October 2024 to February 2025
Thank you to the Ottawa Community Foundation for its support of a Heartwood House Collaboration grant. One grant serving 25 Executive Directors and Human Resource leaders!
In collaboration with the newly formed Ottawa ED Network, Heartwood House received funding from the Ottawa Community Foundation to work with an HR specialist to develop an interactive learning workshop series that equipped leaders in the nonprofit sector with the skills and tools needed to respond to the ever-increasing Human Resource crisis facing the nonprofit sector.
Stress levels among people leaders in the nonprofit sector continue to surpass pre-pandemic levels. The four - 3 hour sessions were developed, facilitated, and delivered, by Christine Stevens, a seasoned HR professional who has successfully led teams through change. The goal was to provide people leaders with a backpack of new skills to confidently lead their teams in the current HR environment.
The greatest benefit of this training series was the sense of community and the deepening of relationships that was built between nonprofit leaders in our community. They came away knowing there are others out there experiencing similar things related to HR and they now have a network of known folks whom they can lean on or ask for help/advice. They also have a consultant they can turn to in a time of need that is known to them and has offered a special rate to all the participants. This in turn will benefit all of the staff who they mentor /manage/lead or coach. The excellent facilitation, thoughtful presentations, well developed informational slides and expert knowledge sharing provided by Christine Stevens, our HR expert, was a benefit to every participant in the room. Heartwood is well placed to continue this kind of leadership role in providing continuing education and training for nonprofit leaders. Our proven track record of bringing our Member nonprofit/charitable organizations together regularly to share resources/knowledge/expertise, build on one another's strengths, offer emotional support, provide collaborative opportunities, and learn from one another lends itself to be replicated more broadly within the Ottawa nonprofit network.