The impact of generosity - Wendy Steele

Grand Traverse very own, Wendy Steele, speaks on a TEDx talk on generosity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufp5iGh0agA

Wendy consults with non-profits and speaks nationally on board development, giving,  and generosity.

Employment Opportunity

From NorthSky Nonprofit Network postings ...

EXECTIVE DIRECTOR

The Father Fred Foundation seeks an Executive Director who is responsible for the consistent achievement of its mission, financial objectives and moving the organization toward its vision.This position is responsible for the overall management of the organization and requires a leadership style consistent with the Foundation’s mission and core values. The individual who fills this position must build collaborative relationships within the community, and will take an active role in the strategic planning process. Entry requirements include a Bachelor’s degree in management, administration or a related field and a minimum of 5 years of progressive non-profit leadership and management experience, including personnel and financial management. Experience working with a faith-based organization, board of directors and grant writing is preferred. Compensation package includes access to benefits including health, dental, vision, life and retirement plans, as well as a generous paid time off program. Full job description

Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to:FFFExDr@gmail.com

New director, new direction for Leelanau Community Cultural Center

New director, new direction for Leelanau center
Traverse City Record Eagle, 24 October 2014
BY MARTA HEPLER DRAHOS

mdrahos@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Becky Ross sees art from both sides of the loom: as a fiber artist, and as an arts administrator whose job is to help weave together her organization’s past, present and future.

Ross recently signed on to become the Leelanau Community Cultural Center’s second executive director. She replaces Judy Livingston, who retires after 17 years.

Ross is the former executive director of the Leelanau Children’s Center and a former LCCC board member. She was selected from a field of more than 45 applicants from as far away as Brazil, said Dan Lisuk, LCCC board president.

“She has incredible experience in working with nonprofits in terms of fundraising and grant writing, both of which are significant to our organization,” said Lisuk, noting Ross’s longtime career as a fundraising and strategic planning consultant with private and independent schools internationally. “She has a deep love and history with Leland, which we hold at a high premium since we serve the community. And she had knowledge of our organization so the transition will be easier.” 

Record-Eagle/ Jan-Michael Stump

Ross said her immediate focus is on continuing what the center “does so well” — from adult and children’s classes to exhibitions, concerts and films — but with an eye toward drawing in a younger crowd.

“I’d like to see a children’s choir perform, I’d like to see storytelling and younger music, so we do a really great job for our year-round residents,” she said. “There’s a younger crowd who also live here that we can engage. It’s an area to grow.”

Other priorities include developing a strategic plan for the next five to seven years, doubling the center’s endowment fund from $500,000 to $1 million during the next few years and improving the organization’s recognition in the greater Leelanau community and Traverse City.

“If there’s a concern, it would be marketing: how do we let people know who we are, what we do, and where we are,” she said.

The Leelanau Community Cultural Center is housed in the Old Art Building, a Leland village icon for more than 90 years. The state-recognized historic structure near Main Street along the Leland River was built in 1922 as a women’s cultural and social club. From 1939-1989 it was used as a summer art school by Michigan State University — then known as Michigan State College — which still owns the property.

Now the building, with its 20-foot ceilings, wood floors and walls, fieldstone fireplace and curved stage, plays host to everything from fitness classes and weddings to art shows and film, spoken word, coffeehouse and concert series, making it a vital part of life in the tight-knit community.

Ross said she plans to keep the community focus while expanding the center’s “possibilities.” Eventually she hopes to explore collaborations with other organizations like Petoskey’s Crooked Tree Arts Center and Interlochen Center for the Arts.

“You don’t want to be everything to everyone but we don’t want to be a small thing to a small group,” she said. “We want to broaden our horizons that way. We are not and do not have a longterm gallery space where we could put up a show that could last a month, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t do co-op events with other people.”

Said Lisuk: “One of the things we guard jealously is our relationship with the community. But even the little town of Leland is digitally connected to the rest of the world, so we have to keep our options open while being sensitive to our tradition to the past and the community.”

