Maryville College hosts nonprofit management training workshop Sept. 9

August 30, 2010
Contact: The Rev. Dr. Billy Newton, Director of the Center for Strong Communities
865.273.8893; billy.newton@maryvillecollege.edu

On Sept. 9, Maryville College will host a one-day nonprofit management workshop focused on training for program evaluation and outcomes.

Sponsored by the Center for Strong Communities at Maryville College, the Blount Chamber Foundation and the United Way of Blount County as part of the organizations’ School for Nonprofits, the workshop will be held in the College’s House in the Woods from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“This is our kickoff nonprofit training event for the year, and it’s a valuable opportunity for those of us who need this kind of support,” said the Rev. Dr. Billy Newton, director of the Center for Strong Communities at Maryville College. “I know the work of evaluating service programs and documenting outcomes may not have a lot of pizzazz, but it is an essential part of doing good, effective work in our communities.”

The training will be led by Claudia Horn, president and principal trainer of Performance Results, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based management-consulting firm that provides training in results-based management (outcomes-based evaluation). The highly interactive training program uses lecture, small group work and case studies to increase participants’ understanding of evaluation, survey design and data collection and analysis.  Horn has more than 20 years of experience in the field of education and training.

“Most of us in the nonprofit world have a vocation for changing lives, serving with compassion and building stronger communities,” Newton said. “This kind of outcome-based evaluation is one of the tools that can help us move toward even greater impact.”

The registration fee – which is discounted, thanks to a Center for Strong Communities grant from the Bonner Foundation in Princeton, N.J. – is $40 per person for nonprofits and community organizations. For teams of two to three people from the same organization, registration is $25 per person. For more information, please call 865.273.8893.

The Center for Strong Communities builds on the educational mission and long tradition of service at Maryville College and serves as a visible expression of responsible citizenship and servant leadership in the broader community. Working through collaborative efforts and a model of community empowerment, the Center brings together people and ideas to build and strengthen healthy, just and caring communities in East Tennessee and Appalachia.

The School for Nonprofits, sponsored by the Center for Strong Communities at Maryville College, the Blount Chamber Foundation and the United Way of Blount County, is a year-round program that offers workshops and seminars for nonprofit leaders to develop their skills in nonprofit management and community leadership and to participate in cultural and contextual discussions that are important to East Tennessee service organizations.

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state‘s third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2011 semester was 1,078.