Strategic Connector Leadership Institute
Strengthening Individuals, Nonprofits and Communities

Nonprofit Leadership Institute Home

MCN's Strategic Connector Nonprofit Leadership Institute is for “connectors” who are currently employed by a nonprofit organization, committed to staying in the nonprofit sector for the next five years, and strongly interested in growing their own leadership, that of their organization, the nonprofit sector, and the communities they serve.

Strategic Connector Institute Information Format and 2008 Dates Application and Scholarship Information Faculty and Trainers FAQs Past Participants Comments

2008 Dates and Format
The following are the dates for the Strategic Connector Leadership Institute. Each session is a daylong session with two modules, with the exception of the 2 ½ day kickoff retreat for each Institute.

Participants will move through their institute with a cohort of peers. The cohort will be no larger than 25 individuals. Within each cohort, participants will be paired with two other individuals to share their learning experience. Individuals will be also be working on their leadership project that was submitted with their application.

To apply for the Nonprofit Leadership Institute, complete the Nonprofit Leadership Institute application and return it to the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - 2314 University Ave. W., Suite 20, St. Paul Minnesota, 55114; or fax it to 651-642-1517. Applications can be downloaded online.

Connecting with other professionals wading through this world we call nonprofits was the most valuable part of the Insititue for me. It was refreshing to share thoughts, feelings, strategies, etc. with others who knew the inner workings of the field, creating partnerships and on some level, friendships that I feel will last long into my professional life.
Antonia Boelter, CTRS/Director of Community Life, Dakota Communities

Strategic Connector Institute
Application deadline: April 25, 2008

Kick off Retreat - June 4 - June 6

Wednesday evening, June 4
Opening Reception and Welcome
The Institute will start with an opening reception and welcome. Participants should be prepared to introduce themselves and their organization. There will be large group activities followed with large group discussion, as well as individual reflection.

Thursday, June 5
Leadership Goals
Participants will start off by analyzing their learning objectives for the Leadership Institute. Participants will form their Action Inquiry Groups (consisting of 5 people).

Understanding Networks & Organizations
A new model of nonprofit organizational types will be introduced. Participants will be asked to identify and describe their organizational type and, based on this, how decisions are made in their organization. Faculty will introduce participants to organizational analysis and community engagement analysis concepts and tools.

Friday, June 6
Bolstering Self Awareness
Participants will assess their personal strengths and gaps, identify areas for development, and through current leadership challenges, explore new approaches and behaviors for increased personal, organizational, or sector-wide leadership effectiveness.

Thursday, July 17 (Joint sessions with Senior Managers)
Strategic Communications
Participants will explore principles of strategic communication as well as assess and consider how to use communications more strategically in their organization. This session will be held at an off-site location that is to be determined.

Leveraging Information and Technology
Participants will learn about “new” information technology that will improve personal efficiency as well as organizational efficiency.

Thursday, August 14 (Joint morning session with Senior Managers)
Examing Boards
The basic theory, parameters, and different models of nonprofit governance will be explored in this session. Participants will be able to share techniques to nurture good governance behavior as well as explore the public responsibility of nonprofit board governance.

Later, participants will consider variations in executive/board relationships and share techniques for working with and developing board leadership. As well as explore the public responsibility of a nonprofit governance.

Program Development
In this session, participants will explore what it takes to run an effective program, including planning, implementation and evaluation. Different kinds of planning will be considered - how do strategic plans, operational plans, and work plans tie into a program plan? Supervising program staff will also be explored.

Thursday, September 18 (Joint morning session with Senior Managers)
Shaping Organizational Culture
Participants will increase their awareness of the role and form of culture within their organization. Participants will also learn techniques for aligning cultural factors to support mission and program and will examine organizations that are truly multicultural and bicultural in alignment with mission and vision.

Leading from the Middle
Participants will learn how people can lead “up” and “sideways” in an organization and through inter-organizational interaction. There will be more in-depth discussion around emotional intelligence and stakeholder analysis to show how to move agendas for positive community-based change.

Friday, October 10
Money and Power
Participants will examine how revenue sources form and shape their organizational operation and will explore mapping methods that will help visualize the complex revenue streams within an organization. This will help participants to rethink organizational planning and management for their organization’s financial sustainability.

Different concepts and vocabulary of power will be explored. Participants will consider how their organization deals with organizational risk, risk taking and consequences. Various tools in helping analyze and working with power will be introduced.

Friday, November 14
Financial Sustainability
Participants will examine how revenue sources form and shape their organizational operation and will explore mapping methods that will help visualize the complex revenue streams within an organization. This will help participants to rethink organizational planning and management for their organization’s financial sustainability.

Community Engagement Strategies
Organizational permeability will be discussed and the unique roles of 501 (c) 3s in this regard. Also, the broad continuum of relationships and interactions that come under the heading of “community engagement” will be discussed.

Participants will discuss the multiple methods of engaging in public policy work and will understand the role of nonprofits and social change. A tool to help assess organizational assessment of public policy engagement will be implemented in this session.

Friday, December 5
Working with Government
Participants will deepen their awarenes of the changing norms of public investments and management. Also, cultivate an understanding of public imperative and resulting "point of view" and to assess multiple ways goverment shapes nonprofit operations and identify leadership leverage points.

Friday, January 9, 2009
Leadership for the Long Term
Participants will spend the day synthesizing the content of their entire Nonprofit Leadership Institute experience. Participants will also present their leadership projects.

To apply for the Nonprofit Leadership Institute, complete the application and return it to the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - 2314 University Ave. W., Suite 20, St. Paul Minnesota, 55114; or fax it to 651-642-1517. 

For more information about MCN's Leadership Program and its elements, please contact Bao Vang, MCN’s leadership program coordinator, at 651-642-1904, ext. 245 or at bao@mncn.org.