N Central Massachusetts Community Wealth Workshop Series

Program Overview

Application for the N Central Massachusetts Community Wealth Workshop Series

Selection Criteria

Schedule

Contact Us

Program Overview

The N Central Massachusetts Community Wealth Workshop Series is a 6-month business planning process that helps high-performing nonprofit organizations develop and grow social enterprises. Nonprofits selected to participate are engaged in a rigorous business planning process and gain access to tools, frameworks and business experts to help them launch a new business or expand an existing business. Workshop Series participants build social enterprises while honing business skills, empowering them to have a lasting impact on their nonprofit organizations. 

The goal of the Workshop Series is for all participants to complete a business plan and launch or grow a viable business. The revenue generated from the business provides the nonprofit organization with more independence in creating programs and services to fulfill its mission.

The Workshop Series consists of monthly peer learning sessions and customized consulting phone check-ins.

Peer Learning Workshops

The Workshop Series will kick-off with a two day workshop and five subsequent one-day workshops focused on key business topics that contribute to the development of a successful earned income venture. Topics covered include: market research, financial analysis, competitive analysis, pricing and capitalization. In addition, each session features a notable business expert who serves as a guest speaker, sharing his/her personal stories and success and challenges. These workshops are conducted once a month during a six-month timeframe.

Customized Consulting Phone Check-Ins

The CWV consultant team offers three one-on-one phone check-ins with each of the six to eight participating organizations to assist the teams in applying the concepts learned during the peer learning workshops to their own ventures and organizations.

To assist N Central Massachusetts nonprofits develop and grow social enterprises, the United Way of North Central Massachusetts and Mount Wachusett Community College have partnered with Community Wealth Ventures to launch the N Central Massachusetts Community Wealth Workshop Series.  

Benefits of Participation

Workshop Series participants will receive business planning and venture development assistance, which will result in a focused business plan to guide the growth of the venture. Other benefits include:  

• Access to experts in the fields of social enterprise and business development;

• A proven methodology for planning and launching a social enterprise, along with assessment tools and research support; and

• In-depth monthly interaction and collaboration with peer nonprofit organizations.
   

Application for the N Central Massachusetts Community Wealth Workshop Series

The deadline to apply for the N Central Massachusetts Community Wealth Workshop Series has passed.

Round I application decisions will be made by March 18, 2008. Candidates will be notified of their status as soon as possible after that date.

Round II. The second round consists of a telephone interview.  

Those organizations that proceed to Round II will participate in a telephone interview with Community Wealth Ventures. The interviews will take place during the week of March 24, 2008.
 

Selection Criteria

Community Wealth Ventures will select 6-8 nonprofits in N Central Massachusetts to participate. Selected candidates will have the strongest mix of the following characteristics:

• Entrepreneurial culture.

• Assets to be leveraged into earned income.

• Experience with earned income or market-based ventures.

• Strength of venture or venture idea.

• Financial stability.

• Operational capacity and stability.

• Commitment and enthusiasm for social enterprise and the Workshop Series.

• Strong leadership that is able to make decisions and is accountable for results.

Schedule
 

Contact Us

Alysia Johnson Fullen
202.478.6543