If anyone understands that, it’s Ross. The Toledo, Ohio, native grew up vacationing in the Leelanau County area, where her grandparents lived. She exhibited and volunteered with LCCC’s annual fall Fiber Festival for 10 years, and joined the organization’s board shortly after moving to Cedar from Marshall in 2010.

“The Leelanau Community Cultural Center’s strengths are the programs that are offered for the community,” she said. “It’s such a great place and program. Right now I’m looking at a room full of artists that come together to paint every Tuesday.”

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Children's Advocacy Center New Exec

CAC has new exec director : Bolde has been interim since last leader left in May
Traverse City Record Eagle, 24 October 2014

BY SARAH ELMS

selms@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center’s new executive director has an easy transition. That’s because she’s been serving as the center’s interim director since former leader Brooke Nettz left in May.
The CAC works to identify, treat and prevent sexual and physical child abuse.

Sue Bolde started volunteering at the center as a grant writer in 2011, and in 2013 was hired part-time as fund development coordinator before she stepped into the leadership role.

“I consider it an honor to be given the opportunity to lead the center because of its humanitarian mission to protect children from abuse,” Bolde said.

She’s previously worked as a counselor at Leland Public Schools and as the Leelanau Township Community Foundation’s executive director.

Jayne Mohr, the CAC’s board chair, said Bolde did an “exceptional job” serving in the interim and she’s happy to have her in a more permanent position.

“She really reached out to strengthen our relationships with community partners, continues to advocate for fundraising for us, and most importantly is passionate about keeping our children safe in our community,” Mohr said.

The CAC serves families in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and officials plan to expand services to Antrim, Benzie and Kalkaska counties in the near future.

They’re also in the process of launching a new five-county prevention initiative in collaboration with the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation.

“Sue’s leadership is really helping us position ourselves to better meet the needs and the demands of the future,” Mohr said.

Powered by TECNAVIA		Copyright (c)2014 The Record-Eagle, Edition 10/24/2014

Father Fred executive director to step down

photo by John Roger Williams
Rosemary Hagan - chaplain with Hospice of Michigan - executive director of Father Fred Foundation

Traverse City Record Eagle - Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 3:36 pm

BY SARAH ELMS selms@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Father Fred Foundation officials soon will be on the hunt for a new executive director.

Rosemary Hagan will leave her post at the charitable organization in early 2015 to return to her pastoral work with Hospice of Michigan and with her church.

"I've accomplished the things that I wanted to accomplish, and at the same time I'm having this call to step back into my vocational work," she said.

Hagan was involved with Father Fred for about five years before she moved into the executive director position two years ago.

"I was on the board of directors when we were seeking a candidate two years ago," she said. "In a nutshell, we didn't really find the candidate we were desiring, and I was asked if I would bring my skills to lead the foundation."

Father Fred Board President Mike Witkop said Hagan has been "terrific" in her role the last two years. He said board members knew her stay wouldn't be indefinite and are now poised for transition.

More - click here

Historic Barns Seeking Consultant

Traverse City Ticker - October 18, 2014

The City of Traverse City and Charter Township of Garfield Recreational Authority has re-issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an event facility management consultant for Historic Barns Park. The successful bidder will be contracted to help prepare for the use of event facilities in the park at the Grand Traverse Commons. The complete bid package is available here; all proposals are due October 30 by 2:00 pm.

The Authority first sought bids for an event facility manager earlier this year, but was unsuccessful in that search. Since then it has redefined the scope of the position and its requirements, according to Executive Director Matt Cowall.

History Center Will Vacate Historic Carnegie Building

TC Ticker - Traverse City Business Magazine - 15 October 2014

by Beth Milligan

History Center of Traverse City board members voted unanimously last night to terminate the organization's lease with the city and vacate the city-owned Carnegie Building in 30 days – leaving management of the building and the 10,000-artifact Con Foster collection in the city's hands -- and the building's future wide open.


The History Center will provide its required 30 days' notice to city staff today (Wednesday), giving the organization until November 15 to vacate the premises. Board members warned city officials earlier this year the nonprofit was unable to keep up with the $100,000 annual cost to maintain the 110-year-old Carnegie Building and would need to terminate the lease agreement unless the city provided financial help.

