Posted on January 13, 2026 by Catherine Smith -
Are you a current or future manager who would like to explore ways to expand your support for your paid and volunteer team members? Are you in a non-management role and wondering how to more effectively help your coworkers through challenging situations?
Coaching is a vehicle for moving people from where they are now to where they need and want to be. It is central to performance management, while developing the climate, environment, and process that empowers individuals and teams to create results. In addition, peer coaching offers your coworkers an opportunity to benefit from your experience, your concern for their well-being, and your desire to help them maintain success within their roles and responsibilities.
This workshop explores how you can jump in and help your team members navigate challenging even overwhelming work situations, identify solutions, design paths forward, and feel greater self-confidence while responding to everyday work, uncertainty, change, and the fast-paced environment that so many of us experience on a daily basis.
Posted on December 16, 2025 by -
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:
Topic: Goal setting and communications planning for a new year: This month we will take the time to set goals for 2026 and discuss how to remain accountable, set milestones, and plan communications.
Special thanks to LaTasha Durrett, Senior Communications Manager at Southern Environmental Law Center, who generously facilitates these sessions.
Posted on December 3, 2025 by -
While quantitative data provide critical contextual information about a variety of scenarios, whether focused on the economy, healthcare, or education, numbers are limited in their ability to convey the full scope of situations. Grant writers are more successful when they incorporate into their proposals compelling stories that include qualitative data conveying the heart of an issue. Additionally, staff, board members, and volunteers must possess the confidence to persuasively and honestly share those narratives with different audiences for positive outcomes.
Join us for this workshop on 1/20/26 and learn storytelling techniques, craft convincing narratives, and engage in role playing.
Posted on December 3, 2025 by -
Are you currently serving or interested in serving as a treasurer on a nonprofit board? Would you like to connect with others in similar roles to share insights, learn best practices, and discuss the unique challenges of nonprofit financial leadership?
This discussion group is designed to support individuals serving as nonprofit board treasurers or those interested in taking on the role. Participants will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, share experiences, and explore practical solutions to the financial and governance challenges they face in their organizations.
Program Overview
This program provides a collaborative and supportive environment for peer learning and mutual support. Whether you’re seeking advice on tackling a specific financial issue, looking to strengthen your understanding of nonprofit financial management, or simply hoping to connect with peers who understand the responsibilities of a treasurer, this group is here to help.
How It Works
Each session will focus on a specific topic related to nonprofit financial leadership to spark meaningful conversation. The latter portion of the session will be dedicated to open discussions, allowing participants to address pressing concerns or challenges. This time is ideal for seeking feedback on financial practices, brainstorming solutions to complex problems, or simply networking with peers who share similar responsibilities.
Special Guest for January Session
We are excited to welcome Amy Gallagher, CPA and partner at Davidson, Doyle & Hilton, CPAs in Lynchburg, VA, to this month's discussion. Amy specializes in nonprofit accounting and serves as the audit and tax partner for several Charlottesville nonprofits.
Think about any questions you’d like to ask a CPA, such as how a treasurer can best support staff during an audit, when an audit versus review is needed, or strategies for strengthening internal controls in small organizations, and bring them to the discussion.
Special thanks to Melody Bianchetto who generously facilitates these sessions.
Posted on October 27, 2025 by Catherine Smith -
Nonprofits, do you know how Virginia’s General Assembly and budget process impact your work?
Join us and the Dan River Nonprofit Network for an upcoming session that will:
- Break down key players & timelines
- Share tools to track issues that matter
- Highlight ways nonprofits can engage effectively
Don’t miss this chance to build your advocacy toolkit!
Posted on October 27, 2025 by Catherine Smith -
CNE is excited to launch a new partnership with BoardBuild, an innovative online platform that helps nonprofits find great board members while also preparing community members to serve. BoardBuild offers both board training courses to strengthen governance skills and a board matching platform to connect nonprofits with the right volunteers – making it easier than ever to build strong, mission-driven boards.
Ready to strengthen your board through intentional alignment, skill diversity, and shared purpose?
