The Montana Nonprofit Association’s 2014 Annual Conference focuses on the theme of organizational impact and effectiveness through the unique lens of engagement. Engagement is at the heart of sustainability: strongly connected to organizational impact and outcomes, funding and revenues, productivity, employee retention and customer satisfaction.

 

Gallup polls since 2000 consistently find that 60-70% of the US working population is unengaged on the job. Gallup’s 2013 State of the American Workplace Report states that 70% of American workers are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged. “ Is Montana’s nonprofit sector any different? What might happen if we were able to tap into the enthusiasm and energy of organizational and personal passion, align our talents and energies with our business goals and missions, and perform at levels closer to our full potentials? For individuals, engagement means gaining great satisfaction, meaning, and energy from our work, increasing sustainability in our roles. For organizations, engagement results in high impact and performance, high volunteer and employee retention, and high public trust.

 

When we shape our organizations so that staff, board members, and other volunteers are genuinely engaged in their work for the organization, and are contributing in meaningful ways consistent with their  passions and genius, organizations are more energized, impactful, and successful.

 

Participants in the MNA 2014 Conference will explore ways we can generate increasingly vibrant and effective nonprofit organizations, a more sustainable sector, and stronger Montana communities by intentionally cultivating organizational cultures characterized by high engagement at every level.