The UNA Credential is the most effective way to build internal capacity and external credibility for your organization. You'll leave equipped with the knowledge, skills, and resources you need to guide your organization in nine essential disciplines. Your work makes life better. Our job is to help you work better.
You'll Receive
- Two days of interactive training focused on your need for skills and knowledge—distilled to include the most important concepts to make the most of your time
- A Consultation with our Subject-Matter-Expert to guide you in applying the course material to your nonprofit
- Ongoing coaching to help you apply best-practices at your organization
- A Badge to formally recognize your implementation of Credential requirements
We offer each course once per calendar year. Please visit our Training and Events Calendar for more details. All 2023 training sessions and consultations will be held online.
Build Your Capacity in Nine Essential Areas
-
What Can You Learn
Nonprofits provide an important vehicle individuals and organizations to work together to improve their communities. Advocacy and civic engagement are an essential element of this partnership. More than politics and grassroots organizing, advocacy is a central feature of a nonprofit’s responsibility to represent the interest of the people that they serve. Civic Engagement creates mutual accountability and benefit among organizations and their communities. Advocacy and civic engagement can focus on organizational policies and procedures, community awareness and collective action, and the legal and political landscapes. This badge focuses on strategies and tactics toward dismantling oppressive systems and building organizational capacity to support individual and community well-being
Here's what some participants shared about the course.
"This was a really great two-day seminar. I was surprised how in depth it was able to go without losing us all along the way. I took a ton of notes but also found myself writing down adjacent ways to use this information in our partner/sponsor development process too. I think this two days will prove incredibly strong return on investment for our organization."
Another shared,
"Through this course I have been able to see where we have gaps in our advocacy efforts and have learned that structurally, we have many of these items already in place. I believe that we can definitely flesh out our Advocacy Plan and acknowledge that we should expend more energy on collaboration as a tool to make us stronger and lighten our load."
What Does Success Look Like?
Successful completion of this course will guide you to:
- Develop an advocacy plan for your organization.
- Create a public narrative as a call to action.
- Identify potential intersections of your organizations’ mission with key policies, departments, committees and elected officials.
- Find out how to tap into Utah’s 150,000+ college students as part of their curricular and co-curricular experiences.
Your Part
This course is highly interactive and relies on the experiences of each participant. Therefore, it's important you are prepared to contribute to the program. Please be ready to:
- Bring all required materials to each session. If your organization doesn’t have any of the required materials, the facilitator will provide you with samples to use.
- Complete the follow up activities after each session and bring questions and concerns to the next session.
- Complete the Badge Requirements by the deadline.
Our Subject Matter Expert: Hope Zitting-Goeckeritz
Hope has dedicated her life to public service and community engagement. Born a proud Utah native, Hope has traveled around the world to pursue her life calling of education and advocacy.
In 2017, Hope relocated to Washington, D.C. to work for the Third Congressional District of Utah on various legislative affairs and national policy. In 2018, Hope moved to London to work for a Member of Parliament in the British Parliament, wherein she studied potential effects of Brexit while successfully developing and passing a constitutional amendment to increase government accountability. Thereafter, Hope moved back to her home state and worked for the City of South Jordan in community development, collaborating with appointed officials and departments to maintain and stimulate sensible economic growth within the city.
Perfectly aligning with nonprofit missions, Hope is devoted to advocating for extensive voter education, supporting inclusive legislation and encouraging underrepresented groups to participate in politics. She firmly believes that each vote has an impact, big and small, on every single individual.
How to Earn Your Badge
In order to earn the UNA Badge for Advocacy and Civic Engagement, the organization must submit the following items for review and approval:
Please follow specific guidelines in the participant folder, as they are always going to be the most current.
Badge Requirement 1: Advocacy Plan
Document how your mission, vision and values articulate the change you are seeking to bring about and designate your focus on individual change theory (direct service impact), systems change theory (cumulative impact) or both. Effective plans include the following components. Wherever possible, this data should include demographic analysis including race, gender, income, educational attainment, etc.
1. Measuring change: Document or provide templates used to measure the impact your organization is having on the change it is seeking to bring about.
2. Communication channels: Document your organization’s use of diverse communication channels to amplify important messaging for the organization and advance advocacy efforts. Include a description of who is responsible for such messaging and how partnerships with communications sources are cultivated.
3. Stakeholder engagement: List or document local, state, and national policies, departments, committees, task forces, elected officials and stakeholders whose interests intersect with your organization’s mission. Document how relationships or interactions are developed and cultivated with these entities.Badge Requirement 2: Public Narrative
Provide two to three samples of public narratives used by the organization and its advocates. Examples of content for public narratives include: why individual leaders/advocates are involved in the cause, why community members should care about the cause, what urgent challenges within the community require actions and how individuals can become involved.
Badge Requirement 3: Public Policy
Organizations are strongly encouraged to have public policy statements on the types of legislation and policy the follow as well as the relationships between those policies and organizational priorities for social justice.
1. Policy change: Provide an example of a policy change the organization has brought about, is in the process of affecting, has plans to implement or is reacting to. How does your organization systematically track and follow potential policy changes that may impact your constituents?
2. Credibility: How is your organization establishing itself as a credible entity within social movement and by those most impacted by the issue? If your organization works with policy makers, explain how your organization is working to be deemed influential and credible by policymakers. Examples of this may include: presence and participation in key policy meetings, distribution of information on topics of which the organization is a subject matter expert, ability to gather a critical mass of individuals willing to testify, write to legislators, gather at the Hill, gain media attention and the like.
