Minerva Project Consultants Help Mentor Me Petaluma

An Opportunity to Experience "Open Space Technology"
27 February -- Petaluma Community Center

Come and experience the magic of "Open Space Technology" and help an important non-profit, Mentor Me Petaluma (MMP)

MMP will be hosting a Community Confab on Saturday, February 27 at the Petaluma Community Center.  The purpose of this event will be to generate new ideas to help MMP weather a Federal funding shortfall as well as take ownership of those ideas. 

This Confab is just one of the ventures of a multi-pronged approach to give some assistance to an organization that provides mentoring services to two hundred (200) needy students.  MMP, since its inception in 2001, has provided support to thousands of Petaluma students. 

The program is being facilitated by professionals affiliated with The Minerva Project, a Sonoma based collaboration of professional Consultants who are interested in helping Non-Profits challenged by the recession.

Open Space Technology is a group meeting model that is based on natural self-organizing processes.

For more information about MMP, contact Val Richman. For more information about The Minerva Project, contact George Moskoff with APG Consulting.

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Minerva Project Hosts Second Confab

February 10 Confab for Non-Profits and Consultants
Uses Elements of Open Space Technology

What: An opportunity for Non-Profits to get help from underemployed professional consultants.

When: Noon to 2pm.  Lunch is $10. 

Where: At Sonoma Mountain Business Cluster, 1300 Valley House Drive, Rohnert Park.  Luncheon workshop and connecting session.

Our Goal: We envision each consultant attending (12 are now signed up) will walk away with one Non-Profit to whom s/he will be engaged to conduct some pro bono work.  A project. 

How: Introductions, facilitated experiences.  Agreements provide the framework for Consultants and their clients, the NP's, to become successful in their professional relationship.

Our Partner: The Minerva Project is a collaborative, an effort.  It is governed by ethics and integrity and a belief that teams are smarter than individuals.  It is a partnership with the Center for Community Engagement at Sonoma State University. 

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Consultant Collaborative Gets Some Attention

Can a Bunch of Well-Meaning, Undermployed Business Consultants Really Make a Difference?

The perfect recipe, some would say: a group of highly skilled yet undermployed business consultants and some needy Non-Profits.  The marriage of needs seemed easy to predict.  It's called the Minerva Project.  (Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and commerce.)

Two recent media outlets provided some "boost" to the program:

Press Democrat Piece (Sonoma County,A New York Times Paper)
KRCB Radio Piece NorthBay Report links for audio files. (This is an NPR affiliate.)

While the media helped to get some attention -- and draw in some more consultants and Non-Profits -- it was a validation for the members who've been working on organizing the Minerva Project. 

Non-Profits who are involved also get a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes workings; they see consultants brainstorming, planning, getting frustrated and arriving at some conclusions. 

But, can these Consultants really do anything of importance for the Non-Profit community and the societal good?  Can their own collaborations help their non-profit clietns?  We'll see.  For now, though, I'd say it's already working. 

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Foundation Center Publishes Results of Studies

Foundation Center Issues (Upbeat?) Report on Giving

The Foundation Center, recently, published its Report about Foundation Giving: the good news is that "foundation giving will likely decline by more than 10 percent in 2009."  That's also the bad news, too; I'm surprised it's not worse given the portfolio performance of most Foundation's investments.

Download the Advisory Report.

The message they're delivering is that "the field of philanthropy will become more strategic as a result of having weathered the crisis." Code for: we're going to get leaner and meaner; we'll see mergers; we'll see organizations going away.  And, quite probably, we'll see people who used to get some service being under-served.  Witness the increase in malnutrition / hunger in the U.S.

The Foundation Center also provides a link to see how to access stimulus monies for Non Profits.  Click on the
Maplink to find out where you can sidle up for some new government funds.

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Minerva Meeting Report: 10 November 2009

Consultants Meet to Discuss Structure, Methods

Six consultants gathered at CAP Sonoma's Conference Room on November 10, 2009.  The purpose of the session was to figure out how to make the delivery of pro bono consulting services to Non-Profits more effective, more productive. 

Adhering to a model offered by member Merith Weisman, Sonoma State University, the group wrestles with a new approach: not just charity but collaboration and reciprocity.  The idea that both the consultants and the NP's are learning...from each other and the process.

Pictured from the left are: Julie Kawahara, Jerry Green, Doug McCorkle, Merith Weisman, Lomesh Shah.  Next meeting is 24 November 2009, 4pm at CAP Sonoma, 1300 North Dutton, Santa Rosa.

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Project Shows Progress with Non-Profits: Press Release

Minerva Project Consultants Change Landscape

"changing the status quo, making a difference...together" is the new motto of this federation of Consultants who are working, pro bono, with several non-profit organizations in Sonoma County.

Download the pdf of the Press Release

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Minerva Project Formalizes Relationships with Non-Profits

Consultant, Non-Profit Collaboration Announces Next Step in Phased Effort

The Minerva Project Consultant Team announces an upcoming improvement in its operations.  From here forward, all projects with Non-Profits (NP) will involve a "Team" effort that leverages the best talents of all the Consultants involved in the Collaboration.  "We'll use all of our resources," says George Moskoff, CMC, Minerva Project Founder and Consultant. 

The Minerva Project is an initiative created by North Bay, California professional consultants who have organized themselves to help Non-Profits (NP) during this difficult time of increased demand and sagging donations.  The NP's get some help; the Consultants get something to seek their teeth into and contribute to a good cause.

Download the latest Press Release

The new feature will call for a lead consultant who will "shepherd" the Team effort for the NP.  Moskoff explains: "The Shepherd will be the Consultant who has the greatest amount of work with that particular organization and can see how the puzzle pieces of other consultants might fit together," says Moskoff.

The new program calls for monthly Web and phone conferences among all the consultnats in the program.  This will provide the venue for "checking in" and brainstorming the need for more / different resources.

The Minerva Project will continue to focus on core needs for non-profits but in a more efficient way.  Some of the areas of support include: Fund Raising; Management Development; Board Training and Development; Board Recruitment; Finance and Accounting; Volunteer Recruiting and Retention.

Consultants in the program will sign up for a six (6) month commitment to the work whose structure will include weekly phone calls and monthly face to face meetings with the "clients."  Some of the activities the Consultants will engage in include: Board Trainings / Retreats; Staff Trainings; Personal Coaching of Executive Directors; Market Research; Computer and Web-Based Projects.

Lomesh Shah, of IQR Consulting, specializing in Technology and Analytics said, "Without the work of these non profits, the community would be far worse off.  And, if IQR could,in a small way, contribute to helping these organizations overcome the resource crunch, then it was a worthwhile effort." 

The Program in the Northbay -- Sonoma County -- is part of a statewide rollout of similar initiatives to help Non-Profits and give good-willed consultants something to sink their teeth into.  Minerva Project Founder, George Moskoff, CMC, says "we'll be moving into San Francisco by the end of the year as part of our phased rollout to recruit more consultnats who want to work with non-profits in need."

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