For the fourth year in a row, the University's Office of Public Affairs and Nonprofit Executive Programs in the Mendoza College of Business are giving back to the local community in the form of a breakfast series for nonprofit workers. According to Marc Hardy, director of Nonprofit Executive Programs, the breakfast series is a way to provide the local nonprofit community with expert education on different parts of the nonprofit sector in a way that is sensitive to the busy lifestyle of the nonprofit worker. This year's theme focuses on human resource tips for nonprofits.
The series has four parts, one each month from January through April, each lasting 90 minutes, Hardy said. Each attendee must pay $100 to attend the whole series, which includes a hot breakfast each of the mornings. Hardy said the goal for the University is not to make money but to give back to the community.
“It’s really kind of a public service. Most of the people that come are going to be local. If they're alumni, they're probably going to be local,” Hardy said. “It's Notre Dame's giveback. ... It's basically, for us, a break even. Sometimes we lose a little money, [but] it's not something we try to make money on.”
While the series is directed at a local audience, Hardy said it is open to anyone who wants to know more about the subjects being discussed. Undergraduate students can benefit from this series as well, especially if they are interested in the nonprofit sector, he said.
Each part of the series is taught by a different expert in the field, Hardy said, with the goal that the presenters would be from Notre Dame, if possible. According to information on Notre Dame's news website, Matt Bloom, associate management professor and principal investigator for the University’s Wellbeing at Work research program, will present Jan. 26, and Barbara Fick, associate professor of law, will present Feb. 23. Eric Love, director of staff diversity and inclusion, will present March 22, and Jill Bodensteiner, senior associate athletics director, will present April 26. The speakers will discuss topics including the benefits of diversity, multicultural competencies, worker wages, employee protections and leadership in the workplace.
“The sessions will be held in Jordan Auditorium in the Mendoza College of Business beginning with breakfast from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and presentations from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. A question-and-answer session between participants and presenters is conducted during each session. Registration is available online at community.nd.edu,” the website stated.
Hardy said this nonprofit breakfast series is important because it is unique.
“Nobody else is doing it. The only executive education for nonprofits that is being done in this area is being done by us,” Hardy said. “So, unless you're in one of those programs, you probably don't have this education open to you. And even if it was open to you, the cost [is] usually pretty high ... or the time commitment [is] too much. So here you have very low cost ... and you have a very doable schedule, and you have top experts in their areas.”
