Learning Labs

We’ve heard there’s a money tree out there, growing somewhere, but until we find it, this Learning Lab is for you! Come to our Fundraising Learning Lab to learn how to get more money for your mission, and gain friends and supporters along the way. Draft a development plan that diversifies your revenue streams while you fine-tune how to make the case for your organization, get a refresh on how to get those grants, master how to maintain and cultivate your donors, and create a culture of philanthropy that goes beyond just giving

You will learn through an in-depth, six module cohort-based series, led by experts that will provide a deep dive into fundraising for nonprofits. You will develop tools and strategies that ensure that your organization’s fundraising and resource development are strategic, donor-centered, and effective. You will also join an online community of practice of peers to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, sharing, and networking.

This training is intended for individuals at your organization with basic to intermediate expertise in the area who manage fundraising and resource development, impact fundraising strategy, and/or carry out fundraising and resource development implementation. This includes various stakeholders involved with fundraising, including fundraising staff, monitor and evaluation staff, administrators, board members, executive directors, and program staff. Organizations of all sizes are encouraged to apply.

• Session 1 - Making the Case for Your Nonprofit
  • Thursday, August 1, 2-5pm
• Session 2 -Responsible Fundraising & Resource Development: Get that Grant and Keep It
  • Thursday, August 8, 2-5pm
• Session 3 - Inclusive and Holistic Fundraising: All Hands on Deck
  • Thursday, August 15, 2-5pm
• Session 4 - Intentional and Sustainable Fundraising: Craft and Awesome Development Plan
  • Thursday, August 22, 2-5pm
• Session 5 - Resource Development Communication: Show Your Donors Their Money at Work
  • Thursday, August 29, 2-5pm
• Session 6 - Culture of Philanthropy: Beyond Giving
  • Thursday, September 5, 2-5pm

Registration has closed.

Questions about this Learning Lab? Contact Education & Training Manager Aaron Covarrubias at 646-893-2441 or [email protected].

Register for our Communications Learning Lab! In nonprofit communications, we are challenged with limited resources, small staff, and the need to cultivate internal buy-in about the importance of communications. There’s no easy fix, but you can gain new strategies from this Learning Lab to help you navigate these challenges: from planning internal communication strategies, to understanding strong branding to communicate your organization’s identity, to tracking and measuring your communications efforts.

You will learn through an in-depth, six module cohort-based series, led by experts that will provide a deep dive into communications management for nonprofits. Participants will develop tools and strategies that ensure that your organization’s communications are strategic, effective, and build a strong brand. You will also join an online community of practice of peers to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, sharing, and networking.

This training is intended for individuals at your organization with basic to intermediate expertise in the area who manage communications and/or carry out communications strategies including staff, administrators, and executive directors. Organizations of all sizes are encouraged to apply.

• Session 1 - Intentional Communications Planning: Get your Comms Plan Started
  • Thursday, June 13, 2-5pm
• Session 2 - Branding: Communicating Your Organization’s Identity
  • Thursday, June 20, 2-5pm
• Session 3 - Storytelling and Story Gathering
  • Thursday, June 27, 2-5pm
• Session 4 - Tracking Effectiveness of Communications
  • Thursday, July 11, 2-5pm
• Session 5 - Building Compelling Campaigns
  • Thursday, July 18, 2-5pm
• Session 6 - Leadership and Communications
  • Thursday, July 25, 2-5pm

Register now and reserve your spot for this learning lab. The deadline to register is May 17th, 2019. Register today!

Questions about this Learning Lab? Contact Education & Training Manager Aaron Covarrubias at 646-893-2441 or [email protected].

Calling out the IT crowd, the accidental techies, and folks dealing with technology at nonprofits out there that want to improve their strategic management of technology on their organizations. We invite you to come out from behind the screen and join the best IT crowd in town - our Technology Learning Lab is where professionals can come together and learn promising new practices, develop new tools and strategies that ensure that you and your organization have the technology practices it needs to thrive, and finally, an opportunity to engage with your peers and learn together.

Participants will learn through an in-depth, six module cohort-based series, led by experts that will provide a deep dive into technology management for nonprofits. Participants will develop tools and strategies that ensure that your organization’s technology hardware and software is suitable, that you are cyber secure, that your systems are capable of providing insightful and timely data to improve decision-making, and that you have the right practices and policies in place to drive a culture of efficiency that continues to advance your organization's mission. Participants will also join an online community of practice of peers to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, sharing, and networking.

This Learning Lab is intended for individuals in your organization with intermediate knowledge of technology management for nonprofits. This includes various stakeholders involved with tech management, including IT staff, operations staff, monitor and evaluation staff, administrators, executive directors, and program staff. Organizations of all sizes are encouraged to apply

• Session 1 - Equipment, Infrastructure, and Connectivity
  • Wednesday, April 10, 2-5pm
• Session 2 - Security and Stability
  • Wednesday, April 17, 2-5pm
• Session 3 - CRM & Databases
  • Wednesday, April 24, 2-5pm
• Session 4 - Data Analytics & Integrated Information
  • Wednesday, May 1, 2-5pm
• Session 5 -Technology Strategic Planning
  • Wednesday, May 8, 2-5pm
• Session 6 -Technology and Data-Driven Culture and Paradigm Shift
  • Wednesday, May 15, 2-5pm

Registration has closed.

Questions about this Learning Lab? Contact Education & Training Manager Aaron Covarrubias at 646-893-2441 or [email protected].

