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.
February 2026
2/3 | Introduction to Fundraising Planning
Does your nonprofit need help developing more organized, intentional fundraising efforts? Planning focuses your organization by setting specific fundraising priorities and helps give staff and board members a roadmap to success.
Reasons to take this course:
This introductory class will provide you with 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 connecting your goals to the funding required to get there
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
2/10 | 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.
Reasons to take this 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?
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Time: 10:00-11:30 am
Location: Westlake Porter Public Library (27333 Center Ride Road, Westlake, OH 44145)
Cost: Free
2/10 | 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
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
2/12 | AI Can Turbocharge Your Grant Seeking: Here’s How
Savvy grant seekers are using artificial intelligence to streamline the grant-seeking process. Join us to learn from an innovative fundraising executive who has harnessed the power of Chat GPT and other AI tools to streamline grant applications. You’ll learn smart ways to save time, so you focus on relationship building and other ways to advance your mission.
Host Provider: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:15 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: $69/$89
2/19 | 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 indispensable class will give you a step-by-step guide to creating a grant proposal to a foundation.
It will include:
- The basic elements of a grant proposal, including the need statement, project description, and evaluation plan,
- A model outline of the essential components of any grant proposal.
- The "do's" and "don'ts" of writing, planning and submitting a proposal.
- The methods for building a relationship with a potential funder, from initial outreach to follow-up and reporting.
Reasons to take this course:
- Understand how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation.
- Describe your project in a way that connects with funder guidelines.
- Know how and when to connect with funders before and after submitting a proposal.
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
2/9-11 | 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: Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU)
Date: February 9-12, 2026
Time: Various
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
2/23 | Turning Impact Into Investment: Storytelling that Drives Funding
Your work makes a difference, but funders don’t always see it. In this 30-minute session, learn how to turn your impact into investments with a story funders understand and support. We’ll explore common pitfalls, show what’s possible with a clear, confident story, and share reflection questions to help you strengthen your fundraising success.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, February 23, 2026
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
2/24 | Advancing Equity Through People-Centered Leadership
Service Never Sleeps (SNS) is a 10-year-old, Black-led organization committed to equipping individuals to be effective allies and advance equity. In this session, SNS will share insights from its 2024 research report, What Does it Mean to be Black-Led?, alongside its own organizational journey.
Drawing from both research and lived experiences of Black leaders, this webinar will invite participants to examine practical ways to create workplaces that prioritize people over systems or outputs. We will explore challenges and needs that Black leaders often face and offer actionable strategies for allyship and organizational practices that foster trust, care, and collective wellbeing. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of why centering people—and especially supporting Black leadership—creates stronger, more sustainable organizations.
This program will enable you to:
- Recognize the unique challenges and needs of Black leaders and Black-led organizations.
- Explain why “People-First” approaches rooted in trust and care strengthen organizational sustainability.
- Identify and apply practical strategies for authentic allyship and liberatory management practices that center people over systems.
- Reflect on their own organizational culture and leadership posture to advance equity and collective wellbeing.
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
2/26 | Key Ways to Foster Board Engagement
For many nonprofit CEOs, board engagement is a more urgent and complicated leadership challenge than it was even a few years ago. Today’s environment is putting new pressure on how trustees and leaders work together at a time when executives are navigating uncertainty, pressure, and limited capacity.
The stakes are clear: Research shows only about one in three CEOs believe they have the “right” board members to support their organization’s current strategy. As nonprofits look toward 2026, finding ways to close this gap is more critical than ever.
Join this 75-minute webinar to learn from two nonprofit leaders who bring long histories of working closely with boards as executives and advisers. They’ll share trends they’re seeing now, situations where board engagement tends to break down, and tactics that are helping make the board-CEO relationship more productive and supportive in this moment.
You’ll learn ways to:
- Encourage more active board participation and match members’ contributions to your organization’s most pressing needs.
- Clarify expectations and improve how board and staff members work together.
- Build board engagement that supports leadership during complex moments.
- You’ll walk away with practical insights you can apply immediately — whether you’re trying to reset expectations with a long-standing board or navigate engagement challenges that have become harder to ignore.
Host Provider: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:15 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: $69/$89
2/26 | Leveraging Your 990 as a Fundraising Tool
Most organizations work with a CPA to file their Form 990, and while those professionals bring expertise in IRS requirements, they may not be thinking like funders, grant writers, or development staff. As the funding landscape grows more competitive, your 990 can be a powerful tool for telling your organization’s story to funders and donors.
Join Ara Beal as she walks through Form 990 and Form 990-EZ, highlighting the sections most reviewed by potential funders, along with considerations when completing these sections and questions to ask your accountant. The takeaways from this session can also inform future grant budgeting, fundraising strategy, and grant tracking and reporting.
Host Provider: Ohio Arts Council
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
2/27 | Non-Profit Leader Dialogue
We invite nonprofit leaders to join the GAC and BVU for a new quarterly roundtable experience. Throughout this series, you will experience the power of coming together to gain expert insights, build connections, and explore shared pain points, experiences, and solutions. Each session will provide expert content, alongside opportunities for structured discussions and open networking.
