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.
September 2026
9/2 | Non-Profit Leader Dialogue: From Firefighting to Focus: Practical Tools Every Nonprofit Leader Can Use to Lead More Strategically
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.
Join us for From Firefighting to Focus: Practical Tools Every Nonprofit Leader Can Use to Lead More Strategically, presented by Lisa Lazarus.
This workshop will focus on community-building to strengthen leaders' capacity, leveraging time strategically, and investing in staff development/bench-building. We'll begin with introductions that help people see one another as resources and partners and then discuss tools leaders can use to ensure they are focusing on the things only they can do in their role.
This event is specifically for Nonprofit CEOs and senior leadership.
Host Provider: Greater Akron Chamber & BVU
Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Time: 8:00-10:00 am
Location: 7 17 Event Space at the GAC (388 S Main St., Ste. 205, Akron, OH 44311)
Cost: $15
9/9 | Navigating Federal Funding Cuts - A Peer Learning Exchange about Giving Circles
As federal funding becomes less predictable, nonprofits are having to find support for their work elsewhere.
Giving circles are a powerful way to engage donors, build community, and direct resources to causes that matter. Whether you're launching a new giving circle, strengthening an existing one, or exploring how collective philanthropy can support your organization's mission, there is much to learn from peers who are doing this work.
We invite you to join us on Wednesday, September 9th 2– 3:30pm ET / 11-12:30am PT for a virtual discussion with fellow leaders and practitioners engaged in giving circles. This session will focus on building and sustaining successful giving circles, engaging members, fostering equity in philanthropy, and exploring ways collective giving can expand community impact.
What to expect:
- An interactive discussion on navigating federal funding shifts with giving circles
- Real-world strategies from giving circle administrators and organizations who have benefitted from them
- Insights on advocacy, alternative funding sources, and collaboration opportunities
- Insights on community-centered philanthropy, grantmaking practices, and collaborative funding opportunities
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
9/10 | Small-Shop Fundraising: Punch Above Your Weight
America’s nonprofits are overwhelmingly small: Nearly 60 percent of charities raise less than $50,000 annually, and 97 percent have budgets under $5 million. Yet supporters often focus only on the largest organizations, which have more visibility and resources to invest in outreach. Join us to learn ideas and tactics that smaller shops can adapt from the giants to capture donors’ attention and supercharge fundraising.
Can’t attend live? Register now and access the full recording on demand after the webinar. An email with a link to the recording will be sent to you the day after the event.
Host Provider: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Date: Thursday, September 10, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:15 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: $69-$89
9/16, 9/23, 9/30 | Proposal Writing Boot Camp
Through expert-led sessions, hands-on instruction, and 1-on-1 feedback, this course is designed to help experienced grant writers sharpen their skills and secure more funding for their nonprofit. Participants should have 2+ years of grant writing or comparable experience in the field. Join this class to leverage Candid search for prospecting and to expertly tailor proposals to targeted funders.
In this advanced online course, you’ll connect with expert Candid trainers and peer organizations to grow your skills, including learning how to:
- Make your grant proposals more compelling and competitive in today’s landscape
- Tailor proposals to fit different funders and application requirements
- Leverage AI tools to identify a targeted, high-quality list of funding prospects most likely to support you
Participants should plan to invest a total of 6 to 8 hours per week, across 3 weeks, on the course.
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Wednesday, September 16, 23, & 30
Time: 2:00-4:00 pm each session
Location: Virtual
Cost: $650/$800
9/16 | Quarterly Creative Summit, Presented with Collide: Cuyahoga Falls!
Join ArtsNow and Collide: Cuyahoga Falls for a special Quarterly Creative Summit!
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 the quality of life across our region. Each session offers a balance of learning, conversation, and dedicated time to connect with peers and collaborators.
Learn more about Collide: Cuyahoga Falls and join us on the 16th!
Host Provider: ArtsNow
Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Time: 12:00-1:30 pm
Location: The Business Commons of Cuyahoga Falls (111 Stow Ave. Suite 200)
Cost: $0-$17.85
9/17 | Succession for Key Roles: Make a Plan
Most nonprofits know they should have a succession plan. Far fewer have one in writing. When a key staff member leaves, steps away temporarily, or is suddenly unavailable, the challenge is rarely limited to filling a position. Leaders can find themselves scrambling for passwords, donor histories, operational know-how, and key information that has never been documented.
That vulnerability can show up anywhere in the organization, not just in the CEO role. Without a plan, even routine staffing changes can slow programs, delay reporting, disrupt funder relationships, and create gaps in critical financial or operational processes.
Join this 75-minute webinar to learn from expert speakers who bring both a practical succession-planning process and real-world examples.
