Mentoring programme for non-profit associations

Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00) Written by Raido Thursday, 27 November 2008 16:01

The mentoring programme for non-profit associations is financed from the Estonian state budget.
The programme lasts for a year and involves both the individual instruction of the starting non-profit association as well as free seminars-trainings.

Why mentoring programme for non-profit associations?

Tarmo Leppoja, the member of the management board of Enterprise Estonia: "The idea of mentor programme of non-profit associations incurred by observing the consultation need of the starting non-profit associations and the success of the business mentor programme of Enterprise Estonia meant for the starting entrepreneurs. The major value of the programme is that the starting non-profit association gets advice in participating herein directly from the practician who has itself practised the advice received".

Mentorship is the cooperation relationship between two people wherein the more experienced person (mentor) provides voluntarily his/her knowledge and skills to the disposal of the less-experienced person (mentee) for supporting his/her personal and professional development.

Enterprise Estonia started with the mentor programme of non-profit associations in September 2007. During the year 15 cooperation pairs, i.e. 15 mentors and mentees worked together. Some reasons for applying for the programme:

• No sense to start inventing the bicycle, if the skills already exist somewhere.
• Would like the feeling of security and skills in developing the non-profit organisation and the assessment of the bystander for its activities.
• I need experience in management of non-profit organisation and project writing.
• I would like to expand my communication network and get new contacts.
• We need experience from the senior players in organising the community work.
• The management and accounting of non-profit organisation is still weak - good knowledge is just in place

What is the programme of Enterprise Estonia offering?

The programme involves the counselling of the mentee by the mentor, also several trainings and possibilities to meet: base training of mentorship, lectures of organisational behaviour, project studies, advice in financial management of the non-profit organisation etc. The topics of ethics and value assessments and organisation of good trainings have been also discussed in the workshops. Also 2-day study trip has been organised for the introduction of the activities of the non-profit associations participating in the programme.

Enterprise Estonia offers possibilities, but the most important part of the mentorship is the cooperation between the mentor and the mentee. Some cooperation pairs were created already in the base training and they started communication immediately, as the fast problems required settling (e.g. the work arrangement of the management board, solving the water problem of the village, communication with the rural municipality etc.).

The participants of the programme have understood that cooperation is not created from nowhere. Mentorship functions successfully, if the more active party of the relationship is the mentee who can and dares to ask. The participation in the programme requires quite a devotion and also time - but the spent time is really worthwhile.

Additional information:
Kaja Kaur
Coordinator of the mentoring programme for the non-profit associations
Phone 52 20 716, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it