Executive Directors' Writing Circle:
Producing Messages that Matter
~With Coaches Denice R. Hinden, PhD, ACC and
Dalya F. Massachi, MA (see below for bios)~
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Sample it for FREE!
May 27th (see below) |
Want to develop your core skill of writing
to enhance your organization's messages?
This summer or fall you can--in a confidential group coaching setting, from anywhere
there's a phone and Internet connection!
YES - You are the Executive Director of a busy
community-based nonprofit organization. You are great at providing
services and products to your community. But you want to improve
the way you write about that work. You wish your writing could
be clearer, more concise, and more inspiring.
YES - You know that you win credibility with
great writing and lose it with poor writing. You realize that
not only what you write, but how you write makes a lasting
impression. And you understand that your published materials
say a lot about you—and your organization—when you
are not around. In the marketplace of ideas, those who can write
well are seen as the “experts” at much more than just
putting words on a page.
YES - You understand that powerful writing will
make your work stand out from the glut of information. And you
know that this is especially important for surviving and thriving
in today's economic climate.
YES – Your time is at a premium and you
are looking for guaranteed results in a convenient, high-value,
low-cost, supportive, professional environment of your peers.
Writing is an invaluable tool to help
you think more clearly about your work and what it means to you
and your community. Clear and compelling writing often spells
the difference between spouting off a half-baked idea and promoting
a coherent message. In the Executive Directors' Writing Circle,
you will learn to polish your printed or online words, get your
creative juices flowing, and get excited about writing! Together,
we will help you build confidence as a stronger communicator
than you ever thought possible.
In the Writing Circle, you will focus
on writing a piece or pieces you can use right away for your
organization. You will also be strengthening your writing skills
in the process. For example, you could use the time to write
the cover letter for your organization's annual report, create
new powerful text for a website or email campaign, develop a
keynote address for an annual meeting, or draft a fundraising
appeal letter to major donors. What you choose to work on is
completely up to you.
Who is the Writing
Circle for?
We will create a deep learning community of only 6 Executive
Directors of community-based nonprofit organizations and 2 coaches.
By keeping the group small, we will be able to get to know each
other and provide high-quality feedback to each other in a reasonable
timeframe. The Writing Circle encourages a spirit of commitment
to the group process, where we will read and review each other's
work to learn from each other and practice our editing skills.
The Circle is open to those of any writing background; the only
requirement is the motivation to work with others to improve
your writing skills. If you have a writing project (or projects)
in mind that you would like to work on, great! If you need some
help getting started on an idea, that is fine too.
What can you expect?
- Nonprofit sector-specific guidance from coaches with years
of experience in diverse settings with diverse issues
- Continuous constructive feedback and encouragement from your
peers and your coaches
- Support to enhance specific documents or overall skills
- Lots of ideas and insights to make your documents educate
and activate
- Advice customized for your organizational development stage
and professional level
- Help to identify and address your individual writing challenges
- Tools for getting "unstuck" from old writing habits
- A genuinely safe space to try out new ideas
- Coaching with a positive attitude and a touch of humor
- New colleagues from a wide array of backgrounds from across
the U.S.
- Untold amounts of inspiration to take your writing to a new
level
- Content from Dalya’s new book, Writing
to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community
Impact
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Sample it for FREE!
May 27th (see below) |
- How does it work?
The Executive Directors' Writing Circle features group coaching
sessions over a 12-week period. All you need to participate are
a phone with long distance service and a computer with an Internet
connection! We will convene 7 phone calls of 70 minutes each,
every other week through a conference line. The calls will include:
1) 20 - 30 minutes for group review of two writing assignments
(all members turn in their writing via email; two get oral comments
each session)
2) 15 - 20 minutes to discuss what we learned in the writing
assignment and how to apply it to our own situations
3) 20 minutes on a new topic
4) Regular check-ins to make sure our group process remains
valauable to everyone
Before the first call, all Writing Circle members will submit
an initial writing sample, a bio, and a sense of her/his learning
objectives. Throughout the 12 weeks, you can work on self-identified
writing project(s) or focus on coach-identified writing exercises.
On the weeks between the calls, you will have the opportunity
to ask your coaches questions and give input for the next call's
agenda. You will also receive email reminders, thought-provoking
questions, and support. The Writing Circle will stay connected
via an online discussion group.
In addition, on a monthly basis, you can sign up for up to
20 minutes of one-on-one laser coaching for individualized support.
You can use this time for getting encouragement, exploring feedback,
overcoming fears about writing, or discussing specific issues
that did not surface in the group. You will call your coaches
at the scheduled time through our conference line.
What topics will we
be covering?
Group coaching is not about what your coaches want to teach
you; it's about what you want to learn. So the group's needs
will guide our assignments. In this context, your coaches are
prepared to focus on a wide range of writing-related topics that
emerge as needs of Writing Circle members. Examples include:
- Adapting your writing to your organizational context
- Engaging your specific readers
- Finding your own style and voice
- Strengthening specific aspects of your writing, (e.g., conciseness,
punctuation and grammar, flow and sequencing)
- Breaking through writer's blocks
- While this group is not specifically designed to focus on
organizational writing issues -- such as strategic communication
plans or staff/board writing skill development -- if the group
is interested we will adapt.