3. Influence: Define what success in influence and credibility looks like. Examples of this may include appointment to task force or committee, contact from policymakers prior to vote on bills affecting your population, regular meetings with policymakers, inclusion in drafting of policy proposals and the like Intersecting interests (regarding Advocacy). If your organization works with elected officials, list or document local, state, and national policies, departments, committees, task forces and elected officials that intersect with your organization’s mission. Document how relationships or interactions are developed and cultivated with these entities.Badge Requirement 4: Reciprocal partnerships and coalition building
How does your organization partner with institutions, organizations, and those most impacted by the issues for mutual benefit? Reciprocity is more than a transactional exchange and should include participatory decision-making, power-sharing, and elevated influence. Documentation may include a copy of a contract, memorandum of understanding, other formalized document, coauthored grants or description of commitments for potential collaboration.
1. Educational partnerships: Higher education, K-12 school systems, and community education efforts offer opportunity to foster education and engagement around your issues of focus. Educational partnerships can also expand organizational capacity and inform decision-making processes through engaged research, direct service, internships and more.
2. Grassroots and community partnerships: Not all advocacy and civic engagement takes place through formal organizations. Grassroots and community partnerships should strive to break down barriers between and within communities and apply resources to foster people power. Organizations should strive to continually re-evaluate what it means to authentically engage with communities.
3. Organizational partnerships: Other organizations that can play a role in affecting the change your organization seeks should be brought to the table to identified common goals and share information. These organizations can include other nonprofits, government agencies, for profit entities, and more. -
Course Description and Learning Objectives
Board Governance is one of nine courses in the UNA Credential Program designed to provide you with the resources you need to make an even greater impact. Nonprofit boards govern by providing high-level vision and leadership to ensure sound stewardship of organizational assets and resources. This course, delivered with a focus on interactive exercises, will give you the knowledge and tools you need to improve the results and impact of your board. This course will show you how to:
- Create and support an active, engaged board
- Orient and provide ongoing training to board members on their roles and responsibilities
- Use your board to build public understanding and trust
- Ensure your bylaws and policies and procedures align with and inform how your organization's work is done
- Provide financial oversight and monitoring to the organization
- Set organizational goals and assess performance
- Successfully build a partnership between the board and the CEO (as applicable)
What’s Expected of You
This course is highly interactive and relies on the experiences of each participant. Therefore, it's important you are prepared to contribute to the program. Please be ready to:
- Bring all required materials to each session. If your organization doesn’t have any of the required materials, the facilitator will provide you with samples to use.
- Complete the follow up activities after each session and bring questions and concerns to the next session.
- Complete the Badge Requirements by the deadline.
BADGE REQUIREMENTS
In order to receive the UNA Board Governance Badge, the organization must submit the following items for review:
Please follow specific guidelines in the participant folder, as they are always going to be the most current.
Board Orientation
Board Orientation document, packet, video or checklist of items given to new board members at the commencement of their service term.
Board Handbook
Table of Contents or checklist showing documents included in Board Handbook (or similar compilation of organizational documentation) including revision or version date.
Board Assessment
Template of board assessment tool used by the organization. Include a document noting how often the tool is administered to assess board performance and how results have been used to impact board effectiveness.
Board Training
Proof of ongoing board training; for example, a board training calendar, sample of recent board training, document outlining how board trainings occur in the organization or similar proof.
Organization Bylaws and Review
Copy of organization’s bylaws, including voting procedures, number of board members, terms of office, removal from office, how bylaws are revised, and description of officers and their duties. Document describing most recent review of bylaws, including who was involved in the review and when it occurred.
Policies and Procedures and Review
Policies and Procedures manual, including code of conduct, whistleblower policy, nondiscrimination policy, document retention and destruction policy, and conflict of interest policy. Also include date of most recent review of policies and procedures and who was involved in its review.
Planning/Goals
Document that the board has established concrete long- and short-term organizational goals and methods of assessing progress towards those goals. Examples of this may include a strategic plan, a list of organizational priorities, a matrix citing goals and deliverables, a performance dashboard or similar proof. Risk Management Plan—Document outlining how the board protects the organization from fraud, abuse and/or negligence. This may include reference to separation of duties, conflict of interest policy, check-signing policies, work of Executive Committee as oversight body or similar proof.
Reporting
Example of the organization’s programs- and activities-reporting tool, such as an annual report, including its revision or version date.
Fundraising Role
Document the board’s collective and individual fundraising role and how additional responsibilities are designated to staff (as applicable).
Financial Reports Verification
Document how the board independently verifies the accuracy of the financial reports it receives and ensures its financial mandates are carried out. Examples of this may include description of work by financial oversight committee or individual(s) appointed by the board, organizational audit, or similar proof.
Filings
Provide a checklist or calendar used by board to ensure the timely review and approval of state and federal filings prior to their submission.
Minutes
Sample of board minutes showing an emphasis on policymaking rather than administrative decision making by the board.
CEO Performance and Compensation
Template organization uses to evaluate the performance of the CEO/Executive Director, (as applicable) including revision or version date. Document that outlines the process by which the compensation rate of the CEO/Executive Director is evaluated, including whether compensation is aligned with performance targets, and how often evaluation occurs.
NOTE: The documentation on the requirements requesting explanation need not be lengthy. Clear, concise statements on how the organization meets the requirement listed are sufficient. In most cases, three or four sentences should suffice.
-
Course Description and Learning Objectives
Donors are increasing their scrutiny of nonprofit entities and requiring more accountability in return for their dollars. And with more nonprofits vying for the dollars available, it has never been more critical to have your nonprofit in legal and financial order. This course will guide help you:
- Ensure your organization meets its legal obligations and understand how to protect donor information, follow donor intent, and provide tax receipts to donors as applicable.
- Understand how to create the necessary documentation to show sound financial practices and timely reporting.
- Integrate best practices regarding technology, data collection and retention of personnel information.
What’s Expected of You
This course is highly interactive and relies on the experiences of each participant. Therefore, it's important you are prepared to contribute to the program. Please be ready to:
- Bring all required materials to each session. If your organization doesn’t have any of the required materials, the facilitator will provide you with samples to use.
