The programme is based on several strategic thrusts which are supported by ‘handpicked' community partners to ensure a truly enriching learning experience, relevant learning contents that include lessons learnt, effective strategies, successful practices, challenges, outcomes etc., and food for thought for lively discussions.

Module 1: The Non-profit Environment

This inaugural session sets the tone for the participants to learn more and reflect about the rapidly changing international non-profit landscape, the vision for Singapore as a non-profit hub, and associated strategic leadership challenges in the local non-profit ecosystem. Eminent thought-leaders will share their vision for and views of the non-profit environment and what it takes ‘to take charge'.

Module Outline :
•  Mission and vision of our new non-profit leadership program
•  A macro perspective of the non-profit world
•  Singapore as a non-profit hub
•  The heart and soul of a non-profit leader

Module Outcome :
Understand current developments and trends in the local and global non-profit environment and appreciate the critical role of strong leadership in the social space.

Module 2: Strategic Imperatives

Positioning of programs and goals in alignment with the vision of the organization is vital for effective strategy development. This module equips non-profit leaders with useful frameworks, methodologies and tools to identify and assess stakeholder needs, program success factors and organizational requirements aimed at developing and deploying effective program interventions for the community.

Module Outline :
•  Importance of vision and mission in strategic management
•  Selecting appropriate strategy models to provide management directions – goals based, needs based, outcome based
•  Defining concepts such as value-creation and bottom-line in the non-profit context
•  Sector analysis: Identifying and assessing stakeholder needs and key success factors (for established needs and emerging needs)
•  Social space segmentation and social innovation: matters of strategy and competitive advantage

Module Outcome:
Acquire strategic management and positioning skills in line with your organizational vision so as to achieve mission and programming goals and to exceed the expectations of stakeholders and constituencies.

Module 3: Balancing Organizational and Social Objectives

This session explores the unique qualities, set-ups and identities of non-profits and their inter-relational roles in the social space. Particular emphasis is put on the joint optimization of both social and economic goals which represents a traditional challenge for non-profit leaders. The module will focus on selected strategic and organizational issues when balancing commercial and social objectives.

Module Outline :
•  The multiple identities of non-profits
•  Challenges and opportunities while balancing social and economic objectives
•  Engaging the stakeholders in the planning process
•  Key elements of robust performance management systems

Module Outcome :
Learn to balance economic and social objectives ethically and in line with good governance and performance management standards.

Module 4: Ethics and Governance

This module is designed to help you to deal effectively with ethical challenges vis-a-vis official governance standards non-profits need to adhere to such as the Code of Governance so that you can effectively discharge your responsibilities as a non-profit leader. It also explores the importance of values-based decision making and the benefits of risk assessment. Codes and standards of good governance will come alive in this session as participants take a stand when faced with ethical dilemmas.

Module Outline :
•  Understanding the regulatory environment and its relevance to decision making by board and management team members
•  Implications of the Code of Governance and interaction with sector administrators
•  Using risk assessment tools to identify, assess, prioritise and develop risk treatment plans and monitoring processes
•  Resolving an ethical dilemma

Module Outcome :
Learn how to respond to governance issues and ethical dilemmas based on information on the latest non-profit regulations, charity council recommendations and risk management.

Module 5: Strategic Planning

Strategic growth plans are crucial as they provide direction and motivation for the board, management and staff. This hands-on module builds on Session 2 ‘Strategic Imperatives'. It is designed to provide you with concrete examples of effective strategic growth models suitable for non-profits. During this segment, you will be enabled to identify the right pathways and to evaluate crossroads on your strategic roadmap towards organizational sustainability and success.

Module Outline :
•  Strategic growth models for non-profits
•  Crafting a strategic growth plan
•  Do's and don'ts of strategic growth plans
•  Evaluation and review of the plan

Module Outcome :
Develop key elements of a strategic growth plan for your non-profit organisation, including elaboration of evaluative and review aspects.

Module 6: Financial Management

This module is designed to help non-profit leaders and non-financial managers to interpret RAP6

(Recommended Accounting Practice), relevant financial indicators and important aspects of financial

management and revenue forecasting with the aim of ensuring fiscal accountability.

Module Outline :
•  Understand and interpreting RAP6
•  Evaluating financial indicators such as reserve, program and fundraising ratios by reading
financial statements
•  Implementing cash flow, investment, reserve and risk management processes
•  Best practices in reporting cost and revenue forecasting and performance

Module Outcome :
Know the ‘real situation' of an organisation by interpreting financial indicators and streamlining respective flow, investment, reserve and risk management processes.

Module 7: Leadership

Visionary management, empowerment, diplomacy, feedback etc. represent major tasks of organizational leaders. Together with competence, optimism, integrity, personal energy etc., they represent essential leadership components of a successful leader who is able to motivate board members, staff, volunteers and donors to work towards a common social impact. This module will feature essential leadership concepts and components applicable to non-profit leaders. Participants will reflect about their own leadership dimensions with the help of a proven assessment instrument and develop a personal action plan for further increasing their effectiveness.

Module Outline :
•  Appreciating the power of good leadership theories
•  Defining good leadership and leadership effectiveness in the non-profit environment
• Reviewing major task and personal components of organizational leadership vis-à-vis expectations and requirements of the organization, board members, staff, volunteers and donors
•  Assessing and reflecting about one's own leadership dimensions and developing an action plan for further increasing one's effectiveness

Module Outcome :
Appreciate the various dimensions of strong leadership and develop key elements of a personal leadership development action plan for becoming the best leader you can possibly be.

