Speaking and Training

Presentations, Workshops and Training — The Overcome the Overwhelm Series

At Lang Consulting, we offer a variety of learning opportunities for board and staff, in person or virtually, for individuals or groups. We can be flexible with the format and can tailor topics to your specific needs to make sure you get the information you seek, in the format you prefer, to the people who need it now.

Stop worrying and start solving. We can help you overcome the overwhelm.  

Ginny’s Workshops and Presentations by Topic

Present with Confidence

The truth is, not many people are comfortable making presentations. They don’t know how to stand, or where to put their hands, when to gesture or where to include a joke. Your spoken communication is the way that most clients and associates first see you and it’s how they remember you. To effectively convey your message, the people in your audience need to believe you and they need to like you.

Public speaking isn’t complicated, but it does require practice. With practice comes comfort, and finally, ease. One-on-one presentations and interviews require many of the same skills, modified for your specific audience or location. It’s important to your business that you present the best image possible, and that you don’t obscure your message with a distracting or irritating podium presence. Presentation coaching is painless and it can even be fun. (I know that’s hard to believe if you’re a nervous presenter, but trust me on this one.)

One-on-one, personal coaching for a particular presentation, a workshop you’re just developing, or to sharpen your skills. This approach might be best when time is short and you have to look, sound, and feel good…this week. Personal consultation can keep you thinking about your audience and what they see and hear. Check this out on the Flash Coaching page if you want to get at it quickly.

Group workshops, custom designed for up to twenty people, teach skills for any presentation, formal or off-the-cuff. From four hours to two day workshop formats include speaking in a small group, with feedback from those learning with you; a valuable asset for your professional image…and it never hurts to have some fun in the process. We can include video taping and/or follow up coaching virtually or in person to boost your confidence even more.

Grant Writing Level 1 and 2

Take the mystery out of grant writing in this content-rich course designed to dramatically improve your grant writing skills. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to research potential funders, analyze their requirements, and assemble the components of grant proposals essential to receiving funding. You’ll also gain the tools to write a compelling narrative, create a project budget, and provide accurate reporting so that your contributors say “yes!” again and again.
Full and half day formats

Often, I teach GW1 over 3 weeks and GW2 over 4 weeks at Whatcom Community College. Check out my FB page to see if it’s coming up soon or look at the Schedule at WCC’s website in Community and Continuing Education.

Asking With Confidence

Are you comfortable when it’s time to ask for money face to face? If you said no, you’re not alone. All nonprofits need to raise resources, and the most commonly held fear is “making the ask.” This eye-opening workshop focuses on how to overcome the apprehension, how to choose the right person for the job and how to be prepared to move the conversation forward. It all starts with donor centered cultivation. Then, armed with knowledge and practice, board members and staff can experience less stress and more success in fundraising.

Partnering with the Business Sector

In today’s economy, nonprofits are discovering that creativity is key when it comes to raising funds and earning income. In this revealing workshop learn strategies and methods to both craft and nurture partnerships with businesses. We’ll watch some sample interviews with decision makers who share their experiences and preferences in working with nonprofits and analyze the best ways to approach and sustain mutually beneficial relationships that can add substantial income streams to your fund development plan.

Volunteer Management

Are you interested in attracting and Retaining the best of the best? From your executive board members to your office assistant to your once-a-year event greeters, volunteers are the life-blood of nonprofit organizations. How do we find the right people and keep them coming back? In this focused look at dynamic recruiting, necessary screening, comprehensive training and long term retention, we will journey into the real world of working with volunteers who are eager to meet the needs of your organization.

Powerhouse Boards

What you need to know to powerfully achieve your mission.  This is a training, developed in 2020 for nonprofit boards with Nancy Bacon, is delivered in 3 sessions:

1. Build a Powerhouse Board — Purpose/Collaboration/Recruitment
2. Know the Job — Roles & Responsibilities/Finance/Law
3. Work Well Together — Meetings/Committees/Fundraising

What I appreciated most after years of providing training for boards is how much reflection time and peer problem-solving we built into the series. There truly is a lot of knowledge “in the room” when you get groups of board members together. Nancy is a learning design wizard and it’s always a pleasure to work with her!

Discover the tools for successful nonprofit fundraising.  Let’s discuss fundraising essentials like developing a fundraising plan, the role of the board in fundraising, and a variety of techniques such as events, donations, grants, and sponsorships. Let’s get real about building lasting relationships with funders and matching their interests with your needs while ensuring that the benefits go to the communities you serve.

Strategic planning: An Overview

What is strategic planning, why should we do it, and how do we get started? Get the facts about strategic planning so you can make informed decisions on if, how and when to approach the planning process.

The Leadership Level Volunteer Series

Presented by Virginia Lang

For business leaders and entrepreneurs: Become a Volunteer Leader through caring and strategic community involvement.

There is something you care about deeply. Is it putting an end to domestic violence or breast cancer or heart disease or children in poverty? Is it repairing the environment? Supporting the arts? Ending animal abuse and neglect? Do you wish you had the time and energy to make a difference – to change the world?

This is the presentation and workshop I created for leadership programs, corporate volunteers and professional organizations. It’s a step-by step approach to community involvement that shares your passion, feeds your soul and puts you in a position of strength, authenticity and integrity. You can develop your influence as a leader, bring resources to the causes you care about, create the good will that boosts public awareness of your business. All at the same time.

Whether you work for a large corporation, own your own business, or you are just beginning your career, you know that contributing your time and expertise to something you really care about is essential to your personal and professional life.

Here’s how to make it work – without burnout.

~Available as a keynote presentation or a detailed workshop with materials and extra coaching ~

For nonprofit professionals and board members: Cultivate Leadership Level Volunteers for your Organization

The conversation about donor-centric and community centric giving is common in discussions of fundraising, but it is sorely absent in most plans that address Volunteer Management. Imagine what would happen if your board and committee members were always engaged and effective. It’s possible if your Leadership Level Volunteers are getting what they need from their relationship with your nonprofit.

In this presentation and workshop we explore a blueprint to align the needs of Leadership Level Volunteers with the mission of the organization. Empower them as leaders with carefully selected tasks and strategically leveraged recognition. Then stand back and watch them thrive and deliver what your organization needs most: support from the community.

You can fix it –now, THIS year — by following a clear, simple process.

This is the presentation and workshop I created to help nonprofits cultivate and nurture their leadership volunteers.

~Available as a keynote presentation or a detailed workshop with materials and extra coaching ~