- Complete the follow up activities after each session and bring questions and concerns to the next session.
- Complete the Badge Requirements by the deadline.
BADGE REQUIREMENTS
In order to receive the UNA Badge for the Credential in Finance and Legal, the organization must submit the following items for review:
Please follow specific guidelines in the participant folder, as they are always going to be the most current.
1.0 Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and Bylaw Review
Organization’s bylaws, including description of voting procedures, number of board members, terms of office, method of removal from office, how bylaws are revised, and description of officers and their duties.
1.1 Document the most recent review of bylaws, including who was involved in the review and when it occurred.
2.0 Policies and Procedures
Policies and Procedures manual or similar compilation of organization’s policies, including code of conduct, whistleblower policy, non-discrimination policy, document retention and destruction policy, and conflict of interest policy. Include date of most recent review of policies and procedures and who was involved in its review.
3.0 Training
Document ongoing staff, board, and volunteer training on policies and procedures. A training calendar, a sample of recent training, a document outlining how policies and procedures trainings occur in the organization, a sample volunteer orientation packet, a sample staff handbook or similar proof would satisfy this requirement.
4.0 Board Minutes
Document your organization’s method of compiling and archiving the minutes from board meetings. Describe how minutes are taken and by whom, how they are stored, how amendments/revisions are noted and how the minutes are made accessible.
5.0 Code of Ethics
Provide a copy of your organization's dated, signed UNA Standards of Ethics or other board approved code of ethics.
6.0 Finances
Document the organization’s financial record-keeping practices.
7.0 Financial Oversight
Provide a list of board members or other individual(s) who provide financial oversight to the organization. Note the dates of the three most recent meetings.
8.0 Policies Governing Oversight
Charter, policies or governing document denoting the responsibilities and parameters of the financial oversight body or person(s).
9.0 Filings
Calendar or checklist of state and federal filings, which includes dates of most recently submissions and upcoming due dates.
10.0 Financial Planning/Goals
Provide documentation that the board has concrete long- and short-term financial goals and methods of assessing progress towards those goals. Examples of this may include a financial strategic plan, a list of organizational financial priorities for income and expenses, a financial performance dashboard or similar proof.
11.0 Budget
Recent, dated sample of the organization’s working budget.
12.0 Donor Acknowledgement
Provide a sample of organization’s donor acknowledgment letter.
13.0 Donations
Document your process for accepting and acknowledging monetary, in-kind, and other forms of donations/gifts, including providing tax receipts.
14.0 Internal Controls
Document your process for protecting the organization from fraud, abuse and/or negligence. This may include reference to separation of duties, conflict of interest policy, check-signing policies, work of Executive Committee as oversight body and/or similar proof.
15.0 Financial Reports Verification
Document how the board independently verifies the accuracy of the financial reports it receives and ensures its financial mandates are carried out. Examples of this may include description of work by financial oversight committee or individual(s) appointed by the board, organizational audit, or similar proof.
Subject-Matter-Expert: Daniel Nuttall
Daniel audits a variety of industries but spends a significant amount of time working with affordable housing (multi-family HUD, rural development, new markets tax credits and low income housing tax credit projects) and nonprofit organizations (including single audits). When you work with Daniel, you can expect him to demonstrate a sincere desire to understand and meet your business needs. He will strive to be proactive in his communications and to become a trusted advisor to your organization. Daniel holds a bachelors degree and masters degree in accounting from the University of Utah.
Subject-Matter-Expert: Brent Andrewsen
Mr. Andrewsen is a member of Kirton McConkie's Business and Tax & Estate Planning sections. His practice includes estate planning, probate and trust administration, gift taxation, tax-exempt organizations, charitable trusts and planned giving. Mr. Andrewsen also has advised clients with respect to business matters and has assisted in forming various business entities and transactions. He is a frequent speaker on issues regarding tax-exempt organizations, planned giving, estate planning, and related topics. In addition to his professional work, he has sat on the boards of various charitable organizations over the years. Mr. Andrewsen is recognized as one of Utah's Legal Elite and a Mountain States Super Lawyer for non-profit and estate planning as well as a Best Lawyer for trusts and estates.
Subject-Matter-Expert: Michael Durham
Mr. Durham is a member of the firm's Tax and Estate Planning section. He has advised some of the nation's largest private foundations, museums, hospitals, high-technology nonprofits, newly formed organizations and donors wishing to structure their gifts to maximize tax savings. Mr. Durham has considerable experience in the rules governing private foundations, private operating foundations, supporting organizations and donor-advised funds, as well as tax-exempt bond issues and unrelated business activities of exempt organizations.
In addition, Mr. Durham has represented large charities before the IRS on audit, seeking initial recognition of exempt status, and in specific ruling requests. He has also represented clients before Treasury and Congress regarding new or pending law and regulations.
-
WHAT YOU'LL EXPERIENCE AND LEARN
Nonprofits provide donors with ways to support the community, causes, and organizations they value. As agents of philanthropy, nonprofits have ethical and fiduciary obligations to handle funds appropriately, honor donors' wishes, and have sufficient funds to carry out its mission. Fundraising and Development is one of nine courses in the UNA Credential Program designed to provide you with the resources you need to make an even greater impact.
This course builds the capacity of your fundraising and development program and covers four main topics:
- Ethical and Effective Fundraising: Do you take a best practices and highest standards approach when generating resources?
- Funding Diversity Strategies: Do you have a diverse funding portfolio and/or are you diversifying your portfolio effectively?
- Resource Planning and Evaluation: Do you have an effective goal setting, planning, and evaluation process?
- Staff and Board Roles: Do you involve stakeholders effectively and appropriately?
WHAT YOU'LL NEED (AND WANT) TO DO
This course is highly interactive and relies on the experiences of each participant. Therefore, it's important you are prepared to contribute to the program. Please be ready to
- Bring all required materials to each session. If your organization doesn’t have any of the required materials, the facilitator will provide you with samples to use.
