Category: Uncategorized

Contact: Amy Coates Madsen
Director, Standards for Excellence Institute^®
443.438.2314
acmadsen@standardsforexcellence.org

Baltimore, MD – November 19, 2015 The Standards for Excellence Institute, an initiative designed to help nonprofit organizations operate more ethically and accountably, announces its 2015 Class of Licensed Consultants. Recently completing the intensive, three-day training, class members are now licensed in every aspect of the Standards for Excellence program and are capable of assisting nonprofits nationwide.

Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultants use their new, extensive knowledge of the multi-faceted initiative to help nonprofits strengthen their governance practices and exceed the rising demand for nonprofit accountability. They provide nonprofit organizations with organizational assessments, consulting, training, and assistance in the application process for national Standards for Excellence accreditation. Licensed Consultants may also use the Standards for Excellence training curricula and educational materials in all areas where the Institute does not have replication partners nationwide. Many licensed consultants will also work with licensed replication partners.

Dan McDermott, a new Licensed Consultant based in Easton, Maryland, offered, “The Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultant Training was the best professional development opportunity that I have taken advantage of in my 26 years of nonprofit leadership. The training provided a road map that is easy to follow to ensure nonprofit success, accountability, ethical practice and enhanced public engagement. The Standards for Excellence Institute forged a network of like-minded nonprofit leaders who are committed to changing the world. The team that ran the training is amazing and it is hard not rate the entire experience as a 5 out of 5.”

Heather Iliff, President and CEO of the Standards for Excellence Institute, shared that, “We are thrilled to welcome this outstanding group of highly accomplished individuals into our Licensed Consultant consortium. This year’s class comes at a time when more nonprofit organizations are seeking ways to operate by the highest standards in nonprofit management and governance.”

Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultant Class of 2015

The Licensed Consultant Program has grown each year since its inception in 2006. A searchable directory of consultants can be found on the Institute’s website.

Here are the most recent Licensed Consultants:

Signe Bell, Wilmington, DE
Marla Bobowick, Washington, DC
Alayna Buckner, Washington, DC
Patrick (P.J.) Chambers, Aberdeen, MD
Jacki Coyle, Silver Spring, MD
Kim Hildred, Alexandria, VA
Robin Hindsman Stacia, Psy.D, Atlanta, GA
Jessica Kohnen, Baltimore, MD
David Kubacki, Wilmington, DE
Ruth Louie, Baltimore, MD
Mika Marumoto, Bethesda, MD
Robert McCreary, Wilmington, DE
Daniel McDermott, Easton, MD
Arshad Merchant, Bethesda, MD
Mala Nagarajan, Rockville, MD
Brett Newberger, Owings Mills, MD
Jane O’Leary, Baltimore, MD
Candace Osunsade, Baltimore, MD
Yvonne Petersen, Christiansted, VI
Michael Piraino, Bainbridge Island, WA
Jan Santolla, Dayton, MD
Pattie Tingle, Salisbury, MD
Robert Whitmore, D.Ed., Greencastle, PA
Rosann Wisman, Washington, DC

In addition to these independent consultants, Jessica Pfau of Ardmore, OK and S’Neta Benefield of Silver Spring, MD participated on behalf of licensed Standards for Excellence replication partners the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits and the American Nurses Association, respectively. Standards for Excellence replication partners are licensed to use all program materials, including the Standards for Excellence code, educational resources, training curricula, accreditation program materials and public relations and public education information in a geographically defined area or for a specific group of affiliates, chapters, or related organizations.

The Standards for Excellence Institute will offer the next Licensed Consultant program in the fall of 2016.  For information on applying to participate, complete the online request for information form.

The Institute, an operating division of Maryland Nonprofits, uses the Standards for Excellence program as its vehicle for effective change. The Standards for Excellence program works to help nonprofit organizations act ethically and accountably in their management and governance, while enhancing the public’s trust in the nonprofit sector.  To learn more, visit www.standardsforexcellence.org.

Strategic Consulting Partners
534 S. Carlisle Street
Greencastle, PA 17225
717.658.2092
bob@yourstrategicconsultant.com

Bob Whitmore is a certified business, leadership and health coach. He is the regional owner of the Growth Coach business coaching franchise and currently works as a nonprofit liason and consultant with Strategic Consulting Partners in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Bob was the the creator and CEO of Manito Inc, a private, nonprofit organization in Pennsylvania for 34 years. He built the organization into a multi-service organization serving clients in 12 counties and two states. He left this position in 2013 to have more opportunity to develop his coaching and consulting business and be a catalyst for individual’s and organizations to grow and develop. Bob’s educational background includes a Bachelor’s and Doctorate degrees from Penn State University and a MBA from Frostburg State University.

