Course Descriptions

Click a title to view the courses offered in a specific section or scroll down to view all.

Sustaining the Resource Courses
Sustaining the Operation Courses
Sustaining the Effort Courses
Sustaining the Impact Courses
National Youth Leadership Initiative
Personal Coaching

Sustaining the Resources Courses

Includes increasing funding and session on how to successfully apply for DFC grants

Monday and Wednesday - ½ Day Course (Repeat Course)

To Raise $$$, Raise People (Repeat Course)
(Theme I - Individual Giving)

Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Presenter: Campaign Consultation, Inc.(Note: For the Campaign Consultation Courses there are four sessions - Individual Giving, Corporate Donors/Partnerships, Uncovering Resources in Your Community, and Practice Clinics each with three sessions lasting three hours a piece)
Unless you are independently wealthy, few staff members are able to raise programs' charitable resource goals alone. And even if staff could, what happens to the program's resource development leadership when staff eventually leaves? Volunteer leaders - i.e., informal kitchen cabinets, advisory boards, boards of directors, etc. - are essential to the ongoing viability of your initiative. This session addresses concerns and provides tips and answers to questions such as "Where can I find volunteer leaders now?" and "How can I develop their roles in resource development"?

Inside The Corner Office & The Corner Store (Repeat Course)
(Theme II - Corporate Donors/Partnerships)

Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Presenter: Campaign Consultation, Inc.
To be successful in soliciting charitable funds from business leaders, imagine yourself behind their desks or their counters. This session works to expand your business solicitation vision so you can speak their language as you present your proposal. You can expect to gain more perspective for why businesses support charity and how you can match their corporate goals with your program needs. This session is chock full of ideas to build skills in communication and cultivation techniques to help ensure business support.

Finding $$$ In Your Community (Repeat Course)
(Theme III - Uncovering Resources in Your Community)

Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Presenter: Campaign Consultation, Inc.
Often we hear, "My community has no resources." Sometimes, however, golden resources are in plain view, the connection just hasn't been made. This facilitated session is designed to stimulate thinking in recognizing previously unperceived dollars in your community and region. Expansive thinking and research knowledge are key to finding $$$ in your community. You will become more acquainted with such research tools as the Foundation Center, WealthEngine, etc. So expect tangible information upon which to build your resource development strategy.

Developing Major Donors (Repeat Course)
(Theme I - People First/Individual Giving)

Time: 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Presenter: Campaign Consultation, Inc.
Fact: Individual support is the only dependable key to access growing, annual, unrestricted support. During this session, you will focus on databases, segment donors for targeted solicitation, fundraising methodologies and even gain practical information on such items as donor record information forms, fundraising software vendor contacts, cultivation cues, etc. These tips and other fundraising techniques will be explored to help you develop modest givers into major, committed donors.

The Value Of Your Program's Brand (Repeat Course)
(Theme II - Corporate Donors/Partnerships)

Time: 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Presenter: Campaign Consultation, Inc.
If you want your program and organization to successfully compete for individual donors, corporate support, foundation proposals, etc. you need to understand the value of a strong, compelling brand. Prior to entering relationships, your program should reflect a clear identity through name, logo symbol, colors, customer message - everything which makes your product, service, contact, etc. considered as unique. You will learn about how brand loyalty begins inside your organization in order to generate the outside resources to support your mission. Participants will be able to link newly gained awareness and knowledge to reality back home as you prepare action plans that augment connections with your target donor audience.

Articulating For $$$: Face-to-Face Solicitation asking Clinic (Repeat Course)
(Theme III - Uncovering Resources in Your Community)

Time: 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Presenter: Campaign Consultation, Inc.
This Practice Clinic provides you with the opportunity to learn what to do with what none of us want to hear -- "no". As you learn to deal with rejection and other reasons for fearing personal solicitation, face -to-face solicitation discomfort will begin to diminish. In the process, you'll also have the chance to explore other areas of preparation and what to do with a "yes" or "maybe" response. After discussing the components of what makes an enjoyable, engaging and triumphant solicitation experience, participants can expect to practice face-to-face solicitation in a nurturing, honest and collegial environment.

