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Given unprecedented uncertainty facing the nonprofit sector, it is more important than ever for foundation staff to able to support grantees in planning for what lies ahead. One way to support nonprofits is to ground conversations in the concepts of contingency and scenario planning.

The Barr Foundation, in partnership with the Grantmakers Council of Rhode Island, Maine Philanthropy Center, and Philanthropy Massachusetts, invites foundation staff that work directly with nonprofits to a training session on contingency and scenario planning in support of grantee partners. The training session will be led by consultant Sandi McKinley of SectorWind. During this workshop, participants will spend time building an understanding of contingency planning (how to prepare for known, immediate risks) and scenario planning (how to plan for larger uncertainties and structural shifts that could reshape your organization’s future).

Participants will be introduced to tools, language, and approaches necessary for nonprofit organizations to effectively plan, engage stakeholders, and make decisions in an unpredictable environment. These sessions are intended to provide a starting point for participants and are not comprehensive trainings for embedding contingency and scenario planning in their practice.

• This session is intended for program staff at philanthropic organizations that have direct working relationships with nonprofits navigating challenges in this moment.
• All are welcome to attend, and we highly encourage those that fund in the following sectors to register: Arts, Climate, Education (auxiliary organizations, not schools or districts), social justice, social services, and racial equity.

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Speaker

Sandi McKinley is the founder and principal of SectorWind, and a nationally recognized expert who has advised more than 1,400 organizations. Sandi helps funders and mission driven entities steer through moments of significant change, challenge, and opportunity. She specializes in navigating uncertainty, opportunity, financial and organizational data and community priorities into actionable strategies that safeguard mission and build organizational health.