City commissioners agreed in September to pay up to $10,000 through the end of the year to assist with utilities and other costs. But History Center board members tell The Ticker the gesture was too little, too late and that the nonprofit is in danger of going bankrupt if it remains in the building through December.

“The subsidy doesn't help with much of anything,” says board member John Di Giacomo. “We're out of money. We've spent millions in this spot, and it's unfortunate we have to walk away from it...but it's better for us to leave now while we're still solvent.”

Acting Executive Director Maddie Buteyn says the History Center is in the final stages of discussions with another local property owner to secure a new home, noting the property is in “an area that's fitting for us” and will allow the organization to “bring history to the community instead of making the community come to us.”

“I don't want people to misunderstand – we're not using (the lease termination) as a threat,” says Buteyn. “We have to think of our nonprofit, our members and our own collection of archives. The Carnegie Building and the Con Foster collection belong to the city. We've tried to take care of it for them for 13 years, and we can't do it anymore.”

In June, the History Center approached the city about paying $124,000 annually to continue maintaining the building and collection. An ad hoc committee of the city commission is now studying that and other proposals for the future of the Carnegie Building. Buteyn says it's “frustrating” the commission has not yet denied or accepted their proposal in light of the organization's financial distress.

“It's not a matter of us making money off the city,” she says. “They're paying us for services rendered.”

With the History Center's proposal to the city still technically on the table, Di Giacomo says the board “would have to consider it” if the city came back to ask that they continue to maintain the Con Foster collection and/or remain in the Carnegie Building. Otherwise, Di Giacomo says the organization's targeted new home is a “positive step” that would allow the group to continue providing “all the services and programming we currently do, if not more.”

The History Center's departure from the Carnegie Building could also set the table for ArtCenter Traverse City to move in; the organization, which recently announced a merger with Crooked Tree Arts Center of Petoskey, also has a proposal on the table for use of the building.

Leelanau Conservancy Hires New Director

October 13, 2014: TC Ticker, Traverse City Business Magazine

After a two-year search, the Leelanau Conservancy Board of Directors has hired a new executive director to lead the nonprofit organization. Tom Nelson - who has worked for the Conservancy since 2004 and served as Director of Farm Programs since 2008 - will take over the position effective January 1. According to a statement released by the board, the Conservancy undertook a rigorous search process that led to the identification of four potential candidates from across the country, each of whom spent nine hours interviewing with a hiring search committee. Nelson was the unanimous choice of that committee. "I'm absolutely delighted that Tom will take over the helm," says retiring Executive Director Brian Price, who will work with Nelson through the end of the year to transition leadership. "I have worked with him for the last 10 years, and have the utmost confidence in his ability to lead our experienced and knowledgeable staff as well as our committed volunteers and supporters." Nelson holds a BA from the College of Wooster and a law degree from Vermont Law School, with a specialty in environmental law and policy. He lives in Centerville Township in Leelanau County with his wife Stephanie and four children. Permalink

Expect Broad Brush-Stroke Impacts From Arts Merger

TC Ticker: 3 October 2014                                                                                                                           By Luke Haase

