Training Services

A Powerful and Comprehensive Change Strategy

Training can be a powerful change strategy when well-designed. Coupling it with print resources and follow-up support increases retention and application of what is learned.

Our experienced staff, authors, and network of experts from across the United States provide practical, customized training for nonprofits, foundations, and consultants. From one-hour keynote addresses to in-depth training programs, we offer expertise in various aspects of capacity building, nonprofit management, leadership, collaboration, and community development.

We often follow our training programs for nonprofit leaders in a given community with related training for consultants, facilitators, funders, and intermediaries. This creates a pool of people who can continue to provide follow-up support after we leave the community.

The result: improved practices across a community, and a stronger regional nonprofit sector.

Who we work with
Fieldstone Alliance partners with grantmakers, intermediaries, and networks of nonprofits to deliver training in communities or regions. Some of our typical training hosts include

• Funders, or regional associations of funders who want to strengthen their own capacity, or the 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 Kate Murphy at 651.556.4506 or email her at kmurphy@FieldstoneAlliance.org.