Tuesday and Thursday - ½ Day Courses

Wealth Transfer and The Impact on Charitable Giving (Repeat Course)
(Theme I - People First/Individual Giving)

Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Presenter: Campaign Consultation, Inc.
The transfer of wealth to and from the Boomer Generation over the next 35 years is expected to be enormous. With parental bequests, IRA's, etc. unprecedented wealth in both time and dollars will be available as this population ages. Now's the time for your program and organization to grow in understanding and ability to reach out to diverse cultures and their sense of philanthropy. How do you help them want to share? Learn such tips as how spending time to reconnect is important to some Boomers, while others want communication short and sweet. This session will help you position your program to connect up with the dollar and volunteer leadership power of the Baby Boom Generation, now!

Writing For $$$: Foundation & Corporate Proposals - asking Clinic (Repeat Course)
(Theme II - Corporate Donors/Partnerships)

Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Presenter: Campaign Consultation, Inc.
Questions such as this from a Foundation . "What is the tangible impact of our support in addressing the root problem?" or a Business . "How does our contribution promote our company?" require the clarity of response found in writing a comprehensive case for support. This clinic affords you the opportunity to learn and apply the components of a successful case. Participants will learn the difference in proposals made to a Foundation and those to a Business. This clinic provides you with the facilitated mini-teach and study time to prepare a proposal outline for your program for finalization when you return home.

Fundraising Resources For Special Programs (Repeat Course)
(Theme III - Uncovering Resources in Your Community)

Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Presenter: Campaign Consultation, Inc.
In this session, program participants from organizations that are different from most non-profits - i.e., multi-site initiatives, non 501(c)(3) organizations, etc. - know they are in excellent company as they work to explore unique challenges and raise vital resources. You will have opportunities to address obstacles that are preventing your program from receiving public recognition and funding support. You will learn how to leverage internal and external networks to identify appropriate funders, as well as learning how to raise non-federal government resources.

Demystifying the Drug Free Communities Program (Repeat Course)

Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Presenters: Jack Claypoole, Administrator, Drug Free Communities and Director, Major Cities/Critical Areas, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and Ken Shapiro, Policy Analyst, Drug Free Communities, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

SAMHSA Presenter - Peggy K. Quigg, Director, Division of Community Programs, CSAP Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, (Repeat Course)

Originally funded by Congress in 1997 with the understanding that local problems need local solutions, the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) program now supports over 700 drug-free community coalitions across the United States. As a cornerstone of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's National Drug Control Strategy, DFC provides the funding necessary for communities to identify and respond to local substance use problems.

DFC is managed in partnership by ONDCP and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA). Representatives from both offices will be on hand to assist attendees in learning about:

Learning Objectives:
Attendees will leave with an understanding of:

Writing For $$$: Individual Appeal Letters (Repeat Course)
(Theme I - People First/Individual Giving)

Time: 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Presenters:Campaign Consultation, Inc.s
To keep your program running year after year, you need individuals who give year after year. This clinic gives you the technical support and time to produce an outline of an annual giving appeal for mail or electronic delivery. In addition, you will learn cost effective techniques to keep donors engaged through information distributions such as news memos, newsletters, annual reports, periodic updates, etc. Reference will also be given to the use of the internet as an effective communication vehicle.

Cause Related Marketing and "Corporate Partnerships" (Repeat Course)
(Theme II - Corporate Donors/Partnerships)

Time: 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Presenters:Campaign Consultation, Inc.
Not for the faint of heart . cause related marketing is not charity . it's all business. Companies will partner with NPOs by handing over a portion of their advertising budgets in exchange for your brand as long as they see bottom-line revenue growth. A cause related marketing relationship with a company is much like a planned giving relationship with an individual donor . both represent relationships of respect, admiration, commitment and trust. By the way, these relationships are not only between national and international partners. Similar relationships can be cultivated between a local small business and a local small NPO. This session addresses such issues as protecting your organization's value and brand; understanding the risks/rewards to your organization, negotiating a win/win, etc.

