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.
June 2025
6/10 | AI 101: How Nonprofits Can Use AI — Safely, Ethically, and Effectively
Feeling overwhelmed by AI or unsure how to begin using it in your nonprofit work? This 60-minute interactive session is your on-ramp to understanding how AI can support your mission without compromising your values. We’ll walk through what AI is and isn’t, explore real nonprofit use cases (from grant writing to strategic planning), and share tools to get started with confidence.
You’ll learn:
- How to use AI ethically, with equity and data privacy in mind
- Common myths and mistakes to avoid
- Easy ways AI can save you time on everyday tasks
- Questions to ask when choosing tools and setting internal policies
No tech background required — just curiosity and a commitment to making your work smarter, safer, and more human-centered.
Host Provider: National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers
Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Time: 1:00-2:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: $25/$55
6/10-8/19 | Philanthropy Ohio's Nonprofit Summer Learning Series
Attend a six-session virtual series specifically designed for nonprofit professionals looking to enhance their impact and achieve their goals! Philanthropy Ohio’s Nonprofit Summer Learning Series will explore key topics such as leading with courage and optimism, growth thinking, resiliency, influence strategy and navigating difficult conversations. You will learn from expert voices across Ohio and beyond. By the end of the series, you’ll be equipped with new strategies and insights to lead effectively and better serve your community.
- Session 1: Tuesday, June 10 - Leading with Courage, Compassion and Collaboration
- Session 2: Tuesday, June 24 - Permission, Innovation & Growth Thinking
- Session 3: Tuesday, July 8 - Moving from Strategy to Agility to Strengthen Leadership Alignment and Organizational Readiness
- Session 4: Tuesday, July 22 - The Courage To Be Optimistic
- Session 5: Tuesday, August 5 - Turning Strategic Recalibration Into Bold Organizational Moves
- Session 6: Tuesday, August 19 - Transforming Tension into Productive Dialogue
Host Provider: Philanthropy Ohio
Date: Tuesday, June 10 to August 19 (six virtual sessions total)
Time: 10:00-11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: $175 for Ohio-based nonprofits
Series Registration Deadline: June 25, 2025
6/11 | Creating a Culture of Innovation
At Google, employees are encouraged to spend 20% of their workday on innovative thinking. For nonprofits, even five minutes away from daily demands can feel like a luxury. But what if those five minutes could change everything? Join BVU on June 11th to explore how innovation really works in the nonprofit world — not as a buzzword, but as a mindset and muscle that can be developed even in the face of tight budgets, heavy workloads, and shifting external pressures.
Host Provider: BVU
Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Time: 8:30-10:00 am
Location: MAGNET (1800 E. 63rd St, Cleveland, OH 44103)
Cost: $30-$60
6/12 | 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 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.
Intended audience
- Beginner
- Grant writers
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Thursday, June 12, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
6/23 | Leading for AI: The Three Mindsets for Thoughtful Implementation
This session cuts through the tech hype to focus on the essential mindset shifts required for successful AI adoption in nonprofits. Leaders will explore how experimentation, collaboration, and 'critical friend' mindsets influence AI implementation success in their organizations. This presentation uses a unique blend of leadership, coaching, behavior change, and org development to help leaders navigate the human side of AI.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, June 23, 2025
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
6/23 | Coffee and Conversations: A.I. In the Workplace
Join us for our next Coffee & Conversations on June 23rd! Start your morning with an engaging and insightful session as we dive into the evolving role of artificial intelligence in today’s workplace. Dr. Joseph Fox, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Fitzgerald Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, The University of Akron, will deliver a thought-provoking presentation on how AI is transforming the way we work and innovate. Whether you're new to AI or already applying it in your field, you'll gain valuable insights and practical takeaways.
Host Provider: Center for Immersive Leadership
Date: Monday, June 23, 2025
Time: 7:30-9:00 am
Location: United Way of Summit & Medina Knight Center for Truth (37 N. High Street)
Cost: Free, but registration is required
6/24 | A Glimpse into Our Near Future: AI Is Transforming Nonprofits
Within the next five years, AI has the potential to radically alter the ways we interact with technology and what we expect from it. For example, nonprofits will soon be able to develop hyper-personalized communications for advocacy or fundraising purposes. Many groups are already on the cutting edge, using generative AI to meet their missions, by predicting wildfires, discovering new life-saving drugs, and more.