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Sample it for FREE!
May 27th (see below) |
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SUMMER Writing
Circle Call Dates:
1:00 – 2:15 EST |
SUMMER Laser
Coaching Call Dates:
1:00 – 3:00 EST |
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FALL Writing
Circle Call Dates:
1:00 – 2:15 EST |
FALL Laser
Coaching Call Dates:
1:00 – 3:00 EST |
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Wed., June 10
Wed., June 24
Wed., July 8
Wed., July 22
Wed., August 5
Wed., August 19
Wed., September 2 |
Tues., June 30
Tues., July 14
Tues., Aug 11 |
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Wed., Sept. 16
Wed., Sept. 30
Wed., Oct. 14
Wed., Oct. 28
Wed., Nov. 18
Wed., Dec. 2
Wed., Dec. 16 |
Tues., Sept. 22
Tues., Oct. 20
Tues., Nov. 10 |
Writing Circle members make a commitment to themselves and
to each other to attend all sessions (with the understanding
that unforeseen events will occasionally require an absence).
If you are interested in the Executive Directors' Writing Circle
but the dates do not work for you, please
contact us about other options.
What is the fee?
The fee for this unique group writing coaching, which will
give you a whole new outlook on the power of your written words,
is an affordable $89 per hour with your coaches. The program's
full fee is only $895. At registration pay half: $447.50; the
remainder is due after session 5. If you prefer, we can also
arrange for monthly payments to cover the second half. Register
by May 29th for the summer session and get $25 off! (See below
for payment options.)
Your success as a nonprofit executive
director matters a lot to us. And we encourage you to think of
the return you can realize over time as you hone your writing
skills to strengthen your messages. Any investment you make in
this area will more than pay for itself.
About Your Coaches:
We met last year at the Nonprofit
Congress in Washington, D.C., and decided to combine our strengths
to serve executive directors in a new, easily accessible, and
affordable way. Our idea is the Executive Directors' Writing
Circle.
Denice has over 25 years of experience
in nonprofit management, organization development, research,
group facilitation, and professional coaching. As President of
Managance Consulting & Coaching, she facilitates bold strategic
thinking and planning, business planning, and leader, team, board,
and group development with attention to group process and individual
responsibility. The firm’s clients include nonprofits, coalitions,
philanthropies, government agencies, libraries, and small businesses.
Denice thinks about organizations holistically,
paying attention to the relationship between the identity of
an organization (including its mission, vision, core operating
values, theory of action, customers and organizational culture),
influences in its environment, and operating capacity. Denice
is an accomplished facilitator with a track record of asking
powerful questions and creating distinct strategies that move
organizations and individuals to new levels of success. From
2002-2007, she was part of the pioneering team that introduced
nonprofits to executive transition management. Her new book,
co-authored with Paige Teegarden and Paul Sturm, titled Hidden
Truths: Discovering Your Nonprofit’s Culture and How It
Impacts Performance, will be published by Fieldstone Alliance
in September 2009. Denice began her nonprofit sector career as
a volunteer crisis counselor on a suicide prevention hotline
and later directed the construction and operations of two emergency
shelters for runaway and homeless youth in Miami. She is a graduate
of CoachU and an Associate Certified Coach through the International
Coach Federation. Denice holds a PhD in Public Administration
from Florida International University, an MS in Human Services
from Nova Southeastern University, and a BA in Urban Studies
and Latin American Studies from the University of Pittsburgh.
Denice says:
"I thought I was a decent
writer until I started writing our book. Wow--did I get a rude
awakening! I had never given it much thought before, but there
were so many opportunities to become a better writer. And I learned
that when you write well your ability to strategically communicate
grows exponentially."
A few of Denice's coaching
clients have said:
“Denice has extremely broad and
deep knowledge of the nonprofit community, nonprofit management
and development, and organizational planning, all informed by
extensive experience in both the for-profit and nonprofit worlds.
She is equally adept at analyzing the big picture and attending
to the details of follow-through needed to bring a desired plan
to life. She is a generous, sensitive, insightful mentor and
coach. I have benefited greatly from her counsel and am sure
that any other client would experience the same wonderful results.”
– Maureen Ward, Executive Director, Make Piece
“It has been terrific to have a
coach to not only remind me that being an executive director
is hard, and lonely, but that you don’t have to do it alone.
Having Denice as an advisor and sounding board to support me
through some big organizational development challenges and opportunities
has been invaluable. Thanks, Denice!” - Vikki Frank,
Executive Director, Credit Builders Alliance
“The coaching has really helped
me in my relationships with our staff. I now have a strong staff
and an engaged board. Managance has made Fair Chance a stronger
organization. In the process, I’ve become a stronger person.”