Bay Area Center for Independent Living
909 Progress Circle, Suite 300
Salisbury, MD 21804
443.260.0822
ptingle248@gmail.com

Pattie Tingle is a 35 year veteran of nonprofit and public sector management. The primary focus of her career has been the empowerment of emerging to mid-size nonprofit organizations. She has been an outspoken ambassador of the Maryland Association of Nonprofits, a peer reviewer with the Standards of Excellence Program and advocate of nonprofit transparency in public reporting and daily operations.

Pattie is a visionary leader with skills in grant writing, team building, succession planning, marketing, compliance reporting, advocacy, program planning, evaluation, fund development and financial management. Pattie is skilled in personnel and policy writing and management with emphasis on Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

Pattie became licensed to offer consulting services for the Standards of Excellence®
program in 2015. This enables an offering of the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to work with nonprofit organizations in learning about and implementing the Standards for Excellence code.

Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection is an affiliate of the Hillside Family of Agencies, hosting a range of programs and services that work both individually and together to put children, youth and families on a path to success and help break the damaging cycles of poverty, trauma, and neglect. In 2015, Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection of Prince George’s County, MD became accredited under the Standards for Excellence program. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Executive Director Karene Brodie about the organization’s history, programs and experience as a new Standards for Excellence seal holder.

What follows is a condensed transcript of that conversation.

Tell me a little about the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection.

Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC) is a nationally recognized, evidence-informed initiative to promote education opportunities for young people in Prince George’s County, Maryland. We aim to influence the learning processes through academic support, positive development and workforce readiness training. Our goal is to dramatically increase graduation rates, and to provide resources for college and career planning. The cornerstone of the HW-SC model is our Youth Advocacy program. Our Youth Advocates are full-time professionals who work to remove the barriers to a young person’s success at school, at home, and places of employment.

Can you describe some of the services you provide to your community?

Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection offers 360-degree support services year round for young people in middle and high school. Our services include youth advocate mentoring and case management, family engagement, afterschool enrichments and a robust summer academy. They also include core subject tutoring, standardized test preparation, post-secondary planning and support, life skills development and youth employment training. We are currently serving over 500 students in  eight middle and high schools in the Prince George’s County’s Public School system (PGCPS).

How did you learn about the Standards for Excellence accreditation program, and why did you decide to participate?

We learned about the Standards for Excellence program by virtue of being in Prince George’s County and through our membership with Maryland Nonprofits, sponsor of the Standards for Excellence Institute. We are also members of Human Services Coalition of Prince George’s County, also a Standards for Excellence sealholder, where I presently serve on the board. We realized the value of accreditation as a marker of high quality and accountability distinction, and we were eager to pursue this opportunity.

Your organization became accredited in April of 2015, and you announced your accomplishment through your website, social media and on some of your publications. What has been the response from your community?

Very complimentary, favorable and inquisitive. Our partners have inquired about the process and have celebrated the accomplishment, and parents have inquired what the accreditation model represents. Our funders and stakeholders have also celebrated our accreditation status

While going through the application process, did you come across any situations where you were able to apply the Standards for Excellence to strengthen a component of your organization’s structure?

Having recently been accredited, I’m certain we have yet to fully realize the accreditation’sdepth of benefit. However, going through process provided wonderful opportunity to look back on how we conduct business and examine ways to further improve upon our success. The application process provided the opportunity to examine various facets of our infrastructure, and to explore opportunities for further growth. It was quite affirming to see how many things we were already doing according to the standards which contributed to greater morale for the team and an eagerness to pursue a Tier III status for the organization.

How has your accreditation impacted your organization’s governance and operations?

The application process involved members of our Governing and Advisory Boards, organizational leadership, and various levels of staff.  The opportunity for our staff to come together to explore the benchmarks and reflect upon our practices was a huge value-add.

In addition to your recent accreditation, are there any other accomplishments you’d like to highlight?

Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection was  inducted into the Catalog for Philanthropy of Greater Washington, We’ve also been recognized by Social Impact 100, an organization that recognizes 100 nonprofits across the nation who are making a difference in the lives of young people. We’ve just launched a summer youth employment training academy to complement our traditional offerings that yielded  high success in program innovation. At Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection, we feel strongly that exposing young people to college and career opportunities further supports them in making wise decisions for academic [and life] pursuits.

