2016 AMI Reflections

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

2016 Alliance Management

INSTITUTE Reflections

ritta Tollefsru

What inspired you to attend AMI? Networking with like-minded individuals. I felt like I belonged and there were so many innovative, caring, brilliant people there that inspired me.

It has motivated me to be an effective leader for NLA and inspired ways to make our campus organizations great. “We were able to put these skills from the conference to use in planning and developing our Healthy Love event in February.”

Working in a nonprofit I came back with so many fresh ideas to help organize and create an effective game plan for the office moving forward. At school I’m more involved in my classes because I have more background knowledge to build from.

I’m so inspired. I’m so inspired by the people I met, by the speakers that graced the stage, by the accomplishment of attending. I know that this is a great time to be an innovator and the world is rich with good people and good ideas, I’m excited to be a part of it.

Which sessions did you attend?

I attended as many leadership seminars as I could find most of them were more about how to improve your communication skills and collaborative abilities.

I attended one about starting a nonprofit on a shoe string budget which broke down the steps on how to start a nonprofit. Following that I went to a workshop about the legal aspects behind nonprofits and the variety of nongovernmental public sector (and a few private sector B-corp) organizations there are.

What was your favorite session?

The one that stood out the most was the strategic planning and communication workshop. She outlined ways to utilize all your senses to facilitate the best work environment for innovative problem solving. We explored the importance of deep conversations with people, both strangers and friends, and how that can help you when you are working in or leading your own nonprofit.

Thank you ...

This conference was so impactful because of the wonderful people who work to create positive change within their communities. Thank you for your incredible generosity in funding our trip to AMI. It is the final leg of my journey in obtaining my CNP and in such you have helped to create another person who has dedicated their life to creating positive change. As a full time student, with a full time job, I don’t have discretionary income or time to work with. Without your contributions, it is likely that I wouldn’t have been able to attend AMI and would have been in limbo as to my CNP completion.

So thank you for seeing the value in sending the three of us. We spoke often of your generosity and how grateful we were to be at AMI with your patronage. Thank you thank you thank you!

lisha Davi

What inspired you to attend AMI? Participating in the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance has been an inspiring experience for me. Since joining the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance at UNO in 2013 this program has allowed me to pursue multiple internships where I have participated in tasks varying from inputting and filing to overlooking site visits to ensure compliance to policies. While attending the AMI conference I was given the opportunity to network with a variety of nonprofit professionals and others seeking similar ambitions as myself. I was not disappointed. Every moment in attendance at the AMI conference in Houston was inspiring.

Which sessions did you attend?

The very first session I attended was the “Job Offer…Don’t Accept!” session with Megan Murden, employment recruiter at Boy Scouts of America. This one was by far my favorite session and it came at such a perfect time. Before going to AMI I had been searching for a new job, filling out one application after another, with little to no results. Megan presented the topic well, offering exclusive advise on negotiating a job offer and what questions to ask in an interview. I had the opportunity to use the information I received at this session in my new job. The other three sessions I attended included: “Building a High-Impact Board-CEO Strategic Governing Team”, “Psychology of Volunteer Recruitment”, and “You Mean You Want Results? The Task of Demonstrating Social Good”.

Thank you ...

When we learned of our trip being funded, I think we were all in shock–neither one of us ever expected for our conference to be fully funded. It was a great honor to represent the University of Nebraska at Omaha at this national conference. Not only was I excited for my own personal growth from AMI, but one of the other girls and I even began discussing opportunities to hold a conference in Omaha. Our minds are constantly changing and attending a conference like AMI can only enhance the enthusiasm within a young nonprofit professional, especially one who truly plans to immerse themselves into the nonprofit industry. Thank you for your generous support.

Alysha Pul

What inspired you to attend AMI? I chose to attend AMI not only because it is a requirement for the certification, but also because I am a forever learner and conferences like these are also great networking opportunities. I have the innate desire to continue my education and learn all that I can about the people, organizations and world around me. AMI helped foster this desire by providing me with workshops, hands on activities and speakers that gave me opportunities that I never had considered before.

AMI is also a great place for networking for future jobs, as you meet multitudes of new students and professionals that share your desires and interests.

What sessions did you attend?

The first session gave me a better idea as to how to approach someone with “what I’m selling.” By this I mean the mission of the organization I’m working for and/or supporting, and even using it to better market myself to employers and graduate colleges. The second session supported my pre-existing interest in culture and elevated my interest in that subject to a new level. Being able to understand and properly communicate with the people around you who are from different parts of the world is an imperative skill – especially since the United States is a melting pot of cultures. Even UNO’s campus is a melting pot of cultures. The third session was different than the others. This is because for this workshop I chose a session that was about something new that I really didn’t know much about. I think this session was really great because it provided me with the tools to be able to start a nonprofit in the future should I choose to. The last session was valuable to me personally because it gave me some tips on deciding what I really want to do with

There were other experiences such as the quick-fire sessions and the case study that I attended that were also extremely valuable. My favorite quick-fire session that I attended talked about customer service and how, at times and in many places, is not very good in the nonprofit sector. The speaker compared it to retail and provided us with tips and tricks to make customer service better for the nonprofit that we are involved in. With the case study, we were actually able to go out into the Houston area and help local nonprofits solve real-world problems that they were experiencing. This was definitely one of my favorite activities as I am a more kinesthetic, hands-on person. This helps solidify the lessons we learned before AMI and the lessons we learned at AMI by applying them to a real life situation.

What was your favorite session?

My favorite session was Building Intercultural Competency: Expanding World View in the Context of Nonprofit Management (Dr Jennifer Wade-Berg). This particular session resonated the most with me because of my interest in the cultural sector of Anthropology. I can use my previous education to relate to and understand what she was actually talking about (ethnocentrism, etc) while still having the ability to absorb new information to add to my educational repertoire.

Thank you ...

I want to thank you all very much for donating and providing me with the ability to attend AMI. I lost my job in October 2015 and if it were not for your generous donations, I would not have been able to attend. It humbles me to know there are people out there who support furthering the education of students who wish to make a difference in the world and their communities. The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance at UNO is greatly appreciative of all the support you give and we hope to continue to foster that relationship for years to come.

Photos courtesy of Alliance Management Institute Conference

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