Nonprofit Utopia Podcast

The Pitfalls of Partnership...And How to Avoid Them

“No man (or organization) is an island”, as they say.  We need partners to help us accomplish our goals with maximum impact.  However, establishing partnerships are not without risks, landmines and pitfalls. The best partnerships can have rewards that far outweigh the risks, and can be sustained over the long haul, if structured and managed correctly.
Join us as Willie C. Cole, Director of STARS Tutoring and Host Valerie F. Leonard talk about best practices and lessons learned as they relate to collaboration on community-based initiatives.  They will talk about balancing the interests of the collaborative and its partners; various partnership models and ways to bring about clarity, focus and accountability.
Call in live at (347) 884-8121 to join the conversation. You don't need an account to listen. You can also participate in the live chat.  Archived episodes may be found at iTunes, Podcast Chart, Blubrry and Stitcher.

Look Before You Leap! What You Should Know Before Joining That Nonprofit Board

You have just been asked to join the board of directors of an organization, and you are weighing the opportunity to share your skills, time, talents and networks.  What should you do before you join?
Join us as host Valerie F. Leonard, shares an overview of the roles and responsibilities of nonprofit boards; the questions you should ask before joining any nonprofit board of directors; some of the common issues you might face as a board member, and strategies you might consider using to address them.
Call in live at (347) 884-8121 to join the conversation. You don't need an account to listen. You can also participate in the live chat.  Archived episodes may be found at iTunes, Podcast Chart, Blubrry and Stitcher.

The Healing Power of Improv

Have you ever experienced deep conflict or trauma and wished you could re-write a chapter in your life? For your community? For your organization? 
Improv for Peace helps organizations, communities and professionals actively resolve miscommunication by facilitating guided improvisations workshops to help participants re-script their past  and provide opportunities for participatory community reconciliation.
Join us as Founder Andrea Hummel Corrella talks about  the healing power of improv and the lessons she’s learned on her journey helping  organizations and municipalities resolve conflict.
Call in live at (347) 884-8121 to join the conversation. You don't need an account to listen. You can also participate in the live chat.  Archived episodes may be found at iTunes, Podcast Chart, Blubrry and Stitcher.

Lessons Learned from Lawndale

Before I started Nonprofit Utopia, LLC, I was very engaged in North Lawndale, the Chicago community in which I was born and raised.
As Co-Founder of the Lawndale Alliance, I worked with my neighbors to advocate for tax increment financing district (TIF) policies that would make the program more transparent and be of better benefit to local residents, whose property taxes financed TIF projects.  One of our greatest victories was getting the City of Chicago to remove more than 300 units of occupied housing from the list of properties that could potentially be displaced as a result of implementing the TIF program. This was unheard-of at the time.
Join me as I share some of the lessons we learned over the years, including what to do and what not to do in order to create win-win situations for all parties.
Call in live at (347) 884-8121 to join the conversation. You don't need an account to listen. You can also participate in the live chat.  Archived episodes may be found at iTunes, Podcast Chart, Blubrry and Stitcher.