UNITED WAY REACHES OUT TO HELP OTHER NONPROFITS

Nancy Jernigan wants the area's nonprofit organizations to have all the resources they need to complete their work, so she is always looking at ways "to help them do a better job."

Jernigan, executive director of the Area Wide United Way, found just that in a eight-session seminar, "Excellence in nonprofit leadership and management."

The United Way, Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce and Southeast Missouri State University are sponsoring the seminar, which will be held in Glenn Auditorium at Dempster Hall on the university campus.

The sessions meet monthly from 12:45 to 3:30 p.m. at the campus. The first session is Sept. 21. Others are planned in October, November, January, February, March, April and May.

Cost is $30 per session for all eight sessions or $35 per individual session. Scholarships are available through United Way.

"Part of our role in addressing the needs of the community is helping our nonprofits," Jernigan said. "We try to bring them resources that help them do a better job. Sometimes those resources are money and sometimes it's information."

The seminar provides nonprofit staff, volunteers and directors with information about strategic planning, resource development, board governance, marketing, financial management, social entrepreneurship, volunteer management and strategic alliances.

The course marks the third year of training offered by the Area Wide United Way. Other training sessions included a workshop on writing grants and work with the Caring Community Council on management topics. "It's just one more facet of what we feel our role is in the community."

The program is "top-notch," Jernigan said. "It's not just for an executive but anybody" involved with nonprofits.

The sessions also reach broad enough topics that any organization likely would benefit, she said. Some of the information "is no different than what a for-profit would deal with. It is intended to form the foundations for the folks to help them carry out they own plans and programs for their agency."

Each session includes a satellite broadcast led by national leaders. Local facilitators will also be on hand to speak about the topics and lead discussion among the participants.

Jernigan said she called several other United Way agencies to find out more about the series. "It enhanced the image of their United Way to bring a program of this caliber."

Deadline for scholarship applications is Sept. 1. Applicants must submit a one page letter telling how they would benefit from the series.

Registration for the sessions is Sept. 15.