Services

Active Solutions and Knowledge provides capacity building for better organizations.
How we help: ASK will meet with you and your principals to assess your needs. Based on this introductory assessment meeting, we will submit a proposal for suggestive action and estimated costs.

Here are some of the services ASK can provide:

Organizational Assessment
Strategic Planning
Grant Writing
Fundraising Planning & Implementation
Special Events Planning & Fundraising
Board Development
Outcomes Training
Workshops for Board Members, Volunteers & Staff
Retreat & Meeting Facilitation
Project Management

Organizational Assessment
An Organizational Assessment is the first stop on the path to Strategic Planning. It’s important to find out where your organization is at before making plans to move forward – a snap shot in time, so to speak. This can be done in conjunction with your Strategic Plan or as a stand alone tool to assist you in determining the direction of your agency. Back to Top

Strategic Planning
Planning for growth is key for all organizations but much more so for not-for-profits, because funders are always looking for explanations and details to substantiate their investments. Strategic planning can do that and much more (Click on Strategic Planning to read the article “Why Do Strategic Planning?”). Give us a call. We would be happy to sit down with you free of charge and explain how the process works, how long it takes, and even how you might be able to apply for a grant to cover the cost. Back to Top

Grant Writing
We have helped our clients fill out their grant paperwork, particularly when applying for a Capacity Building Grant, which may cover our consulting cost so we can work with your Board, staff and volunteers to help you strengthen or grow your agency. Back to Top

Fundraising Planning & Implementation
Do you have a Fund Development Plan? If not, we can work with you to create one. A good Fund Development Plan that is revised and modified yearly is just one more piece of your overall Strategic Plan. Your Fund Development Plan will help to give direction to your staff and Board of Directors as they look towards the future of your organization and how it will be funded as times and circumstances change. Back to Top

Special Events Planning & Fundraising
Are you planning a big event for the first time and wishing you had some expertise to back you up? Or perhaps you are considering hiring a Fund Development Director for the first time and could use some assistance with the process? We can assist you with special events, hiring staff and in many more ways, but particularly when you need an expert to help you bridge a challenge, move from one area to another, and increase your agency’s potential. Give us a call to discuss how we can help. Back to Top

Board Development
Would you like to energize your current Board Members, educate your new Board Members, or recruit more Board Members? We can help by customizing a workshop specifically for your needs, held at a time and date that is convenient for your Board members. Back to Top

Outcomes Training
As funding continually becomes more competitive, it becomes increasingly important for not-for-profits to be able to articulate the benefits of their programs to prospective funders. Understanding how to write outcomes can facilitate just that. We can help you and your staff not only learn what outcomes are and how to develop them, but how to present them in a way that will assist you in the grant writing process. We can work with your staff in a classroom environment, as well as one-on-one. Invest in your staff now and reap the benefits when you receive that next large grant! Back to Top

Workshops for Board Members, Volunteers & Staff
We offer interactive workshops on a variety of topics at locations all over the suburban area approximately every three to four months. Can’t find the topic that you’d like or a location in your area? Give us a call and offer to host a workshop at your agency. The agency host can bring up to three participants free of charge and often choose the topic as well. Back to Top

Retreat & Meeting Facilitation
We have over twenty years’ experience in developing workshops and retreats for staff, Board Members and volunteers. Our presenters, Valerie Plomin, Ph.D., and Darlene Ehling, are exciting and enthusiastic and the methodologies employed are designed to encourage participation and interaction among participants. We have a long client list and are happy to give references that will support how much they have enjoyed our workshops and retreats. Back to Top

Project Management : Employee Handbook, Human Resource Consulting, Annual Report Compilation, Recruitment & Training Materials, Staff Development and more…
If you don't have the time or the staff to get it done, give us a call. We have the expertise and would be happy to give you a proposal. Back to Top