- Complete the follow up activities after each session and bring questions and concerns to the next session.
- Complete the Badge Requirements by the deadline.
HERE'S HOW YOU EARN THE UNA BADGE FOR FUNDRAISING AND DEVELOPMENT
In order to receive the UNA Fundraising and Development Badge, the organization must submit the following items for review:
Please follow specific guidelines in the participant folder, as they are always going to be the most current.
Ethics Policy
Provide the portion of your organization’s ethics policy that relates to resource development. Include revision or version date.Gift Acceptance Policy
Provide a copy of your gift acceptance policy. Include revision or version date.Donor Bill of Rights
Provide a copy of your organization’s Donor Bill of Rights or similar document provided by your organization to its donors which designates their rights as donors. The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has a sample your organization may choose to adapt and/or adopt. Include revision or version date.Training
Document proof of ongoing ethics training. A training calendar, sample of recent ethics training, document outlining how ethics trainings occur in the organization, or similar proof will satisfy this requirement.Donor Cycle
Document how you track where your organization is at with donors in each of the Donor Cycle stages (identifying, cultivating, soliciting, reporting). Your documentation will answer these questions: How do you track potential donors? How do you track donors from whom you are cultivating relationships and who is doing the cultivating? How do you track the donors to whom you have solicited donations? How do you track donor reporting deadlines and what needs to be reported?Resource Development Planning and Goals
Document your organization's long- and short-term resource development goals and methods of assessing progress towards those goals. Examples of this may include a strategic resource development plan, a list of organizational priorities, a matrix citing goals and deliverables, a performance dashboard or similar proof.Funding: Portfolio Diversification
Document ways in which you have diversified your funding portfolio.Personalizing Solicitations
Provide 2-3 examples of how your organization personalizes its case for support to funders from broad range of backgrounds, interests and/or fields.Internal Coordination
Document the ways in which your organization coordinates resource development efforts with financial management efforts and with marketing and communication efforts.Role Descriptions
Provide a copy or template of your organization’s resource management role descriptions. Where applicable, provide separate role descriptions for staff, volunteers and/or board members.NOTE: The documentation on the requirements requesting explanation need not be lengthy. Clear, concise statements on how the organization meets the requirement listed are sufficient. In most cases, three or four sentences should suffice.
Subject-Matter-Expert: TBD
-
Course Description and Learning Objectives
People are your most important asset. To attract and retain quality employees and volunteers, your nonprofit must follow effective and fair leadership practices. This course, one of nine offerings in the UNA Credential Program, provides you with the resources you need to implement best practices in Human Resources.
Successful completion of the course will help you:
- Become current on the impact of Covid-19 on employment practices, legal issues, and moving forward with the next normal.
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of key employment and discrimination laws relevant to an organization’s size, and how to implement practices to follow those laws.
- Learn how to create, review, and revise an organization’s personnel handbooks, policies, and practices to ensure compliance with applicable laws.
- Gain critical insight into employee recruitment best practices, learn new methods to retain and motivate employees, and leave with a toolkit for performance appraisals that drive performance.
What’s Expected of You
This course is highly interactive and relies on the experiences of each participant. Therefore, it's important you are prepared to contribute to the program. Please be ready to:
- Bring all required materials to each session. If your organization doesn’t have any of the required materials, the facilitator will provide you with samples to use.
- Complete the follow up activities after each session and bring questions and concerns to the next session.
- Complete the Badge Requirements by the deadline.
Badge Requirement for the Credential in Human Resources
In order to earn the UNA Human Resources Badge, the organization must submit the following items for review and approval:
Please follow specific guidelines in the participant folder, as they are always going to be the most current.
1.0 Job Descriptions
Provide job descriptions for at least 2-3 positions (or group of positions) clearly stating whether the position is exempt or nonexempt. Document whether any of the position might need to be changed status-wise if the 2016 proposed salary test occurs. Ensure that job descriptions have bona fide occupational qualifications and essential functions. For any Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications (BFOQs) that are not blatantly obvious, document why that qualification is necessary. (For example, include anything dealing with gender, religion, etc.)
2.0 Key Volunteers
Provide a job description and a detailed explanation of key volunteer positions. Include an explanation for their status as volunteer rather than employee.
3.0 Employee Handbook
Provide a copy of the employee handbook. Include these particulars.
- Pregnancy Accommodations Notice: For organizations with 15 or more employees, make sure that the notice is in the handbook book and on labor posters.
- Harassment Policy: List all protected classes and provide reporting process which includes at least two people to report violations.
- Accommodations: Provide accommodations for anxiety, service animals, and depression for anxiety.
- Pay Policies: Communicate time tracking and overtime policies as well as paydays.
- Independent Contractors—If your organization uses independent contractors, provide a sample/template of any Independent Contractor agreements used by your organization. Include justification as to why they are not employee positions.
- At-Will Statement—Provide a copy of your at-will statement and explain where and how it is presented to employees.
- Training on Contracts—Provide proof of leader (board and staff) training on avoiding implied contracts. Examples of such proof may include: material from a recent training on implied contracts, training calendar, description of when, with whom and by whom such training take place, leadership handbook which includes guidance on implied contracts or similar proof.
- Anti-Discrimination Policies—Provide documentation of any anti-discrimination policies your organization has based on the size of your organization.
- Training on Anti-Discrimination—Provide proof of leader (board and staff) training on anti-discrimination. Examples of such proof may include: material from a recent training on anti-discrimination, training calendar, description of when, with whom and by whom such training take place, leadership handbook which includes guidance on anti-discrimination or similar proof.
- Termination Process—Document the organization’s process and practice of termination for employees and for volunteers.
