Upcoming Webinars & Workshops

We are dedicated to connecting grantees with relevant, affordable, and diverse resources to help their organization's growth and development. Check out the upcoming webinar and workshop opportunities below. This page is updated weekly, so check back regularly for added opportunities. Click the accordion menu to expand additional information for each session.

January 2025

1/28 | 2025 Higher Goals Cohort for Nonprofit Marketing

Green Gate founder & CEO Katherine Branch will lead a virtual gathering to provide new tools, support, and inspiration for nonprofit marketers. The 2025 Higher Goals Cohort will focus on two core pillars:

  • Setting and achieving your marketing goals for the year
  • Growing the self-awareness and self-care tools that lead to more personal and professional fulfillment.
    Our first meeting will be a free 2-hour goal-setting workshop. We’ll start with your organization’s goals and, from there, identify the personal and marketing goals that will help actualize your vision.

After the initial workshop, we’ll gather for an hour each month to check in on your progress, support one another, and share inspiration on our purpose-driven paths. The first three months are free with no commitment, so don’t miss this opportunity and register today.

Host Provider: Green Gate
Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

Learn More & Register

1/30 | Nonprofit leaders speak on founding a nonprofit as a Black leader

Research has shown that Black nonprofit leaders face unique challenges, particularly in securing adequate funding for their organizations. A study by Candid found that nonprofits with Black CEOs are more likely to have smaller revenues than those with white CEOs, and Black leaders didn’t really need that study to know this was the case. Despite the challenges Black nonprofit leaders face, they are still working to meet the needs in their communities. These leaders use knowledge, partnerships, and ingenuity to get the work done because they are passionate about the role they play in the world. As part of Candid’s "Nonprofit leaders speak on..." series, join us to discuss founding a nonprofit. Attendees will gain valuable insights and leave with actionable strategies for building a nonprofit from the ground up. 

Outcomes

  • Meet three Black-led nonprofits and learn about their work.
  • Describe the steps founding executive directors take from securing start-up funds through getting paid as a full-time employee for their work.
  • Discover pro-tips on starting, then growing, a nonprofit including how to generate a variety of revenue streams.
  • Recognize the gaps in philanthropy, how these leaders fill them, and what we can do as champions of good work to help close gapsIntended audience.

Intended Audience

  • All levels of experience
  • Board members
  • CEOs, executive directors, upper management
  • Fundraising & development staff
  • Grant writers
  • Grantmaker/funder
  • Nonprofit startups

Host Provider: Candid
Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

Learn More & Register

1/30 | Coffee and Conversations with Center for Immersive Leadership

Looking for proven approaches to support workplace well-being, retention, and employee satisfaction? If so, we invite you to join us on January 30, 7:30am-9:00am for Coffee & Conversations with an expert panel of HR professionals. We will gain valuable insights from these top industry leaders:

  • Loretta McKinley, Chief Human Resources Officer at KYOCERA SGS Precision Tools
  • Cathryn O’Malley, Chief Operating Officer at United Way of Summit & Medina
  • Michelle Vectirelis, Vice President of People & Culture at the Akron Zoo

Our Guest Panelists will discuss critical topics around Workplace Well-Being, Increasing Employee Retention, Buy-In, Engagement, & Productivity. Key discussion points include:

  • Lessons learned from their experiences over the last year and a half
  • Challenges/successes they are encountering now
  • Emerging trends in the workplace landscape

Light snacks and coffee will be available.

Host Provider: Center for Immersive Leadership
Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025
Time: 7:30-9:00 am 
Location: United Way of Summit & Medina Knight Center for Truth - 37 N. High Street, Akron, Ohio 44308
Cost: Free

Learn More & Register

February 2025

2/3-6 | Ask the Expert

Hosted four times per year, Ask the Expert connects nonprofits with BVU’s network of skills-based volunteers to help you make a bigger difference! Choose from over 20 hour-long virtual sessions where you will connect one-on-one with a subject matter expert in marketing, fundraising, HR, technology, or another specialty. Get advice, answers and recommendations that you can implement right away.

Ask the Expert is FREE to attend for all nonprofit organizations. Once live, sessions can be found at the registration link below.

Host Provider: BVU
Date: February 3-6, 2025
Time: Various
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

Learn More & Register

2/3 | How to Get Your Board to Invest in Fundraising Tech

As fundraisers, we have more technology at our disposal than ever before.  From digital platforms to CRMs, from data appends to fundraising intelligence, the tools and resources can make our work faster, more efficient, and yield higher fundraising results. But it often requires an investment – and convincing a board or leadership team can be a challenge. After all, if fundraising is about relationships, why do you need all this tech stuff?

Join T. Clay Buck, CFRE, Founder of Next River Fundraising Strategies and Lead Fundraising Coach at Kindsight, for an in-depth look at the impact of technology and data on fundraising results, how to measure the return on investment, and ways to make informed decisions about technology for you and your leadership.

Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, February 3, 2025
Time: 12:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

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2/5 | Nonprofit Grant Writing Workshop

Join us for an exclusive non-profit grant writing training workshop designed to equip you with the skills to craft and submit competitive grant proposals that win funding.

Featuring Special Guest Speaker: Angi Lee, Chief, Office of Grants and Resource Development Ohio Department of Health. With years of experience in grant development and resource management, Angi Lee will share valuable insights, strategies, and tips to help you succeed.