Join us for an exciting exploration of how AI is redefining what’s possible in the nonprofit world.
Host Provider: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
July 2025
7/1 | 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
Prerequisites
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
7/1 | Get Your Voice Heard Where Decisions are Made: Grow your Advocacy Skills
Nonprofits are facing growing challenges—shrinking resources, increased demand for services, and shifting public attitudes. At the same time, public policy decisions are reshaping everything from charitable giving to the future of critical social programs. Now more than ever, advocacy isn’t optional—it’s essential. In this interactive session, you’ll explore how smart, strategic advocacy communications can elevate your cause, activate your network, and ensure your organization’s voice is heard where decisions are made.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Time: 12:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
7/10 | 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: Thursday, July 10, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
7/16 | 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: BVU
Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Time: 8:30-11:45 am
Location: Tucker Ellis LLP (950 Main Ave., Cleveland, OH 44113)
Cost:
- Board Matching Program Participants: FREE
- Board Matching Alumni Members: FREE (one per membership year, email [email protected] to redeem)*
- Nonprofit Members: FREE (two per membership year, email [email protected] to redeem)*
- Business Members: $60
- Nonmembers: $120
7/21 | Using Data and Evaluation to Strengthen Resilience, Navigate Change, and Build Power
In times of uncertainty—shifting funding landscapes, policy rollbacks, and increased pressures on communities—how can organizations use data and evaluation as tools for resilience. This interactive discussion will explore questions that organization leaders can use to leverage data and evaluation for decision-making in times of change.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, July 21, 2025
Time: 12:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
7/22 | 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
Intended audience
- Beginner
- Fundraising & development staff
- Program directors and staff
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
7/28 | Up Your Numbers Game: How to Gather and Use Data to Drive Fundraising, Programming and Strategic Planning Effort
In these challenging times, having objective, quantifiable data at your fingertips to support your organizational efforts is more important than ever. This workshop will provide you with easily applied ways of collecting key information, techniques for tracking progress and impact in a single repository and tips on how to make sense of findings and prepare visually appealing and compelling reports and data briefs.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, July 28, 2025
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
7/29 | 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.
Intended audience
- Beginner
- Fundraising & development staff
- Grant writers
Host Provider: Candid
Date: Thursday, July 29, 2025
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
7/30 | Succession Planning for Staff and Board - 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 an opportunity for structured discussions and open networking.
Join us on July 30 for Succession Planning for Staff and Board.
This session will explore the critical importance of staff succession planning, human resources elements to consider, and how to approach emergency and long-term succession planning for an organization. The session will also address board succession planning and the important role of cultivating future board leaders.
Host Provider: Greater Akron Chamber & BVU
Date: Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Time: 8:00-10:00 am
Location: Greater Akron Chamber - Event Space (388 S Main St., Ste. 205)
Cost: $15
August 2025
8/11-8/14 | 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: BVU
Date: Wednesday, June 11-Thursday, June 14, 2025
Time: Various
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
8/11 | Maximizing Donor Surveys for Impactful Year-End Fundraising
As the year-end planning starts, donor surveys become an invaluable tool for understanding your supporters and crafting campaigns that resonate. This session will guide you through the best practices for designing surveys that reveal what motivates your donors, allowing you to tailor your outreach and meet year-end goals. Learn the art of asking the right questions, uncover insights that lead to personalized appeals, and make the most of donor feedback to boost engagement. With actionable tips and examples, this workshop is perfect for fundraisers looking to elevate their year-end strategy using data directly from their supporters.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, August 11, 2025
Time: 12:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
8/25 | Bottleneck Breakers: How to Break Past Fundraising Barriers
In this presentation, nonprofit leaders will learn to identify and overcome key fundraising bottlenecks. Based on Bottleneck Breakers: The Eight Degrees of Fundraising, this session explores challenges at each stage, offering strategies to diversify revenue, strengthen donor relationships, and optimize performance.
Host Provider: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Date: Monday, August 25, 2025
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
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