- Handbook Acknowledgement—Document when, where and how employees have received and acknowledged receipt of employee handbook. Also note how distribution of revised handbooks are handled and acknowledged.
4.0 Employment Application
Provide a copy of your Employment Application, if used. Note any problem areas.
5.0 Independent Contractors
Provide a list and justification for all independent contractors.
Subject Matter Expert: Kathleen Weron
Kathleen D. Weron practices employment law, representing major state and national employers. Ms. Weron has been annually recognized in Chambers USA as an employment litigator “tremendously well versed in the law” with “considerable expertise” and an understanding of “the dynamic of employment relationships.” Chambers USA has also recognized Ms. Weron as a “highly proficient mediator.” Ms. Weron has also been regularly awarded recognition in The Best Lawyers in America for Labor and Employment Law. She has been voted by her peers as one of Utah’s “Legal Elite” in Labor and Employment Law in Utah Business magazine and has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest AV rating. Ms. Weron is a well known speaker, author, and experienced trainer. She has an extensive employment counseling practice that includes comprehensive harassment prevention training and executive training for creating diverse, inclusive and professional work environments and culture.
In addition, Ms. Weron has served as a trustee for two nonprofit organizations, chairing The McGillis School Board of Trustees and serving as President of the Board for Nuzzles & Co. Pet Rescue and Adoption, where she also went on to serve as its Executive Director.
Ms. Weron graduated as a Leary Scholar from the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law where she served as a member of the Utah Law Review. After graduation, Ms. Weron completed a federal clerkship with the Honorable Ewing Werlein in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Weron was an associate specializing in employment law with the national law firm Littler Mendelson.
-
Course Description and Learning Objectives
This course provides nonprofit leaders with practical, actionable skills and tools for developing high-performing agencies. Topics include the application of proven leadership principles, the value, and steps of strategic planning, creating a mission and value-driven organization, managing change within the organization, responding to crises (like COVID-19), and looking at your nonprofit through the lens of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Leadership and Organizational Culture is one of nine courses in the UNA Credential Program designed to provide you with the resources you need to make an even greater impact.
At the completion of the course, the participant will:
- Gain a deep understanding of organizational culture and how different aspects of the organization affect the culture
- Integrate proven principles of leadership into all levels of the organization’s leadership
- Understand the value of strategic planning and demonstrate proficiency in using tools to conduct the strategic planning process
- Relate all organization activities to the organization’s mission and determine if certain activities or processes are obsolete and hindering the organization’s culture
What's Expected of You
This course is highly interactive and relies on the experiences of each participant. Therefore, it's important you are prepared to contribute to the program. Please be ready to:
- Bring all required materials to each session. If your organization doesn’t have any of the required materials, the facilitator will provide you with samples to use.
- Complete the follow-up activities after each session and bring questions and concerns to the next session.
- Complete the Badge Requirements by the deadline.
Requirements for Completing the UNA Badge in Leadership and Organizational Culture
In order to receive the UNA Leadership and Organizational Culture Badge, the organization must submit the following items to UNA for review:
Please follow specific guidelines in the participant folder, as they are always going to be the most current.
Organizational Culture: Areas of Focus
List of 2-3 areas of organizational culture which need improvement, along with a plan of how these areas will be improved and a timeline for improvement
Organizational Culture: Mission/Vision/Values Review
If your organization has not reviewed your mission, vision, and values in the past year, then please provide documentation of the review process (who reviewed it, how the process was completed, and any changes made to the mission/ vision/ and values).
If your organization has reviewed your mission, vision, and values in the past year, provide documentation of what the process was, and any changes that came out of the process.
Leadership: Assessment and Evaluation
Demonstrate the organization’s commitment to leadership development by providing at least two of the following items: a calendar of leadership development activities, a description of recent leadership training, a working leadership development plan, a written policy on leadership development, a budget line item dedicated to leadership development, or other similar proof.
Mission-Driven Culture
Document 2-3 short answer examples of your organization’s focus on mission-driven culture in any of the following areas. (You don’t need to cover all areas). Include what has been done and what has been the cultural impact of these examples.
- Client focused: Explain how being client focused is evident in the work of your organization?
- Total employee mission attachment: Share how your nonprofit achieves and supports employee mission-attachment?
- Continuous Improvement Activities: How does your organization implement continuous improvement?
- Communications: How does your organization communicate strategically internally and externally?
Strategic Planning and Change Management: Sector Scan
Include your most recent sector review or template of such. Whether internal or external, simple or sophisticated depends on the complexity and maturity of your organization. At a minimum the review should assess the political, regulatory, and social environment as well as opportunities for collaboration. A scan completed within twelve months of this course fulfills this requirement.) Note the date of the most recent scan, who completed it, and who reviewed it.
Strategic Planning and Change Management: SWOT Assessment
Provide documentation of a recent (within the last twelve months) dated SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). Note how the assessment results were used by leadership to inform how the organization operates. Your SWOT Assessment may be included with your strategic plan.
Strategic Planning and Change Management: Organizational Change
Provide an example of a change your organization has made or endured since or as a result of your participation in the Badge course or plans to make or endure in the next six months. In two or three sentences, explain how leadership managed or plans to manage this change - considering all the variable factors at stake - to maintain or improve the organizational culture.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Identify one step your organization will take (or has taken) to infuse DEI concepts in your culture, strategy, and or mission--and outline, in two to three sentences, how leadership will complete (or has completed) this step.
Subject-Matter-Expert: Jennifer Nuttall
-
What You'll Experience and Learn
Through communications, we craft narratives, messaging, and images that persuade people to take action or think differently. With an effective communications strategy, you can bring consistency to all areas of your work, identify and engage your key stakeholders, refine how you talk about your work, and present your organization as an authentic, polished, and relevant force for good.
