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.
March 2025
3/24 | From Inbox to Impact: Perfecting Your Nonprofit Email Marketing Strategy
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
3/24 | An Uncertain Time: How to Make Sense of this Moment
As national and global leaders continue to enact exclusionary policies and create discourse that divides by othering: How do we make meaning of the current moment and global climate we are in? How do we build an economy that fosters wellbeing for all in this time? How do we forge ahead and understand pathways towards making progress, together and toward a future of belonging without othering? Join us on March 24 for a live webinar where we hope to answer these questions and more. Othering & Belonging Institute Director john a. powell will be joined by researchers and leaders in the fields of authoritarian populism, democracy, belonging economies, and community building.
Speakers
- Rachel D. Godsil is a Distinguished Professor and Chancellor's Social Justice Scholar at Rutgers Law School and a Co-Founder of Perception Institute.
- Míriam Juan-Torres is a multidisciplinary researcher, writer, and public speaker with expertise on authoritarian populism, polarization, and human rights.
- John a. powell is Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute And Professor of Law, African American, and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
- Eli Moore is a researcher and facilitator with the Othering and Belonging Institute where he leads transformative research processes with community-based organizations and networks.
Host Provider: Othering & Belonging Institute
Date: Monday, March 24, 2025
Time: 12:30-2:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
3/25 | Community-centric fundraising: Transforming nonprofit practices for equity and impact
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
3/26 | Introduction to Finding Grants
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
3/27 | Revamp Your Email Marketing Using Metrics and Reporting
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
3/27 | Public Speaking for Artists
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
April 2025
4/1 | Navigating Detours: Resetting Your Strategic Plan When the Unexpected Strikes
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
4/1 | Introduction to project budgets
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
4/8 | 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
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
4/10 | Role of the Board (In-person at ASCPL)
Akron Community Foundation and BVU are hosting a free training session to help participants excel in their responsibilities and sharpen their leadership skills. Whether you're an experienced board member, nonprofit employee, or considering joining a board, BVU's acclaimed "Role of the Board" training will provide insights from an expert panel of board and staff leaders, covering the roles and responsibilities of board members, as well as best practices for building a better board through thoughtful recruitment efforts.
Host Provider: Akron Community Foundation & BVU
Date: Thursday, April 10, 2025
Time: 8:30-11:00 am
Location: Akron-Summit County Public Library, Auditorium
Cost: Free
4/23 | Introduction to Proposal Writing and Project Budgeting
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
4/28 | Marketing for a Mission
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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