Summary: In February, Founder & Managing Principal, Alex Tuck, reached out to Common Good Vermont to find out if they would be interested in our pro bono services. Emma Paradis (Manager of Policy and Strategic Initiatives) reached back almost immediately and said she was interested. We worked quickly as a team to determine where we might add the most value, and helping organize the first Vermont nonprofit conference was the obvious choice. We’ve been managing the whole project in ClickUp, and this article gives a bit more detail on how we’re helping.

Nonprofit Overview – Common Good Vermont

I’ve been a big fan of Common Good Vermont for as long as I’ve been living in Vermont. Some folks may not know this, but after a brief stint at in financial services (and realizing that the industry was very much not for me), I decided to quit my job, move to Central America, and start a microlending nonprofit with my wife and a few other volunteers. Common Good Vermont was a go-to resource for an entrepreneur that didn’t have a clue about how nonprofits actually operated.

Fast forward to 2024. I now run a consulting firm that helps nonprofits deliver projects better and simplify their operations. Common Good Vermont again becomes a go-to resource for me, this time because my new team relies on the amazing content that they produce, and they have great nonprofit consultant programming as well.

Common Good Vermont is the “only statewide program dedicated to uniting, strengthening, and advocating for Vermont’s nonprofit sector.” They help nonprofits to connect, learn, and grow. In 2021, Common Good Vermont joined forces with United Way of Northwest Vermont as a fully merged statewide program. Together, they work as one to advance the common good for all by strengthening Vermont’s nonprofit sector.

How We Are Using ClickUp to Plan the Event

For no cost to Common Good Vermont, we built out the entire project plan in ClickUp using a past event template with some modifications. Both the client team and the Tuck team divvied out assignments with dependencies, timelines, etc. We built forms to collect information, analyze venue options, and track progress.

The first pass took about an hour to work through, then each week, we have a status call where we check on progress and add more detailed tasks based on the progress that we’ve made. I can’t say that every client has someone that has adopted ClickUp the way that Emma has, but it’s just a testament to the fact that working in the tool helps everyone get the right work done efficiently.

In addition to the project plan, we also have our status updates in a ClickUp doc that gets generated for each of our status meetings. It’s nothing fancy — just overall scope, schedule, and budget stop lights, tasks completed, tasks upcoming, and risks/issues/decisions. We are able to get through it in 5-10 minutes if we need to, and it allows for us to focus on the work that needs to be done that week.

Vermont’s First Nonprofit Conference

It’s hard to believe that a state like Vermont doesn’t already have a nonprofit conference. According to Common Good Vermont’s Nonprofit Sector report, one in seven workers in Vermont is employed by a nonprofit, making it the second largest sector behind the government. When Martin Hahn, the organization’s Director, and Emma shared their vision of bringing nonprofit folks together from every corner of the state, we were excited to be part of something big.

The Common Good Vermont team set some measured but lofty goals for the conference — financial, attendance numbers, and speaker quality to name a few. While not surprising to the Tuck team based on the skills at Common Good Vermont, we have already hit nearly every goal (frankly, we’re going to blow them away).

If you work in the nonprofit sector in the New England area, it’s a can’t-miss event. Registration opens soon, but you can sign up for updates here.

Pro Bono Project Management Consulting

If you’re a nonprofit like Common Good Vermont with an operating budget under $500K, you can qualify for our pro bono services. If you are above that level but still would like support with your event, project management, or ClickUp, we also offer discounts to qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Feel free to book a call with me here to discuss how we can help out.

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