facebookBerkshire Taconic to Sponsor Local Nonprofit for Program at Harvard Business School: Application Deadline March 1
January 24, 2012
Sheffield, MA — Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation invites executive directors of nonprofit organizations in the Berkshire Taconic region to apply for a scholarship to attend a six-day intensive 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 15–21, 2012. Thursday, March 1, 2012 is the deadline for applications.
Berkshire Taconic began developing the sponsorship in 2008 after Jennifer Dowley, president of the Foundation, attended the program herself. Berkshire Taconic has sponsored area nonprofit CEOs— Bryan Ayars of Community Health Programs, Jenny Hansell of North East Community Center, Martin Ping of Hawthorne Valley Association, Gary Schiro of Hudson Valley Opera House, Anne Nemetz Carlson of Child Care of the Berkshires and Jeffrey Rovitz of Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties —to attend this week-long program over the last three summers.
Bryan Ayars said, “The Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management course provided me with the ability to learn from gifted and engaged professors, who are deeply invested in the success of nonprofits; and the equally gifted, engaged, and diverse leaders of nonprofit organizations from around the world. Every topic discussed has relevance to leading a nonprofit agency in our small corner of the world, and the new network of fellow professionals that grew from this week of learning has inestimable value to me on both the personal and professional level.”
Jenny Hansell said, “My week at HBS SPNM gave me the chance to take a step back from my day-to-day responsibilities and reflect on the big picture, in the company of nonprofit leaders from all around the world and under the guidance of brilliant – and entertaining – professors. I came back inspired, energized and motivated, and have been able to share my new enthusiasm with my staff and board. My week of learning has stayed with me, and many months later I feel my work has really changed as a result of this experience.”
The selected participant will attend the program along with 140 other nonprofit leaders, using the case–study method of learning. The program encompasses several themes, such as formulating strategy in complex environments, exploring market sensitivity, achieving internal alignment with strategic vision 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 $5,000.
Program brochures and information on how to apply online for the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program are available online.
To be eligible, an applicant must be a chief executive officer responsible for direction, mission, focus, policies and major programs and have been in their current role for at least one year. The organization must have a budget of at least $500,000 and a minimum of several full-time employees. The organization must have been fully operational for at least one year and out of the start-up phase. The nonprofit may be in any field (e.g., health, education, culture, environment, social services) but 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 in May 2012, for participation in the July program.
Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Initiative, which Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management is a part of, focuses on an integrated approach to social enterprise-related teaching, research and activities. The initiative engages with leaders 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 and research databases. This 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 northwest Litchfield County, CT; Berkshire County, MA; and Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY, acting as an agent for positive change in the region. Since 1987, Berkshire Taconic has managed a growing collection of charitable funds created by individuals, families and businesses. Each year, the foundation distributes over $7 million through grants and scholarships for programs in the arts and education, health and human services and environmental protection, helping thousands of donors achieve their philanthropic goals and hundreds of nonprofits carry on their good work. Berkshire Taconic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.
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