The Axelson Center will award certificates to all Aspiring CEO participants who fully complete at least five of the six sessions. Attendance and participation will be verified through webinar software.
Cost
Organizations have the choice of participating in all five webinars and an in-person session for a fee of $200 or they may purchase each webinar a la carte for a cost of $50 each. Each participating organization can have up to three individuals participating (please note, cost is per organization, not per participant).
Registration
To register for one or more of these sessions and pay online please visit the registration page.
To register and pay by check, please complete this form and mail with check to the Axelson Center.
Schedule
October 7, 2009 - 12:00 pm CST
Where’s the Nonprofit CEO Manual?
Preparing for a leadership role in a nonprofit is challenging. This session will help you understand how to identify the organization’s culture and integrate into it, equip you to be the face of the organization and define the importance of the CEO’s involvement in fundraising.
Introduction by: Pier C. Rogers, Ph.D., Director, The Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University
Derrick Feldmann, CEO and Co-Founder, Achieve
Presented by: Ken Gladish, Ph.D., CEO, Austin Community Foundation, Former CEO, YMCA of the USA
November 4, 2009 - 12:00 pm CST
Who’s Driving This Ship Anyway?
So you’re in charge and everyone’s looking to you for guidance on key issues such as financial stability, organizational growth and strategic direction. Participants will understand the importance of a strategic plan for guiding the organization and process for thinking and executing strategies as well as tools for communicating your strategies to others.
Introduction by: Derrick Feldmann, CEO and Co-Founder, Achieve
Presented by: Tom King, Former President, Eli Lilly & Company Foundation
December 2, 2009 - 12:00 pm CST
My Boss Is the Board!
Boards are sometimes collectively less rational and intelligent than each of the members individually. Why? Learn effective strategies for building strong and appropriate relationships with your board. Gain insight into the thoughts of boards, why and how they make decisions, how to manage the board and what they’ll expect from you. Learn how to develop champions on your board who understand the internal workings of the organization.
Introduction by: Derrick Feldmann, CEO and Co-Founder, Achieve
Presented by: Dave Sternberg, Vice President, Achieve, Senior Governance Consultant, BoardSource
January 6, 2010 - 12:00 pm CST
Are We There Yet?
Unfortunately, evaluating a nonprofit organization is not quite as simple as looking at your bottom line. Participants will learn the basics of nonprofit evaluation, from programming to finance, and be introduced to a process for implementing a performance management system. Strategies for working with the staff and board to ensure the best possible organizational outcomes will also be offered.
Introduction by: Pier C. Rogers, Ph.D., Director, The Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University
Presented by: Nancy Kim Phillips, M.B.A., President, NKP Consulting LLC, Former COO, Metropolitan Family Services
February 3, 2010 - 12:00 pm CST
Living in a Glass House
Enjoying the benefits of being a tax-exempt entity does not come without costs. The IRS, media, public and those benefiting from your programs have certain expectations. Ensuring that you meet those expectations of financial and legal diligence and disclosure could help you in leading one of the most trusted and respected organizations around.
Introduction by: Pier C. Rogers, Ph.D., Director, The Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University
Presented by: Kathryn Vanden Berk, J.D., Attorney, Law Offices of Kathryn M. Vanden Berk, LLC
March 5, 2010 – 10:00 am CST
Aspiring CEO Finale & Social
An in-person seminar to conclude the series, complete with guidance on how to find, apply and interview for nonprofit CEO jobs, a nonprofit CEO panel, lunch and social time to meet peers who hold the same aspirations as you.
Welcome: Pier C. Rogers, Ph.D., Director, The Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University
Derrick Feldmann, CEO and Co-Founder, Achieve
CEO Panel: Rob Bisceglie, Executive Director, Action for Healthy Kids, Brenda Palms Barber, CEO, North Lawndale Employment Network, Marcia Lipetz, Ph.D., President/CEO, Executive Service Corps of Chicago
Panel Moderator: Richard M. King, President & CEO, Kittleman and Associates
Keynote Speaker: Eric Weinheimer, President, The Cara Program