Module 4: Developing Leadership (July 27 – August 7)

Module 4 Topics:

• Self-awareness, facilitation skills
• Community engagement, creating a vision
• Forming an organization, governance, non-profit status
• Fundraising/grantwriting, financial stability/growth
• Strategic planning

Study Materials (5 Hours): 

Leadership Skills

• Collaborative Leadership Self Assessment Questionnaires (Turning Point)
• Core Principles for Public Engagement (National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation)
• Developing Effective Coalitions: An Eight-Step Guide (The Prevention Institute) Scroll down page and download 32-page guide
• Facilitation Fundamentals (Ron Milam Consulting)

Organizational Development

• Comparison of Starting A New 501(c)(3) Organization with Using A Fiscal Sponsor (Adler and Colvin)
• Top 10 Tips for Developing Effective Grassroots Bicycle and Pedestrian Advocacy Organizations (The Alliance for Biking and Walking)
• Financial Management and Planning for Bicycle and Pedestrian Advocacy Organizations (The Alliance for Biking and Walking)
• Alliance Guide to Fundraising, Part One: Creating and Implementing an Effective Fundraising Plan (The Alliance for Biking and Walking)
• Alliance Guide to Fundraising, Part Two: Anatomy of a Winning Proposal (The Alliance for Biking and Walking) OPTIONAL READING
• Alliance Guide to Fundraising, Part Three: Finding Local Funding Sources (The Alliance for Biking and Walking)
• Alliance Guide to Fundraising, Part Four: Government Consulting and Contracts (The Alliance for Biking and Walking) OPTIONAL READING
• Alliance Guide to Fundraising, Part Five: Online Fundraising (The Alliance for Biking and Walking) OPTIONAL READING
• What Does a Good Non-Profit Strategic Plan Look Like? (Center for Non-Profit Management)

Community Impact

Community Tool Box (University of Kansas)– Explore this extensive resource for Study Activity #2, and specifically read:

• Chapter 3, Section 3, Conducting Public Forums
• Chapter 8, Section 1, An Overview of Strategic Planning
• Chapter 42, Section 4, Applying for a Grant

Webinar: “Building Your Fundraising Leadership Towards Walkable Communities” (Mon., July 27th at 11am-12noon Pacific, 2-3pm Eastern):

• Speakers: Brighid O’Keane, Interim Director, Alliance for Biking & Walking and David Weinberger, City Partnerships Director, ioby
• Summary: Whether you’re growing an advocacy organization or supporting community efforts to enhance walkability, it’s essential to plan for and pursue diverse funding sources. Join presenters Brighid O’Keane, Interim Director with the Alliance for Biking & Walking, and David Weinberger, City Partnerships Director with ioby, for this fast-moving webinar, which will highlight top tips for major revenue streams for pedestrian advocacy and introduce resources to sustain your work. Topics covered will include grant writing, local fundraising, and earned income.
• More info. and to register here

Study Activities (2 hours):

• Complete the Collaborative Leadership Self Assessment Questionnaires
• Explore the Community Tool Box and specifically read Chapter 42, Section 4, Applying for a Grant
• Search for grants to fund the work you would like to do and develop a list of top prospects

Discussion Forum (2 hours):

Since “facilitation skills” are an important component of this module, each Walking College Fellow will facilitate about ten minutes of this Discussion Forum on one of the following prompts:

• Prompt #1: What do you understand about “collaborative leadership?”
• Prompt #2: What interested you most during your exploration of the Community Tool Box?
• Prompt #3: What are the key steps to take to develop an effective strategic plan?
• Prompt #4: Discuss different types of funding available for your work.
• Prompt #5: Talk about you grants research activity and prospect list.