Are you a marketing or communications professional looking to connect and learn from your peers in other organizations? 

CNE’s Marketing & Communications Discussion Group provides an opportunity for folks working in communications to share challenges, swap stories, and get industry updates. Each session will focus on a different topic and include guest speakers when possible. 

This month's topic: Preparing for changing social media landscapes

Join us as we explore how your organization can prepare for what seems like the constantly changing landscape of social media. Join this discussion learn more and share your best practices for pivoting, maintaining digital marketing and social media plans during challenging times, and more.

Special thanks to LaTasha Durrett, Senior Communications Manager at Southern Environmental Law Center, who generously facilitates these sessions. 

FREE lunch provided! Discover how personal fulfillment can drive organizational success! Join Brennan Hilleary of CNE Member The Love No Ego Foundation as he shares his journey from burnout to balance and provides actionable strategies to help align personal values with professional roles. Through engaging activities and real-world insights, participants will learn to build powerful habits, foster a values-driven culture, and strengthen themselves and their organizations. This session is ideal for nonprofit leaders ready to make a lasting impact without compromising their well-being.

Thank you to First Citizen's Bank for providing lunch!

Are you a marketing or communications professional looking to connect and learn from your peers in other organizations? 

CNE’s Marketing & Communications Discussion Group provides an opportunity for folks working in communications to share challenges, swap stories, and get industry updates. Each session will focus on a different topic and include guest speakers when possible. 

This month's topic: Data Visualization

Special thanks to LaTasha Durrett, Senior Communications Manager at Southern Environmental Law Center, who generously coordinated these events. 

Join us for an engaging Lunch (Provided!) and Learn event, co-hosted by UVA Library and CNE, designed specifically for nonprofit organizations. This session will highlight the wide array of resources and services the UVA Library offers to the local community – including research databases, digital and print collections, access to its spaces, and reference support. Nonprofits will discover how these tools can enhance their operational effectiveness, fundraising strategies, and program development. This event is an excellent opportunity for nonprofit leaders to network, explore collaborative possibilities, and learn how to leverage UVA Library for their organizational needs.

Board Academy, Virginia’s premier board development program, is accepting applications now with a priority deadline of October 27, 2024. Attend an information session to learn more about how you can strengthen the local social impact sector and build community!

What is Board Academy?

The Board Academy prepares community members for board and committee service in nonprofits, municipal government, and community organizations, furthering the community’s capacity to effectively meet future challenges by creating an ever-expanding web of trained, committed board members.

Who should apply to Board Academy?

• Service-oriented community members curious about serving on a nonprofit board
• Community leaders interested in board service
• New/less-experienced board members
• Experienced board members

We strongly encourage younger emerging leaders and those from historically underrepresented communities to apply.

When is Board Academy?

Board Academy 2025 will take place from late January to late May, requiring five immersive full-day in-person workshops and several virtual meetings in between workshops. See our website for specific dates, workshop times, and topics.

Questions? Contact Senior Manager of Learning and Impact, Brian T. Ullman.

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.

Are you a marketing or communications professional looking to connect and learn from your peers in other organizations? 

CNE’s Marketing & Communications Discussion Group provides an opportunity for folks working in communications to share challenges, swap stories, and get industry updates. Each session will focus on a different topic and include guest speakers when possible. 

This month's topic: Reaching rural communities – It's not so scary 

Join us for a discussion on best practices for reaching the diverse rural communities that many of us work in. This discussion will explore how to use demographic information to develop successful communications and outreach strategies.

Special thanks to LaTasha Durrett, Senior Communications Manager at Southern Environmental Law Center, who generously coordinated these events. 

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.