Your website, social-media presence, and email communications are most likely the most important way—if not the only way— your stakeholders can involve themselves with your mission. So make sure they are doing the job you need them to do. Learn how to obtain and interpret marketing data to track your impact and refine your approach, so you can send the right message to the right people at the right time.
Included in your registration is expert-coaching specific to your nonprofit's communication and marketing program. Everything in this Credential centers on equipping you to create and deliver the messaging you need to support your mission.
Successful completion of the course will deliver the following to you and your organization
- Strategies for creating and re-purposing content to drive your readers to action.
- Information on website optimization for donors, volunteers, and corporate partners.
- Ways to tell an effective story that inspires action and supports your goals.
- A variety of tools to support you in your marketing efforts.
- Information on how to use social media, blogs, emails, and videos in your organizational marketing strategy.
- The concept of marketing personas to ensure your marketing material is getting in front of the appropriate audience(s).
- Ideas on how to use goals to guarantee that your marketing plan is in alignment with the organizational goals.
- A deep understanding of inbound marketing, content marketing, email marketing, video marketing, and social media marketing.
- How to position yourself as a marketing professional.
What You'll Need (and Want) to Do
This course is highly interactive and relies on the experiences of each participant. Therefore, it's important you are prepared to contribute to the program. Please be ready to:
- Bring all required materials to each session. If your organization doesn’t have any of the required materials, the facilitator will provide you with samples to use.
- Complete the follow up activities after each session and bring questions and concerns to the next session.
- Complete the Badge Requirements by the deadline.
Here's How You Earn the UNA Badge for Marketing and Communications
Successful completion of the Credential in Marketing and Communication requires that your organization submit the following items for review. Once all the items have been submitted, UNA and the Subject Matter Expert will review them. A passing review of all the items earns your organization the UNA Badge in Marketing and Communications and gives you the satisfaction of completing important substantive work. Please follow specific guidelines in the participant folder, as they are always going to be the most current.
Marketing Persona
Provide an example of one marketing persona that matches your data base—not your office staff or what you assume your client's look like and believe in. Remember that your personas might be a different race, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic groupEditorial Calendar
Provide a copy of your editorial calendar that contains, at the minimum, the channel, messaging, timing, and author. This can be a 30, 60, 90 day or 1-year calendarWebsite
- Document when and by whom your website has been most recently reviewed and critiqued.
- Describe who viewed the review findings and what was done with the information received.
Email Marketing
Provide evidence that you have segmented your email list and have sent at least one email to one of the segments.Video Marketing
- Provide a link to a new (brand, personalized, or event) video that you created on a cell phone and have posted on social media.
- Remember to use people who represent your clients. This might be a different race, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic group. It's critical to people that match your database, not your office staff or what you assume your client's look like and believe in.
- Please indicate if your video is Brand, Humanize, or Event.
Social Media
Post Examples
Provide (can even be a screen shot of something that you have already posted) an example of 3 types of social posts:-
-
-
- Industry post
- Promotional post
- A post about your organization's Why vs. What
- Social Media Policy
-
-
Social Media Policy
Provide a copy of the organization’s social media policy that directs employees on appropriate use of personal social media as an employee of your organization.
Repurposed Content
Provide an example of where you expanded a piece of content to repurpose it for another channel. This can be a Facebook post expanded to an email or a blog. Or an Instagram post expanded to a Facebook post, etc. .You can also use content from a mass email where you select a piece to use in social media.Show examples of diversity
Examples can include age, race, socioeconomic, gender diversity. Not all types of diversity have to be demonstrated in each area. Simply one type per area will work.i. Website
ii. Alt text
iii. Video
iv. Social postUpdated December 2022
-
Course Description and Learning Objectives
Outcomes and Evaluations is one of nine courses in the UNA Credential Program designed to provide you with the resources you need to make an even greater impact. Measuring the performance of your organization is essential to understand and communicate your actual impact, inform decision making and guide organization improvement, properly deploy resources, and build a strong case for receiving funders’ support. This course is designed to provide you with tools for deciding how to:
- Clarify what their intended impact is and how they will achieve results
- Identify the appropriate metrics to measure agency activities, outputs, and outcomes
- Develop an evaluation plan to use and improve measurement over time
- Develop and deploy data collection, analysis and reporting tools to monitor impacts and communicate results
What’s Expected of You
This course is highly interactive and relies on the experiences of each participant. Therefore, it's important you are prepared to contribute to the program. Please be ready to:
- Bring all required materials to each session. If your organization doesn’t have any of the required materials, the facilitator will provide you with samples to use.
- Complete the follow up activities after each session and bring questions and concerns to the next session.
- Complete the Badge Requirements by the deadline.
Badge Requirements
In order to earn the UNA Outcomes and Evaluations Badge, the organization must submit the following items for review and approval:
Please follow specific guidelines in the participant folder, as they are always going to be the most current.
1. Community Needs Assessment (Choose one of the following options.)
- The current Community Needs Assessment developed in your organization with an evaluation of its accuracy in reflecting the needs of the community and how your program is using the needs assessment to achieve your mission. OR
- A Community Needs Assessment you conduct within the next three months incorporating the principles from the course including a description of how you intentionally conducted the needs assessment to ensure the information is a fair and accurate reflection of the clients and the community.
- A plan of how you will conduct a community needs assessment in the future to identify the accurate strengths and needs of your community relating to the service your organization with description of how you will accurately assess the needs of your clients and the community
2. Continuous Quality Improvement: A representation of how you will apply (or are already applying) the principles of Continuous Quality Improvement (e.g., a Driver Diagram)
- A statement of your organizations overall objective (based on your organization’s mission)
- A description of the Primary Drivers leading to your organizations overall success
- A description of what data you will use to assess success in these Primary Drivers
- A description of the Secondary Drivers that make up success in the Primary Drivers
- A description of what data you will use to assess success in these Secondary Drivers
- A description of the Change Agents or activities that your organization does on a regular basis to impact the Secondary Drivers
- A “Quadrant Diagram” showing critical examination of where the activities that you engage in as an organization fit in the dimensions of effort and impact
3. Sustainability Plan: Include a description of who in your organization has responsibility for data collection, storage, analysis, and reporting decisions in this brief plan.
