Nonprofit Workshops
In response to COVID-19, CEN has moved all of our programs online, offering virtual training opportunities that merge fundamental best practices with crisis management resources and opportunities for peer-to-peer connections and support. Additionally, we're offering special discounts and payment plans to make our offerings increasingly accessible during this challenging time (more details on our registration pages).
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As a sector, we cannot ignore the long overdue demand for systemic changes - including within our own organizations - to ensure equity and inclusion, which is why IDEAL principles are embedded in everything CEN offers. To help you gain the knowledge and training you need to sustain and grown your organization, we provide a wide range of skill-building workshops for nonprofit executives, staff members, and board leaders. These small-group sessions offer ample time to interact with CEN’s highly-trained facilitators. Participants leave with the resources and templates needed to implement learning right away.
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Each of our workshops is offered at least twice a year, some up to four times, either virtually (in response to COVID-19) or at one of the local Sobrato Centers for Nonprofits. Please scroll down for an overview of our core curricula or use the link below to visit our Training Calendar to see a list of upcoming workshops. More information about discounts and scholarships can also be found on the registration pages. Remember, space is limited so register early to reserve your spot!
Workshop Offerings
Managing Staff
Management Basics – Part 1
Intended for new managers, this class will show you how to set expectations amongst direct reports, manage performance day to day, and tackle difficult conversations while still providing valuable feedback.
Intended for new managers, this class will show you how to set expectations amongst direct reports, manage performance day to day, and tackle difficult conversations while still providing valuable feedback.
Management Basics - Part 2
Build a foundation of trust by understanding working styles and setting workplace expectations. We’ll review your unique struggles and identify ways to turn a currently dysfunctional employee/team into a high performing asset.
Build a foundation of trust by understanding working styles and setting workplace expectations. We’ll review your unique struggles and identify ways to turn a currently dysfunctional employee/team into a high performing asset.
Finding, Hiring, & Engaging New Team Members
Explore strategies to identify the talent you want on your team, and learn interview techniques to better assess candidates upfront, as well as what it take to help them excel in this new position, starting from day one.
Explore strategies to identify the talent you want on your team, and learn interview techniques to better assess candidates upfront, as well as what it take to help them excel in this new position, starting from day one.
Developing a High Performing Team (Group Workshop)
Learn to create better teams, leverage assets, and help your existing team work together more effectively. Teams will discover ways to overcome barriers and understand each other’s working styles. We will also show you how to use team charters to set your team(s) up for success, as well as review tips for establishing great team meetings.
Learn to create better teams, leverage assets, and help your existing team work together more effectively. Teams will discover ways to overcome barriers and understand each other’s working styles. We will also show you how to use team charters to set your team(s) up for success, as well as review tips for establishing great team meetings.
Nonprofit Sector Skill-Building
Fundraising Basics
Participants will explore the basic fundraising process, review the board’s role in fundraising, gain the framework to build a comprehensive fundraising plan, and learn how to develop and communicate a case for support.
Participants will explore the basic fundraising process, review the board’s role in fundraising, gain the framework to build a comprehensive fundraising plan, and learn how to develop and communicate a case for support.
"Making the Ask" Fundraising
Together we will explore and practice strategies and techniques to set proper expectations (clarifying roles), expand your team's ability to raise money for your organization, and maximize your impact.
Together we will explore and practice strategies and techniques to set proper expectations (clarifying roles), expand your team's ability to raise money for your organization, and maximize your impact.
Grant Funding Essentials
Attendees will be introduced to the grant seeking process including an overview of the essential administrative functions for grant acquisition, types of funding sources, prospect research, and cultivation of funders.
Attendees will be introduced to the grant seeking process including an overview of the essential administrative functions for grant acquisition, types of funding sources, prospect research, and cultivation of funders.
Intentional Branding: You and Your Organization
Branding applies to organizations and individuals alike. In this workshop, we will help attendees define their personal professional brands and do so in service and support of their organizations’ brands as well.
Branding applies to organizations and individuals alike. In this workshop, we will help attendees define their personal professional brands and do so in service and support of their organizations’ brands as well.
Understanding Nonprofit Financials
Review the basic elements of common nonprofit financial statements and identify tips to better understand what they mean, how they determine an organization’s health, and ways to use this info to make strategic decisions.
Review the basic elements of common nonprofit financial statements and identify tips to better understand what they mean, how they determine an organization’s health, and ways to use this info to make strategic decisions.
Nonprofit Advocacy
This workshop dispels the myth that nonprofits can’t advocate as part of the work they do to support their missions! Learn what exactly advocacy is, advocacy strategies, and the legal constraints that govern our sector.
This workshop dispels the myth that nonprofits can’t advocate as part of the work they do to support their missions! Learn what exactly advocacy is, advocacy strategies, and the legal constraints that govern our sector.
Organizational Management & Leadership
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, & Liberation (IDEAL)
This all-day program is a genuine, candid space to explore the principles of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Liberation (IDEAL) and the effect of these principles on the community you serve and the organization as a whole. This session is intended to provide a respectful, nonjudgmental space and opportunity for growth and thought-partnership.
This all-day program is a genuine, candid space to explore the principles of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Liberation (IDEAL) and the effect of these principles on the community you serve and the organization as a whole. This session is intended to provide a respectful, nonjudgmental space and opportunity for growth and thought-partnership.
