Author: Jacques LeCavalier, with
a contribution by Bill Tucker
Published February
2003 • Download file size: 2.5 MB •
84 pages • $49
The Unique Needs of Nonprofits
While the nonprofit industry can benefit
from the kind of managerial and technical training that is
prevalent in the corporate sector, unique challenges -- and
opportunities -- concern nonprofits.
Obviously, nonprofits need to train their
own employees. But, some of these "employees" may
in fact be volunteers. Their needs can be very different from
those of corporate workers, and off-the-shelf content and
courseware may not be appropriate to train and retain these
valuable individuals. In addition, nonprofits often need to
communicate to the public about their mission or be an advocate
for social issues. These needs, coupled with the financial
restraint that nonprofits must necessarily practice, present
some challenges when it comes to e-learning.
We've created this report – now in
its second, revised edition – to help guide nonprofits
who are exploring or developing their own e-learning initiatives.
It's partly a primer on e-learning for nonprofit executives,
board members, training managers and developers, and those
in foundations and other grant-making agencies looking to
maximize the impact of training and education grants. It covers
the basics of e-learning, including definitions, examples,
and a summary of key areas of interest such as e-learning
strategy, learning management systems and requests for proposal
(RFPs). It even includes a complete sample nonprofit e-learning
RFP (which is also supplied as an editable Microsoft Word
file).
The report also contains a section written
by Bill Tucker, chief knowledge officer of Isoph, a company
focused on providing learning and collaboration technologies
exclusively for the nonprofit community. He identifies the
four key issues and opportunities for nonprofits when implementing
e-learning.
Also included are six in-depth case studies
and success stories of nonprofits who have implemented e-learning.
They cover a wide range of contexts, strategies, content, and
technology and offer real-world examples of how to devise
your own e-learning strategies.
In addition, the report includes a glossary
of e-learning terms and a listing of more than 40 nonprofit
e-learning initiatives representing some of the activity taking
place in this sector.
The nonprofit sector is a unique industry
with its own culture, language, and processes. Just as in any
industry, successful e-learning development in the nonprofit
sector requires a nuanced approach adapted to the sector's
distinct characteristics. Our hope is that this report will
help you develop your own e-learning strategy and implement
it effectively, based on lessons learned by others in the
nonprofit industry.
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