Cultivating Political Savvy to Advance Your Mission (Free)

About this event

Allison Handler, Consultant
Solid Ground Consulting

Joe Hertzberg, Principal
Solid Ground Consulting

This workshop is being offered at no cost, thanks to a generous gift to support nonprofit capacity building in Central Oregon from the Partnership to End Poverty.

Nonprofit leaders need to know when to work behind the scenes, when to step out, and how to develop and use political relationships to get things done. Shrewd nonprofits are good at raising their visibility, gaining a seat at the policy table, advocating for the impact their mission aims to achieve, and garnering needed political support. This seminar will help you understand your rights and overcome discomfort with engaging in political dialogues, identify political developments that impact your work, and learn how to inspire and work with public officials to advance your mission.

This workshop seeks to:

• Give nonprofit leaders and board members a basic foundation in the legal rights and ethical responsibilities to their mission to be involved in advocacy and lobbying for their cause
• Help participants understand the attributes of politically savvy leadership
• Demonstrate how to develop a “power map” of influencers in your region who need to be educated about your work
• Help you know when to play “inside game” versus “outside game,” and gain tools to work with influencers in your region to advance your work

About the Presenters

Allison Handler got her first taste of public service as a land use planner in Missoula, Montana. She went on to found the Land Stewardship Program, a housing land trust in Missoula. She moved to Oregon to serve as the executive director of the Portland Community Land Trust (now Proud Ground), and she has served on the boards of the National Community Land Trust Network, Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition and Growing Gardens. Her work focuses on organizational assessment and strategy development, with an eye to helping groups position themselves for mission success, greater awareness of their work, and greater influence on the issues that matter to them. Allison holds an MS in environmental studies from the University of Montana and a BA in philosophy from Williams College.

A consultant in Oregon since 1979, Joe Hertzberg specializes in strategic thinking, creative decision-making and building effective working relationships. He has worked extensively with elected leaders, including legislators, county commissioners and members of city councils in Bend, Portland, Los Angeles and many other communities. He served on Portland’s Charter Commission and spent six months as interim director of the city’s Bureau of Housing & Community Development. Joe has graduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University, and he has served on the boards of Friends of the Children and the August Wilson Red Door Project.

Inspired Practices, Inspiring Nonprofits Seminar Series

This five-part seminar series is brought to you through a partnership between Solid Ground Consulting and the Nonprofit Association of Oregon.

Sessions include:

• Using Story to Build People, Plans & Resources (Portland, September 9, 2014)
• Essential Connections between Fundraising & Marketing (Salem, November 17, 2014)
• Cultivating Political Savvy to Advance Your Mission (Redmond, March 5, 2015)
• Growing Collective Capacity through Durable Collaboration (Portland, April 30, 2015)
• Developing the Traits of an Authentic Leader (Eugene, March 12, 2015)

Registration Information

This workshop is being offered at no cost, thanks to a generous gift to support nonprofit capacity building in Central Oregon from the Partnership to End Poverty.

Advanced registration is required. Please complete the online form by selecting “Register Now” or call 503-239-4001 ext. 123.

Agenda:
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. registration & networking
1:30 – 4:30 p.m. presentation
4:30 – 5:00 p.m. wrap up, networking, question & answer