Breakfast provided!

Are you an Executive Director of a small, established nonprofit? Are you looking for opportunities to meet with and learn from others working in similar roles?

Our Executive Directors Discussion Group (Smaller Organizations) offers a space for peer learning and support. Come to gain a fresh perspective on your current challenges or learn about others’ approaches to the perennial problems that smaller organizations face no matter their focus area.

Group members will rely on peer support to troubleshoot real-time challenges and, in turn, provide guidance and support to their peers.

THIS PROGRAM IS INTENDED EXCLUSIVELY FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS.

We understand a smaller organization to have an annual operating of less than $500,000 and/or less than 6 full-time employees. If you have questions about getting your nonprofit going, take a look at our Starting a Nonprofit Toolkit. If you are a board member interested in learning more about your role, please reach out to our staff.

Please note:

• This meeting will take place in-person.
• CNE does not issue refunds or credit for missed trainings. Refunds will be issued for cancellations made 24 hours or more before the start of the training.
• We will not be providing a video recording of this session.

This month’s primary topic: For the first time in several years, the Executive Directors Discussion Group will meet in person! Instead of a set topic, bring any pressing issues or subjects you'd like to discuss with your peers and come ready to engage in meaningful conversations.

Free breakfast provided by First Citizens Bank.

High-impact boards start with board members who understand their role and how best to bring their skills to the board table. Join CNE staff members Cindy Colson, Erica Holmes, and Brian Ullman on Thursday, October 31 at 1:00 pm for this session designed to give board members a jump start on effective board service. Drawing from CNE’s Board Academy curriculum and feedback from our members, this workshop will teach the key roles and responsibilities of board members, include interactive exercises for skills development, and provide a unique networking opportunity for community members engaging in board service.

Topics covered will include:

• The unique role of the nonprofit sector
• Characteristics of a high-impact board
• Fiduciary duties of nonprofit boards
• The board/CEO partnership
• and more!

Participants will leave the workshop with a new understanding of their role as board members and the path to a high-impact board, as well as a toolkit of resource materials to take with them to the boardroom. This session is designed to make practical board training more readily available and to complement your organization’s own board orientation session or board education goals.  New board members of area nonprofits are encouraged to attend, as are more experienced board members who seek a refresher course to sharpen their board knowledge. Nonprofit leaders are also welcome; this is a great opportunity to engage your new board leadership!

TEAM DISCOUNT!

We believe that nonprofit boards are strongest when they learn and strive for continuous improvement together. We are pleased to offer a 10% discount on the total registration cost for our Board Essentials workshop when 3 or more board members (or staff) from the same organization attend the training together. If you’d like to take advantage of this discount, please send the names and emails of all participants with your organization's information to staff@thecne.org.

Please note:

• This meeting will take place in-person.
• Refunds will be issued for cancellations made 24 hours or more before the start of the training.

American Sign Language interpreters or other communication access accommodations are available upon request. Please submit any accommodations requests to Denisha Phipps.

Effective financial management and oversight are essential to the success of nonprofit organizations. Ensuring financial sustainability requires strong stewardship of assets and resources, grounded in financial literacy.

Join Carolyn Barnett, Vice President of Business Banking at UVA Community Credit Union and former CNE Board Member, for an interactive workshop designed to deepen your understanding of financial terminology and statements—and how they reveal the story of your organization.

This session is tailored for board members and nonprofit staff who need a foundational understanding of finances to make informed strategic decisions. Please bring your organization’s financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, and, if available, a statement of cash flow and a statement of functional expense) for use in activities. (These will not be shared.)

Note: This session is not intended to guide you in creating these statements.

American Sign Language interpreters or other communication access accommodations are available upon request. Please submit any accommodations requests to CNE at staff@thecne.org or 434-244-3330.

Preparing and submitting a successful grant proposal can be an intimidating process for both new and experienced grant writers. While there is no one magic formula to use when writing grants, there are many leading practices to lean on that will heighten your chances for success. Join Independent Grant Writer and CNE trainer, Laurie Rogers, to learn practical and proven techniques to strengthen your grant writing power and secure funds for your organization.

