Healthy Community Institute

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Is your board looking to understand their roles better and to be more engaged? Is your management staff looking to refresh on the fundamentals? Do you have the leadership in place to embrace change and take action? Then the BCBSNC Foundation's Healthy Community Institute for Nonprofit Excellence is the right place for your nonprofit to advance its capacity building needs.

Organizational Change

Healthy Community Institute for Nonprofit Excellence (HCI) is a year-long organizational change process that is focused not only on the fundamentals of strategic planning including mission and vision, but also board development and engagement, fundraising and leveraging results to enhance your organization's effectiveness.

The two days of onsite learning is just the beginning. The BCBSNC Foundation is committed to following up with each organization to talk through progress toward organizational change and ongoing technical assistance through webinars is available at the online Resource Toolkit. Only organizations that are open to making changes and seriously dedicated to improving should consider participating in HCI.

Team-Based Approach

The team-based approach is an essential component of the Institute, and is critical to the progress your team can make. Each team must include the Executive Director and at least two Board members. Teams must be made up of a minimum of 3 people and a maximum of 5 people.

Board members that are most appropriate to attend include your Board Chair, Vice Chair or a member of your Board's executive committee. Another good option is to bring a new Board member to learn what the roles and responsibilities are to become an efffective contributor. Other senior leaders may also attend, but Board members should be given priority. Each organization is highly encouraged to bring the maximum number of team members - especially Board members - with the "right" people in mind. Obtain the commitment from Board members who can benefit most from the principles taught and initiate the changes, drive the strategy and lead the action for the organization.

IF cancellations or changes occur with team members, it is up to the nonprofit organization to backfill the spaces to meet the minimum requirements as stated.

Learning

Participants in the Institute will learn the following:

Fundamental concepts of strategic planning with tools to create a plan and manage the plan.
Building a healthy board with best practices in board governance, structure and committees.
Board fundraising tools
Key communication tactics to increase individual donors and how to create an effective annual appeal.
Receive easy-to-use tools for initiating change in critical areas.

In addition, the BCBSNC Foundation has a reciprocal partnership with the Duke University Nonprofit Management Program that allows HCI attendees to earn six credit hours ($120) toward the Duke Certificate in Nonprofit Management. To learn more, contact the Nonprofit Management Program at (919) 668-6742.

Ongoing Evaluation

HCI is not just a two-day training; it is a year-long capacity building commitment for your organization and with the support of the BCBSNC Foundation. Please take a few minutes to read the Participant's Guide to learn more about what you can expect from us and what we will expect from you during and after HCI to determine the effectiveness of the programming.

Material

Each attending organization is guided through a process that combines lectures with team-based work beginning with the nonprofit's strategic plan including clarification of mission, vision and goals. Presentations provide practical insight into understanding board roles and responsibilities, creating effective annual appeal campaigns, selling the organization, and much more. Participants are asked to bring copies of their strategic plan, mission statement, and any other materials that would be helpful in the team planning sessions.

In addition, online templates and tools will become available exclusively to all Institute participants after attending. All the online resources can be modified and saved for the nonprofit's use.

Faculty

The faculty is passionate about helping nonprofits reach their potential. With a wealth of hands-on experience, the faculty share time-tested tools and best practices for the highest achieving nonprofits. The faculty is hands-on and is available for one-on-one consulting sessions during HCI to talk through challenges your organization is facing and to provide solutions to your toughest issues.

Eligibility

Organizations should be located in North Carolina and should also be a 501(c)(3) organization or an educational or governmental entity with tax-exempt status, that is not a private foundation or Type III supporting organization.