Community Advancement Network Topic of Rotary Meeting
February 18, 2014
By: Stephen Kent
Rob Spurling
Rob Spurling, Director of the
Community Advancement Network, spoke to Rotary on the 18th. Rob started by asking how many people are involved with one or more nonprofits. As might be expected, many people raised their hands. Likewise, when asked if there are organization capabilities that could be enhanced, many people agreed there too.
The Community Advancement Network's objective is to strengthen and support nonprofit organizations to help them achieve excellence. As their web site states, "This is the beat we walk, the territory we know, and the region we strive to serve".
The network is a program of the Midland County United Way. Dow is its founding supporter. Other partners include the Bay, Midland and Saginaw Community Foundations and the United Way's in each county. There are seven other Michigan Management Support Organizations (MSOs) in the state.
Rob listed a number of elements of "Priority Capacity Building". Among the highest priority are strategic planning and implementation, board governance, fund development and marketing.
Nonprofit expectations of the network include 1) User friendly, individualized and high quality service, 2) affordability, and 3) no ulterior motives, favoritism or bullying.
Network service offerings include professional development, leadership academy, an emerging leaders project, and group consulting. These offerings have costs from under $100 to the $3,000 range. All offerings above $950 require the nonprofit to have a "Nonprofit Capacity Building Cost-share Grant". That grant covers a large percent of the actual cost.
The Network employs a number of professional consultants as well as student consultants. The professionals have their own practices and the network accounts for only a portion of their work.
For more information visit
advancementnetwork.org.
CLUB NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS
President Lee read a memo from the city announcing vacancies on a number of boards. "Compensation and benefits packages are not listed", he said to a round of laughter. There was no opening for another snowplow driver.
Rotary Rocks is on the calendar and coming up on April 11. Andrea Hales is now selling program ads. The club hopes that every Rotarian will participate in some way. The theme is "Sticks and Stones: It's Only Rock and Roll".
Rotary as a whole is in the second year of a new grant making process. RI now requires that every club have two or more members who are
trained in the grant application and management process. The club must also have a club financial management plan and a memorandum of understanding with the district. Seminars are provided in several locations around the state, including Bay City on March 1st. Gena Gates and Kim Prime attended last year. Lee and Gena plan to attend this year. The club would like another member or two to also attend. See Lee if you are interested.
Remember that
Vocational Days are the 11th and 25th. The board meeting is moved back a week. The club meets off site at the Country Club on the 25th.
The club will also meet
off site on April 22. Member
Greg Rosecranz has arranged for the
Bay City Players to host the club's luncheon and give a tour of the changes at the theater. Rotary helped underwrite this work as part of the last major projects funding.
Ron Bloomfield announced that the
Centennial Committee will meet next Tuesday (Feb 25) at 11:00, prior to the regular meeting.
In his
Rotary Minute President Lee read an e-mail he recently received from the Guatemala Adopt-a-Village project. The e-mail told the story of a young man and his family and how AAV is helping with his education.
The Centennial Committee has set the goal of EVERY MEMBER achieving
Paul Harris Fellow status during the Centennial Year. There are matching points available that allow a member to receive their first Paul Harris level at a fraction of the normal $1,000 contribution.
DUES for the January to June period Are NOW PAST DUE.
Anyone who has not yet paid is asked to make payment now!
Rotary International payments have been paid by the club anticipating that late payments will arrive soon.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Next month's
Board Meeting has been changed to March 18, 2014 in light of the Vocational Day on the 11th.
March 11 and March 25, 2014: Vocational Days.
March 25 meeting will be at the Country Club.
Rotary Rocks is scheduled for Thursday April 10 at the State Theater.
This year's theme:
"Sticks and Stones... It's Only Rock and Roll".
Upcoming Programs
(See the official schedule at
RotaryBayCity.org )
February 25, 2014: SVSU's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Jo Brownlie, directed of the O.L.L.I. at SVSU, will discuss the organization - one that has over 1500 members and a 12-year track record.
March 4, 2014: Values Based Leadership.
David Burney, 2013 Bay City Central High School graduate and current CMU student, will present this program. David is involved with CMU student government and the University's Honors Program.
March 11, 2014: Special Assignment.
From visiting shipwrecks deep underwater to soaring through the skies in an F-16, Ric Mixter's career in journalism has taken him to where many only dream to go. Speaker:
Ric Mixter
March 18, 2014: Maximum Yield,
The importance of agribusiness to Bay County's Economy .
Ray Van Driessche, Vice President for government and public affair at Michigan Sugar Company and Chairman of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Council, will speak.
March 25, 2014: Assistance beyond applying for scholarships.
Renee Courier, Program Director for the Great Lakes College Resource Center through the Bay Area Community Foundation, will highlight the many ways the Center may assist high school students preparing for higher education.
***NOTE - OFF-SITE MEETING AT BAY CITY COUNTRY CLUB
April 27, 2014: Bay City Players Off Site Meeting
Rotary is an intimate affiliation of carefully selected business and professional people,
having as its objective the promotion of high ethical standards in private, commercial
and civic life, and dedicated to the ideal that the basis of all worthy endeavor is unselfish service.
Current and past
DISTRICT DISPATCH newsletters are available on the District site shown in the LINKS section below.
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