Nonprofit communications and marketing professionals often juggle many tasks, including ad hoc Canva design. By understanding design best practices, you can create more effective Canva graphics—and stay on-brand. Learn the four key design principles (layout, color, typography, imagery) as well as sources for high-quality graphics. Basic Canva knowledge is helpful but not required.

Logic Models feel and sound very complicated - but they don't have to be. A Logic Model is a great visual map for you to set the scene for your donors and funders. By using something familiar to all of us (the task of doing laundry), we'll walk through the steps of mapping a Logic Model and to define the gaps in your program that need filling.

This 30-minute presentation will provide a blueprint for raising major gifts virtually. We will walk through the process of inviting donors to a meeting, facilitating an engaging conversation, stewarding existing donors well, and cultivating new donors for an ask. You’ll leave with a blueprint for major gift success that capitalizes on the industry sea change initiated during the pandemic but that continues as a proven strategy for success.

Small teams, shoestring budgets, and ambitious targets - nonprofit fundraising can feel overwhelming. In this workshop, you'll learn a practical task prioritization framework to help you identify and focus on high-value fundraising tasks while delegating or streamlining lower-value tasks. This framework will empower you to make strategic decisions about where to invest your time and energy to maximize your organization's fundraising success.

Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z: there are four generations in today's nonprofit workforce, and with such wildly varying communication styles and preferences in play, miscommunication is virtually inevitable - or is it? This workshop focuses on ways to address or eliminate common sources of friction, leverage the communication strengths of each generation, and set up your multigenerational team for healthier, more effective communication.

If nonprofit leaders hope to meet their annual fundraising goals, they must develop both the "art" and the "science" of major gift fundraising. Major gifts are, simply, the gifts that are "major" for your organization - the top 10 to 20 revenue moments that ensure your nonprofit will remain in the black year after year. This workshop will give you an introduction to the tools you need to continue landing those major gifts. There is no secret sauce, but there are workflows, patterns, and habits that can give you opportunities to drive revenue for your organization and advance your mission into the future.

Join Matt, a 3X certified Salesforce Professional and experienced nonprofit consultant, in this 30-minute workshop. In a world that grows increasingly tech-centric, nonprofits are constantly tasked to achieve more with fewer resources. In this webinar, we'll delve into the significance of automation, illustrating what a highly automated organization looks like and providing concrete steps for nonprofits to enhance their own automation. We'll also address potential challenges and pitfalls to ensure a balanced and informed approach.

Join Barefoot PR as we take a peek behind the content curtain to learn more about the three factors everyone should use to inform and elevate their writing: voice, audience and tone. This workshop encourages learners to pause before putting pen to paper in order to find the voice of the organization they're working with, understand the audience they’re speaking to, and pick a tone that elevates their message clearly enough to engage effectively.

Nonprofit websites are complicated: they have to speak to several audiences (program participants, donors, partners, and many others) while still representing your work well. With so many competing requirements, it isn't easy to know if things are actually "working." By knowing what to look for, you can identify areas for improvement and ensure your online presence supports your mission and grows your community.

Grant writing: two words that can induce fear in the nonprofit space. This workshop will provide a strategic lens from which to view the entire grants process -- from research and funder cultivation to proposal and budget creation. Grant writing is an art and a science, so let's delve deep into how your organization can find (and win!) grants.

Earned revenue through marketplace mechanism allows your nonprofit to diversify its revenue streams with unrestricted dollars, and a chance to innovate your services, expand your audience, and increase your impact. This workshop will introduce the concept of social enterprise and different business model ideas, and explore some key considerations for nonprofits interested in starting a social enterprise.

