These workshops look AMAZING. What do you all think about investing in at least one of us attending each one? Recordings are made available afterward. It will cost $150/workshop. Which workshops would you be interested in?
October is coop month and we’re offering a series of online workshops in honor of International Cooperative Principle #5: Education, Training, and Information. Learning will be applicable to coops, businesses, and nonprofits.
They can be taken in sequence together or as stand alone sessions.
Tickets are limited to ensure plenty of space for questions.“Learning in this space was so open, relaxing, warm, and educational. Not a typical environment when talking about finances.” -past workshop participant
Understanding My Organization’s Finances
Thursday October 7th 3-5pm EST / 2-4pm CT / 1-3pm MT / 12-2pm PST
Register HereAs we continue to build and fight for a just world, developing confidence and clarity around financial resources in our organizations is crucial . We’ll go over basic financial concepts and the four most common reports: Profit & Loss, Budget, Cash Flow Projection, and Balance Sheet. We’ll also share ways to use these tools to put your values front and center in your organization. This is an interactive workshop, designed for people at all levels of comfort with organizational finances. Whether you feel totally fluent and are looking for ways to more clearly communicate around finances with others, or are an absolute beginner, you are welcome.
Budgeting with Values
Friday October 15th 1-3pm EST / 12-2pm CT / 11am-1pm MT / 10am-12pm PSTBudgets and budget creation are key elements of both financial management and values alignment. In this workshop, we approach budgets as tools for both group planning and evaluation and as a support for mapping more just futures. We’ll ground ourselves in a basic and empowering understanding of what a budget is, discuss how it relates to governance, and share ways to engage your entire organization in the process. Using a mix of both presentation and hands-on interactive examples, we’ll explore how to use your budget as a living document to guide planning and accountability throughout the year.
Multiple Futures: Cash Flow Scenario Planning
Monday October 18th 3-5pm EST / 2-4pm CT / 1-3pm MT / 12-2pm PST
Register HereHow do we plan for multiple futures in uncertain times? How do we assess the financial impacts when weighing different possible paths? We’ll talk about what cash flow projections are, how to create them, and how these projections fit into the bigger picture of your organization’s overall financial health. We’ll cover how to map out when you expect money to come and to highlight potential problems, predict shortages and surpluses, estimate the effects of changes, and help guide decisions. We’ll share templates and tips for how to create realistic projections and continue to improve their accuracy over time so that you can move with greater confidence.
Beyond Spreadsheets: Creating Engaging Financial Reports
Wed. October 27th 1-3pm EST / 12-2pm CT / 11am-1pm MT/ 10am-12pm PST
Register HereConventional financial reports can often feel intimidating, confusing, or boring. How can we make financial data more accessible? Engaging groups in financial information and decision-making is a crucial part of building shared power and collectively allocating resources. We’ll address some common barriers to participation by demonstrating facilitation tools that take into account a variety of learning styles and modes of engagement and aim to approach the subject in ways that can foster greater connection with the material instead of alienation. We’ll share tools and tips for keeping things interesting and involving members of your group in meaningful ways. There will be games, stories, charts, & scavenger hunts!
UPDATE: We ended up not doing this due to lack of time but hopefully we can see have this opportunity again in the future!