Duke Energy Nonprofit Academy strengthens local nonprofits
Indiana University Southeast hosted the Duke Energy Nonprofit Academy on Friday, May 17, in the Hoosier Room. The event, a free professional development conference, was made possible by a $17,500 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation.
“I attended the Nonprofit Academy because it was a free opportunity to gain valuable knowledge about the nonprofit industry, hear great speakers and network with colleagues,” said Tyler Bliss, executive director of the New Albany Floyd County Education Foundation.
The conference featured a funder’s panel with Lisa Huber, Duke Energy Southeast community relations manager; Jerry Finn, executive director of the Caesar Foundation (formerly the Horseshoe Foundation) of Floyd County; Kent Lanum, president and CEO of the Paul Ogle Foundation; and Linda Speed, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana.
Additional breakout sessions covered topics such as strategic planning, technology, marketing, collaboration, board development and strategies for becoming and remaining a leading nonprofit.
“Too often, nonprofits get buried in the day to day operations of the organization. This academy provided a zero cost opportunity to gain knowledge, reenergize and grow both as a nonprofit professional and as a community member,” said Bliss.
Additionally, the grant will provide capacity building consultation to six nonprofit organizations.
“If this grant helps inspire Southeast Indiana’s nonprofit leaders, we’ve accomplished our goal,” said Huber. “It’s about connecting expertise from the IU Southeast School of Business with charitable groups in our region to help them fulfill their missions. Businesses also can be inspired by the connections they make with our region’s nonprofit leaders.”
170
nonprofit staff and board members were trained through the Duke Energy Nonprofit Academy
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nonprofit staff members will be trained through the nonprofit consulting portion of the grant project
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facilitators, panelists and keynote speakers presented on various topics