Webinars & Workshops

Join us to learn practical strategies for better engaging your board in fundraising. In this course, we’ll cover boards’ typical fundraising responsibilities, why some board members may be reluctant to fundraise, and how to overcome these concerns. We will also brainstorm new ways your board members can participate in fundraising activities and will share tips for strengthening your board and aligning on fundraising priorities. Whether you’re an executive director, board member, or development professional, this course will help you plan for your organization to fundraise better as one team.

Upon completion of this course, you'll be able to:

• Describe the board’s role in fundraising
• Integrate fundraising into your board’s roles and responsibilities
• Plan how you will use your GuideStar profile for board development and fundraising
• Identify a range of fundraising activities that can engage your board members

Intended audience

• Beginner
• Board members
• CEOs, executive directors, upper management
• Fundraising & development staff
• Nonprofit startups
• Program directors and staff

Host Provider: Candid
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

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As nonprofits face growing complexities and challenges, getting the governance right has never been more important. This highly acclaimed seminar features two presentations as well as a panel discussion with local nonprofit staff and board leaders who will share their experiences, discuss the roles and responsibilities of nonprofit board members, and consider challenges and opportunities facing nonprofits. The session also includes a group case study exercise.

Host Provider: BVU
Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Time: 8:30-11:45 am 
Location: Oswald Conference Center (950 Main Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113)
Cost: Members - Free | Nonmembers $120

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Join Akron Community Foundation for our second annual Nonprofit Insights Conference, featuring keynote speakers LC Johnson, founder & CEO of Zora's House, and Peter Fissinger, principal of Fissinger Fundraising.

A whole day of breakout sessions will offer topics ranging from board accountability and volunteer management to AI, event planning and leadership, among several other areas. Through engaging workshops, interactive sessions, and insightful keynotes, participants will gain valuable skills, strategic insights, and practical tools to navigate the challenges of the nonprofit landscape.

Organizations are able to send up to two attendees, but seating is limited so register today!

Host Provider: Akron Community Foundation
Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Time: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Akron Fairlawn (3180 W. Market St., Akron)
Cost: $25.00

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You always want your program to make a difference. You want the best for your clients, and for your employees who are committed to those they serve.  Through effective program evaluation, you can ensure that your efforts are really accomplishing the goals you set forth--and you can become a better steward of your resources.

This webinar will focus on different types of evaluation, both quantitative and qualitative, to support you in measuring your impact.  We will also discuss the benefits of research, and steps that you can take in your organization to build a culture of learning that leads to more effective evaluation.

The University of Notre Dame’s Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) exists to power service with research. They help service providers apply scientific evaluation methods to better understand and unleash effective poverty interventions. They are grounded in a belief that research serves people—not the other way around. They work side-by-side with their partners across the country to design and implement a research approach that’s both rigorous and respectful of every person it involves. Then they share what they learn with others, allowing each success to inspire thousands more.

Join Fran Gallagher and Mara Trionfero Lucas from the Project Development team at LEO to ask all the questions you have about evaluating the impact of your work.

Host Provider: Candid
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

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This presentation is designed for nonprofit professionals involved in marketing, development, or donor engagement who want to maximize the impact of their email campaigns. This session dives into strategies to help nonprofits craft compelling email content that cuts through the digital noise and drives meaningful action, whether it's donor stewardship, fundraising appeals, or event promotions. 

Attendees will learn proven methods to boost open rates, click-through rates, and donor response by leveraging data-driven insights and audience segmentation. The webinar also explores how to design segmented email lists and craft personalized messaging to better resonate with supporters. 

Additionally, participants will gain practical tips for setting up effective welcome series, drip campaigns, and event-based communications. By attending, nonprofit organizations will leave equipped with the tools and techniques to create highly effective email campaigns that foster deeper relationships with supporters, save time, and drive measurable results.

Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, March 24, 2025
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

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Discover how Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF) can help your nonprofit center equity, collective impact, and meaningful community engagement. This webinar will introduce you to CCF’s 10 principles, explain why they matter, and highlight their potential to transform nonprofit practices. We’ll explore the foundational ideas of CCF, including prioritizing the community over donor preferences, fostering a sense of belonging, and building power-sharing relationships. You’ll also see examples of how organizations are implementing these principles, from small, individual actions to comprehensive, organization-wide changes.

Using interactive tools like polls, we’ll identify which principles might feel risky, sticky, or challenging to implement and discuss strategies to navigate these difficulties with transparency and courage. Whether you’re new to CCF or looking for practical ways to deepen your commitment, you’ll leave this webinar with new insights, actionable steps, and the inspiration to reimagine fundraising for the benefit of your whole community.

