NONPROFIT E-LEARNING COLLABORATION RELEASES EVALUATION REPORT
CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and SmarterOrg announced the completion of the initial evaluation study of their nonprofit online learning initiative. The study reports that learners value the accessibility and convenience of the partners’ online course, “Budgeting For Programs and Proposals”. A large majority of users rated the online experience as “very good” or “excellent” and would like to take additional nonprofit-related courses online.
(PRWEB) May 23, 2002
San Francisco, CA –CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and SmarterOrg announced the completion of the initial evaluation study of their nonprofit online learning initiative. The study reports that learners value the accessibility and convenience of the partners’ online course, “Budgeting For Programs and Proposals”. A large majority of users rated the online experience as “very good” or “excellent” and would like to take additional nonprofit-related courses online.
“Given the rapid pace of change in the online world, we’ve produced an initial evaluation report to provide the sector with immediate feedback on this innovative online learning initiative,” said Nelson Layag, Director of Technology at CompassPoint. “This report is the first product of an ongoing effort to evaluate both this course and the overall application of online learning in the nonprofit sector.”
Budgeting for Programs and Proposals is a collaboration between CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, a nonprofit management support organization and SmarterOrg, an online learning application service provider. The course is designed to provide nonprofit-focused financial management training to nonprofit organizations and grantmakers across the country.
Evaluation Study Highlights
A vast majority of users (85%) rated the course as good or better; 71% of users rated the course as very good or excellent.
Users highly value the flexibility and convenience that online learning provides.
Many users felt that online learning provides a complementary, if not better, experience to classroom learning.
The majority of users would be willing to use online learning again, and this willingness increases with online familiarity.
Users who did not complete the course cited lack of time or competing priorities as the reason.
Independent consultants Elliot Grant and Heather McLeod Grant conducted the study. The online learning initiative is supported by both The James Irvine Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies.
The complete study can be downloaded at www. smarterorg. com or www. compasspoint. org/elearning (http://www. compasspoint. org/elearning).
ABOUT THE COURSE SPONSORS
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 work exclusively with nonprofit, philanthropic, and public organizations to develop high-impact, cost-effective online learning programs. SmarterOrg offers an engaging, collaborative learning community and easy-to-use tools to manage and evaluate online learning initiatives. In addition, SmarterOrg provides research and consultation services to help organizations develop online learning programs and evaluate learning technology.
FACT SHEET: “BUDGETING FOR PROGRAMS AND PROPOSALS”
ESSENTIAL BUDGETING SKILLS FOR ALL NONPROFIT STAFF
Accurate program budgeting is an essential component of nonprofit fiscal health.
Maintaining fiscal soundness for an organization with multiple programs and multiple funding sources means that each program and grant proposal must accurately reflect the true costs of each project. Furthermore, the complexities of program budgeting demand accurate cost information and coordination across program, fundraising, and finance staff, including both line staff and managers. In the end, sound budgeting requires input from almost every nonprofit staff member. “Budgeting for Programs and Proposals” can help staff at every level to create accurate program budgets and effectively communicate program needs in grant proposals.
EXPERTISE IN NONPROFIT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
“Budgeting for Programs and Proposals” is based on CompassPoint Nonprofit Service’s highly regarded nonprofit professional development programs. Over 1,000 nonprofit staff persons benefit each year from more than 100 classroom and conference workshops focused specifically on nonprofit financial management. “Budgeting for Programs and Proposals” is one of the most popular courses in this comprehensive curriculum.
FLEXIBLE, POWERFUL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
The course learning environment takes advantage of the Web's interactive possibilities, allowing users to utilize multiple learning styles, including simulations, visual representations, hands-on exercises, and case studies. Personalized tutor support is integrated throughout the course - actual subject matter experts are available to provide feedback, all via the Web. SmarterOrg's nonprofit e-learning courses are built on a powerful, XML - and Java-based platform, which allows for rich interactivity and engaging content via any standard Web-browser and dial-up connections as slow as 28.8k.
PRICING
The course fee of $125 includes access to both the online course and expert tutor support for six months. Students can take the course all at once, or review lessons as needed over the entire six months period. In addition, users have access to a number of resources such as sample budgets and cost worksheets.
For more information, please visit www. compasspoint. org/elearning (http://www. compasspoint. org/elearning) or www. smarterorg. com.
