OneSource Center News

Training leaders to be creative and agile has never been more important as nonprofits adapt to current times and anticipate unexpected changes ahead. The Nonprofit Leadership Institute of Cincinnati (NLIGC) has highly respected leadership development programs tailored to the skill level of employees: entrylevel, middle management and CEO level. OneSource Center consultants provide the leadership and teaching for two of the NLIGC programs (ADVANCE and EXCEL.) The programs are lauded as “transformational” with attendees reporting they utilize skills learned every day in the operation of their organizations and in team management.

Program details:
ADVANCE focuses on strengthening and developing the management and leadership skills of middle managers or nonprofit supervisors. New sessions occur quarterly. The Fall 2021 Session of ADVANCE is currently accepting applications. Fall sessions will be held on Thursdays starting on September 16.

EXCEL is a flagship, nine-month leadership development and skills training program for nonprofit executive directors and C-suite executives. EXCEL was designed to enrich the management capabilities of those individuals inspired to lead nonprofit organizations in the Greater Cincinnati region. The program integrates the use of a coaches to personally mentor each class attendee in implementing best practices in their organizational leadership. The executive leadership program begins every September, and applications are currently being accepted. Session topics included: Leading with Emotional Intelligence; Kouzes & Posner Leadership Challenge and Truths; Collins model for Creating Greatness; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Strategic Thinking and Planning; Team Building and Development; Performance Coaching; Change Leadership; Nonprofit Boards; Financial Management; and Fundraising.

Testimonial
Sandra Jones Mitchell, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Serving Older Adults Through Changing Times, said the EXCEL program strengthened and broadened her leadership abilities, giving her confidence and tools to lead her organization to better fulfill its mission. She said the networking and coaching components were an immeasurable positive strength of the program. Mitchell continues, “I have attended numerous executive leadership training experiences, but the EXCEL program ‘tops my list of favorites’ for many reasons. In this program, the focus is strictly to train agency executives with tools they can use to run their nonprofits. The information was presented in a manner that was easy to absorb, and has given me practical skills I can use every day and for a lifetime. Making a commitment to attend the sessions over time strengthens your ability to learn and actually use the materials taught as well.”

Scholarship opportunities

Dr. Thomas G. Monaco EXCEL Scholarship Fund
A scholarship fund to honor Tom Monaco, one of the principal architects of the EXCEL program, was founded upon his passing in 2017.   The fund has been established for agency executives who would be unable to attend the EXCEL program without financial assistance.  If this type of support is needed in order to attend, please complete the EXCEL application and indicate your interest in being considered for tuition assistance.  (NOTE:  If you would like to contribute to the Dr. Thomas G. Monaco Scholarship Fund, which furthers the development of future nonprofit leaders in Greater Cincinnati, click here to make a donation.)  

OneSource Center Emerging Leader Award
In response to OneSource Center’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion objectives, OneSource Center has established the OneSource Center Emerging Leader Award, which will provide a full scholarship for the award honoree to participate in the EXCEL leadership development program, including 1 year of executive coaching.  More info here.

Welcome House of Northern Kentucky Prevention Services assists households at imminent risk of becoming homeless, serving eight counties, including Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Owen and Pendleton. Services include financial assistance and follow-up services to assist households with maintaining their housing. If you have a client staying with friends or relatives that cannot continue to stay there; are paying for their own hotel/motel without financial assistance from a social service agency, or are finding themselves in financial hardship with rent or utilities — help is available. There is currently a waiting list for this program, but openings are available as people move to self sufficiency, so call to be put on the list! Visit Welcome House during business hours at 205 W Pike Street Covington, Kentucky 41011 or call 859-431-8717 for an assessment. Hours: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-noon and 2-4, Wednesdays 2-4 and Fridays 9-noon.  Program information is here.  

OneSource Center for Nonprofit Excellence is coordinating a region-wide FREE toy distribution for children during the months of May, June and July – collaborating with nonprofits and corporate sponsors to share some joy with area youth.  Please spread the word to your friends, the community and nonprofit clients!  The event titled “Unplug and Play” is nationally sponsored by Toys for Tots and Good360. 

Information on multiple distribution dates (June and July) and locations is available at the OneSource Center website:  OneSourceCenter.org/Toys  The event is open to ALL children.  A flyer that can be distributed to community members and nonprofit clientele is available on the website. 

OneSource Center for Nonprofit Excellence, a regional redistribution partner for Good360, coordinated the shipments of 16,000 toys to regional nonprofits who will distribute them.  CEO Christie Brown said, “The last year has been especially challenging to children nation-wide.  It is an honor to partner with Toys for Tots, Good360 and regional partners to get toys into the hands of kids and encourage them to step away from technology and have some good old-fashioned play time with toys.  The joy on the children’s faces when they receive the toys is incredible!”  

Nonprofit partners, foundations and regional sponsors for the distribution events are: Activities Beyond the Classroom, BKD CPAs and Advisors, Brighter Days for Kids, Brighton Center, Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, Ethicon HOLA, FC Cincinnati Foundation, Good360, Messer, Inter Parish Ministry, OneSource Center, 2021 Avondale Community Makeover (sponsored by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, P&G, the Cincinnati Reds/Reds Community Fund and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden), Toys for Tots and the Wegman Company.

Photos from some of the incredible toy distribution events
What joy it has been to see the happy smiles of children receiving toys so they can Unplug and Play!   Thanks to all the partners and volunteers who have made these events possible! 

Women have made great strides in the workforce over the past 50 years but are still underrepresented in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In response, the Civic Garden Center created “Green Girls in STEM” – an immersive year-long, hands-on program for young women in high school to explore STEM careers, sustainability, and leadership development. Green Girls in STEM provides experiences that leave students feeling more connected to nature, their communities, and the wider world. Applicants should be creative thinkers and willing to work collaboratively with others. No experience is necessary, just an interest in STEM, the environment, and leadership development. The program is FREE, and applications are due May 24. A brochure is available here. More info on the Civic Garden’s website.

While many agency executives think “consulting” automatically means strategic planning, board development or even financial recommendations – sometimes consulting means logistics planning, modifying work process solutions, writing revisions to job descriptions or even doing grant research.  

For Dress for Success Cincinnati, having OneSource Center as a resource on all these topics has been a tremendous support as the organization prepares for its upcoming move to Norwood in June.   

According to Executive Director Lisa Nolan, when she and her team need help, she asks “How can we utilize OneSource Center’s services to assist us in this effort?”   

The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Wanting to best utilize volunteers and the tremendous number of clothing donations coming through their facility, Dress for Success collaborated with OneSource Center to build efficiency systems into its inventory process and to make recommendations on staffing for the Donation Center. 

“Often what happens in organizations is that once work practices and department responsibilities are established, they are simply repeated over time without questioning if they are still the best approach,” said OneSource Center’s VP Consulting Services Vickie Ciotti. (more…)