4. Using Data to tell a Story: Provide an example of a graph or dashboard telling a story of data use or impact in your organization.
Subject-Matter-Expert: Jared Lisonbee
Jared Lisonbee holds a Ph.D. in Human Development from Auburn University with dual emphases in early childhood education and research methods. As a research scientist, Jared studied children’s biological stress in preschool settings. He has developed education program evaluations for the states of Alabama and Washington as well as at Weber State University.
-
We are updating the UNA Credential in Volunteer Management. While the following information provides a good idea of what to expect, you can expect a new and improved Credential in Volunteer Management soon.
WHY PARTICIPATE?
Have your volunteer management practices kept pace in a world that consistently upends what we call normal? In spite of pandemics, funding challenges, and the call for social justice, volunteers still want to connect with your mission and serve your cause. It falls to you to find ways to maintain that sense of connection—even if they can’t help in person. If volunteers are even remotely critical to your organization, you’ll want to make sure that you are doing everything you can to attract, retain, and celebrate these amazing people. The UNA Credential in Volunteer Management provides everything you need—live online-training, curated resources, and coaching from experts—to create and implement a volunteer management program that honors your volunteers and their good works.
YOU CAN EXPECT
- Classroom training focused on solidifying your familiarity with foundational concepts (including recruitment and retention) as well as new concepts—all synthesized to make the most of your time.
- Comprehensive resources to guide your shaping of best practices in volunteer management. You won't need to start from scratch.
- A consultation from experts in volunteer management to find answers to your specific questions. You won't be left wondering if your practices make sense.
- Expert ongoing coaching. You don't have to go it alone.
- Certification for your successful integration of best practices in the form of A Badge in Volunteer Management and a media guide for sharing that success. Taking a victory lap is its own reward.
HOW YOU'LL BENEFIT
Successful completion of this course will help you:
- Integrate volunteer management into your organization's overall planning and development.
- Secure senior leadership support and resources for strong volunteer management practices.
- Develop and implement effective volunteer-related training organization-wide.
- Engage and recognize volunteers.
- Recruit, track, and communicate with volunteers digitally.
- Demonstrate your commitment to sustainability to funders, stakeholders, and even your volunteers.
- Prove your ability to lead your organization forward and contribute to your mission.
WHAT'S EXPECTED OF YOU
Programming is highly interactive and relies on your participation. Please be ready to:
- Bring all required materials to each session. If your organization doesn’t have any of the required materials, we'll provide samples for you to use.
- Complete the follow up activities after each session and bring questions and concerns to the next session.
- Complete the Badge Requirements by the deadline (four months after the first class session).
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO EARN THE BADGE IN VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT?
In order to earn the UNA Badge in Volunteer Management, you'll submit, on behalf of your organization, the following items for review and approval:
Please follow specific guidelines in the participant folder, as they are always going to be the most current.
Targeted Outreach Plan
Complete a targeted outreach strategy for three organizational goals.
Prospective Volunteer Follow-up Procedure
Provide a written procedure, flowchart, or outline of the process after a volunteer applies.
Volunteer Experience Plan
Submit written operational plan for volunteer feedback, develop data gathering tools on the volunteer experience, and/or submit new ones.
Recognition Plan
Submit written operational plan for volunteer recognition and rewards, including customization for demographic diversity.
Job Description
Write a detailed job description specifically targeting a non-traditional volunteer.
Tracking Tool and Reporting Plan
Provide written reporting strategy/timeline including to whom the report is given.
Impact and Value Measurement Materials
Submit a list of interview questions, list of clients to interview.
Action Plan for Support
Assess current weaknesses and solutions; submit a support list with specific roles for certain staff members at every level.
Training Plan for Staff Integration
Identify two training action items and implementation strategy/timeline to integrate staff and volunteers for organizational cohesion.
Skills-Based-Volunteer Recruitment Tool
Complete the Skills-Based Volunteer(SBV) Strategy worksheet, identify the need of your organization, create an outline of an SBV project, and determine where to find your volunteers.
This and all UNA Credentials are led by Subject-Matter-Experts. Please check back for more information.
UNA extends deep gratitude to Justin B. Anderson for his imagination and support in updating the UNA Badges.
Notable Achievements
UNA Credential Award
UNA's highest honor, the UNA Credential Award, is given to nonprofits that receive UNA Badges in all nine Credential courses.
The Haven 2018
Humane Society Moab Valley 2021
Mountain West Mothers' Milk Bank 2021
Badge-Earning Nonprofits
Advocacy and Civic Engagement Badge
Board Governance Badge
Finance and Legal Badge
Fundraising and Development Badge
2017
Maliheh Free Clinic
RiteCare of Utah
Stokes Nature Center
Volunteers of America, Utah
KRCL Listeners Community Radio
Friends of Great Salt Lake
United Way of Northern Utah
2018
Grand Area Mentoring
Humane Society of Moab Valley
Moab Music Festival
WabiSabi Moab
Bountiful Davis Art Center
The Haven
Utah Association for the Education of Young Children
Friends of Switchpoint Inc.
