Monday, January 11, 2010

NeighborWorks Accepting Applications for Achieving Excellence Program

NeighborWorks America, the nation’s leading trainer of community development professionals, is now accepting applications for the 2010-2011 class of its renowned NeighborWorks Achieving Excellence in Community Development program.

Achieving Excellence is a comprehensive organizational development program that results in senior managers at local nonprofit organizations that are better equipped to address the critical challenges faced by their organizations, produce real results in their communities, enhance fundraising capacity even in tough economic climates, and foster collaboration and innovation inside the nonprofit sector.

Participants in the past four classes – 180 leaders from every region in the U.S. who participated in Achieving Excellence classes since the program began in 2002 – report significant improvement in their businesses and improved service to even more people.

For example, leaders who finished the third class in February 2008 reported a 146 percent increase in people served, or more than 53,000 community members across America, specifically because of their participation in the program.

Moreover, the participating organizations attribute a 32 percent increase in the number of affordable housing units developed, or more than 1,100 new affordable homes, to the skills learned and the strategic plans developed while in the Achieving Excellence program.

The application deadline for the Achieving Excellence program is March 15, 2010. Applications, as well as additional program information, are available online at www.nw.org/ae.