Come to our Human Resources Learning Lab to learn and develop tools that ensure that your most valuable resource is being nurtured and developed to keep your mission moving forward.

Participants will develop a strong set of tools to implement human resources practices that enhance their team’s ability to deliver on their mission including identifying and developing leadership pipelines and succession plans, assessing staff needs, and crafting responses to those needs in a holistic manner including work/life balance practices.

Participants will learn through an in-depth, six module cohort-based series, led by experts, that will provide a deep dive into human resource management for nonprofits. Participants will also join an online community of practice of peers to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, sharing, and networking.

This Learning Lab is intended for individuals in your organization with basic to intermediate knowledge of human resources. This includes various stakeholders involved with human resources management, including human resources staff, executive directors, operations staff administrators, and program staff. Organizations of all sizes are encouraged to apply

• Session 1 - Employment Life Cycle (part 1)
  • Thursday, February 7, 2-5pm
• Session 2 - Employment Life Cycle (part 2)
  • Wednesday, February 13, 2-5 pm
• Session 3 - Creating a Healthy Work Environment
  • Thursday, February 21, 2-5pm
• Session 4 - Leadership Development and Succession Planning
  • Thursday, February 28, 2-5pm
• Session 5 - Integrating Talent Management with your Organizational Strategy
  • Thursday, March 7, 2-5pm
• Session 6 - Aligning your Values and Culture to your Mission
  • Thursday, March 14, 2-5pm

Registration has closed.

Many nonprofits exist to address the ongoing consequences of systematic oppression and inequitable social and institutional practices. A focus on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) fosters a management culture that embraces different perspectives, resulting in stronger programs, comprehensive strategies, and the ability to better mitigate risks. But, where do nonprofits begin?

Apply for our first-ever DEI Learning Lab this fall. We're offering this series in response to the critical need for nonprofit leaders to internalize DEI as an organizational priority. In order to help nonprofit leaders move beyond a surface-level understanding of DEI, this Learning Lab tackles the challenging conversations needed to guide DEI efforts, and hold individuals and organizations accountable.

This Learning Lab is intended for nonprofit staff with basic to intermediate expertise in DEI, including executives, board members, program staff, human resources, and operations staff. Organizations of all sizes are encouraged to apply for the DEI Learning Lab.

• Session 1 – An Overview of DEI: Making Sense of DEI as a Management Practice
  • Thursday, November 1, 2 pm - 5 pm
• Session 2 – Developing a Shared Language and Definitions
  • Wednesday, November 7, 2 pm - 5 pm
• Session 3 – DEI as an Ongoing Process: How to Say We're Not "There" Yet
  • Thursday, November 15, 2 pm - 5 pm
• Session 4 – A Deep Dive into Equity and Inclusion
  • Thursday, November 29, 2pm - 5pm
• Session 5 – Building Diverse Leadership Pipelines
  • Monday, December 3, 2pm - 5pm
• Session 6 – Becoming an Effective Change Maker Around DEI
  • Thursday, December 13, 2pm - 5pm

The application window for the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Learning Lab has closed./p>

This training is intended for individuals in your organization with basic to intermediate expertise in budgeting. This includes different stakeholders involved with creating, tracking, and/or managing budgets (for instance, EDs, Program Managers, development staff, board members, and administrators).

This Learning Lab is sponsored by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Because of their generous support, we are able to offer a 25 percent discount for each Learning Lab attendee!

• Session 1 Mapping out your budget process
  • Thursday, September 20, 2-5pm
• Session 2 Understanding indicators of financial health
  • Thursday, September 27, 2-5pm
• Session 3 Storytelling through financials
  • Thursday, October 4, 2-5pm
• Session 4 Tracking and monitoring financial results
  • Thursday, October 11, 2-5pm
• Session 5 Financial planning and risk management
  • Thursday, October 18, 2-5pm
• Session 6 Cultivating a culture of financial management
  • Thursday, October 25, 2-5pm

The application window for the Financial Management Learning Lab has closed.

Thursday, April 26, 2018 - Monday, June 18, 2018

This training is intended for individuals at your organization with basic to intermediate expertise in the area who manage governance structure, impact board strategy, and/or carry out governance implementation.

• Session 1 - Structure and Oversight
• Session 2 - Diversifying Board Cultivation and Recruitment
• Session 3 - Board Retention and Value
• Session 4 - Fundraising and Ambassadorship
• Session 5 - Evaluating Performance
• Session 6 - Planning for the Future

Click here to download the Session Schedule and Key Takeaways (.pdf).

Application opens Wednesday March 14, 2018. Application deadline is Monday, April 2, 2018 at 5:00 pm. Acceptance notifications will be sent out by April 9, 2018.

This training is intended for individuals at your organization with basic to intermediate expertise in the area who manage data management and outcomes strategy, and/or carry out monitor and evaluation implementation.

• Session 1 - Why Evaluate & How to Approach It
  • July 10, 2018 from 2-5pm
• Session 2 - Logic Models: What, Why, and How
  • July 17, 2018 from 2-5pm
• Session 3 - Data Collection and Compilation
  • July 19, 2018 from 2-5pm
• Session 4 - What do the Data Say? Turning Numbers into Action
  • July 26, 2018 from 2-5pm
• Session 5 - Reporting and Storytelling
  • July 31, 2018 from 2-5pm
• Session 6 – Cultivating a Culture of Managing for Results & Impact
  • August 8, 2018, from 2pm-5pm (tentative)