The Hillside Family of Agencies is based in Rochester, NY, and operates Work-Scholarship Connection programs in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, as well as Prince George’s County, MD. Their mission is to help students overcome the barriers of generational poverty by giving them necessary guidance and the tools to be successful in school – expanding their access to education and employment opportunities.  For more information about the Prince George’s County Work Scholarship Connection program, please call (301)446-3691 or visit their webpage at hillside.com.

For Immediate Release
October 30, 2015

Baltimore, MD – The Alliance for Better Nonprofits, a membership-based organization headquartered in Knoxville, TN serving nonprofits in 25 East Tennessee counties, is the newest Replication Partner of the Standards for Excellence Institute.

The Standards for Excellence^® is a national initiative designed to promote the highest standards of nonprofit governance, management, and operations. As a Replication Partner, Alliance for Better Nonprofits (ABN) will deliver the Standards for Excellence educational resources, expertise, and programming to East Tennessee’s nonprofit community.

ABN President, Chris Martin said, “Once a nonprofit joins, ABN provides a unique opportunity for members to learn, grow and engage. They’ll have a chance to connect with nonprofit peers, experts and supporters committed to making this community stronger.”

Nonprofits of all sizes can benefit from the content-rich training, assessment tools, resource materials, and technical assistance provided through Standards for Excellence program. ABN’s courses, programs, and consulting services are designed to enable progress in the Standards for Excellence criteria.

Alliance for Better Nonprofits is offering a Standards for Excellence assessment to their members at no cost ($500/Non-Members). The assessment provides a road map for nonprofits to strengthen their organization through targeted training and consulting.

Additionally, organizations in eastern Tennessee who are interested in demonstrating they recognize and abide by the Standards for Excellence code can apply for accreditation through ABN. Nonprofit organizations in the region must be members of ABN to pursue Standards for Excellence accreditation.

In January 2016, a free workshop will be offered to ABN members that will provide an overview of the six major topic areas in the Standards for Excellence ethics and accountability code. The class will also review the application process for nonprofits interested in pursuing accreditation.

Nonprofits in East Tennessee can learn more at www.betternonprofits.org or contact Dan Myers, Interim Consulting Director, at (865) 524-2774 or dmyers@klf.org. For more information on the Standards for Excellence Institute, contact Amy Coates Madsen, Director at (410) 727‐1726 ext. 2314 or at acmadsen@standardsforexcellence.org.

About Alliance for Better Nonprofits (ABN)

The goal of Alliance for Better Nonprofits is to walk with nonprofits in the eastern Tennessee region on their journey toward efficiency and effectiveness through training, consulting and resources, including the nationally recognized Standards for Excellence program.

Several East Tennessee philanthropic institutions partnered with community leaders to create ABN. Knoxville Leadership Foundation (KLF) is spearheading the startup with lead partners the United Way of Greater Knoxville and the East Tennessee Foundation. Additional supporters include The Haslam Family Foundation, Pilot Flying J, Clayton Foundation, Trinity Health Foundation of East Tennessee, Cornerstone Foundation of Knoxville, Jenny and Randy Boyd, Scripps Networks Interactive, Home Federal Bank and the University of Tennessee.

ABN’s services and programs are modeled after three nonprofit centers across the country, including the Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM) in Nashville, Greenlights in Austin, TX and Standards for Excellence with Maryland Nonprofits. ABN will focus on training, consulting and networking for nonprofit staff, board members and volunteers.

Read the official press release

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Sharon Rubinstein, a participant of the 2012 class of Licensed Consultants, attended the 7th Annual Champions of Innovation and Education Luncheon hosted by Teaching Matters. Teaching Matters is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing teacher effectiveness. The luncheon was attended by New York City Richard Buery, who served on a panel with other New York education leaders to discuss poverty’s impact on education.

“A common theme was the holistic nature of the challenge poverty presents, affecting everything from health, to safety, to the vocabulary children have when they first arrive at school,” writes Rubinstein.

Sharon Rubinstein is a Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultant, a lawyer, and former journalist with a strong background in public interest advocacy, particularly for children. She has engaged in a wide variety of successful campaigns concerning education, juvenile justice, child welfare, health reform, and family economic security issues.

Read the entire piece at virtual-strategy.com.