Revenue Generation - Finding a Program Fit (Undercovering the Resources in Your Community) (Repeat Course)
(Theme III - Uncovering Reources in Your Community)

Time: 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Presenters:Campaign Consultation, Inc.
Explore the feasibility of supplementing charitable fundraising appeals with revenue generating enterprises. Facilitated discussions and group work address such questions as . "How do I determine if a for-profit enterprise is right for my organization and community?" "Does the revenue generating activity further our program's mission?" "Is my organization in a position to invest adequate funds to support this initiative over the start-up years?" Participants will also look at other techniques to increase budget efficiency to maximize resources.

Sustaining the Operation Courses

Includes technology, communications and creating and maintaining a nonprofit organization

Monday and Tuesday - ½ Day Course

Using Technology for Prevention (Repeat Course)

Time: 1:30pm - 4:30pm (Monday & Tuesday)
Presenter:Tee Morris, Speaker, Web designer and award-winning Author, Bristow, VA
In what way is your coalition or program using technology for prevention? Technology provides an excellent opportunity for youth and adults to combine their strengths, experience and expertise to amplify the powerful positive messages of prevention. Technology supports coalition networking, finding and sharing information, connecting people and resources, and helps us tell our stories in words, sounds, images and video. It can work for us or overwhelm us, engage us or confuse us, delight or baffle us but one thing is certain it is a largely untapped media for prevention. This course introduces several relatively easy to use (and free or low cost) media tools and how to get the most from them for prevention.

Learning Objectives:
1. Familiarize participants with blogs, podcasts and social networking
2. See/understand the potential impact of these tools for prevention
3. Spark curiosity and interest in partnering with youth to make the most of these tools

Monday - 1 Day Course

Stop in the Name of the Law - Legal Issues for Building and Maintaining a Good Non-Profit Organization

Time: 9:00am - 4:30pm
Presenters:Jeffrey Stowell, Community Systems Group
Lumen "Lou" Mulligan, and M.A., J.D. Assistant Professor, Michigan State University School of Law
What is a "non-profit organization" anyway? The phrase means different things to board members, donors, grantors and to coalitions. "Non-Profit Organization" also means something very specific to lawyers and to the Internal Revenue Service. How a coalition navigates the minefield of laws and regulations pertaining to non-profits is one of the most important factors insuring success. Additionally, all the work you do as an organization from strategic planning and board development to marketing and fundraising plays a role in your organization's status.

This course will focus on four areas of law enabling you to build a better strong non-profit organization while using the existing products of your work: 1) Understanding how and when to move your coalition toward non-profit status, 2) Creating your organization under state and federal laws, 3) Applying for non-profit status with your state and the Internal Revenue Service and 4) Maintaining your non-profits status. Additionally, this workshop will provide strategies to help you use your organization's existing resources to fulfill legal requirements, and understanding and navigating "fiscal sponsorship." Finally, we will discuss tips for choosing attorneys and accountants who can help you along the way.

Tuesday - 1 Day Course

Managing Your Employees From Hello to Goodbye

Time: 9:00am - 4:30pm
Presenter:Mary Griggs, Senior Human Resources Consultant, Pacific Training and Resources
Starting with effective recruiting, through conducting regular employee evaluations and ending with ways to reduce the stress of terminations, this course will concentrate on giving you the tools and systems to better manage your staff. Along the way, we will cover revising your job descriptions, interviewing and reference checking basics, the importance of updating Personnel Policy Manuals, ways to improve performance, and tips to a successful termination process.

Wednesday - 1 Day Course

Financial Management Concepts for Non-Profit Organizations

Time: 9:00am - 4:30pm
Presenter:Jennie Brick, Senior Consultant, Pacific Training and Resources
This course is designed to give nonprofit managers the tools to better understand and control the financial health of their organizations. Some topics we will cover include: creating safe and efficient internal systems; how to read and understand financial statements; allocating costs most effectively; and demystifying the audit process.

In a safe and fun atmosphere come and learn how to empower your management team (program, admin, development, board members, etc.) and yourself to use non-profit accounting methods that will increase efficiency, cut down on paper work, and allow your organization to grow. You don't have to be a math whiz to join in!

