The Shoreline Nonprofit Council has grown into a huge resource that’s resonating with dozens of local charitable groups, all hungry for professional development to help them succeed in supporting important causes.

For his efforts to help create this powerful and financially feasible support engine for local non-profits, Jim Lamb has just been named Shoreline Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year. And while he was very honored to receive the recognition in January, Jim’s even more thrilled to see a low-cost, professionally run nonprofit workshop series he envisioned celebrate its inauguration this week. The first workshop of the four-part, 2016 Shoreline Nonprofit Workshop Series opens Thursday, Feb. 11.

Created under the auspices of Shoreline Chamber of Commerce and co-sponsored by the Branford Community Foundation and Guilford Foundation, the series brings unprecedented, affordable opportunities to learn strategies, practices, and other skills from proven leaders. The professional development series will help leverage the best possible outcome from the heartfelt work of non-profit leaders and key staff members.

The series is a next-level evolution from the very impressive, highly attended monthly gatherings the Shoreline Nonprofit Council began offering last fall, thanks to an idea Jim tossed around with council co-chair Sue Brady last summer. When they’re not volunteering their time to run the council, Jim is business development manger for SARAH, Inc., and Brady is business development officer with Guilford Savings Bank.

What Jim noticed about the council’s efforts was that, up until last fall, “most speakers would donate their time; and once a month we’d have them come in and talk on relevant topics,” says Jim. “When we took two months off for summer, I was talking to Sue and said it would be really nice if we could do something upscale in September to really jump-start what we can offer.”

The co-chairs upped the game by bringing in Fio Partners principal and organizational development consultant Anne Yurasek for a two-part organizational development series.

“We ended up promoting that, and doubling the number that came,” says Jim.

Nearly 40 local non-profit organizations sent representatives to the fall meetings.

Seeing that a chord had been struck gave Jim another idea.

“I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if we could put together a year-long professional development program and get financial support from sponsors?’ Because the other key thing here is most non-profits don’t even have a line item for professional development. It’s nice to have; but it’s not a must-have.”

Jim found a willing sounding board for that question in Liza Petra, who serves as executive director for both the Branford Community Foundation and the Guilford Foundation.

“Liza had been attending the Shoreline Nonprofit Council meetings and she went back to her boards with the idea and came to me and said, ‘We’d really like to be involved in this,’” says Jim.

With financial underwriting from the two foundations and workshop materials donated by Mosaic Marketing of Branford and Guilford Savings Bank, the Shoreline Nonprofit Council is offering the 2016 Nonprofit Workshop Series this spring. Four valuable workshops will cover two important topics: Nonprofit Governance (Thursdays Feb. 11 and March 10) and Strategic Alliances (Thursdays April 14 and May 12).

Why those topics?

“Liza conducted surveys to determine what’s really needed, in terms of professional development—what really keeps you up at night, as a non-profit?” says Jim.

On Feb. 11 and March 10, from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at Branford’s Blackstone Library, the Nonprofit Governance workshops will be led by Mike Burns of BWB Solutions of Branford. A partner and organizational development consultant at BWB since 1994, Burns also brings more than 20 years of experience as a non-profit manager. The $30 per attendee cost covers both workshops.

“Mike will shoot down any theory you think is written in stone for non-profits,” says Jim. “He really gets you thinking.”

On April 14 and May 12, from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at Guilford Free Public Library, Yurasek will lead two Strategic Alliances workshops. The $30 per attendee cost covers both workshops.

Registration has been brisk for the spring 2016 series, but space is still available. If needed, registrants can also apply for financial assistance. More workshops are already in the planning for fall 2016, says Jim, who envisions year-round offerings going forward.

Most important, Jim notes, any non-profit can get involved in this training or join the council. Groups don’t have be Chamber members or be located in Branford or Guilford to participate in programs of the Nonprofit Council.

“It’s totally inclusive,” says Jim, crediting Chamber President Ed Lazarus as well as the Branford Community Foundation and the Guilford Foundation for supporting the outreach effort.

Jim has Lazarus to thank for inviting him to join the Chamber board about eight years ago, shortly after Jim began his role as business development manager for non-profit SARAH, Inc. A former vice president of sales for Bayer Pharmaceutical, the West Virginia native had worked in several areas of the country before he relocated to Guilford with his wife, Lynne, to serve with Bayer in West Haven.

Jim had retired from Bayer and was volunteering with SARAH when he was given the opportunity to become hired by non-profit SARAH Inc. Employment Services. In his role, Jim helps acquire jobs matching skills for adults with disabilities served by the non-profit SARAH family of agencies.

“People are asking me all the time about retirement. My answer to that is, ‘what do you mean by retirement?’” says Jim. “My idea of retirement, at least for now, is I’m doing what I choose to do. I do business development for SARAH, Inc., and my focus is to work with businesses to find jobs for people who can’t work alone. So that’s a very challenging job, but it’s very gratifying.”

What’s especially poignant about Jim’s SARAH connection is that his grandson, Emmett, was diagnosed as having special needs after Jim had already started working for the organization.

“Most people come to SARAH after they’ve got a child with special needs, to get connected and get support. I started with the SARAH, and a year after that Emmett was born. His diagnosis didn’t come until he was two. So it’s really like a total flip, almost mystical,” says Jim. “So when I see people working at places like Safety Zone or Honeywell or Big Y or at the redemption center where they’re recycling bottles, I can almost envision Emmett doing that someday. So there are a lot of different nuances.”

Jim has also been a Big Brother/Big Sister volunteer mentor who was paired with a 5th-grader in Guilford and has remained a part of the boy’s life to this day (his “little brother” is now 22). In another worthwhile effort, Jim coaches in his home town.

“I went to school to be a coach, and ended up in the business world,” says Jim. “But I found my way back into coaching after I saw an ad in the paper for the middle school for assistant basketball coach. Then I coached JV softball at Guilford High School for about seven years, and this is my seventh year as the assistant basketball coach for boys at the high school.”

For Lazarus, having Jim join the team on the Chamber board and help spearhead the success of the Shoreline Nonprofit Council has been a win-win.

“What Jim has done here is nothing short of remarkable, and now it’s been culminated by the relationship with the Branford Community Foundation and Guilford Foundation,” says Lazarus. “It’s easy to envision something, but difficult to make it happen. Jim Lamb has done that with the Shoreline Nonprofit Council.”

Registration is required to attend the Spring 2016 Shoreline Nonprofit Workshop series; attendees may be a staff person, board member or volunteer representing a non-profit. Visit www.shorelinechamberct.com/nonprofit to register online or call 203-488-5500 and ask to register. To apply for financial assistance, send an email with brief explanation of need to lizapetra@gmail.com.