Tech Valley Nonprofit Business Council

Enriching the Life of Our Region

The Tech Valley Nonprofit Business Council – a joint initiative of the Albany Colonie Chamber and the Chamber of Schenectady County – collaborates with the business community to enrich quality of life, create a healthy and robust economy, engage the public in advancing nonprofit missions and increase public appreciation for the role nonprofits have in the development of Tech Valley.

The Tech Valley Nonprofit Business Council provides a forum for nonprofit, member businesses to learn from and support each other, to address common issues and opportunities, to develop a unified voice for public and political relations, to educate Chamber members and the public regarding nonprofits and to attract the support of Chamber members for nonprofit missions.

The goal is for the Tech Valley Nonprofit Business Council to become “the voice of nonprofit business in Tech Valley,” and to attract all current and future nonprofit Chamber members to participate.

2010 Programs

If I Knew Then What I Know Now
May 13, 2010 | Register Now
This program is designed to educate and guide attendees by sharing informative ways to cultivate and promote their organization with donors, potential board members and how to build long and profitable relationships within the community. Panelists from local nonprofits will share their wealth of experience, including best practices, success stories and how to avoid pitfalls in today’s challenging environment. 

Effective Strategies to Maximize Internal Communications
Today’s organizations are charged to do more with less, so how can they maintain effective communications? Effective organizational communication requires strategic planning, utilizing tools, protocols and courtesies to maximize effectiveness, ensuring that everyone is “on the same page” and working consistently for the same goals. Nicole Pitaniello, assistant vice president for public relations at Albany Medical Center, highlighted proven effective strategies for internal communication that have consistently made this organization an employment and community leader in the Capital Region.

Board Development: Roles and Responsibilities
This program featured a discussion panel on building and maintaining a strong Board of Directors. The first step is a well-thought out recruiting strategy. That strategy needs to be examined from numerous points of view to include board members conducting the recruiting, executives who will be working directly with board members and finally from the prospective board members themselves.

Investing in Volunteers for Successful Returns 
This program assisted attendees in effectively recruiting, managing, training and retaining volunteers by understanding how other nonprofits utilize technology, craft management and training programs, efficiently manage volunteers and recognize them as a valuable part of the organization.

Tech Valley Nonprofit Business Council's Annual Gathering
This annual meeting of the council included a report on the State of Nonprofit Organizations and member roundtable discussions.

Committees

Steering Committee
The Council's Steering Committee monitors progress of all committees, provides guidance to the council, works in conjunction with the Chamber Liaisons and discusses council-related issues. The committee is made up of the Council Chair, Vice Chair, Immediate Past Chair, Committee Chairs, Chamber Liaisons and up to three members-at-large approved by Steering Committee.

Program Committee
The Program Committee brainstorms for sponsorship opportunities and program and speaker ideas, moderates the scheduled programs, selects volunteers to work on monthly programs, workss with monthly program presenters and create panel questions/handouts.

Communications Committee
The Communications Committee serves as greeters at scheduled programs, reachs out to potential new TVNBC members, enhances the council's visibility to Chamber members, sends program descriptions out to various media avenues, contacts nonprofit organizations that are Chamber members but not currently TVNBC members to discuss joining the council, coordinates at least two “coffee talks” for both nonprofit and for-profit members, participates in the Chamber's bi-monthly “Maximizing your Membership” Breakfasts.

Council Chair
Michele McClave, AIDS Council of Northeastern New York

Vice Chair
Steve Klein, Schenectady ARC

Program Committee Co-Chairs
Cheryl Lawyer, Northeastern Association for the Blind at Albany
Beth Krueger, ESCOT

Program Committee At Large
Carmel Patrick, Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium

Communications Committee Co-Chairs
Rowie Taylor, YWCA of Schenectady
Lucy Larner, New York State Museum Institute

Immediate Past Chair
Raymond Schimmer, Parsons Child and Family Center

Chamber Staff Liaisons
Leigh Reinhardt, Albany Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce
LeighR@acchamber.org | (518) 431-1414

Robin Granger, The Chamber of Schenectady County
rgranger@schenectadychamber.org | (518) 372-5656

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2010 Program Sponsors