From staff reports

PARKERSBURG — Susan Cole Urano, an author who has directed four nonprofit organizations and has served on numerous nonprofit and statewide boards, will be the guest speaker at 2 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library, 3100 Emerson Ave.

In a free program open to the public, she will share her expertise and experiences as executive director of Athens County Foundation and feature her book, “The Community Table: Effective Fundraising Through Events.”

Urano lives in rural Ohio with her husband, David.

In resource-challenged Athens County, Ohio, staff and volunteers at the nonprofit Athens County Foundation came up with an idea: to host a locally sourced, gourmet dinner for 400 people, she said. The meal would be held on the brick-paved main street of the city of Athens, to raise funds for the food bank and increase awareness of the persistent local struggle with food insecurity, as well as raise the visibility of the foundation, Urano said.

The logistical challenges were daunting, but the plan would unite the community around the common theme of providing for its own, Urano said.

Since then, Bounty on the Bricks has become a touchstone event that raises close to $100,000 for the food bank. In The Community Table, Urano translates her years of nonprofit experience with large-scale annual fundraisers into a step-by-step guide for development professionals, community leaders and volunteers.

Urano guides readers to consider when to mount a fundraiser, who the stakeholders are, what social and financial value the event will bring to the community, and how partnerships might augment the payoff.

Using real-life examples, she explains how organizers can learn from mistakes and illustrates methods of team building, conflict resolution, and problem solving. Sample ideas, timelines, budgets, publicity plans, and committee structures round out The Community Table.

The event is the first author signing of the year at the local library.