Objectives:

• Gain a better understanding of the definition of a social enterprise
• Learn about different business models that a social enterprise can undertake• Explore some case studies to bring the concept to life
• Learn the potential benefits, impact, and risks through social enterprise
• Develop an understanding on what to consider as you explore starting a social enterprise

Storytelling has been a driving force in human history for thousands of years. It holds the power to build relationships, provide context, impose meaning, share lessons learned, identify challenges, and much more. Storytelling is a tool that nonprofits can use to convey the impact of their work. However, organizations often struggle with how to tell stories, what information to include, and how to utilize the stories they tell. This webinar will explore the basics of when and what types of evaluation to use to convey your organization’s story, as well as the the links between evaluation and story.

The U.S. may be facing a new congressional reality in January, and nonprofits of all types will have to adjust. This workshop — apolitical and nonpartisan — will focus on the overarching messages that may appeal to a 2023 session of Congress and storytelling approaches that can have an impact in a closely divided, highly charged D.C. environment already focused on the 2024 election cycle.

Objectives:

1. Understand the makeup of the incoming Congress.
2. Think through the challenges facing your organization and how to communicate that to friendly and more skeptical members of Congress.
3. Learn about practical tools that will help make current and new members of Congress your allies.

This masterclass will cover three key topics related to the importance of inclusion and the role of inclusive, inspiring leaders. Responsibilities of leadership and what it really means to have influence. Traits of inclusive leaders to consider what practices to incorporate. Creating belonging from within so that you can more easily create it for other people. 

Video presentation unavailable.

Accountability is fundamental to good governance and rather than viewing this as a burden, Boards should welcome accountability as an opportunity to use reporting as a means of celebrating performance, acknowledging endeavour, and for generating confidence and trust amongst stakeholders. This session will provide insight into how Boards can easily put in place processes to create and maintain cultures of transparency and honesty-based governance.

Objectives:

• Methods for reporting performance beyond standard legislative or regulatory requirements
• Techniques for engaging stakeholders via reporting
• Overcoming the barriers to embracing accountability.

When there are so many unknowns in front of us, and going back to "normal" seems like a myth, organizations have to consider what is next. Discussions of huge changes, like mergers, partnerships, mission shifts, and sunsetting can be fraught with difficulties. We will discuss the successes and challenges of alternative operating models as well as a frank discussion around the fears of big change.

Your Nonprofit's Online Presence: Legal Risks and Protections for Websites and Social Media

Learn best practices for how to protect your online intellectual property, such as educational and training materials, fundraising campaigns, blog posts, newsletters, and photos, and how to reduce risk when using others' content. We'll discuss copyright, fair use, trademarks, defamation, invasion of privacy, and rights of publicity.

Objectives: (1) Identify what IP your organization might have and how to protect it; (2) how to safely use others' work; (3) what should be included in simple agreements with independent contractors and volunteers.

Data Makeovers: How to Make Your Data More Beautiful and Engaging

Data visualization is like one of those unlikely couples. One partner is outgoing and a great storyteller. The other is introverted and sticks to the facts. To make great charts, maps, and graphs, you need to channel both partners in this odd couple: the artist and the analyst. In this workshop, I will offer up 10 key rules about composition that artists know and that analysts (and the rest of us) can apply when presenting data.

A new study from Nonprofit HR reveals that 45% of nonprofit employees will seek new or different employment in the next five years. Of that group, 23% said that nonprofits would not be among the types of organizations they intend to pursue. Nonprofit employees leave for different reasons – low pay, lack of career growth, low functioning business models, poor management, and more; yet, the significant negative impact on the organizations’ finances and culture is the same. In Nurturing Safe Space, former nonprofit executive director Ginny Waller will facilitate a virtual workshop for nonprofit leaders to improve employee retention through the reinforcement of a culture of high psychological safety in which people can take interpersonal risks by speaking their truths. The facilitator will lead peer discussions around identifying the elements of a healthy organizational culture and strategies to increase employee engagement.

Annual Report: Is it a Burden or a Call to Action for Donors

Do you want your annual report to recruit donors for you? As a general rule, people don't like to donate, but they LOVE to make a difference. If you apply the neuroscience of giving to the creation and distribution of your annual report, the world will see the difference they can make through you, and respond accordingly.

