Bayer Center - Programs and Services

The Bayer Center’s “sister” center, The Covestro Center for Community Engagement, strengthens nonprofits’ governance & operational effectiveness through engaging companies to invest in the community and their own people at the same time. We connect community minded companies with regional nonprofits through nonprofit board leadership—BoardsWork! and skills-based volunteering—SkillShare.

BoardsWork! 

BoardsWork! strengthens nonprofit governance.  The program provides provides a whole host of services to improve your nonprofit’s board governance.

• A customized half-day retreat led by a governance facilitator, informed by a board survey, interviews with the board chair and the CEO/ED, and a governance assessment. 
•  At least one matched new board member who cares about your mission and has skillsets you need.  The matched members have received 6 hours of training, have been recommended from local companies.  This member will also receive up to seven more Bayer Center workshops. 
• And discounts on Bayer Center workshops for board members and governance help desk services for a full year.

Nonprofits must be 501 (c) 3 organizations, and be looking to add at least one board member through our program. We also provide custom governance work outside of this program through the Bayer Center’s consulting work.

SkillShare

SkillShare connects nonprofits with a team of local business professionals to help you solve an operational or technical challenge.  This not only provides you targeted technical expertise, but also builds mutually-beneficial relationships with local companies.  The most common projects are in IT, Financial management, HR, Data analysis, operations.  The projects often help bring a different business perspective to an opportunity or need.

ESC

The Executive Service Corps is our trusted volunteer pool which provides an extension of all of the Bayer Center and Covestro Center’s work.  This group of carefully vetted and trained senior level professionals volunteer their skills to provide facilitation, consulting, training, coaching and board development to the nonprofits we work with.  Currently, the group has about 70 volunteers with at least 20 years’ experience.   These professionals are sometimes retired nonprofit leaders, later career business people, or highly talented mid-career specialists looking to extend their impact in the community.