The merger between Petoskey's Crooked Tree Arts Center (CTAC) and ArtCenter Traverse City, first reported on by The Ticker in July, is now a reality. The CTAC board gathered late Wednesday in Petoskey to vote in favor of the deal, which could have significant repercussions on the local arts scene. The union will deliver the region's largest population center -- and donor base -- to the Petoskey-based CTAC. ArtCenter Traverse City, meanwhile, joins a financially credible powerhouse. The merger is not a surprise, given the new realities of arts and dollars throughout the state. Many small, community arts organizations struggle to secure funding. Meanwhile, Governor Snyder's administration has emphasized regional collaborations in everything from economic development to road funding to the arts. Proponents say the new Crooked Tree could help build a northwest lower Michigan arts umbrella brand that could secure grant dollars smaller groups could not have access to on their own. Crooked Tree Board President Bill Millar says the organization will operate much like a college with two campuses and will have staff in both cities. The new organization will be lead by Tony Ryner, incoming CTAC president. A transition team will begin to iron out specifics in the coming weeks and months. Merger conversations began in earnest in January, when CTAC Executive Director Liz Ahrens and a small Petoskey contingent visited Traverse City to explore a partnership. Initial ideas centered around the sharing of programming -- say, having a visiting musician or show perform in both Traverse City and Petoskey. But "very quickly after that we concluded if we’re going to do this right, it would have to be a full-on merger," says Paul LaPorte, ArtCenter TC president. LaPorte says the combined group's efforts are likely to focus initially on the visual arts, given that film, theatre, creative writing, and music are "already being done so magnificently by groups here now." The merger will undoubtedly also have an impact on the future of the Traverse City-owned Carnegie Building. Both ArtCenter Traverse City and the current tenant, The History Center of Traverse City, have expressed an interest in using some or all of the building after The History Center's lease expires in December. City Manager Jered Ottenwess tells The Ticker, "I believe the merger would enhance their (Crooked Tree and ArtCenter) ability to provide services and fulfill the arrangement described in ArtCenter's...proposal for use of the Carnegie." Mayor Michael Estes notes, " Once merger details evolve, I can see Crooked Tree as a very significant player in Carnegie Building discussions," adding that he envisions a "cultural center" shared by several groups. An ad hoc committee consisting of three City Commission members will have their next meeting Monday morning; City Manager Ottenwess says the committee is committed to having a recommendation "in time for the first City Commission meeting [in] December." LaPorte calls it "mandatory" that Crooked Tree have a Traverse City home, "especially now, with elevated expectations." He says the group remains very interested in the Carnegie Building but is also exploring two other local options. Permalink

Wendy Steele's presentaton

Wendy Steele made a presentation to the Northern Michigan Fundraising Professionals group on Wednesday, 10 September 2014 at the Hagerty Center, NMC, Traverse City, Michigan.

She has provided her presentation slides to be posted - Click here

TCS job posting

Traverse City Symphony - 16 September 2014

Now Hiring for part-time Bookkeeper for 10-15 hours/week. 

Click here for position details 

Applications can be directed to Executive Director Krista Cooper at kcooper@traversesymphony.org. 

Application deadline: Wednesday,September 24, 2014.

 

Child & Family Services helps teens again.

From the TC Record Eagle - 15 September 2014 -

CFS to absorb program
BY SARAH ELMS selms@record-eagle.com | 
Posted: Sunday, September 14, 2014 11:45 pm

TRAVERSE CITY — Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan will take on a local effort that provides shelter and support for high school students who are unable to live at home.
Catholic Human Services, Inc., began the Host Homes program 10 years ago and is passing the torch in October.

Marybeth Novak, Catholic Human Services’ prevention programs coordinator, has been at the program’s helm since its inception. She said it targets teens who want to get out of an unstable home life without dropping out of school.

The program places teens in safe homes with adult supervision through graduation. Novak is still totaling the numbers but said at least 170 teens in the five-county area benefited from Host Homes in the last decade.

“We worked with good kids who were coming away from troubled backgrounds and needed that stability and support to get them through high school,” she said.

The program is entirely funded through local grants, but it’s become increasingly difficult for Catholic Human Services to sustain.

Novak is gearing up for retirement in the next year or two, and she wants to make sure Host Homes is in good hands before she leaves.

“Our coffers were getting very, very empty, and it just seemed like a good time all the way around,” she said of the change. “I couldn’t have come up with money to start this year.”

Child and Family Services this year absorbed Third Level Crisis Intervention Center and now works with youth in the foster care system as well as with homeless and runaway youth who stay in the Pete’s Place shelter.

Courtney Russell, who will supervise the Host Homes program at CFS, said it makes sense to add it to the mix.

“It’s a really good fit because we have a whole spectrum of services that are put in place to support the youth in our communities,” she said. “It’s a middle-ground support service to help youth stay in a family environment to support them to continue their educational goals and grow into a healthy adult.”

Russell said CFS officials will continue to apply for local grant funding to support Host Homes, and they may be able to obtain some state funding down the road.

What’s most important to both organizations is that the region’s struggling youth have a safe place to go.