Objectives:

• Review the neuroscience of giving and how to tap into it
• Employ the six dos and don'ts for an effective Annual Report
• Apply precision techniques to attract the right donors

Presenter:  Susan Kahan, Sapphire Fundraising Specialists

Presentation Deck

February 21, 2022

Imagine meeting with your donor, and they say, "I have a meeting with my estate planner next week, is there anything I should mention?" Lucky you! This is your entry to a planned giving conversation...are you ready? Many fundraisers think planned giving is complex and scary, but now is the time to brush up on the basics of planned giving vehicles and why being knowledge about these opportunities are so important. This presentation will also discuss why planned giving can be scary to talk about, how to overcome your fears so you can bring up the topic to your donors, and strategize to include planned giving in regular donor communications.

Nonprofit Brand Review: Prepare Your Organization for 2022
Nonprofit Learning Lab - ACN Webinar Collaboration

Presenter: Lidia Varesco Racoma, Lidia Varesco Design

Presentation Deck
LVD Branding Checklist

January 6, 2022

Your branding may be the first way someone interacts with your organization—but when is the last time you checked in with your brand? This session will show you why it's important to conduct an annual brand audit and walk you through the steps for reviewing and evaluating your brand’s performance to assure success in the new year. Worksheet and resources will be provided.

Have you pondered "what does our audience think about our organization?" Your mission is the top priority, but if you don't know how your audience perceives it you may struggle with gaining their support for it. In this session, Emily will share why it is so important to listen to your audience and use that information to build momentum for your work.

This workshop will help nonprofit agencies discover how to make the most of high-skill volunteers--those lawyers, public-relations specialists, accountants and other professionals who are increasingly interested in donating their expertise. We'll explore: how to identify major projects on which volunteers can be helpful; how to integrate them into those projects; how to smooth relations between staff and volunteers, and make paid personnel more effective in deploying and supervising their unpaid counterparts; when to consider volunteers for leadership positions, including the Board of Directors; and how to keep them motivated (using "The Big MAC approach") so you can truly rely on them.

The importance of strategic planning is not new to nonprofit organizations, but the manner in which we can connect with and elevate voices that are otherwise underheard continues to evolve. How can we effectively identify who should be a part of the process? How do we balance feedback received from different community stakeholders with the knowledge we have as nonprofit professionals? And how can we pull together what we learn into an actionable plan?

Rethinking the strategic planning process from a cumbersome and overwhelming task to an opportunity to connect with our community opens the possibilities to engage with those outside our immediate circles. This program will provide participants with insights and ideas to incorporate thoughtful community engagement into strategic planning processes that both diminishes the risk of planning within our own bubbles and also inspires new ideas.

As we begin the recovery process from the pandemic, we’re hearing more than ever about nonprofits strengthening existing partnerships and looking for new ones. This convening discusses how to intentionally develop new relationships and leverage new opportunities for collaboration as we move forward in our work and realizing our missions.

There's always more to the story. The often untold stories have the power to call your audience to act, transform hearts and ultimately support your work. It's not always perfect, but it's perfectly meant to be told. In this webinar, we'll learn why it matters. Hear firsthand how moments unfold, stories are told, and endings surprise.

Are you currently utilizing sponsorship as a funding source for your nonprofit organization? Do you hope to launch a sponsorship program but don’t know where to start? Does your current program need a refresh to maximize your results?

Learn how to leverage sponsorship and corporate partnerships to benefit the future of your organization.

Many nonprofits leaders are unsure about the legality of advocacy and lobbying efforts in which their organization can engage. Whether they are working independently or within a partnership such as a coalition, nonprofits should strive to influence public policies that affect the organization’s ability to achieve its mission. Attendees will learn how you and your organization can strengthen your advocacy efforts.

Donors are inspired by powerful stories about real people. The challenge for grant writers, then, is showing how these individual stories tie into a larger reality backed by data. This webinar focuses on how to collect and use data in your communications to potential donors, policymakers, and the community, and weave a compelling story out of the numbers.