Join BoardBuild for a free session designed for nonprofit leaders, EDs, and CEOs who want to:
- Learn how to use BoardBuild’s free matching platform to find the right board members based on the skills, knowledge, and expertise your organization needs
- Discover how BoardBuild’s certification courses can onboard new board members and level-set existing ones for stronger governance and collaboration
- See how intentional board development drives deeper mission alignment and long-term sustainability – BoardBuild’s platform is always free for nonprofits!
This is our gift to our nonprofit community.
Posted on October 23, 2025 by Catherine Smith -
Nonprofits play a vital role in serving communities. In today’s complex policy environment, it’s important for nonprofit leaders to understand how new and existing executive orders may affect their programs, advocacy efforts, and organizational compliance.
Join CNE and Madeleine Rodriguez and Christopher Hart from Foley Hoag on Zoom on Wednesday, December 17, at 1 p.m., EST for an overview of the current landscape of executive orders. Participants will gain practical insight into what these directives mean in real terms—what is required, what may be restricted, and how to ensure compliance while continuing to serve their missions effectively. The session will focus on the following:
- Key requirements for compliance under recent executive orders affecting nonprofit operations and programming.
- Steps organizations can take to align policies, procedures, and activities with legal standards.
- Judicial guidance: an overview of provisions that have been challenged or deemed unlawful by the courts.
This session equips organizations with the knowledge to stay informed, compliant, and mission-driven, so you can confidently navigate today’s regulatory landscape and serve your community.
We invite you to pay what you can—whether that means covering just your spot, giving a little extra to support others, or simply joining us. Every contribution strengthens our community!
1.5-hour program typically valued at $70.00 per person
Posted on October 8, 2025 by -
Asking for support can feel intimidating, but it doesn't have to. This interactive workshop is designed to help nonprofit staff, board members, and volunteers gain the confidence and skills to invite donors into meaningful, community-centered partnerships. Together, we'll explore the fundraising cycle, practice real-world scenarios, and share practical tools you can use right away.
What We'll Cover:
- Fundraising Basics: A clear look at the fundraising cycle, how to identify prospects, build relationships, make the ask, and steward donors, with a focus on centering your mission and community.
- Preparing for the Ask: How to frame your story, align it with donor values, and step into conversations with clarity and confidence.
- Making the Ask: Strategies for inviting support, responding to common questions, and seeing | objections as opportunities for deeper connection.
- After the Ask: Why follow-up and stewardship matter as much as the initial request, and how to build lasting relationships that keep donors engaged for the long haul.
- Practice & Reflection: Role-playing, peer feedback, and guided exercises to make sure participants leave with usable, real-world skills.
Posted on September 2, 2025 by Catherine Smith -
The Leaders of Color Collective is a program designed specifically for and by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) working in the social impact sector.
Join CNE for the spring session in our Leaders of Color Collective, The Future of Leadership: Collaborative & Collective Models. The next era of leadership emphasizes collaboration, shared power, and community impact. This session challenges participants to imagine leadership beyond the individual and experiment with collective approaches to decision-making. Together, they will envision future models that prioritize equity, belonging, and collective strength.
We invite you to pay what you can—whether that means covering just your spot, giving a little extra to support others, or simply joining us. Every contribution strengthens our community!
2-hour program typically valued at $90.00 per person
With a special thank you to the Dan River Nonprofit Network.
Posted on September 2, 2025 by Catherine Smith -
The Leaders of Color Collective is a program designed specifically for and by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) working in the social impact sector.
Join CNE for the next session in our Leaders of Color Collective, Implicit Bias & Strategic Leadership on Tuesday, January, 13 2026 at 5pm. Bias often operates invisibly, but it can have a powerful impact on decision making and strategic planning. In this workshop, participants will learn to identify how implicit bias shapes systems, policies, and leadership choices. By practicing inclusive planning techniques, leaders will strengthen their ability to create equity driven strategies
We invite you to pay what you can—whether that means covering just your spot, giving a little extra to support others, or simply joining us. Every contribution strengthens our community!
2-hour program typically valued at $90.00 per person
With a special thank you to the Dan River Nonprofit Network.