“I can’t thank the people who supported this program since its development enough,” Novak said. “In my professional career, it’s probably the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.”

Click here for link - subscription may be required.

Museum Researching Local Aircraft Carriers

September 4, 2014 - TC Ticker

The Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum in Northport is looking for information on the World War II aircraft carriers that were used in Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay for an upcoming exhibit. If anyone in Leelanau County or the surrounding Grand Traverse area has any images, firsthand accounts, newspaper articles or other histories related to these unique aircraft carriers they are asked to email Amanda or call 386.7195. Photo: USS Wolverine, US Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation Permalink

Job posting - Organizational Change at GT Land Conservancy

September 5, 2014 - TC Ticker

The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC) has announced some organizational changes, including the elimination of its associate director position filled by Megan Olds since 2008. Olds is reportedly pursuing other opportunities. The organization has also eliminated a special projects/human resources position, which had been vacant since Sarah Naperala left the position in June and relocated out of state. According to an announcement by the GTRLC, it hired an organizational development professional in July "to review the current structure, strategic plan and staff capacity and to recommend changes that will best serve the organization moving forward." The recommendation was to eliminate those two positions and create in their place an assistant to the director position and a director of development. The job descriptions can be found here www.gtrlc.org/about/position-announcements/#. "We appreciate the contributions Megan has made to the GTRLC and her leadership which helped prepare the organization for this next phase," the statement also said. Permalink

Help Wanted in Development

From NorthSky Nonprofit Network posting - click on link in the right column.

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT  POSTING CLOSES SEPTEMBER 22, 2014

The Grand Traverse Land Conservancy seeks a Director of Development.The Director of Development is responsible for administering the fundraising functions of the GTRLC, including supervision of the Development team staff.  

The full position description and application guidelines can be founded here. 

Qualified applicants please send cover letter, resume and references to mgarrock@gtrlc.org by September 22nd. Positions will remain open until filled. 

No telephone calls please.

NMC Marketing Class Seeks Projects

Via Northsky Nonprofit e-newsletter  - Click their site on the right column for more about them.

Marketing Class Seeks Projects 
An NMC Marketing class is seeking eight marketing plan projects to work on this semester. Students will work in teams to create a marketing plan for a business or organization, or for a specific product, service or event.

Interested parties should email class instructor Amy Schindler with the following info by September 5: name of business/org and brief description of the work it does, marketing plan project and objective, and contact info.

LIAA Hires New Executive Director

TC Ticker :

August 16, 2014

The Land Information Access Association (LIAA) in Traverse City has a new executive director - only the second in the nonprofit's 21-year history. Whitney Waara has been hired to lead the organization after LIAA co-founder Joe VanderMeulen stepped down in July to pursue writing and consulting opportunities, according to a company statement. Waara most recently served as Vice President of Operations at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in Washington, D.C., and brings a background in strategic planning, grants, operations and organizational development. She will oversee all of LIAA's programs, including the UpNorth Media Center, which houses the public and government-access television services for northwest lower Michigan. A Marquette native, Waara now lives in Traverse City with her husband and three young sons. Permalink

ISEA has new staff

From the Traverse City Record Eagle - click here

BY SARAH ELMS selms@record-eagle.com | Posted: Monday, August 11, 2014 6:00 am

TRAVERSE CITY — The Inland Seas Education Association’s new lead scientist and director of education is working to update the schooner’s educational programs and strengthen relationships with other scientists and conservation experts.

Jeanie Williams, a Cadillac native, left her adjunct instructor position at Vermont Community College to move back to her home state and join the Inland Seas, a nonprofit organization that aims to protect the Great Lakes through education.

She said the position appealed to her because it combines scientific research and teaching.

“My degree is biology, and I fell into education and have never left,” Williams said.

Williams wants to start revamping the schooner’s educational opportunities once the busy summer season is over.

“We’ve been doing basically the same program for about 25 years, and it’s time for a change,” she said.

She wants to differentiate educational opportunities for the spring and fall seasons, as well as add more programs geared toward teens and young adults.

“High school and college groups can really utilize the research aspects of what we do,” Williams said. “There are really complex stories that we can engage our high school students in that would be harder to do with the younger students.”

