Invitation for staff and volunteers in non-profit groups and agencies!
You use a computer, right? But how is your email etiquette? Can you create a professional looking submission to win those needed funds? Can you create a well-designed newsletter or flyer? Are your financial reports and budgets well-presented?
With funding made available through Parramatta City Council's Community Assistance Program 2008-09, Parramatta Computer Pals for Seniors is offering local community workers and volunteers an opportunity to undertake practical computer skills training. The courses have been developed after analysing the results of a recent survey.
In three half days - free of charge - you can brush up on your computer skills, so you can communicate more easily and quickly with your members or clients, your management committee or your funding or reporting agencies.
Three specialised nine-hour courses will be offered - see below - in May 2009, to staff and volunteers of community groups located in or servicing the Parramatta local government area.
Choose one of three task focused courses which suits your activities best. All commence in May, and run for three half days (Fridays). See the course timetable below. There is also a Beginners course available for six participants.
All course applicants need to be nominated by the organisation's manager or committee head, so that we can be confident that participants will make effective use of their training.
Background
In 2008-09, Parramatta City Council funded Parramatta Computer Pals for Seniors to provide computer skills training for key volunteers and staff of non-profit organisations in the Parramatta local government area.
Council recognizes that practical computer skills are a necessity in any organisation these days, whether it relies totally on volunteers or has paid staff. Members and clients want instant information, government agencies seek on-line responses to funding offers and program feedback, and all agencies want to save on postage and labour by using emails and other forms of electronic communication.
Parramatta Computer Pals for Seniors has offered its computer training facilities, which include seven desktop PCs with Windows XP and Vista, Microsoft Office 2003/2007 and OpenOffice.org 3.0 for courses.
Trainers
The Club's trainers managing the project-John Moxon, Deborah Martin and Margaret Tucker are all Certificate IV qualified trainers with a pre-retirement background in training and development, human resources, policy and program management and significant experience in working and/or volunteering in non-profit community organisations at local, state and national level.
Course module Timetable
| Date |
External Communication |
Internal Communication |
Finance |
| May 1 |
Session 1 (1-4pm) |
N/A |
N/A |
| May 8 |
Session 2 (1-4pm) |
Session 1 (9am-12pm) |
N/A |
| May 15 |
Session 3 (1-4pm) |
N/A |
N/A |
| May 22 |
N/A |
Session 2 (9am-12pm) |
Session 1 (1-4pm) |
| May 29 |
N/A |
Session 3 (9am-12pm) |
Session 2 (1-4pm) |
| June 5 |
N/A |
N/A |
Session 3 (1-4pm) |
Here is the Course application form
Beginners
For nominated volunteers/staff who lack computer skills, there is a free 10 week (1 hour per week) course for beginners, to be held during Term 2, commencing late April. There is no age limit, but there are only six places available. The course will be integrated into the usual club timetable.
External communication: for Co-ordinator/Secretary/President/others
Develop and use templates for well-presented reports, funding submissions and press releases clearly identifying the organisation (consistent use of logos, headers and footers with contact details; understand how to fill out on-line forms and application forms; set up various contact lists for email or mail-merge; send and forward group emails; generate personal flyers, letters; prepare newsletters. Nine hours over three Fridays, 1,8,15 May (pm).
Internal communication: for Co-ordinator/ Secretary/President/Others
Design templates for minutes, agendas, memos; set up contact lists for email or mail-merge letters using email program, word processing, simple data base or spreadsheet; understand and practice email etiquette; send and forward group emails whilst maintaining confidentiality; generate personalized letters and/or flyers. Nine hours over three Fridays, 8,22,29 May (am).
Finance: for Book-keepers/ Treasurers
Use the internet to research government regulations, resources, etc; design financial forms; record receipts and payments; prepare an annual budget; view bank statements online; reconcile cash transactions to bank statement; prepare a statement of income and expenditure for the Board; prepare a statement of assets and liabilities for the Board. Nine hours over three Fridays, 22, 29 May and 5 June(pm).