Focus Areas Include:

  • Organization Strategy
  • Crafting a Compelling Narrative
  • Identifying Funding Sources
  • Navigating the RFP Process
  • Budget Development
  • Resources & Compliance

This workshop will be a brown bag session, so please bring your lunch to enjoy during the break.

Host Provider: Akron Urban League
Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Akron Urban League (440 Vernon Odom Blvd, Akron, OH 44307)
Cost: Free

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2/6 | Introduction to fundraising planning

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
  • Grant writers

Host Provider: Candid
Date: Thursday, February 6, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

Learn More & Register

2/6 | Unlocking Corporate Grants and Partnerships

Charitable giving by corporations totaled $36.55 billion in 2023, which is 7 percent of total giving. But giving varies by industry and the corporate-giving landscape is complex. Join us for a 75-minute webinar to learn ways to attract grants and create win-win partnerships with corporations. We’ll explore what motivates businesses to give grants, what they look for in successful partnerships, and how to work with companies to expand your revenue and reach.

Host Provider: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Date: Thursday, February 6, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:15 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: $69 (early bird) / $89

Learn More & Register

2/6 | Lead with Resilience: Stress and How to Overcome It

Few things undercut leader effectiveness more than stress. Join us for a transformative in-person leadership session where we'll help you increase your resilience to stress. During this interactive session, you can expect to:

  • Recognize your unique stress behaviors
  • Identify what triggers your stress responses
  • Develop a plan that builds resilience

What: Leadercore Series
When: Thursday February 6th from 7:30 to 9:30am
Where: Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2121 George Halas Drive Northwest, Canton, OH 44708
Registration is now open, but we've limited seats in order to maximize your interaction.

We can't wait to welcome you to this enriching event where you'll gain valuable insights and connect with like-minded leaders.

Register to secure your spot now!

See you then,

Host Provider: Leadercore
Date: Thursday, February 6, 2025
Time: 7:30-9:30 am
Location: Pro Football Hall of Fame (2121 George Halas Drive Northwest, Canton, OH 44708)
Cost: $75

Learn More & Register

2/11 | Introduction to measuring your impact

Your nonprofit does great work, but what is most important is the impact of that work. How do you demonstrate that your programs get results? An outcome-centric approach will lead to stronger program design and increased funding opportunities for your organization. In this introductory course for beginners, learn the basics of shifting focus from your nonprofit’s activities to its outcomes. We will demystify the language of outcomes measurement and guide you through the process of creating logic models for programs.

This course will prepare you to:

  • Draft SMART objectives for a program
  • Identify the parts of a logic model
  • Report the impact on your Candid profile

Intended audience

  • Beginner
  • Fundraising & development staff
  • Program directors and staff

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

Learn More & Register

2/19 | Strategic Financial Planning: Turning Your Board Goals and Budget into an Action Plan

During the time together, we dive into your organization's vision for the next three years and develop an outline for what systems need to be in place to reach the financial goals that have been identified. We'll also put together a timeline for addressing their priorities.

Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

Learn More & Register

2/19 | Nonprofit Seminar: Navigating Upcoming Political Changes

It’s 2025, and governmental budgets, players, and priorities are shifting at every level. This February, join BVU and Emily Campbell, public policy expert and President & CEO of the Center for Community Solutions, for insight on:

  • Upcoming political changes that could impact your nonprofit and the communities you serve.
  • Practical steps your organization can take as the political winds change.
  • Cutting through the noise to focus on issues with the highest stakes.

The session will also include a worksheet to help you determine what “advocacy” means for your organization, empowering you to make a mission-aligned difference in this politically charged environment.

Host Provider: BVU
Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Time: 8:30-10:00 am (doors open at 8:00 am for networking)
Location: MAGNET (1800 E. 63rd St, Cleveland, OH 44103)
Cost: Members $30 | Nonmembers $60

Learn More & Register

2/20 | Introduction to proposal writing

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.

Intended audience

  • Beginner
  • Grant writers

Host Provider: Candid
Date: Thursday, February 20, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

Learn More & Register

2/27 | The Psychology of Thanking Donors Well

Crafting donor thank-yous that deepen ties with supporters requires more than strong writing skills; it takes an understanding of donor motivations. Join us to learn about new research into what makes donors feel valued. Our speakers will explain how to analyze your donor communications, use language that resonates with donors, and take your thank-yous to the next level, so you can strengthen donor relationships and increase giving to your cause.

Host Provider: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:15 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: $69 (early bird) / $89

Learn More & Register

March 2025

3/4-6 | Nonprofit Marketing Summit

The digital revolution has reshaped our world. Now, it’s time for your nonprofit to evolve. In the last century, technology has transformed the world in ways once thought unimaginable. Just in the past decade, we’ve witnessed exponential growth—a surge of progress that rivals lifetimes of change. Nonprofits now stand at the very center of this evolution, confronted by a digital landscape filled with both unprecedented challenges and unparalleled opportunities.

To thrive in this new era, adaptation isn’t optional; it’s essential. In the midst of rapid technological transformation, one truth remains constant: the power of a community coming together to create lasting good. As we gather for the 10th Nonprofit Marketing Summit, we invite you to explore the future of nonprofit marketing conferences. Join us to uncover the core principles that have driven nonprofit success for decades, and dive into the latest innovative technologies to equip your organization with the tools to thrive in 2025.

This isn’t just a conference; it’s a celebration of legacy and a roadmap to the future of purpose-driven work.

Host Provider: The Nonprofit Marketing Summit
Date: March 4-6, 2025
Time: Various
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free

Learn More & Register


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