Safe Harbor Crisis Center
The Riley Foundation
2019
Utah Avalanche Center
Art Access
Latino Behavioral Health
2019 (continued)
Circles Salt Lake
Making a Difference Foundation
Neighborhood House
Peace House
World Peace Parents Foundation
Equality Utah
Pregnancy Resource Center of Salt Lake City
Midwives College of Utah
2020
Hope Philanthropies
The Inn Between
Fit to Recover
2021
Your Community Connection Family Crisis Center
Mountain West Mothers' Milk Bank
Flourish
Canyonlands Field Institute
YCC Family Crisis Center
2022
Neighborhood House (recertified)
Friends of the Children Utah
Mundi Project
Human Resources Badge
Leadership and Organizational Culture Badge
Marketing and Communication Badge
2015
Utah Food Bank
Holy Cross Ministries
2016
I.J. & Jeanné Wagner Jewish Community Center
Friends for Sight
English Skills Learning Center
Youthlinc
2017
Pregnancy and Resource Center
Discovery Gateway
Community Development Corporation of Utah
Golden Rule Project
Suazo Center
2018
The Phyllis and Mark Leppert Foundation for Fertility Research
Volunteers of America Utah
The Haven
Park City Film Series
Utah Community Action
The Inn Between
Utah Parent Center
Communidades Unidades
2020
Root 4 Kids
St. George Children's Museum
Heart Walk Foundation
Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Utah
Ogden Downtown Alliance
Mountain West Mothers' Milk Bank
2020 (continued)
Humane Society of Moab Valley
Catholic Community Center
Wasatch Adaptive Sports
House of Hope
Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Utah
2021
Granite Education Foundation
Neighborhood House
Wonderbloom
Heart & Soul
Urban Food Connections of Utah
Utah Down Syndrome Foundation
Canyonlands Field Institute
Community Action Services and Food Bank
2022
Get Healthy Utah
Jewish Family Service
Friends of Cedar Mesa
The Salt Lake City Public Library
Bicycle Collective
Friends of the Children Utah
Guadalupe School
UServeUtah
Utah Microloan Fund
Mormon Women for Ethical Government
Outcomes and Evaluations Badge
Volunteer Management Badge
2016
The Living Planet Aquarium
Utah Domestic Violence Coalition
Youthlinc
Humane Society of Moab Valley
2018
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Lee Kay Public Shooting Range
Cottonwoods Canyon Foundation
United Way Salt Lake
Arrive Utah
Crossroads Urban Center
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah
Heritage Choir
The Haven
United Way Dixie
The Bicycle Collective
Human Resources and Volunteer Badge*
Community Impact **
* Course split into two separate Credentials
** Course changed to Advocacy and Civic Engagement
What You Need to Know
Classroom Instruction Combined with Consultations and Coaching
Training Sessions
Subject-Matter-Experts (SMEs) with deep nonprofit experience deliver what you need to know to implement best practices for your nonprofit. Practical information—synthesized into two interactive training-sessions—creates space for you to learn from our experts and collaborate with other nonprofit professionals.
Consultations
After the training sessions, you’ll begin applying the provided information and resources to your organization’s practices. We’ll schedule a one-on-one consultation with your organization and our SME. You'll drive the consult agenda based on your needs. For example, you can use the consult to:
- Ask questions about classroom-session topics,
- Receive expert advice on any challenges you’re facing,
- Get feedback on work you’ve already done, or
- Present your completed documentation for expert review (and even earn the Badge).
Why the UNA Badge?
Completing a UNA Badge is about setting the foundation to improve your nonprofit—and then telling the community about your achievement. Depending on the course, you’ll see more effective fundraising, reduced risk from better financial oversight, better data collection and communication, clearer messaging, and HR policies that protect your nonprofit. Your stakeholders will see an organization able to focus on making good things happen. We’ll help you share your accomplishment by providing you with a press kit, highlighting your organization in our communications, and providing you with a letter you can share with your stakeholders that outlines your success and why it matters.
How Will The Credential Help My Nonprofit?
"As a first-time Executive Director at a very new non-profit, I often feel lost about what to do and where to start. The Utah Nonprofits Association's Credential program has been a life-saver! The trainings are taught by experts currently working in the field which lends credibility and trust to the Credential. The presenters have a wealth of information to provide, which could be overwhelming, but they break it down into easy-to-implement steps that is well-organized. One of the most helpful parts has been the follow-up meetings where we can connect one-on-one with the experts to ask questions specific to our organization. After such success with the two Credential programs I've done so far, I plan to complete ALL of them over the next couple of years. Our organization wouldn't normally be able to afford this kind of top-quality training, but UNA makes it affordable for our tight start-up budget. I hope UNA continues to have funding to provide this incredibly useful and essential program."
Sarah Stone, PhD, Executive Director, Wonderbloom: Nature Playschool
Who Should Participate in Credential Programming?
Your best use of the Credential is using it to apply best practices to your nonprofit. Toward that goal, we encourage nonprofit leaders to participate and bring along key team members, volunteers, and board members that can help implement what you learn during the course. You can also participate solely to develop your knowledge and skills—although that’s a bit like going to a bakery just for the smells. The real benefit and sense of accomplishment comes from applying what you’ve learned to effect change.
FAQs
Q: Can I receive a certificate of completion for attending a Credential?
A: The Credential courses are an organizational effort and achievement. UNA only officially awards an achievement, the Badge, at the organizational level.
Q: Is there a deadline to submit documentation to earn a badge? And if so, why?
A: Yes. You will typically have five months from the date of the training sessions to provide documentation of your adoption of best practices. We allow another month for working with the course leader, the SME to fine tune your work. Due dates help create a sense of urgency for you and define for our SME's an end date for their contract with UNA.
Q: If I do not finish the requirements in one session, can I submit them in the following year?
A: Courses and Badge requirements are reviewed and updated annually, so the information in one year could be out of date in the following year. You would need to register for the Credential and fulfill the new requirements.
Cancellations and Unpredictable Schedules
- Session Recordings: We get it. We live in a world where stuff happens. That's why your registration includes access to session recordings.
- Transfers: You can transfer your registration for a course to another person in your organization anytime or— within the same calendar year and before the first training session— apply it to another Credential offering for you or another person in your organization.
- Cancellations: When you cancel your reservation at least one week before the course, you'll receive a full refund.