“There is a real need for ‘Budgeting For Programs and Proposals’ because it
is tremendously difficult to get nonprofit staff persons the training they
need,” said Nelson Layag, Director of Technology at CompassPoint. “People
are incredibly busy, turnover is high, and yet almost every staff member
plays some role in program budgeting. It’s a crucial skill.” The
classroom-based version of this course is one of the most popular in
CompassPoint’s financial management curriculum, which includes over 100
classes offered each year.

“Budgeting For Programs and Proposals” covers such topics as strategic cost
allocation and budget justification in addition to basic program budgeting
concepts. The web-based course includes interactive exercises,
collaboration tools, and personalized feedback from experts. The complete
course, including tutor support, remains available for 6 months from the
purchase date. The normal fee is $125; an introductory price of $110 is
available until October 15th. “Budgeting For Programs and Proposals” is
available now at www.compasspoint.org/elearning.

“CompassPoint and SmarterOrg saw the need to bring consistent financial
training for all nonprofit staff to organizations beyond the San Francisco
Bay Area, and to those who can’t attend scheduled classes,” said Bill
Tucker, founder and CEO of SmarterOrg. “We decided to combine our strengths
to create an affordable, accessible course in a flexible, user-friendly
format. People can learn in their own way, on their own schedules,” he
added.

One goal of the collaboration is to improve communication between funders
and nonprofit organizations around program needs. “‘Budgeting for Programs
and Proposals’ has the potential to help grantmakers and grantees clarify
mutual expectations about program needs and plans. Accurate budgeting is an
important skill for nonprofit staff to have,” commented Marty Campbell,
Director of Evaluation at The James Irvine Foundation. Jane Hardesty, Vice
President of the Southeast Council of Foundations adds: “It will be a very
valuable tool for nonprofit resource centers to use in conjunction with
their capacity-building programs.”

CompassPoint Nonprofit Services (www.compasspoint.org) is the country's
leading nonprofit professional development organization, offering a single
point of entry to assistance with the full range of organizational
effectiveness issues, including but not limited to technology and financial
concerns. CompassPoint provides classroom-based workshops in the San
Francisco Bay Area to over 7,000 nonprofit staff persons each year, with an
annual attendance of over 1,000 for classes with its highly regarded
nonprofit financial management curriculum.

SmarterOrg (www.smarterorg.com) is the first company to provide online
learning systems and strategies exclusively for nonprofit organizations and
foundations, including courses on nonprofit management, technology planning,
and computer applications. SmarterOrg also offers cost-effective systems for
administering and assessing online training programs. Core technology is
provided in partnership with DigitalThink, the leading provider of
e-learning solutions to Global 2000 companies.

For more information, including contact information for quoted reviewers,
please contact:

Nelson Layag, Director of Technology Bill Tucker, Founder and CEO
CompassPoint Nonprofit Services SmarterOrg
706 Mission St., 5th Floor 953 Mission, Suite 124
San Francisco, CA 94103 San Francisco, CA 94103
415.541.9000 415.995.8585
[email protected] [email protected]

Complete media kit and background information: www.smarterorg.com/media.htm