Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of those things we hear about, but aren’t sure how to do it, and certainly don’t want it to become a full time job!

Phyllis Breech from SA Technologies will have some specific high impact, low time requirement things we can do to help search engines find our organizations.

Additionally, she’ll speak about how to sign up for FREE Google Ads under their nonprofit program.

Join us from 11 am to 1 pm on May 23.  Please let me know if you’re coming by sending an email to chris@leadatl.org

We will meet in Room 4204 at the Lodge at Peachtree, 3417 Roswell Rd., Atlanta, GA, 30305. Parking is available behind the Lodge.

For more about Phyllis and her company, click here

Do you want to help raise funds for your organization, but aren’t sure how?

Board members have a passion for the mission but too often are frustrated when they are told to help with fundraising, and not equipped to be successful.  They are told what to do, but lack the tools and the confidence to be effective.

We have good news…this special board training event will focus on the “How to” areas that every board member needs.  In our time together we’ll give you the time-tested tools, talking points and practical application to be effective in fundraising regardless of your personality type.  This is a don’t miss opportunity that will make a big difference in your board’s effectiveness in fulfilling their responsibilities for helping to fund the mission.

Here are some highlights of what we’ll be covering:

To maximize the value of the interactions, the session is limited to 24 people. If you are interested, email Chris York at chris@leadatl.org or call him at 404-502-3314.

Gregg Pawlowski will lead this workshop. Gregg is part of the LEAD Institute faculty and also heads Breakthru Fundraising a local firm that equips organizations (and their boards) to produce extraordinary results.

Gregg provides training, consulting, and coaching to non-profits both locally and nationally. Some of the organizations he has served include Atlanta Mission, Safe House Atlanta, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and hundreds of others across the country.

The Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education  is a program that understands how critical teacher and leader quality are in ensuring that every child receives an excellent education. To promote this belief, the AFAEE recognizes outstanding teachers and school leaders in Atlanta Public Schools (APS).

The Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education was conceived as a way to recognize the “best of the best” in Atlanta Public Schools. By recognizing excellent educators each year, the Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education hopes to retain excellent teachers and school leaders, inspire other educators to transform their craft, and increase the public’s awareness of educator and student success across the district.

Educators in APS receive this award by demonstrating excellence in three areas:
• Raising student achievement
• Enhancing students’ self-esteem
• Collaboration with multiple stakeholders for the benefit of APS students.

Each teacher and school leader winner is awarded $7,500 that includes funding for a school project of the winner’s choice ($3,500), funding for a professional development opportunity to increase the winner’s effectiveness in the school or classroom ($1,500), and a personal stipend ($2,500).

The city of Sandy Springs celebrated the inspirational spirit and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Monday by presentingFelix Lora with the 2013 Sandy Springs Humanitarian Award

Lora was honored for his work with the Sandy Springs Mission, where he serves as Executive Director. The nonprofit provides support, tutoring and after-school programs to 140 children each week.

To read more, click here

REACH Georgia is a needs-based mentoring and scholarship program designed to ensure that Georgia’s academically promising students have the academic, social, and financial support needed to graduate from high school, access college, and achieve post-secondary success.

Mentorship
REACH scholars will be paired with a mentor who models positive behavior and provides the student with knowledge, advice, guidance, and support related to education and beyond.

Coaching
School Coaches will help ensure scholars are on track to succeed through:

• monitoring student progress,
• helping students develop education and career plans, and
• identifying academic and social supports.

Financial Scholarship
Qualifying REACH Scholars will be awarded a financial scholarship upon graduating from high school.

Rock Goodbye Angel is a peer support network made up of bereaved families who have experienced a loss due to miscarriage, stillbirth, perinatal loss or neonatal loss.

Services and resources are given at no cost to bereaved parents.  Rock Goodbye Angel provides encouragement, material resources, weekly peer support meetings, remembrance events and other relative activities to assist in the grieving process.

For more information, check out their website at http://www.rockgoodbyeangel.us

With 7 years of experience and 500 + graduates, JumpSTART is seeking to expand its reach into the community by offering to give interested Nonprofits – free of charge – its job-readiness curriculum to add to their program offerings. Four modular units are available covering self-assessments, networking, job interview skills, and resume writing.                          

WHAT

Achieve personal life-goals and professional career-goals by

• Identifying strengths
• Determining areas of interest
• Improving communication and networking skills
• Writing an effective resume and preparing for interviews

WHO

Job-readiness curriculum designed for

• Those entering the workforce for the first time or re-entering after an absence
• Employees who have been downsized and who are forced to seek new opportunities
• Those who are underemployed

Please check us out at www.jumpstartyourcareer.org and let us know if you would be interested in receiving the four job-readiness modules to add to your program offerings.

 Rebecca Smith, Executive Director

jumpstartcareer@bellsouth.net

770-883-6856

Would you like to be a part of a more effective Board?

Many non-profit board members discover the reality of board service is different from what they expected, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

The LEAD Institute is again offering a workshop for Board Members. The training is a dynamic combination of lecture and discussion with a focus on best practices based on feedback from major Atlanta foundations. In this training session, you will gain a clearer understanding of a Board Member’s responsibilities, as well as how Board Members can be more effective in this role.

The Board training by LEAD was an excellent investment of time for my board.  The interactive discussions and exercises created a wonderful learning environment for our board.   The training is frequently referred to during board meetings as we work toward making Gilgal the best it can be.  Thank you for the quality training! 

-Val Cater, Executive Director

 “We’re all successful business people. Why do we need board training?”

In addition to clarifying those differences, an important lesson of this training was to understand how & where I could best add value without becoming over-involved in the day-to-day operations.  I have asked each of our board members to attend this training.”

The workshop is January 26 from 9am to 3pm with lunch included. Cost is $95 per person, but there is an early enrollment rate of $75 per person if you sign up and pay by January 5. The session is at Peachtree Presbyterian Church, 3434 Roswell Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30305.

To maximize the value of the interactions, the session is limited to 18 people. If you are interested, email Chris York at  chris@leadatl.org or call him at 404-502-3314.

Kevin Monroe will again lead this workshop. Kevin is part of the LEAD Institute faculty and also heads X Factor Consulting, a local firm that equips organizations (and their boards) to produce extraordinary results.

He provides training, consulting, and coaching to non-profit boards both locally and nationally. Some of the local organizations he has served include the Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children and Clifton Sanctuary Ministries (both LEAD graduates).

Nationally, he has worked with groups including the Meals on Wheels Association of America, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Congratulations to our latest LEAD Institute Graduates

Amanda Terry, Living Water for Girls

Becky Ramsay, 2nd Step Ministries

Bill Mickler, City Camp/Wilderness Works

Michael Kimsey, Resource Services Ministry

Mike Whelchel, Conscience International

Val Cater, Gilgal

Keys to Engaging and Fundraising in the Wired World

Have you ever wondered how to reach more potential donors via Facebook and Social Networking?

You’re not alone!  Although in its infancy, Social Networking is becoming an important fundraising strategy to reach the next generations, namely Gen X and Y’s who daily live in this space.

On Nov. 2, join us for a lively class from 9 a.m. to noon.  Gregg Pawlowski will cover the 4 P’s of Social Networking, How to drive online content to offline fundraising action, and other tools and tips to accelerate your effectiveness.

For more information, email chris@leadatl.org