Workshops
Sara is available to present/engage on a range of topics related to the capacities of healthy organizations. Topics addressed are ever-evolving and customizable, running the gamut from broad overview to detailed treatment of specific issues, from 1-hour presentations to 3-hour workshops. The structure will depend on your needs and goals.
Topic Categories
Good Governance + Financial Oversight + Strategic Planning + Organizational Change + Understanding Conflict + Research & Evaluation + Effective Grantmaking + &c.
Generative Governance
Break myths and misconceptions about types of governance thinking.
​
SAMPLE:
BOARD/GOVERNANCE
Get What you Need from Board Meetings
Being on a nonprofit board of directors is about a lot of things, some are fun, some not so much. Some you know going in, while others are a surprise. But the one thing we all know for sure is…. There. Will. Be. Meetings. Worse yet for some of you… You may have to lead them. *shudder* ​​Meetings get a bad rap, but they don’t have to. We can all do better. My job is to help your organization get more out of the ones your board has. Let’s talk about the conventional wisdom for what works (doesn’t), for what is (isn’t) required in those meetings. Then let’s purpose-build what you need, paying attention to individual roles and personalities, the different reasons why we meet, and troubleshooting specific scenarios. Come to this session, and leave with:
-
A fresh perspective on board meetings
-
Tools for being a better participant
-
Tools for being a better facilitator
Typical Session Agenda
-
Introduce Session & Goals
-
Presentation + Turn/Talk Questions
-
Question & Answer
-
Recap Take-Aways
SAMPLE:
BOARD/GOVERNANCE
Brush Up Your Bylaws
I heard a board leader once say that you should never have to look at your bylaws. Oh dear. While I hope you don’t agree, I know how dusty and buried many of these documents are. So, let’s dig in together. ​First, pull out your bylaws, print them and bring them with you. In this session, we’ll review what bylaws should(n’t) do and how they intersect with other governing documents. Then we’ll walk through a typical outline section by section looking for common mistakes. You will leave with:
-
A better understanding of what to watch for and what to avoid
-
A marked up copy of your own bylaws
-
Ready for discussion at your next meeting
SAMPLE:
ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT
Growing Up Nonprofit: Know when it's going well (and when it’s not) PDF linked
It’s a crazy world for nonprofit organizations. So much is going on that impacts you. So much is expected of you. Do you know how well you are doing? Are you healthy? In decline (or worse, in crisis)? In transition? Let’s take the judgment out of the equation, look at the big pieces of any organization (money, people, programs…), and apply a life cycle framework to the assessment process. There are predicable transitions for every organization and ways to identify them when they happen. Let's talk about some of them together. Come to this session, and leave with:
-
Judgment-free language for talking about organizational health even when things are bad
-
Indicators for diagnosing where you are and what comes next
-
Even a few metrics for the numbers side of organizational assessment
SAMPLE:
PROGRAM EVALUATION
Make Evaluation Work for You, not just a grant proposal
You know you should do it. (And your funders remind you whenever they can.) But it’s no fun. I can hear you now. “It’s overwhelming.” “Every person we work with is so different. How can we possibly evaluate it?” So, you have some registration information, a participant survey or two that you list in the grant application hoping that the funder will think it is enough. What if I told you that it can it be something more useful? It should be. Program evaluation should be your organization’s friend every day not just at grant-writing time. Let’s talk about evaluation as telling your story, learning from your trials and errors, taking control of your future as an organization. Come to this session, and leave with:
-
A fresh view of what evaluation can do for you
-
Good/Better/Best ways to get started while avoiding the data trap of garbage in / garbage out
-
Sample Frameworks for evaluating types of activity, even if they don’t seem like they can be evaluated
Past Presentations
Growing Up Nonprofit: Know when it's going well (and when it's not)
Nonprofit Support Network Summit – Oct 2024
​​
Effective Meeting Facilitation
AGRiP Staff Forum – Oct 2023
​
Demystifying Generative Governance, Challenging the Notion of EFFICIENT Meetings, and (RE)Setting the Table for Better Decision-Making
AGRiP Webinar Series for Governing Bodies – Fall 2021
AGRiP Governance 2020 – Mar 2020
​
Using Defense Attorney "Report Cards"
AGRiP "Pooling Today" Conference – Oct 2020​
​
Assessing Impact & Learning as We Go: Evaluation in All its Glory
Indiana Arts Homecoming – Oct 2017
Effective Board Governance for Pools
AGRiP 2016 Governance & Leadership Conference – Mar 2016
Ready. Set. Policy!
