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Core Series
CTAC's Core Series of seminars sharpens the skills required to build and operate an effective community-based organization. These highly interactive programs are tailored to meet the needs of community-based organizations in southwestern Pennsylvania. Classes are open to both staff and board members. Programs are delivered by experienced persons in the region's community development field, and members of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), a group of highly skilled professional trainers from corporate and consulting circles.

Leadership Skills
Assess your leadership style to gain insight into the meaning and expectations of leadership. Presented by Rex Gatto. Browse the books written by Rex Gatto, including his newest, Smart Manager's FAQ Guide. (To be held again January 29, 2004)

Basic Board I: Structure and Bylaws
Gain a better understanding of the importance of organizational structure and by-laws so that your organization can maximize benefits. (To be held again February 12, 2004)

Basic Board II: Roles and Responsibilities
Strengthen your organization's foundation with a better understanding of the roles and inter-relationships of board members, officers, committee chairs, staff and volunteers. (To be held again February 26, 2004)

Effective Meetings
Stop wasting time. Get more done! (To be held again March 11, 2004)

Communication Skills
Learn how to improve your ability to communicate ideas and develop support for them. The workshop is presented by Sandie Akerman. (To be held again March 25, 2004)

Financial Management
Avoid the pitfalls of poor financial management by focusing on sound, practical principles and potential danger signs. (To be held again April 22, 2004)

Strategic Planning
Gather practical tips to conduct planning sessions and produce a workable strategy document. Presented by Mary Ann Pobicki, a consultant to non-profits. (To be held again April 8, 2004)

Fundraising
Develop an effective fundraising strategy to advance organizational goals. (To be held again May 6, 2004)

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Design in Action
Design in Action workshops, a series brought to you by CTAC and the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, offer practical ideas from design and community development professionals, hands-on practice for participants, and a resource handbook for future use.

River Safari
Join CTAC, The Community Design Center and Friends of the Riverfront for a boat tour, and discussion about the impact of riverfront planning on economic development. (Held June 20, 2003.)

White Elephant Safari
Get on the bus for an insider's tour of some large-scale, difficult-to-do neighborhood development projects. (Held June 28, 2002)

Creating Neighborhood Design Guidelines
Learn how to develop guidelines that build upon your neighborhood's architectural assets. Discuss incentives that communities can use to create an enticing "look." Participants, with professional architects, will work in small groups to creat guidelines for local neighborhoods.(Held September 22, 2001.)

Green Building for Neighborhoods
Think "green building" is only for upscale projects??? Not anymore! Green building is more attitude than technology. Discover examples of green buildings in Pittsburgh neighborhoods. Learn how they did it, the technologies they used, and the obstacles they encountered. A panel of architects, non-profit developers and the Green Building Alliance will be on hand to help you find ways to make your next development better for your community and the planet. (Held September 23, 2000)

Preserving Neighborhood Fabric
Chime into a conversation with your fellow community developers to discuss why neighborhood fabric is important, ways to identify fabric elements, and strategies to preserve neighborhood texture and context. Talk about your neighborhood’s unique fabric, your own challenges and strategies. (Held April 11, 2003)

Supportive Housing
What is supportive housing? It can be subsidized or market-rate housing that offers supportive services to its residents. Come to this workshop to learn about the different types of housing and how it can benefit your community. You will see examples of local projects, and get ideas for including supportive housing in your community revitalization strategy. (Held July 14, 2001)

Sign Design
What a difference a sign makes! Give your business an edge with smart sign design. Use signs to increase business, target customers, and project an image. Learn how to avoid clutter, confusing messages and wasting your money. This two-hour workshop will give you the basics to make more intelligent and cost effective choices for your business. (Held June 14, 1995)

Business District Security
How can design improve security? Which strategies are more effective? (Held October 27, 1999)

ADA Access for Businesses
Reduce your liability AND tap into a large and growing market by making your business accessible to people with disabilities. Learn what the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) means to small businesses in existing buildings in established neighborhoods. A panel of experts -- including local architects, an ADA consultant, and an attorney-- will help you understand what works and what doesn't. (Held July 19, 2000)

Traffic Calming
Speeding traffic can hurt your neighborhood. Learn about innovative solutions. (Held June 14, 1999)

Negotiating With Retail Chain Stores
Is all development good development? Learn new solutions for your neighborhood. (Held September 18, 1999)

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Brown Bag Lunches
Brown Bag Lunches, a series brought to you by CTAC and the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, are an opportunity to have lunch with your peers, exchange ideas, and get inspired.

Streetscape Design
Collaborate with architects to learn about design solutions for vacant lots and public spaces in your business district. (Held December 12, 2003)

Promote Your Community
Get some crazy, sexy, cool ways to reach people. (Held October 10, 2002)

Art as Revitalization
Talk to local artists and community developers about how art is being used to revitalize communities.(Held August 8, 2002)

Shrinking Business Districts
(Held December 12, 2002.)