– Maria Nagorski, Executive Director, Fair Chance
Dalya is a widely published writer, consultant and activist
who appreciates the importance and complexity of social change
work. She has worked with a wide range of community-oriented
organizations for more than 17 years, as a consultant, trainer,
writing coach, grantwriter, executive director, and organizer.
Dalya has helped clients and communities by writing scores of
successful grant proposals, marketing pieces, news articles,
and columns; she has also contributed to five books on progressive
social change, several websites, and a number of radio productions.
Since 2001 Dalya has taught writing techniques to more than 1,000
workshop and college course participants, and has coached dozens
of professionals one-on-one. She currently pens two online columns:
"The Writer's Block" on OpportunityKnocks.org and "Write
Right with Dalya" on Idealist.org.
From 2000-2004, Dalya served as Founding Director of BAIDO
(Bay Area International Development Organizations), and currently
serves on the Advisory Board of the Social Sector Leadership
Certificate Program at John F. Kennedy University. She holds
an MA in Communication & International Development and a
BA in International Studies, and has worked or studied in Central
America, Africa, Israel, the U.K., and several regions of the
U.S. In addition, she has extensive experience in the global
women’s movement. Dalya is a member of the Young Nonprofit
Professionals Network and has appeared in several editions of
Marquis Who's Who since 2004.
A few of Dalya's coaching clients have said:
"I've always been a pretty good writer, so I wondered
how much a coach could help me. A session with Dalya, however,
left no doubt in my mind. There is a difference in skill level
between "pretty good" and that of a true pro, and Dalya
is the latter. She is a patient and tactful coach, and my writing
improved noticeably after working with her… and that has
definitely helped my [overall] work." - Margaret Okuzumi,
Executive Director, BayRail Alliance
"I have worked with Dalya as a writing coach and as an
editor. Not only is she extremely knowledgeable, but she engages
the work in a way that provides insight, objectivity and direction.
Every exchange has resulted in an increase in my own knowledge
and appreciation of the power of the written word…She keeps
me accountable and provides guidance and insight into my areas
of development... and is clear, enjoyable, friendly and helpful."
- Bill Coy, nonprofit consultant
"I feel that my writing confidence and skill level have
improved considerably since my time with you. For example, I
always avoided writing letters to the editor because it would
take too much time for me to come up with a product that I was
happy with. The major problem was my ability to write succinctly.
I am happy to report that my letter to the editor printed on
my first try. Thank you so much for all your help and I will
refer you to other colleagues of mine. - Tiffany Johnson,
Interim Director, California Youth Connection
- What is included in
the Executive Director's Writing Circle?
- 8 hours of catalytic support spaced over 12 weeks in seven
70-minute group coaching sessions via phone
- Feedback via email on your writing assignments between group
calls
- Up to 60 minutes of one-on-one laser coaching for individualized
support, 20 minutes monthly
- Unlimited access to your coaches via email for quick questions
and problem-solving
- Helpful ideas and tips to improve your writing and change
your writing mindset
Sign Up Today!
Would you like to build your confidence
about your writing skills?
Would you like to sharpen the way you
write about your organization?
Do you enjoy being both a student and
a teacher?
Do you enjoy working in small groups?
Is $89 an hour from the convenience
of your desk a reasonable investment for a powerful impact?
If you answered yes to these questions,
then the Executive Director’s Writing Circle is for
you. Don’t wait! There are only 5 seats left!
The fee for this unique group writing coaching, which will
give you a whole new outlook on the power of your written words,
is an affordable $89 per hour with your coaches. The program's
full fee is only $895. At registration pay half: $447.50; the
remainder is due after session 5. If you prefer, we can also
arrange for monthly payments to cover the second half. Register
for the summer serssion by May 29th and get $25 off!
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Through May 29 |
After May 29 |
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$435 (half of the discounted registration fee)
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$447.50 (half of the full registration fee)
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Don't want to pay by secure PayPal transaction? No problem!
Just email
us to reserve your spot and mail a check
(for at least half of your total registration fee) to:
Managance Consulting, 1708 Chester
Mill Road, Silver Spring, MD 20906
Sample it for FREE!
- Be our guest on Wednesday, May 27th
from 4-5 PM EDT/1-2 PM PDT for a FREE Writing Circle Preview
Call. We will share a few key details about how the Writing Circle
works and open the lines to answer your questions. We will also
do a brief LIVE coaching session. We are confident that you will
pick up at least a few new ideas to use in your own organization's
communication.
You will:
- Experience the listening part of the
coaching group
- Get a sense of the value from the group
- Get acquainted with your coaches
- Begin to appreciate the diversity of
people that could participate in your group
- Familiarize yourself with the kinds
of questions you can bring to the group
- Space is limited. Click
HERE today to reserve your spot
on the FREE Preview Call. We will then send you all the call-in
information you'll need.
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- You will be responsible for
any long distance charges to access the preview call, but there
is no fee to participate in the call itself. We’re so confident
about the results you will get from the Writing Circle, that
we are happy to have you preview it for free.
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