It’s tax season, and we’re all still coping with the impacts of the pandemic. The good news is there are some tools nonprofits can use to ease some of the financial burdens: there are employee retention tax credits, another round of Payroll Protection Program (PPP), and very likely an upcoming stimulus package. Join Forefront and the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits to hear a panel of consultants discuss what options might best support your organization as you build towards recovery.

Funders often request or require data and respond well to powerful stories about real people. How do you build a compelling narrative with data to back it up? This program will focus on how to get started collecting and using data in your strategy, program design, and impact measurement. If you’re not sure where to start collecting data, or you have some information and want to learn more ways to use it, this program is for you.

We regularly get questions about grant writing: How do I find a consultant? How do I know it's the right match for my organization? Can an intern write grants? Should they be paid hourly or by the project? Are state grants easier to get than private foundation grants? Is my organization ready to apply for grants?

Building on our August conversation topic of building racial equity within an organization, this session will focus on grounding our public facing work in racial equity and social justice. Join us to Ask a Consultant your questions about taking meaningful action to end systemic injustice. We’ll go beyond statements and reports (although those are important, too) to look at centering BIPOC, advocacy, organizing, and other practices that work to fix inequity.

Anti-racist, DEI, Racial Equity, Social Justice – these topics have circulated for years, but how do we weave it into the very fabric of our organizations and our work? Hear from expert consultants and discuss with fellow nonprofits where you are on this journey and build the institutional muscle to take lasting action.

Bookkeeping Best Practices - and Mistakes to Avoid

Presented by Dawn Hershik, Supporting Strategies
July 22, 2020

Your team took to the challenge of working virtually, now what? As you look to managing your staff virtually for the long-term, our expert panel can answer questions about what to expect and plan for along the way. 

Navigating During Times of Uncertainty: The Next Normal

Presented by Aashi Mital, Pivotal Solutions Consulting, ACN Member
June 30, 2020

COVID-19 has prioritized virtual communication, but how do you make sure your message still connects with people? Our panel of experts in market research, visual and verbal communication, and human-centered design will share tools to create a strong foundation for messaging that can be nimble during times like these. Featured consultants will include Carol White of CB White, Lidia Varesco Racoma of Varesco Design, and Emily Taylor of teenyBIG.

Ask a Consultant: HR in a Virtual World

Presented by Heather Eddy, KEES and K. Sujata

May 19, 2020

Related resource from Open Door Advisors - Return-to-Work Guide for nonprofit employees, which you can customize for your organization (in PPT format). This document is intended to help employers communicate to employees about new policies, procedures and practices specific to their workplace. Every workplace will of course differ, and employers should edit the information to reflect the circumstances in their own workplace.  Feel free to share this with your colleagues in the social impact sector.

Whether it is working remotely or operating in a heightened capacity, human resource structures have changed. In this session, our panel will focus on practical ways to support and manage staff virtually, stay in close communication during times of crisis, build a cohesive online culture, and make key decisions that are focused on organizational stability.

Nonprofit leaders are facing unprecedented challenges that require courage and the capacity to adapt in a rapidly changing environment. Join consultants Julie Boll and Amy Wishnick for a conversation about how to intentionally develop courage and adaptive capacity, and to identify and leverage new found strengths in the midst of uncertainty.

In a matter of a couple of weeks, your entire annual fund development strategy has changed. Ask our panel of consultants your urgent questions about funding, including the CARES Act, grants, and communicating and nurturing both new and existing donors.

There is a perception among some in the nonprofit world that making a profit doesn’t match up with the altruistic mission of a nonprofit organization. That the organization should succeed on its merits and purpose alone. But is this sustainable? In this workshop we will dig into why you may want to incorporate some of the management and operational styles of a traditional for-profit business and what results these changes can have on your organization.

LINK TO WATCH WEBINAR