This workshop will provide a broad overview of how grant funding fits into a fund development strategy. We will cover:

• types of grants and grant makers
• current trends in grant making
• a high level overview of what it means to be “grant ready” as agencies prepare to submit grants
• the role of stewardship for those foundations and corporations investing in your agency’s work

Please note:

This meeting will take place in-person.

Refunds will be issued for cancellations made 24 hours or more before the start of the training.

American Sign Language interpreters or other communication access accommodations are available upon request. Please submit any accommodations requests to Denisha Phipps.

This four-hour session aims to help organizations lay the essential groundwork for a strategic planning process. The session will walk through the foundational elements necessary for successful planning. Participants will explore key concepts, assess their organization's readiness, and identify critical areas that need attention before embarking on the strategic planning process. Through interactive discussions and practical exercises, attendees will gain insights into setting the stage for an effective and impactful strategic plan.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand strategic planning fundamentals
• Assess organizational readiness for embarking on a strategic planning process
• Identify key stakeholders
• Explore tools to analyze internal and external environments influencing your organization
• Understand the difference between and significance of goals, strategies, and tactics

Please note:

• This meeting will take place in-person.
• Refunds will be issued for cancellations made 24 hours or more before the start of the training.

American Sign Language interpreters or other communication access accommodations are available upon request. Please submit any accommodations requests to Denisha Phipps.

Are you an Executive Director of a small, established nonprofit? Are you looking for opportunities to meet with and learn from others working in similar roles?

Our Executive Directors Discussion Group (Smaller Organizations) offers a space for peer learning and support. Come to gain a fresh perspective on your current challenges or learn about others’ approaches to the perennial problems that smaller organizations face no matter their focus area.

Group members will rely on peer support to troubleshoot real-time challenges and, in turn, provide guidance and support to their peers.

THIS PROGRAM IS INTENDED EXCLUSIVELY FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS.

We understand a smaller organization to have an annual operating of less than $500,000 and/or less than 6 full-time employees. If you have questions about getting your nonprofit going, take a look at our Starting a Nonprofit Toolkit. If you are a board member interested in learning more about your role, please reach out to our staff.

Please note:

• This meeting will take place online. Registered participants will receive an invitation via email shortly after registering.
• Come prepared to fully engage in the material and participate in all activities. Our trainers work to create an interactive, online learning environment for all participants. For this reason, the use of video is recommended where possible.
• CNE does not issue refunds or credit for missed trainings. Refunds will be issued for cancellations made 24 hours or more before the start of the training.
• We will not be providing a video recording of this session.

This month’s primary topic: Shared leadership between board and executive director

The related brief reading: Board Chair and Chief Executive Communications FAQs

There will also be opportunity for open discussion on any topic of concern to participants.

CNE’s Emerging Leaders Academy is a facilitated eight-month peer learning program that aims to strengthen a new generation of nonprofit leaders.

The Emerging Leaders Academy consists of facilitated, small group sessions and one-on-one coaching sessions designed to develop participants' sense of themselves as leaders and to help participants create practical plans for their continued professional development. Curated readings and videos create a basis for discussion during group sessions, and one-on-one sessions with professional coaches enhance participants’ learning experiences.

Emerging Leaders Academy 2024-2025 will meet monthly for two hours over the course of eight months beginning in September and includes five hours of coaching sessions (to be determined between participants and coaches). Meetings will be held at CNE on Thursdays from 9-11 am on the following dates:

• Thursday, September 12, 2024
• Thursday, October 10, 2024
• Thursday, November 14, 2024
• Thursday, December 12, 2024
• Thursday, January 9, 2025
• Thursday, February 13, 2025
• Thursday, March 13, 2025
• Thursday, April 10, 2025

*This program is available only to CNE Members. Not a member? Join today.  If cost is a barrier to participation, please contact Brian Ullman for information on reduced tuition options.*