Host Provider: Candid
Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

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Are you new to the field of grantseeking? Discover what funders are looking for in nonprofits seeking grants and how to find potential funders in this introductory course. You will learn the 10 most important things you need to know about finding grants, including:

• Who funds nonprofits and what are their motivations.
• What do funders really want to know about the organizations they are interested in funding.
• How do you identify potential funders and make the first approach.

This orientation is not intended for individuals seeking grants for their own use. Please refer to our Knowledge Base articles for Individual Grantseekers.

Host Provider: Candid
Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Time: 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Akron-Summit County Public Library (60 S. High Street, Akron, OH 44326)
Cost: Free

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Ready to improve your email marketing results?

General best practices are a great starting point, but the real magic happens when you tailor your strategy to your unique audience. Every business and every audience are different, and what works for one might not work for another. That’s why it’s crucial to dive deep into your own metrics to discover what truly resonates with your audience.

In this free, one-hour webinar, you’ll:

• Master the top email metrics: Learn what the most common metrics really mean and how to interpret them
• Benchmark your success: Understand industry averages and where you stand compared to your peers
• Proven tips for improvement: Discover actionable strategies to boost your results and engage your audience

Joining from abroad or can’t make it to the live webinar? Register anyway to receive the recording. 

Host Provider: Constant Contact
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

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In the arts and culture industry, how you say what you do can be just as important as what you do. In this lively workshop, Robin will teach participants how to craft the classic elevator pitch. She’ll show you how to use the technique of rehearsed improvisation to introduce yourself in social settings and panel discussions. Then, she’ll explain how to apply your pitch tactics to longer interviews, as well as podcasts and other public conversations.  

After Q&A, participants will take turns workshopping pitches. You’ll come away equipped to make that powerful first impression, whether on Zoom, on stage, or on that iconic elevator ride. 

Meet the Presenter:

Robin Cembalest
Instagrammer, Journalist, Former ARTnews Editor
Respected journalist, influential Instagrammer, and the former longtime editor of ARTnews, Robin Cembalest specializes in professional training and career development. She teaches workshops in writing, social media, self-promotion, and other essential skills at art schools, residencies, museums, cultural organizations, and nonprofits. She is a faculty member of the School of Visual Arts and a longtime instructor in the Bronx Museum’s AIM program. Widely published in the art and mainstream press, Robin is best known today as @rcembalest, handle of her popular Instagram.

Host Provider: Ohio Arts Council
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

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Your team has put in the work. You have a solid strategy and a system to stay on track. Then, the unexpected hits—a key team member leaves, funding falls through, or a policy shift threatens your program. How a nonprofit responds to detours determines its success. Learn how to turn challenges into opportunities when you realign with your purpose and adapt strategically.

Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

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Are you ready to start fundraising for your project or idea, but don't know what and how much to ask for? If preparing a budget for your foundation grant is holding you back, come learn the basic elements of how to draft a project budget with confidence. This class will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to generate a standard project budget for a foundation proposal. We will discuss:

• The basic components of a project budget including income and expenses
• How to estimate the realistic cost of a project
• What other financial documents you may also need to submit with your proposal

Intended audience

• Beginner
• Fundraising & development staff
• Grant writers

Host Provider: Candid
Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

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Does your organization need help directing its fundraising efforts? Planning focuses your organization by setting fundraising priorities and helps give staff and board members a roadmap to success. This introductory class will provide you the basic steps for developing a fundraising plan, including tips on:

• Making your case for support
• Diversifying your organization's fundraising base
• Creating a plan of action

Intended audience

• Beginner
• Board members
• CEOs, executive directors, upper management
• Fundraising & development staff

Host Provider: Candid
Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

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Are you new to proposal writing or want a quick refresher? If so, you don't want to miss one of our most popular classes. This class will provide you with an overview of how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation. It will include:

• The basic elements of a proposal
• The "do's" and "don'ts" of writing and submitting a proposal
• How to follow up whether the answer is yes or no
• 30-minute hands-on exercise to develop a proposal outline (in-person classes only)

Upon completion of this course, you'll be able to:

• Understand how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation.
• Know how and when to follow up with funders after submitting a proposal.

Looking for sample proposals?
Our Sample Documents gallery has samples of actual winning proposals recommended by grantmakers.

Intended audience

• All levels of experience
• Grant writers

Host Provider: Candid
Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Time: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Location: Akron-Summit County Public Library (60 S. High Street, Akron, OH 44326)
Cost: Free

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The digital landscape is as crowded as ever, so how do mission-driven nonprofits stand out to reach new donors, volunteers, and other supporters? In this session, we will explore how nonprofits can develop and improve online communication plans that drive results.

Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, April 28, 2025
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

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