Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Will Sponsor Local Nonprofit at Week-Long Program at Harvard Business School

December 11, 2008

GREAT BARRINGTON, MA — Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is pleased to be able to offer executive directors of nonprofit organizations in the Berkshire Taconic region the opportunity to attend a six-day training program at the Harvard Business School in Boston. Under Berkshire Taconic’s sponsorship, a selected director will attend “Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management,” a program designed to strengthen the capacity of nonprofit directors to lead their organizations effectively. The program will take place July 12-18, 2009. March 2 is the deadline for applications.

Berkshire Taconic began developing the sponsorship last summer after Jennifer Dowley, president of Berkshire Taconic, attended the program herself. “It was an invaluable experience to learn from the best, both faculty and fellow attendees,” said Dowley. “I immediately began to explore how this remarkable experience could be made available to my colleagues in the region. In these challenging times, it is important for us all to remain attuned to the best thinking there is on management strategies.”

The selected participant will attend the program along with over 100 other nonprofit leaders from around the world, using a case study method of learning. The program encompasses several themes, such as formulating strategy in complex environments, achieving internal alignment with strategic vision, bridging mission and markets, and leading change. The program is part of the Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Initiative, which helps leaders in all sectors apply management skills to create social value. The School is providing a full scholarship, valued at $4,750, for the week-long program.

Application forms and program brochures for the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program are available at berkshiretaconic.org/nonprofits or by calling Donna Saliter, director, Center for Nonprofit Excellence, at 413.528.8039.

To be eligible, an applicant must be a chief executive officer responsible for direction, mission, focus, policies and major programs. The organization must have a budget of at least $500,000 and a minimum of three to five employees. The nonprofit may be in any field (e.g., health, education, culture, environment, social services) and must provide services in the area served by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation: Berkshire County, MA; Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY; and northwest Litchfield County, CT.

Berkshire Taconic’s Center for Nonprofit Excellence will review applications and nominate candidates who best fit the program’s criteria. Harvard Business School will make the final selection and the candidate will be notified by May 1, 2009, for participation in the July program.

Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Initiative aims to inspire, educate and support current and emerging leaders in all sectors to apply management skills to create social value. Through an integrated approach to social enterprise-related teaching, research and activities, the Social Enterprise Initiative engages with leaders in the nonprofit, for–profit and public sectors to generate and disseminate practicable resources, tools and knowledge with the ultimate goal of bettering society.

Berkshire Taconic’s Center for Nonprofit Excellence offers services and resources to help the staff, board and volunteers of nonprofits think strategically, govern effectively and operate efficiently. It provides seminars in nonprofit management, the Nonprofit Learning Program, the “Stronger Futures” capacity-building program, research databases and competitive grant opportunities. The sponsorship extends Berkshire Taconic’s support for the leaders of nonprofits in the region.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents of Berkshire County, MA; Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY; and northwest Litchfield County, CT. Thanks to its generous donors, each year Berkshire Taconic distributes more than $7 million through scholarships and grants for programs in the arts and education, health and human services, and environmental protection. Berkshire Taconic is a 501 (c)(3) organization.

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