Executive Service Corps, Aspen Colorado

ESC Targeted Services

Targeted services are focused, short term engagements for a specific issue or problem. These engagements can take many forms depending on the specific needs of the client:

Organizational Health Assessment

Campaign Readiness/Fundraising

Organizational Health Assessment

The Executive Service Corps will analyze the overall health of a nonprofit organization, assessing board and staff roles, responsibilities, and relationships; financial condition and practices; fundraising plans and capabilities; internal policies and procedures; communication with constituencies; and community impact. The result of the analysis is an action plan to build on identified strengths and to improve in areas of identified weakness.

Campaign Readiness and Fundraising

Experienced ESC consultants will assist a nonprofit in any area of fundraising, including board fundraising training, campaign readiness assessment, and assistance in running a fundraising campaign.

Coaching

Coaching involves an individual ESC consultant working one-to-one with the executive director or board chair to help that person be more effective in his/her role at the nonprofit. A typical coaching engagement might be for six months, with a mutual review at three months, including four hours of coaching per month, either by phone or in face-to-face meetings. The coaching relationship is ongoing and provides an opportunity for the person being coached to discuss any and all issues and problems that he or she may face. The outcome is to strengthen and enhance the management and leadership effectiveness of the individual and, as a result, the nonprofit.

Coaching can help improve performance, give a sounding board, provide a silent partner, ensure confidence, set up an environment of accountability, generate a focus on solutions, and provide regular communication. The structure of successful coaching includes regularly scheduled telephone and face-to- face meetings, a contract of confidentiality and commitment, open and honest communication, clear goals for the duration of the coaching, and short-term goals to be achieved between coaching sessions.

Convened Conversations

Convened conversations are periodic meetings facilitated by ESC to allow executive directors and other leaders of nonprofits to get together in small groups to discuss common issues. The meetings are informal and are designed to provide nonprofit leaders with an opportunity to share ideas and network among themselves.

Facilitation

An ESC consultant, trained as a facilitator, will lead a meeting of members of a nonprofit to address specific issues. The facilitator typically will work with the executive director and board chair to develop an agenda and a plan to ensure a productive meeting that develops constructive steps for the nonprofit to move forward. Examples are a board or staff retreat, a planning session, or other focused meeting.

Workshops

These workshops are 2, 3, or 4 hour classroom-type sessions conducted by ESC consultants or outside experts on relevant topics for nonprofits. Topics may include strategic planning, board development, community relations, marketing, fundraising, website strategies, financial management, grant writing, and endowments. Workshops are attended by representatives of various nonprofits, at a nominal cost.