Nonprofit Alliance of Monroe County – Oct 2015
Process Improvement in Pooling
NLC-RISC Staff Conference – Oct 2014
Good Boards & Good Governance: When the basics aren’t so basic…
Region 4 Workshop, Tippecanoe Arts Federation – Mar 2014
Breaking Down the Silos: Cross-Functional Collaboration in Pooling Organizations and
Succession Planning for Pools: Preparing the Next Generation of Pool Leaders
NLC-RISC Staff Conference – October 2012
Helping Your Board Manage its Annual “To Do” Lists
LarsonAllen 17th Annual Nonprofit & Foundation Conference – May 2010
Conflict in the Council Chamber: How Staff Can Help
LarsonAllen 1st Annual Nonprofit & Government Training Academy – Apr 2010
Development v. Finance: Healthy Balance or Organizational Liability
Minnesota Planned Giving Council Educational Seminar – Jan 2010
Minnesota Planned Giving Council 33rd Annual Conference – Nov 2009
Conflict at Clients
LarsonAllen In-Service for Health Care and Nonprofit & Government Groups – Jun 2009
Boards of Directors in Recession Mode
Aging Services of Minnesota Annual Meeting & Leadership Forum – Sep 2009
LarsonAllen 16th Annual Nonprofit & Foundation Conference – May 2009
A Double Header: Understanding Boards of Directors & Understanding Strategic Planning
University of Minnesota Buckman Fellowship Seminar – Apr 2009
Good Governance: Implementing Practices & Principles
American Society of Association Executives Great Ideas Conference – Feb 2009
The Warhol Foundation Initiative National Convening – Jun 2008
LarsonAllen 15th Annual Nonprofit & Foundation Conference – May 2008
Evaluating the Impact of Spending: A Foundation Case Study in Performance Assessment
American Evaluation Association Annual Conference – Nov 2008
Research Methods
LarsonAllen In-Service for Nonprofit & Government Group – Jul 2008
Best Practices: Understanding Grants Management from National, State & Voluntary Perspectives
National Conference on Tobacco or Health! – Oct 2007
Evaluation: Where Mission, Planning & Accountability Unite
LarsonAllen 14th Annual Nonprofit & Foundation Conference – May 2007
Living Your Mission: Making Change Happen and
From Strategy to Action: Effective Implementation & Adaptability
LarsonAllen 13th Annual Nonprofit & Foundation Conference – May 2006
Sustainability: A Way of Being
Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers Leadership Institute – Aug 2005
Creating a More Effective Board and Benchmarking for Success
LarsonAllen 12th Annual Nonprofit & Foundation Conference – May 2005
Finding the Value in Evaluation
LarsonAllen 11th Annual Nonprofit & Foundation Conference – May 2004
​​
Participant Feedback
"You did a fantastic job on the Q&A and the webinar broadcast turned out fantastic.
​
This – for me – has been a real treat to get to work with you on this series and to learn more from you."
​
~ Webinar Partner
Sara was easy to listen to.
Expert qualifications and experience.
Respectful, warm, intentional
facilitator.
​
Sara is a very good presenter,
professional and engaging.
​
Sara did a very good job introducing
a subject to a diverse audience.
Find a broken link?
Please send a note.