Module 8: Strategic Talent Management

People's participation is a key feature of the non-profit space. Hence effective engagement of talent and human capital at all levels is a hallmark of a strong non profit leader. This module will deliberate best practice frameworks used in public and people sector organizations as well as new human resource (HR) concepts and techniques in the arena of volunteer and staff talent acquisition, management, training and development.

Module Outline :
• Exploring strategic talent-related issues of turnover, restricted compensation, chronic resource
restraints, and managing a mix of full-time, part-time and volunteer workforce
•  Talent attraction, training and development strategies and practices
•  Leadership and corporate culture/values and their impact on talent retention
•  Managing and engaging volunteers

Module Outcome :
Manage and leverage on talents across the organisation and beyond based on best human capital management practices with regard to talent acquisition, motivation and development.

Module 9: Board Effectiveness

An effective non-profit leader must build a productive relationship with his/her board and is responsible to ensure compliance with the Charity Council's Code of Governance. The issues and challenges faced by both non-profit board and management team, in ensuring the effectiveness of those who jointly oversee the activities of the non-profit, are at the core of this module.

Module Outline :
•  Comparison of boards in the commercial and non-profit sector
•  Board responsibility to review the governance practices and ensure compliance with the Charity Council's Code of Governance
•  Diagnostic tools to evaluate board effectiveness
•  How to maximize board's expertise, support, and involvement
•  Succession planning that ensures a smooth and successful transition

Module Outcome :
Develop strategies and interventions to engage and influence the board members to maximise organisational effectiveness.

Module 10: Cross–Sector Collaboration

A non-profit leader interacts and engages with a multitude of constituents who represent a rich source of knowledge, experiences and wisdom. This module explores the critical elements of this collaboration process in the areas of alignment of mission and strategy, collaboration management as well as value creation.

Module Outline :
•  Defining collaboration management
•  Meeting organisational challenges through intra-organisational cooperation
•  Appreciate the distinction between collaboration and consensus building, consultation and other forms of dialogue
•  Examine approaches, techniques, methods aimed at identifying best practices to develop a boundary-spanning organisational culture where collaboration thrives

Module Outcome :
Ability to evaluate organisational readiness for good stakeholder relations and ascertain the pre-requisites to increase value-added cross-sector collaboration .

Module 11: Values-driven Negotiation

The aim of this segment is to enhance the non-profit leader's ability to reach agreements in a context of trust and transparency that advance the interests of all parties involved and in line with the organization's strategic vision and core values. This module is tailored for working in cultures which see relationship issues as central to negotiations in addition to rational, cost benefit approaches.

Module Outline :
•  Understanding the negotiation process, including sharing of information about interests and perceptions to ensure a values-driven outcome
•  Types of interactions in the non-profit setting that involve negotiation, identifying specific negotiating situations, understanding the negotiating situation clearly and developing an action plan
•  Preparing for the negotiation, including application of techniques that uncover the needs, issues, motivations, values, perceptions and ideals that create negotiating interests and knowing when to leave the negotiation table
•  Handling negotiations in a manner that preserves and improves relationships

Module Outcome :
Acquire practical negotiation skills to effectively respond to behaviours that seem to make it rather difficult initially to negotiate in a spirit of cooperation.

Module 12: Branding

A distinctive, clear brand identity creates an imagery of associations, memories, positive feelings and the satisfaction of participation. Marketing and advertising can help to promote the brand and increases visibility of the work done through the organization in delivering the mission.

Module Outline :
•  Evaluating the organisation to derive at - who you are, what you do, how you do it, and why anyone should care
•  Developing the core message the non-profit should convey
•  Reviewing whether the mission statement, logo, tagline, supporting materials etc. are aligned to the core message
•  Helping key volunteers (eg: Board Chair) as well as leading executives and spokespersons to ‘stay on message'

Module Outcome :
Acquire hands-on knowledge and skills to develop an effective brand strategy for your non-profit.

Module 13: Fundraising

Ethical and effective fundraising are among the cornerstones that strengthen the non-profit . The emerging trends in donor expectations and accountable fundraising makes donor reporting and use of funds as important as the fundraising mechanisms.

Module Outline :
•  Leadership in fundraising to transform the non-profit's potential to mobilise resources
•  Setting organisational directions to ensure successful fundraising is made possible
•  Fundraising best practises to build a culture within the organisation so that fundraising can thrive
•  New trends indicate fundraising co-existing with alternate sources of financing and income generation to ensure financial sustainability
•  Moving ideas to implementation – developing an action plan

Module Outcome :
An action plan that incorporates the understanding of fundraising mechanisms and exemplary donor care for each category of supporters.

Module 14: New Social Models

Social issues are becoming more and more complex and demands the non-profit world to catch up or to phase out. This module highlights the mechanisms behind various emerging new social models and how others such as social entrepreneurs, dynamic non-profits or corporations with a strong CSR agenda have addressed complex, contemporary social issues in an innovative manner.

Module Outline :
•  Engaging with the private and public sectors at multiple levels to create sustainable relationships
•  How to effectively utilise private and public resources to run non-profits in creative new ways
•  Case studies of truly outstanding organisations and budding individuals who managed to create a strong social impact with the effective use of resources so as to ‘make the world a better place'

Module Outcome :
Learn how to tap into under-utilised resources that can benefit the non-profit sector (e.g. capital, volunteer resources, skills and knowledge sharing, corporate resources, etc.) to sustain operations and evaluate how others leveraged on new social models.

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