Her goal is to survey the folks who participate in Inland Seas

programming and hear their suggestions before making changes.

“We’re trying to complement what teachers are doing in their schools, so we’re very interested in learning from teachers what they would like to see in their programming,” she said.

Williams also hopes to collaborate more with other scientists and collect data to establish a baseline for water quality and aquatic life in Lake Michigan.

Her team will work on shoreline monitoring projects, track the invasive goby fish population, research native species trends and soon will collect data on microplastics in the Grand Traverse Bay. Microplastics are plastic pieces smaller than five millimeters that pollute the water, a topic Williams said is new for Great Lakes researchers.

“We’re trying to expand our work in that way so that we’re collecting data that can be used by the scientific community,” she said.

Williams ultimately wants to see people connect their experiences with Inland Seas and on the water to everyday life.

“Science is really fun,” she said. “It’s not about memorization. It’s about experience. It’s about creativity. It’s about discovering.”

YMCA officials: Gymnastics, tennis programs to continue

From the The Traverse City Record Eagle - Click here

BY SARAH ELMS selms@record-eagle.com | Posted: Monday, August 11, 2014 5:34 pm

TRAVERSE CITY — Many Grand Traverse Bay YMCA members are worried about what's in store for the Y's gymnastics and tennis programs since the ouster of the organization's long-time executive director.

Tom Van Deinse, who left his post suddenly on Aug. 8, coached tennis at the Y. His two sons continue to run the tennis program, and his wife, Betsy Van Deinse, runs the gymnastics program with their three daughters.

Parents and children alike are left wondering how long the rest of the Van Deinse family will continue to work at the Y and if programs would last without them.

"We're very scared," said Jackie Dalke, whose two daughters are on the Y's competitive gymnastics team.

Dalke and Jamie Tabaczka have driven from Manistee to Traverse City four times a week the last six years so their daughters can train in Traverse City.

They could train at a gymnastics gym 25 minutes from their homes, but instead travel more than an hour each way to the Y's facility on Woodmere Avenue. It's not the gym that makes the commute worthwhile, they said. Rather, it's the Van Deinse coaching staff.

"If these coaches weren't here, we'd be gone," Tabaczka said. "The coaches make it."

Traverse City resident Nancy Earnest said the Van Deinses are more than just athletic trainers. They're family to her and to the other parents who leave their children in their care for up to 12 hours a week of gymnastics practice.

"The whole family, they are amazing role models. I don't know of any other place where I would drop my kid off for three hours (a day) and know she'll be safe," Earnest said.

Jennifer Gerling said the same belief holds true for the Y's tennis community. She calls the Y her "home away from home" because she and her two sons use the tennis courts five to six times a week.

"It's not the building that we love, it's the people," she said.

Lynn Schultz, the YMCA's board president, said all Van Deinse family members except for Tom Van Deinse continue to work at the Y, and the gymnastics and tennis programs will continue.

"It was never our intention to remove any other Van Deinse family employee from the Y payroll," Schultz said.

She refused to explain Tom Van Deinse's departure after 14 years with the YMCA.

Gerling said she's "desperately worried" about the tennis program's future and said the sudden leadership change blind-sided her.

"If we don't get this resolved within the next couple of weeks, instead of a grand opening, you're going to have 100 people picketing," Gerling said, referring to the long-delayed opening of the Y's new facility on Silver Lake Road.

Local YMCA Looking for New Leader

From the TC Ticker ... August 9, 2014

The Grand Traverse Bay YMCA is looking for a new leader. The board of directors has announced a "new direction" in leadership and says a search for a new executive director will begin immediately. CEO Tom Van Deinse has led the organization since 1999. A capital campaign and subsequent construction of the first phase of the new YMCA on West Silver Lake Road has defined his tenure – a project whose fundraising efforts were significantly slowed by the economic recession and recently has been plagued by weather and construction delays. The new facility is now expected to open within the next 30 days, according to a statement by Board President Lynn Schultz. The Michigan YMCA USA Resource Director will consult with the local board and interim operational and financial management is already in place. Permalink