Volunteer Center McHenry County offers networking, workshops

The Volunteer Center McHenry County will host various workshops and network opportunities.

• Jan. 26-27: Volunteer Management Certificate Program is designed to equip you with the skills necessary to increase the impact of your volunteers. Whether you are managing volunteers in a nonprofit, church, civic group, or a community event/project this training will help.

Seasoned volunteer managers, individuals new to the field, individuals considering volunteer management and nonprofit careers. Registration ends Friday, Jan. 20.

• Feb. 10: Introduction to Proposal Writing This class will provide you with an overview of how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation. It will include: the basic elements of a proposal; the "do's" and "don'ts" of writing and submitting a proposal; and how to follow up whether the answer is yes or no.

Monthly Network Groups

• First Friday Focus on Funding: Attend an "Introduction to Finding Grants" and learn to use The Foundation Center Online Directory and Grantspace. This will be a small group training session. Registration is required.

• Monday Morning Media Motivation Series Join other nonprofits and learn how to increase your capacity through Facebook. Group is led by Jack Bechaud, President of The Social Networker and meets every first and third Monday through April. Registration is required.

• Fundraising Network Group: Build your network and learn best practices from others in your field. Come with questions, and ideas to share. This is a confidential group that will help strengthen your position in the organization. The series meets and second Thursday of each month.

• Volunteer Management Network: Meets the third Thursday of the month. Invest in yourself by connecting with a network of resourceful McHenry County Volunteer Managers. Share your skills, ask questions, give advice, find a new tool - it's really up to you as to what you get out of the network. Registration is required.

The Resource Library is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Volunteer Center McHenry County is a Funding Information Network Partner and your nearest nonprofit resource center providing free funding information. The library has two grant-seeker tools, a volunteer management training tool with 39 modules and more than 150 books

For more information about Volunteer Center McHenry County and the programs provided, visit www.volunteercentermchenrycounty.org or call (815) 3444-4483.