Host Provider: Greater Akron Chamber & BVU
Date: Friday, February 27, 2026
Time: 8:00-10:00 am
Location: Greater Akron Chamber (388 S Main St., Ste. 205, Akron, OH 44311)
Cost: Free
March 2026
3/2 | The Overlooked Engine: Why Your Volunteer Department May Be Your Organization's Most Underfunded Asset
Most nonprofit leaders underestimate the true value of their volunteer programs -- and what’s lost by underinvesting in them. Far from being supplemental, well-supported volunteer departments act as force multipliers that expand mission reach, strengthen community impact, and fuel organizational growth. Join Houston Goodwin, CEO of Better Impact, to explore the hidden costs of under-resourced programs and learn practical steps to secure the support and investment volunteer programs need to thrive.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, March 2, 2026
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
3/4 | ArtsNow: Quarterly Creative Summit
Lunchtime gatherings for organizations and partners shaping Summit County’s cultural vitality. Join ArtsNow for our Quarterly Creative Summits, lunchtime conversations for the people and organizations who contribute to the cultural vitality of Summit County! Our quarter one conversation will be held at Northside Marketplace on Wednesday, March 4 at 12pm.
These gatherings bring together artists, arts and culture organizations, community partners, and supporters to share updates, build relationships, and explore how arts, culture, and creativity strengthen quality of life across our region. Each session offers a balance of learning, conversation, and dedicated time to connect with peers and collaborators.
Tickets are $15 to help cover the cost of lunch. If cost is a barrier, a pay-what-you-can community ticket is always available.
Host Provider: ArtsNow
Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Time: 12:00-1:30 pm
Location: Northside Marketplace (21 Furnace Streett, #Suite 404 Akron, OH 44308)
Cost: $15
3/5 | 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 Candid's most popular classes! This class will provide you with an overview of how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation.
Reasons to take this course:
- Understand how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation
- Describe your project in a way that connects with funder guidelines
- Know how and when to connect with funders before and after submitting a proposal
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Thursday, March 5, 2026
Time: 10:00-11:30 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
3/9 | How to Use AI Tools Safely: Protect Your Nonprofit
Are you using public ChatGPT or logging into your organization's private Copilot? Is Google Gemini safe? What about other AI tools? Do you have to disclose when you use an AI note taker at a board meeting? Is your valuable data protected? What does your AI policy allow? Learn from a cybersecurity expert how to use AI the secure way. Every level of AI user will learn something in this session.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, March 9, 2026
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
3/11 | Financial Oversight & Contingency Planning
BVU’s nonprofit seminars invite our region’s nonprofit leaders to come together for educational and insightful discussions. Past sessions have included Move Your Mission Forward with Story, Cultivating a Board of Fundraisers, and more. Nonprofits are navigating rising costs, funding uncertainty, and increasing demands in 2026. This session, featuring Jen Kelsch of JSK Solutions, offers a practical, easy-to-understand look at financial oversight and contingency planning – without jargon or alarmism.
Board members and nonprofit leaders will learn how to think about cash flow, reserves, and program operations in a way that supports both mission and long-term stability. The focus is on clear questions, real-world examples, and tools leaders can use right away.
Host Provider: Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU)
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time: 8:30-10:00 am
Location: MAGNET (1800 E 63rd St, Cleveland, OH 44103)
Cost: $50-$100
3/16 | Meeting Moments of Change: Strategic Planning for an Unpredictable World
Since 2020, nonprofits have faced multiple stressors to our programs — including shifting donor preferences and evolving federal guidelines. These disruptions impact every level of our work, from formal strategic plans to ideas jotted on a napkin. In a landscape of flux and change, a static plan is a liability. This session will focus on practical tools to plan for the future, while navigating a constantly changing present and still preserving our core missions.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, March 16, 2026
Time: 12:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
3/18 | Ask Me Anything: What Funders Look for in Financial Statements
After you submit a grant proposal, you never want to get a question you can’t answer. But often, fundraisers are confronted by grantmakers who ask questions about financial statements, and who expect *you* to know what they are asking. What do you do?
In this Ask Me Anything webinar, experts Ericka Harney and Rachel DeMatteo will review the basics of some common financial statements and give attendees clear guidance on red and green flags that funders look for in these statements. Attendees will leave this session with sound advice and resources that will help them become better versed in the essentials of funder financial analysis.
Attendees will:
- Understand the crucial financial documents examined by funders
- Recognize red and green flags funders look for in financial documents
- Receive next steps for growing their own nonprofit financial literacy
Submit your questions in advance; we will select questions to be answered live. Questions can also be submitted and upvoted by participants during the session.
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Time: 11:00 am-12:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
3/19 | Streamlined Strategic Planning
Economic instability, policy shifts, and funding uncertainty are forcing nonprofit leaders to make difficult decisions about programs, partnerships, staffing, and long-term viability — often with limited capacity and little room for error. Despite the need for a clear road map, nearly half of nonprofit leaders report not having a strategic plan. Yet the majority of leaders with plans find them vital to strengthening revenue, decision-making, and organizational focus. Today’s uncertain climate calls for shorter planning horizons and increased flexibility, and the most relevant plans are living documents that help leaders make clearer decisions as conditions change.
How can you plan smartly for your organization’s future amid disruption?
Join us for a 75-minute webinar to learn directly from savvy nonprofit leaders how to align priorities, navigate disruption, support organizational stability and even foster growth.
You’ll learn how to:
- Include key criteria such as mission fit, financial viability, and core principles to guide high-level strategic decisions
- Translate strategic priorities into actionable next steps
- Make clearer decisions about what to prioritize — and what to let go
- You’ll walk away with practical insights and real-world examples to help you approach strategic planning as a way to steady your organization and strengthen your work.
Host Provider: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:15 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: $69/$89
3/30 | The Inclusive Survey You Need for Stronger Fundraising Decisions
This session is for nonprofit professionals who want to create inclusive, effective surveys. You’ll learn how to write clear, respectful questions that reduce bias, improve accessibility, and encourage more honest responses. Through real examples and practical tips, you’ll gain confidence designing surveys that reflect your entire community, not just the most visible voices.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, March 30, 2026
Time: 12:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
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