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Information & Opportunities Provided by Approved Training Sites

Information & Opportunities Provided by Approved Training Sites

Course 301 - History of Urban Missions

Interviews

  • Ministry Director - history of local ministry, and involvement with the AGRM
  • 2 other staff members - various history questions

Information and/or Documents

  • Details of the events that led to the establishment of the local ministry and the prominent individuals involved.
  • Other historic developments within the local ministry with the dates of the significant events.
  • Brief biographical sketches of local ministry leaders, significant staff members, and any others who contributed to the development of the ministry.
  • AGRM programs that are used to benefit the local ministry. 

Course 302 - Nonprofit Administration

Interviews

  • Ministry Director - role of the Board, relationship to Board, Fundraising
  • Development Director - Fundraising, role of board members
  • Staff Members - organizational structure
  • Board Member - role of the Board, Fundraising, effective board meeting principles

Information and/or Documents

  • Ministry Statement/Ministry Purpose
  • Organizational Structure Chart
  • Listing of Board members and profiles on each member.
  • List of the committees of the board and their responsibilities.
  • Process of the selection of Board Members.
  • Interview Exe. Director or Director of Development on the Board's role in fund raising.
  • Interview the local mission's Executive Director on what he has done, personally, to encourage the board's involvement and support for the ministry.
  • Minutes from previous Board Meetings.

Course 303 - Nonprofit Accounting

Interviews

  • Director and/or Accounting head - accounting functions of ministry

Information and/or Documents

  • Chart of Accounts for the ministry
  • Copy of the latest ministry accounting audit.
  • Flow chart for handling direct mail contributions.
  • Internal security controls for the accounting system and how they relate to the ECFA.
  • Management Reports
  • Cash Management - Income and Expense reports
  • 12 month Report of Income
  • Allocation guidelines
  • Budgets
  • Tax Filing reports
  • Board Policies

Course 304 - Ministry Management

Interviews

  • Ministry Director - various leadership roles and responsibilities
  • Other Staff - management principles

Documents/Interviews

  • Mission Statement
  • Management Policies
  • Ministry Organization Chart and Personnel Policies
  • Annual "Action Plan" and Program Objectives

Course 305 - Human Resources

Interviews

  • Ministry Director - hiring, staff requirements, Women's Auxiliary, training opportunities
  • Personnel Manager - personnel policies, performance appraisal, staff training, budget for staff training
  • Women's Auxiliary President - description and responsibilities of the Auxiliary
  • Other staff - job descriptions and responsibilities

Documents/Interviews

  • Employee Policies Handbook
  • Job Description Handbook
  • Development and Training Policies
  • Performance Evaluation forms

Course 306 - Counseling

Interviews

  • Ministry Chaplain
  • Recovery Counselor or Director of Rehabilitation
  • Other staff

Documents/Interviews

  • Policies regarding chapel services
  • Responsibilities of the ministry's counselors
  • Policies and documents regarding current ministry recovery programs and support groups

Course 307 - Facilities Management

Interviews

  • Ministry Director - insurance and risk management issues, lawsuits, government inspections, fire safety
  • Other staff
  • Board Members

Documents/Interviews

  • Current insurance policies, terms of coverage, dollar amounts, special provisions, for ministry properties, equipment, and vehicles
  • Certification by the AGRM
  • Fire Safety policies
  • Ministry Health and Safety Standards policies
  • Policies and standards regarding infectious disease
  • Maintenance procedures for ministry facilities and vehicles, housekeeping standards
  • Disaster Planning and preparations
  • Ministry Facility Inventory

Course 308 - Food Services

Interviews

  • Ministry Director
  • Kitchen Manager - conduct inspection with student of kitchen and food services operation

Documents/Interviews

  • Local Health Department Standards and Procedures
  • Ministry food storage and handling procedures
  • Ministry policies for donation of food and gifts-in-kind
  • Meal recipe, and menus for food services 
  • Discuss nutrition and meal menus for those in recovery

Course 309 & 310  - Basic & Intermediate Fund Raising

(Development audit must be conducted upon an organization that is at least 10 years old.)

Interviews

Ministry Director 

  • How he/she approaches the fund raising responsibilities of the ministry. 
  • His actual activities related to fundraising in the past year 
  • How he/she views the role of the board of directors. 

Director of Development

  • How he/she views the role of the CEO and the board in the mission's fundraising efforts
  • What has been done in the past 12 months to cultivate donors and use volunteers in fund raising efforts. 
  • Specific meetings/activities/policies that are used to help educate and thank donors in order to increase their support of the ministry.
  • How volunteers have been used to raise funds for the ministry in the past year.
  • What are other ways volunteers help the ministry.
  • Opinion - what's more important, cultivating existing donors or trying to find new ones?
  • Direct Mail Fundraising
  • What percentage of the mission's income comes from direct mail donation.
  • How many staff members are involved with this aspect of fund raising, etc.
  • Use of foundations in Fundraising

Board Member - role in Fundraising

Staff

Documents/Interviews

  • Reconciliation of faith and fundraising techniques
  • Mission's programs in current giving, capital giving, and planned giving
  • Mailing list: how many names, when were they added? 
  • Active donors: number that have given a gift in the past year? 
  • Development history: What has the ministry been doing in the past three to five years (direct mail, newsletters, etc.)? 
  • Staff: how many people assist in development including volunteers? 
  • Target markets: from what type of community is the ministry raising funds (metropolitan, rural, combination, West Coast, Midwest, etc.)? 
  • What is the budget of ministry? 
  • How much needs to be raised in the next 12 months? 
  • How much has been budgeted to raise the funds? 
  • Will additional staff members need to be hired or is present staff sufficient? 
  • Will volunteers be used? 
  • How does the board help raise money?
  • Information about programs and statistics showing services rendered, etc.
  • Testimonials of people helped, staff members, local celebrities