In response to programs’ requests, earlier this year, Mass Mentoring Partnership convened leaders of mentoring programs for a facilitated conversation on “Managing the Economic Downturn.” Staff from more than 20 mentoring programs throughout the state participated, seeking to learn about each others' current challenges and share innovative approaches to operational management and resource development.
Participants’ challenges ranged from management concerns regarding their employees to the programmatic challenges of supporting mentors, and mentees and their families affected by the economic downturn to the bottom-line issue of funding cutbacks.
The following summary provides an overview of the key themes and issues raised during the dialogue, as well as identifies follow-up conversations and actions that the group would like to work on together with MMP support.
Useful resources:
- Guidance Offered to Nonprofits Considering Merging with Others
- Accounting Management Solutions recently published an article that outlines a number of tactics that nonprofits might want to consider to weather the downturn.
- In December 2008, Fiscal Management Associates (FMA) and the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) joined together to present a workshop that offered nonprofit leaders concrete tools to lead their organizations during this challenging time. The sponsors of the event, The Clark, Robin Hood, and Tiger foundations, have agreed to allow the tools and presentation for public download here.
- Top Ten Checklist for Nonprofit Survival
- Associated Grant Makers Summary of Funders Conversation on the Economic Crisis - Nov. 6, 2008
- Managing in Tough Times: 7 Steps
- And Now For Something Different About Nonprofits and the Economy
