Community
Outreach
Outreach
Community Outreach
About
PMI stands by the principal that great project management is not limited to for-profit industries; it can just as easily be implemented in not-for-profit organizations with a community focus, and we at PMI Buffalo believe that since it can, it should! This is of particular importance to the WNY community. Community organizations and Non-Profits are a huge factor in Buffalo's increasing revitalization—as well as in ensuring no part of the community is left behind. Through these organizations, neighborhoods are revitalized, resources are made available, and public needs are met. Often it is through its non-for-profits that the inter-generational promise a community makes to its residents can be kept.
How a Non-Profit is managed, and the skill with which individual projects are accomplished, will determine the level of impact of such organizations on the communities they serve. PMI Buffalo recognizes the great role it can take on in this area. A major initiative that we have revived is our PM4NP (Project Management 4 Non Profit) program.
Project Management for Nonprofits (PM4NP)
The Program … The PMI Buffalo Outreach team has revived the Chapter’s award-winning program … Project Management for Nonprofits (PM4NP). The objective of this program is to promote project management best practices to local community nonprofit organizations. PM4NP leverages project management training along with post-training real-life project mentoring to introduce professional project management principles and tools, and reinforce their application on an actual project in the nonprofit organization. While nonprofits may not often employ resources solely as project managers, some of their employees do work on projects. PM4NP aims to help these individuals achieve more successful project results for their companies.
The Training … The current version of PM4NP leverages training materials provided by the PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF … https://pmief.org/) as the basis for the initial project management training. Adapting their introductory module, we are able to offer a training class that incorporates lecture with hands-on exercises in two half-day educational sessions. The focus is on an introduction to project management principles and tools. This training has been designed to be offered in a virtual manner following healthy presentation guidelines. Note: Additional training with a deeper dive into the full array of professional project management processes and techniques would be required for anyone interested in pursuing a professional certification.
The Mentoring … In any training experience, applying the classroom learning to a real-life situation is a critical step in achieving the desired educational value. For most nonprofits who attend our training we will offer a follow-up contact with the attendees to try and address any follow-up questions or concerns on the classroom topics. Some nonprofits may also feel the need for an experienced project manager to work as a mentor with them on an initial, real-life project to help reinforce the classroom learning. PM4NP will work with the nonprofit organization to identify the level of involvement and type of PM experience needed for their project. Our program will also work to identify qualified PMI Buffalo Chapter members interested in providing mentoring. By clearly identifying expectations and helping to match nonprofits with PMI Buffalo Chapter project managers, we believe that the best chances for project success will be realized.
Both the training and mentoring offerings are provided as a public service to qualifying organizations with no out-of-pocket costs from PMI Buffalo. If you are a non-profit organization that is interested in how your organization and staff can benefit from this program, please contact us by email at PM4NP@pmibuffalo.org.
Call for Mentors … PMI Buffalo Chapter Members: Have you ever wished you could be part of a meaningful project that provides a public service, while at the same time, sharing your project management expertise? Are you interested in making an impact in the community? Does the idea of mentoring appeal to you? Mentoring a nonprofit organization through the PM4NP program provides an opportunity for PMPs to earn PDUs which can be used to satisfy your re-certification requirements. Contact us by email at PM4NP@pmibuffalo.org if you are interested.
