ASU Lodestar Center, Freeport-McMoRan announce partnership
The ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. announced today a new resource benefiting nonprofit organizations in two of the rural communities served by the mining company: Graham County and the Green Valley/Sahuarita area.
The Center will be bringing its highly acclaimed Nonprofit Management Institute (NMI) to these communities through the development of a customized 2-day training. NMI in Green Valley/Sahuarita will take place on March 15-16 and NMI in Graham County will occur on April 14-15. This comprehensive learning experience will include workshops on the topics revealed to be most critical by a recent assessment of nonprofit needs, including board governance, strategic planning, program evaluation and design, human resources and resource development.
“The leaders at Freeport understand not only the importance of capacity building for nonprofit organizations, but also the need for rural mining communities to be sustainable,” said Dr. Robert F. Ashcraft, executive director of the ASU Lodestar Center and professor of nonprofit studies in ASU's School of Community Resources and Development. “Whether located in urban or rural regions nonprofit organizations play an important role in building healthy communities and our center is uniquely equipped to partner with Freeport to achieve desired results,” Ashcraft added.
The partnership between the ASU Lodestar Center and Freeport-McMoRan developed when staff from Freeport-McMoRan approached Ashcraft about building the capacity of nonprofits in their rural communities who may not have access to training opportunities. The result was a plan to provide assessments, training and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations in select areas, with a focus on facilitating community sustainability.
“Across all Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold operations, we work with the communities in which we operate to develop partnerships with community organizations, fund projects designed to address priority needs, and contribute to the sustainability of each community," said Angie Harmon, social investment manager for Freeport-McMoRan. "ASU Lodestar Center is a natural partner to support nonprofit capacity development in the rural communities where we have a presence."
The NMI offerings are available to any nonprofit organizations in Graham County and Green Valley/Sahuarita areas. The ASU Lodestar Center and Freeport-McMoRan plan to present additional offerings in the near future in other communities where the company has mining operations.
For more information about the workshop topics of either offering, contact Dan Minton at 602-496-1055 or daniel.minton@asu.edu. To register for NMI in Green Valley/Sahuarita March 15-16, contact Jessica Knowlton at 520-393-2214, or jessica_knowlton@fmi.com. To register for NMI in Graham County April 14-15, please contact Sean Wenham at (928)792-5937 or sean_wenham@fmi.com.
The ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation (formerly the ASU Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management), is recognized as a national leader in undergraduate and graduate nonprofit education, research and technical assistance. The ASU Lodestar Center exists to enhance the quality of life in communities through the advancement of nonprofit leadership practices and provides knowledge and tools to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations, professionals, board members, donors and volunteers by offering a selection of capacity building workshops, conferences, classes, and programs. For more information, visit: http://lodestar.asu.edu.
SOURCES:
Dr. Robert F. Ashcraft, ashcraft@asu.edu
602-496-0500
Daniel Minton, daniel.minton@asu.edu
602-496-1055
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jill Watts, jill.watts@asu.edu
602-496-0189