Participants are encouraged to bring reports and questions from their own organizations. Come on in, the water's fine!

Learning Objectives:

Tuesday and Thursday (1 Day Course)

The Science of Cultural Change for Coalitions (Repeat Course)

Time: 9:00am - 4:30pm
Presenter:Dennis D. Embry, Ph.D., President/CEO, PAXIS Institute and Anthony Biglan, Ph.D., President of the Society for Prevention Research and Senior Scientist at Oregon Research Institute and Director of the Center on Early Adolescence.
So you want to change the world? Most coalitions do. We want our communities to be safer. We want our children and families to be free of the scourge of substance abuse. We want our children and families to be smarter, wiser, and healthier. We are after big changes, not little ones. This workshop explores the emerging science of cultural change. Drs. Anthony Biglan (president of the Society for Prevention Research) and Dennis Embry are presently writing a new book on the Science of Cultural Change, and have already published a series of papers on related topics. At this workshop, you will learn:

1. How to map your community's problems syndemically-that means breaking out of silo or program thinking to see how many problems are connected and tied together in subtle ways. Syndemics is a new word invented at the Centers for Disease Control to describe multiple related afflictions. For example, how are obesity, ADHD, developmental disabilities, asthma, prescription drug abuse, health care costs, increasing violence and poor academic achievement tied together? Cut the syndemic ties between them and you change a lot.

2. How to use low-cost evidence-based kernels to change culture and community. You will learn about four fundamental units of behavioral influence, the "molecules" of culture that you can mix and rearrange to change community. The units or kernels can work in families, in classrooms, in schools, in community organizations, in workplaces, in faith-based groups, in government, in the media and more. You will learn to apply some evidence-based kernels to a couple of problems commonly noted for cultural change related to coalition mission.

3. How to launch a community data dashboard to monitor cultural change. You will learn about possible ways of using existing and new data as a "dashboard" for success and guidance. This is not the standard evaluation language; this is about using indicators to celebrate success, recruit partners and resources, and keep one's eye on progress toward the goals. You will learn about how certain methods of monitoring are basic to improving human conditions, and you will learn to apply the principles of being "everyday scientists" in your community.

4. How to line up your ducks to march toward the common goals. Certain language and processes get a mass of people moving in common directions. By using these organizational strategies, you and your partners will be better able to see the issues syndemically, select low-cost kernels for action, monitor success and early wins, and keep the troops (individuals and organizations) moving toward the goals.

Wednesday and Thursday (2 Day Course)

Evaluation for Coalition Implementers

Time: 9:00am - 4:30pm
Presenters:Vincent T. Francisco, Ph.D., The Univ. of North Carolina at Greensboro and Jeffrey Stowell, Community Systems Groups, Inc.
Few things are as important to coalitions as local data informing local decision making. These are the kind of data that really paint an accurate picture of what is happening, why things are the way they are, and understanding if what we are doing is actually likely to make a difference. Finding this type of useful information and pulling it together to complete the overall picture does not have to be difficult. Coalitions will learn how to develop and carry out a local coalition evaluation plan using various types of community data that are right in front of them. Attention will be paid to designing evaluations that emphasize short and long term outcomes that can be detected at the community level. Selecting and working with professional evaluators will be covered. Additionally, coalition participants will be taught how to use an Online Documentation and Support System (ODSS) to track their various local community indicators. Participants will be introduced to a new intiative of The Coalition Institute that will involve 30 advanced coalitions in a year long distance learning community to learn and practice advanced evaluation techniques.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
1. Frame effective evaluation questions.
2. Identify data sources and measures that can help answer those questions.
3. How to document and organize coalition accomplishments to serve evaluation and celebration needs of their coalition.
4. Conduct an analysis of contribution that will allow them to make course corrections and improve the functionality of their strategic plan, and help them to be more effective.
5. Develop a communications plan for sharing evaluation results with key stakeholders.
6. Learn how to use an Online Documentation and Support System to accomplish all of these objectives.

