Northwest Training Institute

• Mission driven and have integrity of purpose
• Fiscally responsible
• Responsive to the needs of the community and clients they serve
• Innovative in design and delivery of quality services
• Collaborative in seeking effective partnerships with other agencies
• Continually striving to raise the standards of performance of volunteer and paid staff
• Continually seeking way to improve upon the success of the organization

The Northwest Training Institute was created in fall of 2003 as a direct response to an increasing need in the non-profit community in Northwestern Washington for a local source of quality, experientially based technical assistance and professional development for people in all facets of nonprofit governance, management and practice. The consequences associated with better-educated and qualified social service workers and board members translate into better quality care for children, youth, families and our environment - and ultimately a better quality of life in Washington.

The Training Institute was launched as a collaborative venture between Northwest Youth Services, and Opportunity Council - both headquartered in Bellingham, WA, and has been shaped based on information received during consultation with a number of local organization, foundation and community leaders leading up to its launch. Market research and general needs assessment information was garnered from organizations including Brigid Collins, YWCA, YMCA, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Interfaith Clinic, Volunteer Center, United Way of Whatcom County, and others. Additionally, consultation was sought from Western Washington University, Whatcom Community College and Bellingham Technical College as well as a similar institute at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, from which much of the design has been replicated. The extensive preliminary discussions and inquiries were conducted to honor the need for inclusivity in the process of building community capacity.