IDEAL Management Mini-Workshops
Consulting clients may request IDEAL Management Mini-Workshops regarding but not limited to: Bias, Communication, Oppression, Identity, Intersectionality, and the Business Case for IDEA
Consulting clients may request IDEAL Management Mini-Workshops regarding but not limited to: Bias, Communication, Oppression, Identity, Intersectionality, and the Business Case for IDEA
Telling a New Story: Inclusion in the Arts
This program examines the cultures and oppressive structures within the arts and organizations in the field, as well as provides tools to encourage the incorporation of IDEAL principles in order to engage and value a variety of perspectives, experiences, cultures, and more.
This program examines the cultures and oppressive structures within the arts and organizations in the field, as well as provides tools to encourage the incorporation of IDEAL principles in order to engage and value a variety of perspectives, experiences, cultures, and more.
Compassionate Leadership
Unpack the nonprofit sector’s historical leadership models that fall short of serving the creation of an IDEAL workspace. Join us in exploring what it means to lead with wisdom and compassion and to strike a balance between the two.
Unpack the nonprofit sector’s historical leadership models that fall short of serving the creation of an IDEAL workspace. Join us in exploring what it means to lead with wisdom and compassion and to strike a balance between the two.
Leading Others Through Change
This session is designed to give participants the tools and techniques to lead our organizations through times of change and crisis more effectively. As a result, participants will leave with a clearer understanding of what happens to people when an organizational change initiative (both expected and unexpected) occurs, and will feel more prepared to address the myriad challenges that come your way.
This session is designed to give participants the tools and techniques to lead our organizations through times of change and crisis more effectively. As a result, participants will leave with a clearer understanding of what happens to people when an organizational change initiative (both expected and unexpected) occurs, and will feel more prepared to address the myriad challenges that come your way.
Preventing Burnout: Self-Care in a Selfless Sector
This course provides space and tools to help you lean in without burning out. Participants will join in productive conversations that explore new strategies and coping skills while gaining tangible resources to identify workplace stressors, end self-deprecating talk, build communicative workplace structures, and calmly deal with change at any level in an organization.
This course provides space and tools to help you lean in without burning out. Participants will join in productive conversations that explore new strategies and coping skills while gaining tangible resources to identify workplace stressors, end self-deprecating talk, build communicative workplace structures, and calmly deal with change at any level in an organization.
La Capacidad de Recuperación
Spanish Offering!
La clave para manejar el estrés no es evitarlo, sino encontrar métodos para trabajar con él. Este curso está diseñado para brindarles a los participantes las herramientas que necesitan para identificar los factores estresantes, terminar con las conversaciones autocríticas, construir estructuras comunicativas y lidiar con el cambio con calma.
Spanish Offering!
La clave para manejar el estrés no es evitarlo, sino encontrar métodos para trabajar con él. Este curso está diseñado para brindarles a los participantes las herramientas que necesitan para identificar los factores estresantes, terminar con las conversaciones autocríticas, construir estructuras comunicativas y lidiar con el cambio con calma.
Passing the Torch: Nonprofit Succession Planning
Planning for transitions is a critical strategic process that you can – and should! - start working towards before a departure is expected. Participants in this course will leave with skills to develop transition plans and outline action steps for future success and increased sustainability for your organization.
Planning for transitions is a critical strategic process that you can – and should! - start working towards before a departure is expected. Participants in this course will leave with skills to develop transition plans and outline action steps for future success and increased sustainability for your organization.
Strategic Planning
Whether it is time for your organization to develop a new plan or you're looking for a guide to adjust your current plan, this workshop will leave you with the tools and resources you need to get the process going. We will review the three basic steps to effective strategic planning and will explore the various ways that organizations can utilize the process to increase impact and meet goals.
Whether it is time for your organization to develop a new plan or you're looking for a guide to adjust your current plan, this workshop will leave you with the tools and resources you need to get the process going. We will review the three basic steps to effective strategic planning and will explore the various ways that organizations can utilize the process to increase impact and meet goals.
Board Training & Development Topics
Nonprofit Board Essentials
This workshop is an orientation to nonprofit board service, great for prospective board members and new recruits. Participants will get an in-depth overview of the 10 basic roles and responsibilities of board service.
This workshop is an orientation to nonprofit board service, great for prospective board members and new recruits. Participants will get an in-depth overview of the 10 basic roles and responsibilities of board service.
Board Chair Essentials
Take a deep dive on how to maximize the critical relationship between board chair and CEO, review best practices of board governance/leadership, and leave with tools to ensure your board meetings are efficient and generative.
Take a deep dive on how to maximize the critical relationship between board chair and CEO, review best practices of board governance/leadership, and leave with tools to ensure your board meetings are efficient and generative.
Better Meetings, Better Boards
Available only as a consulting engagement
Do you wish your board meetings were more productive and that everyone was engaged? Do you want to have generative, strategic conversations that maximize organizational impact? This workshop will show you how to design and facilitate meetings to make the best use of your time and encourage board member contribution.
Available only as a consulting engagement
Do you wish your board meetings were more productive and that everyone was engaged? Do you want to have generative, strategic conversations that maximize organizational impact? This workshop will show you how to design and facilitate meetings to make the best use of your time and encourage board member contribution.
Recruiting & Retaining a High Performing Board
Explore tactics for effectively identifying what board talent your organization needs, gain practical ways to find and develop these board candidates, and discuss strategies to keep them engaged once they’ve joined the board.
Explore tactics for effectively identifying what board talent your organization needs, gain practical ways to find and develop these board candidates, and discuss strategies to keep them engaged once they’ve joined the board.
Developing a Thriving Board
Learn to effectively “manage up” to build stronger relationships and move your board toward excellence, and leave with a strong understanding of board management best practices and a basic plan to begin implementation.
Learn to effectively “manage up” to build stronger relationships and move your board toward excellence, and leave with a strong understanding of board management best practices and a basic plan to begin implementation.