Annual Meeting Will Help Members Share, Fulfill Mission

CHHSM members will explore how to share the message of their mission during the organization’s 79th annual meeting March 2-4 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

With the theme “Our Bold Vision in Word and Deed,” the three-day gathering is designed to help members learn how to understand and tailor critical communications both internally and externally.

“The time has come for CHHSM members and nonprofits overall to start to understand, leverage and benefit from building a strong and differentiated brand,” says Jim Schnurbusch, founder and president of OrgStory, a consulting firm that helps nonprofits maximize their impact.

Schnurbusch will lead a roundtable discussion during the meeting titled “Developing Your Organization’s Brand.” Several CHHSM members that have recently gone through the rebranding process will also share their experiences.

Schnurbusch says that as nonprofits compete for scarce resources, it is imperative to leverage a creative brand experience.

“Brand is evolving to become ever more important,” he says. “Your brand story influences everything. It’s integral to why people would be interested in your organization.”

Schnurbusch says organizations must also think about their story when communicating their mission internally.

“Many board members come from organizations that are all about brand,” he says. “They can’t not ask the question, ‘What do we stand for?’ or ‘What’s our value proposition?’”

Other keynote speakers include the Rev. John C. Dorhauer, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ, who will deliver an address on the role that CHHSM members play in fulfilling the mission of the UCC.

Lisa McCraken, senior vice president for senior living research and development at Ziegler, will discuss mission fulfillment in her address “Planning for Growth in a Faith-Based Organization.”

Once again, CHHSM will consecrate members of the Nollau Institute class as diakonal ministers at the meeting’s end. Nollau class members will also lead three leadership workshops, including “Leading With Your Values, Live Your Mission,” “Servant Leadership: It’s a Calling, Not a Paycheck,” and “Igniting Passion Through the Generations.”

Other meeting highlights include a breakout session by Dorhauer on “UCC’s White Privilege Curriculum Overview” and affinity group meetings for chaplains, senior services, child and family services and affordable housing.

This year’s meeting also features a “Celebrate Wisconsin” dinner on Friday night that is included in the event cost, which is 10 percent lower than last year’s rate.