A Few Career Highlights

Power Your Mission and Austin Nonprofit Meetup

Founded Austin Nonprofit Meetup, a nation-wide resource for nonprofit leaders. Offered monthly topics on one of the five focus areas of nonprofits (programs, communications, resource development/fundraising, operations and people (board, staff, volunteers). Monthly topics were presented in one hour online monthly meetups and weekly live interviews in the Austin Nonprofit Meetup Facebook group. 

Created Youtube channel. Power Your Mission - YouTube

Playlists include the following:

· Austin Nonprofit Meetup monthly programs.

· Austin Nonprofit Meetup Facebook Group Live Interviews. 

· Nonprofit Board of Directors

· Nonprofit Volunteer Program Development

· Nonprofit Fundraising: Build Teams to Build Funds

Executive Director at Travis Audubon Society (TAS)
 

Transformed all volunteer organization: Developed an organizational structure, hired staff and developed all current programming. Facilitated strategic planning to develop, coordinate, and measure impact/outcomes of programs. Ensured achievement of strategic goals by inspiring commitment by board, 16 committees, staff and volunteers. Created Board Resource Development Committee, Resource Development Plan, major gifts program with stewardship plan, helping to raise more money in 6 years than had been raised in the prior 52 years. Developed a Board Marketing Committee to aid in development and implementation of a Strategic Communications Plan. (TAS)

Developed Volunteer Management Program with a guidance document that included recruitment, applications, volunteer job descriptions, screening, training/orientation, management/ supervision, evaluation, recognition and tracking volunteer time. Developed Volunteer Handbook communicating mission, programs and expectations to volunteers. Established yearly Volunteer Appreciation Event to recognize outstanding volunteers. Through utilization of volunteers in administrative and communications role, built capacity of organization to enable hiring of staff in these positions. (TAS)

Established personnel positions for nonprofit with limited financial capacity and 50-year history as all volunteer organization.  Developed infrastructure and created paid positions that incorporated administrative and substantive needs of organization into fewer traditional roles. Recruited, hired, trained, supervised and evaluated paid staff within context of all volunteer committee structure. Acted as coordinator between staff, board and 16 committees. (TAS)

 
Led effortsto develop, plan and implement a 7-year outreach initiative to engage an ethnically diverse community in conserving a 10-acre habitat on the east side of Austin, while providing outdoor education to neighboring youth and adults. Recruited, trained, incentivized over 1200 volunteers for this project. Recognizedfor Innovative Environmental Leadership; one of 40 individuals nationwide selected as a 2011 Audubon / Toyota TogetherGreen Fellow to further this outreach effort. Obtained support for project totaling $137,000. (TAS)

Launched use of the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation in Austin, TX. Trained City, County and Water Authority employees, enabling practitioners to properly design, implement and monitor effectiveness of projects. First conservation organization to fully implement this methodology in TX. (TAS)

Envisioned and then developed first Youth Education Strategy (YES) and program for nonprofit. For over 50 years the organization offered stand-alone outdoor youth education events but had not developed curriculum or delivered it in partnership with school districts. Using grant funding, directed development of a program for Leander ISD and one for Austin ISD. Both districts utilized TAS nature preserves for outdoor hands-on science education. (TAS)
 

Spearheaded rebranding campaign for TAS; developed and implemented Strategic Communications Plan to reach diverse audiences and launched media and public relations campaigns raising visibility and reputation in community and garnering recognition in a City of Austin resolution. (TAS)

Developed first annual fundraising luncheon increasing profile of nonprofit in Austin, engaging new donors and members and raising funds in excess of all prior fundraising efforts. (TAS)

Conceived, Designed and maintained Creative Control of Five Tribute films for annual fundraising luncheon. (TAS)

Common Ground Mediation and Settlement (CGM&S)

Launched Common Ground Mediation and Settlement, (CGM&S) first mediation practice and training center in Rapid City, South Dakota, and was only service provider for 15 years. Was retained by the court system, several middle schools, Indian reservations, postal service, the Board of Realtors, the Real Estate Commission, universities, Army Corp of Engineers and hundreds of individual disputants to resolve issues and provide training and facilitation. (CGM&S)

 Solved a long-standing dispute between the Custer, SD hospital board and the Custer, SD City Council. Facilitated a public forum where I presented the parties as a united front resulting in voter approval of a water rate increase for hospital growth. (CGM&S)

Mediated a dispute between 5 board members and 150 staff members of Little Wound School, a kindergarten through 12th grade school, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It was unusual to be invited onto the reservation for this purpose. The mediation was successful and was invited back to conduct a communications workshop. (CGM&S)

Trained a 12-person mediation team for the US Post Office enabling better management of internal conflicts. (CGM&S)
 

Facilitated nine months of public meetings for the Army Corps of Engineers to address land and water use issues related to unexploded ordinance at closed Army depot in Igloo, South Dakota. (CGM&S)

Law Office of Nancy Manning (LONM)

Designed, hosted and presented one day seminar for local employers on the implementation and impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act in Rapid City, South Dakota in June 1991, shortly after the ADA was enacted. (LONM)

Developed curriculum and delivered Continuing Education Program for State Bar of South Dakota for sole and small firm practitioners in professional development and use of technology. (LONM)

Developed only Elder Law Clinic in Rapid City, SD, providing in-home legal services to elders unable to travel. (LONM)

Developed first and only Clinic for Divorce in Rapid City, SD providing information at no cost for potential litigants with family and custody issues. Provided information on their rights, legal procedure and available counseling services. (LONM)

Collaborated with dual diagnosis therapist to build stronger cases where impairment of substance abuse with mental disorder was at issue in social security disability cases. (LONM)

Developed brain injury questionnaire based on representation of rodeo barrel racer who lost 15 IQ points after car crash. Claimant had prior occupation as special education teacher on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation so developed system to adjust to brain injury. Designed questionnaire drawing upon claimant’s adjustment techniques. (LONM)