Area Nonprofits Learn How To Increase Their Capacity To Serve

PADUCAH, Ky. — In tough economic times, the No. 1 challenge facing nonprofits is fundraising. To help organizations overcome this challenge, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Community Development Office, Louisville Branch, in cooperation with the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, is hosting Building the Capacity to Serve, a seminar on August 27 and 28 in Paducah, Ky., that will give nonprofits the opportunity to learn how they can work more efficiently by working together.

"Building the Capacity to Serve" is intended for representatives of nonprofits and major funding organizations, including executive directors, program managers, board chairs and board members. The seminar will be held at the Executive Inn Hotel & Convention Center in Paducah. A continental breakfast and lunch are included in the $25 registration fee; the registration deadline is Aug. 15.

For more information, please contact Faith Weekly at 502-568-9216 or faith.e.weekly@stls.frb.org. Online registration is available at www.stlouisfed.org/community/conferences.html.

"As times change and challenges continue to increase, the nonprofit organizations that thrive will be the ones whose leaders understand and fully embrace collaboration," said Eric Schmall, seminar instructor and director of consultation for the Center for Nonprofit Excellence. "The sharing of ideas and resources lifts the potential for mission success for all those who engage in authentic collaborative strategies."

The two-day seminar will help participants:

• identify capacity-building - the strengthening or improving of an organization's ability to perform or facilitate key functions such as governance, leadership, financial management, resource development, program delivery, communication, and networking;
• understand each agency's capacity through analysis of a pre-seminar online survey;
• appreciate and identify potential opportunities to build capacity through collaboration;
• understand the principles of collaboration; and
• establish a dialogue and plan for potential collaborations.

With branches in Little Rock, Louisville and Memphis, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis serves the Eighth Federal Reserve District, which includes all of Arkansas, eastern Missouri, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, western Kentucky, western Tennessee and northern Mississippi. The St. Louis Fed is one of 12 regional Reserve banks that, along with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., comprise the Federal Reserve System. As the nation's central bank, the Federal Reserve System formulates U.S. monetary policy, regulates state-chartered member banks and bank holding companies, provides payment services to financial institutions and the U.S. government, and promotes community development and financial education.

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