Managing a nonprofit organization as opposed to a for-profit business is a “special art” that spurred the Butler County Chamber of Commerce to initiate a new professional development education series for nonprofit executive directors and CEOs.

According to Stan Kosciuszko, Butler County Chamber president, the chamber created the program last year to help nonprofit directors develop the skills to lead their organizations.

He said that many directors have worked their way up through their organizations but don’t necessarily have the training to lead the operation.

“It’s a special art running a nonprofit organization,” Kosciuszko said. “What we’re finding here in Butler is that a lot of nonprofit directors are promoted up through the ranks.

“Perhaps they were a good counselor, a good assistant or a good nurse, and then they get promoted to executive director of that organization. They’re well meaning, but they’re a fish out of water.”

The chamber, along with Butler County Community College and NexTier Bank, developed a seven-class series that provides education on organizational missions, branding, operations, human resources, fundraising, networking and planning. The program began in October and will be held monthly at BC3 until May. Participants will earn a certification.

Steve Green, CEO of the Butler County Children’s Center, said the program has been a tremendous help. Green has been in the nonprofit sector for more than 20 years and started his career working with children.

“You get really good at working with kids and people recognize that and then you get promoted to a coordinator or a director. Then you’re managing the people who are working with kids, you’re not necessarily doing marketing or budgets, and you haven’t had that training,” he said.

“Then all of a sudden you’re not a director anymore, you are an executive director and all of this is put on your plate.”

The Butler County Children’s Center is a private, nonprofit corporation and academic school established in 1973. It provides programs such as Headstart, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten to children with special needs or those in low-income households.

Green said that many smaller nonprofit leaders have had similar career paths.

“Our higher institutions have learned that there’s a need out there for a formal education,” he said. “But the problem is you have executive directors that are 20 or sometimes 30 years removed from any formal education and haven’t had that kind of training.”

In addition, Green said because small nonprofits have limited budgets, they often don’t have the staff to operate separate departments.

“Our budgets don’t allow for a director of fundraising, a director of marketing or a director of planning,” he said. “We’re forced to wear all kinds of different hats, while we still continue to try to carry out our mission, engage our community and develop and work with our board of directors.”

Cindy Cipoletti, executive director of The Lighthouse Foundation, said she is also benefiting from the classes. After years as a volunteer, she became a board director and then shortly afterward became the assistant director. She was named executive director in 2014.

The Lighthouse Foundation is a Christian outreach organization that helps impoverished individuals and families in northern Allegheny and Butler counties.

While she has been with the organization for several years, Cipoletti, who is a former Allegheny County attorney, said much of her nonprofit training has been within the foundation.

“I was very familiar with the organization. I’ve served in all areas of ministry for the organization, but the ultimate responsibility was a daunting task to me,” she said. “Being in a position where you’re leading and responsible for the ministry, and the budget and the operations was kind of scary at first.”

Cipoletti noted the benefits of the first session on leadership which focused on agency identity and leadership skills.

“Those things were really helpful to me even in just providing a framework for this is what we’re doing right or this is what we could be doing better,” she said. “Here’s how we can develop leaders within the organization.”

Cindy Harbison, public relations development manager of Community Care Connections, said she also spent many years volunteering. She said while the classes have helped her learn new things, they have strengthening previous knowledge.

Community Care Connections provides programs and support services to infants, children and adults with disabilities.

“I would have liked to have had access to a class like this many years ago,” Harbison said. “People are recognizing more needs within the community and developing programs to meet those needs.

“So we need people with more training to be able to address the needs of the community.”

Bette Peoples, Grapevine Center executive director, became director in 1995 after volunteering for many years. The Grapevine Center, is an independent, nonprofit in Butler that benefits people with mental illness.

“I think a class like this is good every so many years. Things change and sometimes you forget some things and you need reminded,” Peoples said.

“I would suggest anyone who is in a management position for a nonprofit could learn a lot from this class,” she said. “You can never learn too much.”

Board development

The chamber will conduct the program every other year and offer a program on nonprofit board development during the intervening years.

Kosciuszko said the board development program will be equally important because a board acts as trustee of an organization’s assets and ensures that the nonprofit remains fiscally sound. The board must exercise proper oversight of its staff and volunteers.

“A lot of people don’t realize that there are a lot of legal and ethical obligations to being on a board,” Kosciuszko said. “It’s not just a resume builder.”

The training will present information on aspects of overseeing a nonprofit, such as personnel policies, personnel guidelines, personnel reviews, liability insurance, activity insurance, and maintaining 990 (public charity) status.

“Fiscal responsibility is extremely important,” he said. “If someone is donating money to you, I don’t care if they give you $5 or $5,000, they’re entrusting you to spend their money wisely.”