Bikes, Trails and Monorails
Come and talk about alternative transportation systems and how they may be useful in strengthening your community. (Held December 6, 2001)

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Electives
CTAC delivers a wide variety of "elective" workshops to respond to the requests and needs of community-based organizations.

Conflict Resolution in the Community
This two-part workshop explores alternative ways of resolving disputes within our community. Presented by The Pittsburgh Mediation Center. (Held November 6 and 13, 2002.)

Media Relations

Learn the basics of Media Relations and how to prepare a Media Plan at this two-session course. You will create a Media Kit for your organization that will be critiqued by professionals and your peers. Instructors are Bill Eiler of National City Bank and Susan Schmidt, a private consultant. (Held November 20 and December 4, 2003.)

Sylvia Allen on Sponsorship

Today's event sponsors are highly sophisticated and recognize that sponsorship is just another media component of their marketing mix. As a result, sponsorships must have a variety of components including media, cross-marketing opportunities, promotions, partnership recommendations, and event extensions to get the greatest return on investment. This workshop will provide you with the tools you need to be successful at sponsorship sales. A few lucky community development organizations will be eligible to receive a free consultation with Sylvia on October 23. (Held October 22, 2004)

Whiz-Bang Websites
Whiz-Bang Websites is a "how to" workshop for community-based organizations. Who should attend? Organizations just thinking about getting online... and those whose websites could use a little whiz!bang! What's to learn? Planning is everything. Learn how to ask the right questions, talk to the right people, and establish your organization's online presence right away. Understanding your purpose and target audience; Selecting and organizing your website content; Keeping it fresh: maintenance and updates; Finding help: designers and techies. (Held September 25, 2002)

Online Sources for Community Data
The hands down best way to understand a community is to experience it first hand. But a little online research can shed some light on the demographics of the community, and the individuals, schools, and nonprofits that are working there. (Held October 4, 2002)

National Main Street Center's Basic Training

Learn about the nationally successful Main Street approach to commercial district revitalization from the National Trust's Main Street Center, the organization that has been the leader in the field for more than 20 years. During this intensive, 4-day training, you'll study each of the four elements of the Main Street approach--Organization, Promotion, Design and Economic Restructuring-- and find out how they can be combined in a local, grassroots initiative to form a a dynamic, comprehensive revitalization program. (Held September 16 -19, 2003)

National Main Street Center's Volunteer Session
This interactive half day session highlights the four elements of the Main Street approach -- organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring-- and provides volunteer leaders with the knowledge to guide a business district revitalization strategy. (Held September 20, 2003)

Marketing for Nonprofits
Marketing is valuable and necessary because it helps you to accomplish your mission. Many nonprofits are mystified by marketing lingo or put off by high pressure sales tactics. This workshop teached the essentials of marketing within the realm and spirit of nonprofit work. The workshop is presented by Gary J. Stern, a nationally-known expert on nonprofit marketing, and author of Marketing Workbook for Non-profit Organizations Volume I: Develop the Plan, and Marketing Workbook Volume II: Mobilize People for Marketing Success. Purchase Gary's books in the Bookstore. (Held September 24, 1999)

Block by Block Container Gardening
Learn how to plan and execute a container garden project for your block, and help the gardens spread to surrounding blocks. Watch how a container garden comes together, and help if you want. Participants should attend in teams of at least two, and agree to serve as container garden "ambassadors" to your neighbors, and to other leaders in your neighborhood.

Sponsored by: The Green Neighborhood Initiative (a program of Conservation Consultants, Inc. in partnership with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Pittsburgh History & Landmarks) and Community Technical Assistance Center. (Held April 25, 2001)

Accounting Software
Accounting Software presents four accounting software packages: QuickBooks, Peachtree, Solomon, and MIP. The workshop will provide you with the opportunity to meet with accounting software specialists -- not sales personnel-- to discuss practical solutions that are geared to your organization's financial system. Produced in partnership with LISC.

Grantsmanship Training Program
This 5-day program will show you how to locate grant support from foundations, corporations, and government funding sources. The core of the training is the hands-on work you will do developing proposal elements that pertain to your own agency's programs. Gain insight into what proposal reviewers are looking for as you become a reviewer yourself, evaluating the proposal of other participants. Presented by The Grantsmanship Center. (Held January, 2003)

Marketing Your Neighborhood With the Green Map
3 Rivers Connect will demonstrate greenpittsburgh.net, an internet-based geographic information system (GIS) that inventories, maps and dynamically displays green amenities. Find out how to put your neighborhood on the map.(Held December 7, 2000)

National Development Council
Contact us at 412-231-2822 to see what NDC courses are coming to Pittsburgh

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