Customized Training Services

Training programs are available on any of the topics covered by Fieldstone Alliance publications, as well as numerous other related topics. Our trainers come to your community, help assess your group's specific needs, and tailor our materials to create a customized training program that meets your objectives. We use participatory training methods, integrate training with well-researched, practical publications, help you with follow-up planning for application what you've learned, and evaluate all training programs through immediate surveys and three-month follow-up interviews.

Some of our most popular training programs are listed below.

• Alternative revenue strategies
• Collaboration and partnerships
• Consultation and facilitation skills
• Coping with cutbacks
• Focus groups
• Life stages of nonprofits
• Network capacity building
• Nonprofit and community capacity building
• Strategic planning
• Other training aligned with book topics

Who we work with

• Funders, or regional associations of funders, who want to strengthen capacity of their grantees or of nonprofits in their community, or across a particular nonprofit industry
• Regional or national nonprofit networks and collaboratives who want to strengthen or build skills and knowledge of effective practices
• Management support organizations or intermediaries who want to build capacity in groups of nonprofits within a community or in an industry
• Universities or academic nonprofit centers who want to bring up-to-date, practical knowledge and skills to students, faculty, or affiliated nonprofits (Note: Instructors at accredited vocational career centers, community colleges, or universities can get review copies of our books)
• Cross-sector networks and partnerships of nonprofit, private, and public sector organizations working to improve communities

How we work
Each training project we take on is managed with care and attention to get the best possible results. Some of the distinctive features of our training include:

• We provide an initial written proposal with a work plan and cost estimate for optional features that can enhance the training experience and impact.
• We survey the audience to make sure we are addressing their real-life challenges and their particular learning objectives.
• We use our rich storehouse of knowledge resources as a base, and custom-design training programs to meet the goals and learning style preferences of our audiences.
• We deliver lively, participative, content-rich programs that energize and inspire.
• Whenever possible, we include print publications with the participant handout package.
• We use an evaluator to review results and satisfaction on every training project we do, and use the evaluation findings to constantly improve our work.
• For some programs we conduct a pre- and post-test to determine how self perception of knowledge and skill level has changed, and to understand how people are actually applying what they learned.

For more information, please contact Sandy Jacobsen at 651.556.4510 or email her at sjacobsen@FieldstoneAlliance.org.