Monday and Wednesday - ½ Day Courses

Fostering Connections: Using Outcome Data to Get Where We Want to Go
(Repeat Course)
(CSAP Sponsored Course)

Time: 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Facilitator:Renée I. Boothroyd, PhD, MA, MPH, CHES
Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation (PIRE), Training and Technical Assistance Contractor for the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (SAMHA/CSAP) sponsored Epidemiological Workgroups
"Ready . . . ?" How many of us "go" before we understand where we are going, why, and what it will really take to get there? Starting at the beginning - with an understanding of the outcomes that will become the ultimate focus of our change efforts - can play a powerful role in identifying and targeting needs in ways that are not only effective but also relevant to why something is really a problem. Both States and communities have important roles to play in these deliberate efforts to use data to clarify needs and plan for sustainable outcomes. Since 2004, 62 States, Jurisdictions, and Tribes (hereafter referred to as States) have been funded by SAMHSA/CSAP to mobilize Epidemiological Workgroups. These groups are networks of agencies, organizations, and people with access to and expertise in analyzing a range of epidemiological data about substance use and associated consequences. In some cases, Epidemiological Workgroups are focused on understanding what alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use and related consequences look like on the State-level and subsequently building State and community systems for tracking data over time; in other cases, Epidemiological Workgroups are an integral part of SAMHSA/CSAP's Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grants (SPF SIG), and are using data for State assessment (i.e., define prevention priorities) and planning (i.e., inform funding decisions to address them). In both cases, Epidemiological Workgroups assist States in their efforts to examine two important questions: "Are we doing things right?" (i.e., building evidence-based roadmaps for effective and relevant strategies aimed at the data-guided outcomes we seek to change); and "Are we doing the right things?" (i.e., monitoring data indicators and other ongoing assessments to track our impact and identify emergent needs).

How can communities connect to these Epidemiological Workgroups and build from what States are learning? This session is about fostering connections among data-guided substance abuse efforts aiming for sustainable change. This session will: (a) describe SAMHSA/CSAP-sponsored Epidemiological Workgroups, (b) outline their use of key epidemiological data to understand substance use and related consequences, (c) illustrate State priorities and generic, outcome-based logic models for addressing them, and (d) examine emergent lessons as States build community capacities. Overall, the focus of the session is about using data to create a synergy among State and community prevention practice for substance abuse prevention.

Objectives: Participants in this course will be able to:

The National Youth Leadership Initiative

CADCA's National Youth Leadership Initiative (NYLI) is a component of the National Coalition Academy developed by the Community-Anti Drug Coalition Institute at CADCA. The NYLI helps coalitions build their capacity to foster youth leadership in the design, implementation, and evaluation of action strategies addressing community problems. In these sessions, both youth with their identified advisors will learn how to help community coalitions be more effective in producing community change.

This training builds the relationship between the youth leader and the adult coalition leader by focusing on the strategic prevention framework, identifying their community's needs and resources, as well as analyzing problems and goals. They will also learn about logic models, interventions, evaluation, and sustainability. This highly interactive training teaches what is required to create and nurture the growth of committed leaders and their work within coalitions. It will better equip youth and adults to develop a strategic action plan that clearly defines the strategies that young people will carry out to address the problems and goals that the coalition is striving to effect.

Note: In order to apply for the National Youth Leadership Initiative both youth and adult attendees must participate all four days of training together and can not sign up for any other workshops during the CADCA Mid-Year. Adults must attend with at least one youth and pay the adult rate. If you have any further questions or for groups larger than five please contact Ariléa deCarvalho at adecarvalho@cadca.org or at 703-706-0560 ext 225. For information and to download an application to participate, please click here.

Personal Coaching

Time: 5 Sessions (Monday - Thursday) 9:00am - 4:30pm
Designed for the new coalition and/or the new coalition leader, each participant is invited to "sign up" for 90 minutes of "personal coaching" from an experienced coalition leader. Regardless of the challenge or issue, special one-on-one time will help address and resolve whatever "pesky" problem your coalition may be facing. Please bring your coalition's logic model.