You’ll learn how to:
- Identify the roles, knowledge, and relationships that would be hardest to keep moving if one person left or stepped away
- Decide what information to document first and how to build backup coverage into existing workflows
- Prepare staff and board leaders to maintain stability when a transition happens
- Plus, you’ll get practical tools and examples you can adapt — and see how the process can help your organization clarify roles, close gaps, and identify where responsibilities may need to shift before a transition happens.
Can’t attend live? Register now and access the full recording on demand after the webinar. An email with a link to the recording will be sent to you the day after the event.
Host Provider: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:15 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: $69-$89
9/24 | Running a Successful Midlevel Giving Program
Midlevel donors — typically those who give $1,000 to $10,000 a year — often fall through the cracks as fundraisers focus on annual and major donors instead. But that can be a costly mistake: These supporters bring in 30 to 50 percent of annual fundraising revenue at many nonprofits. Plus, they tend to be more loyal than other donors and often give major and planned gifts over time, when cultivated well.
How can you build a strong midlevel giving program and boost the bottom line?
Join us to get practical advice from our expert guests. They’ll walk through key steps to take when getting started, explain how to staff the program even with a limited budget, and share key ways to secure buy-in from your leaders and team to prioritize midlevel giving.
Plus, they’ll explain how to find more of these donors, use data to better understand them, and communicate with them in personalized ways, so you can give this valuable group special treatment without spending too much.
You’ll also receive tips on how to use AI and other tech tools to streamline this work, including automation techniques on a budget.
You’ll learn:
- How – and why – to weave midlevel giving into your broader fundraising strategy instead of treating it separately
- Ways to build trust with donors and strengthen ties
- How to track results and adapt if something isn’t working
Can’t attend live? Register now and access the full recording on demand after the webinar. An email with a link to the recording will be sent to you the day after the event.
Host Provider: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:15 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: $69-$89
9/24 | Assessing Your Organization's Strategy and Structure in a Changing Environment
Most nonprofits today are running strategies and operating models that were designed for conditions that have already shifted… sometimes in obvious ways, often more quietly. When the environment moves faster than the design, the gap between intent and impact widens. Strategies stop guiding. Structures stop carrying the work. Effort goes up. Results don’t.
This seminar offers nonprofit leaders a practical, high-level lens for assessing whether their current strategy and operating model are designed for each other, and for the world they’re actually in. Through examples and patterns from across the sector, we’ll look at what causes the drift, where the gaps tend to open up first, and what some nonprofits are starting to do differently in response.
Practical, not theoretical. Come away with a sharper read on your own organization and a clearer sense of what to pay attention to next.
Host Provider: Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU)
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
Time: 8:30-10:00 am
Location: MAGNET (1800 E 63rd St, Cleveland OH 44103)
Cost: $50/$100
October 2026
10/5 | Before You Adopt AI: Five Questions Every Nonprofit Should Answer First
Nonprofits are being encouraged to adopt AI, but readiness is about more than choosing tools. Before implementation, organizations need to consider leadership, capacity, governance, and organizational priorities. This session explores a practical approach to thinking about AI readiness and offers a roadmap for beginning mission-aligned conversations that support responsible adoption.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, October 5, 2026
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
10/13 | Building Organizational Capacity Through Shared Understanding
Every nonprofit depends on people working toward the same goals. When knowledge is scattered across programs or only in the minds of a few people, it's challenging to make good decisions, communicate consistently, and adapt to change. This interactive workshop explores shared organizational understanding as a practical capacity-building strategy that helps organizations preserve knowledge, improve impact, and build long-term resilience.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
10/15 | Attract Planned Gifts With Smart Marketing
Older generations are expected to pass down as much as $18 million to their loved ones and charities over the next several years, so now is a prime time to talk with donors about planned gifts. Plus, deferred giving can appeal to supporters who are nervous about donating in a year of economic uncertainty. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to secure your nonprofit’s future: Join our webinar to learn from experts how to highlight legacy gifts in ways that are sensitive, helpful to donors, and set your nonprofit apart from the pack.
Can’t attend live? Register now and access the full recording on demand after the webinar. An email with a link to the recording will be sent to you the day after the event.
Host Provider: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:15 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: $69-$89
10/22 | Role of the Board
As nonprofits face growing complexities and challenges, getting the governance right has never been more important. This highly acclaimed seminar features an expert panel that will share their experience, discuss the roles and responsibilities of nonprofit board members, and consider challenges and opportunities facing nonprofits. The session includes presentations, a panel discussion, dialogue with the audience, and case study analysis.
Learning Objectives: After attending, you will have guidelines for effective and meaningful nonprofit board service and a clear understanding of your role and the expectations of a nonprofit board member.
Host Provider: Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU)
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026
Time: 8:30-11:45 am
Location: Tucker Ellis LLP (950 Main Ave, Cleveland OH 44113)
Cost: $75/$150
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