Author: NPFM

Summary: Led by an experienced facilitator, this session provided us with a chance to reflect, discuss and consider together how we can act time in a way that supports our staff, our mission and our organization, as we manage the current trauma and opportunities of dual crises: racial and social upheavals and Covid-19.

Speaker/facilitator:
Dr. Sarah Faude is the Director of Research and Evaluation at YWCA Boston. She has nearly a decade of research, writing, and teaching experience at the intersection of public urban contexts and racial inequality, particularly in education. Sarah received her Ph.D. in sociology from Northeastern University in 2019. Her dissertation research, entitled “The Road to Registration: Bureaucracy, Inequalities, and the Paradox of Compulsory Choice,” examined the role of institutional actors, practices, and processes in the reproduction of raced, classed, gendered, and linguistic inequalities in Boston Public Schools’ intra-district choice process. Her research has been published in the journals Educational Policy and Sociology of Education. Sarah was part of the founding class of inter-group dialogue facilitators, where she co-led a white racial identity dialogue with a cohort of her peers. She also holds an M.S.Ed from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania and had the honor of teaching middle and high school English in two schools in North Philadelphia.

Here is a link to a podcast which is directly related to what we are talking about: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-journal/id1469394914?i=1000476730865

Link to some other YWCA resources on the subject: https://www.ywboston.org/2020/06/how-to-take-action-against-racism-right-now

Because information has been changing so rapidly, no summary of the actual discussion is posted. The conversation, however, covered significant ground & questions from the participants. Some resources presented during the meeting are also noted below.

Summary:   In this is a difficult, chaotic and stressful time for so many people, organizations are grappling with how to navigate this with their employees and their other constituents. Led by Dr. Sarah Faude, an experienced facilitator and Director of Research and Evaluation at YWCA Boston, this session provided us with a chance to reflect, discuss and consider together how we could act time in a way that supports our staff, our mission and our organization, as we manage the current trauma and opportunities of dual crises: racial and social upheavals and Covid-19.

Executive directors/CEO or other members of the senior team in our organizations were also invited to participate.

Many of us filled in this quick survey (below) before the meeting. In addition to giving the presenters (and all of us with the compiled information) a little bit of a sense of what is currently going on at some of our organizations, the tool was useful as a first “thinking” step:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=gBNdy1hHfUiY3MCYmTn4obkPUTauF3 5KtP3aRFEaQipUQTE4UUVQR0oySzlBTVJGV1JPWkhFTVVaNi4u

April 2 2020 – Follow-up on our earlier Families First Act – a ZOOM meeting

Because information has been changing so rapidly, no summary of the actual discussion is posted.  The conversation, however, covered significant ground & questions from the participants.    

This informal meeting with and for NPFM members provided for crowdsourcing and comparison of information regarding the Families First Act, the PPP and other new Covid-19 related information.

 

April 7 2020 – Review of various aspects of the CARES Act, Payroll Protection Program, and Q&A – a Pop-Up ZOOM meeting

This Pop-Up Zoom meeting and lively discussion with the participants was hosted by CliftonLarsonAllen’s Tim Warren and Melissa Murphy.

NPFM Meeting 4.7.20 – COVID Loan Programs

 

April 14 2020 – UnEmployment Presentation and Q&A — a ZOOM meeting

Because information has been changing so rapidly, no summary of the actual presentation is posted.  The conversation, however, covered significant ground & questions from the participants.

Here is a brief description about what was covered in the conversation with CliftonLarsonAllen’s (CLA) Ann Jackman, Tim Warren and Melissa Murphy.   Deck and handouts provided by CLA attached as PDF – April 14 meeting

 Introduction to how unemployment insurance (UI)  is funded in Massachusetts, and related impact

Highlight key differences between a temporary furlough and a more permanent layoff or reduction in workforce

Review three new categories of federal unemployment benefits from CARES, and the Massachusetts Division of Unemployment status on delivery of these benefits

Share helpful Q&A from Federal resources about these three new categories of UI benefits under CARES Act

Because information has been changing so rapidly, no summary of the actual presentation is posted.  The conversation, however, covered significant ground & questions from the participants.  

NPFM Presentation 04-14-20 Navigating Workforce Options CLA

 

As we all try to keep up with the quickly moving various government measures and operational challenges, he goal of this time together was to share information and help ourselves and each other navigate the current state of affairs.

The first part of the meeting, facilitated by Orson Moon (Grassroots International) focused on things like sick time and other time off policies and benefits, including work expectations, etc.

The second part, facilitated by Jona Marashi (EDC) briefly discussed remote work policies, practices, challenges and tips relating to making all of this work.

Various webinar and other resources relating to these topics were shared amongst the participants.

A new generation of employees is more motivated than ever to learn and to grow and has higher expectations of supervisors and employers in supporting their professional development.  At the same time, focusing on organization-wide and individual staff’s professional development is often a challenge for CFOs and others who oversee Human Resources.  As an initiative that is multi-faceted and is not deadline driven, professional development efforts may be carried out piecemeal and are more frequently pushed to the “back burner”.  Organizationally, it can be hard to know where to begin and sometimes, how to pay for it.  It can be even more challenging when thinking about professional growth for Administration and Finance staff, who often perform routine, repetitive functions, may not have the bandwidth to take on new work, and may not have a higher-level position to move into.

So, what’s a CFO/HR leader to do?  Kathleen Murray, Human Resources Director at Health Resources in Action, Jona Marashi, Associate Finance Director of EDC’s U.S. Division, and Mitzi Fennel, Chief Operating Officer at HRiA, will present on how to think about professional development and best practices in building and managing a comprehensive system within your organization.  The presenters will also address the particular needs and challenges in supporting the professional development of your own staff.

Professional Development Presentation Feb 2020

Your data is a strategic asset of your organization. Organizing data in a way that is easy to access and provides meaningful information to manage your operations is critical to your success. Join us to examine how to choose a database management system. We’ll provide a framework for choosing an effective database for your organization covering how to:

• Map your existing processes
• Review processes for potential improvements
• Gather needs requirements (Start with the end in mind)
• Prioritize needs and set timelines
• Craft and distribute Request for Proposal
• Define internal ownership and governance
• Manage vendor selection and implementation
• Establish procedures for ongoing use and maintenance of the system

Presenters: 
Russell Greenwald, Vice President, Insource Services

As Vice President, Russell brings his substantial expertise in leading projects and process management to managing Insource’s operations and addressing client needs.
Utilizing his project management skills, Russell works as part of the executive team to co-lead the delivery of Insource’s professional services to clients. He is jointly responsible for the overall management of client success, Insource’s consulting services and business development. Russell has a proven track record in all areas of Insource’s key services, most notably within the development of strategic business and staffing goals, as well as developing and implementing multi-year technology plans.