Capacity Building Workshops

As part of an ongoing commitment to help strengthen the capacity of nonprofits, the Valley Community Foundation, through its partner in philanthropy, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, offers a series of training sessions to nonprofits serving Greater New Haven and the Lower Naugatuck Valley. Topics and dates vary.

Questions? Please email Stephanie Chung or call her at 203-777-7077.

Propel Your Nonprofit to New Heights in 2019!

What do you want to learn in 2019 to do your job better and improve your organization? We're planning now for the 2019 Capacity Building Workshop series. Workshops are open to nonprofits providing services in the 20-town region of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and the five towns served by its partner in philanthropy, the Valley Community Foundation. Take our brief survey and let us know what skills you'd like to develop next year:

LET US KNOW

Upcoming Workshops:

FEBRUARY 2019

The Great Give: The Power of P2P Fundraising

Wednesday, February 13, 2019
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
LIVE WEBINAR

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising (P2P) is a great way to expand your reach in The Great Give® by utilizing your most passionate supporters to share their stories and fundraise on behalf of your organization. In this training course we'll cover everything you need to know about recruiting and empowering fundraisers for The Great Give®.

The Nuts & Bolts Webinar

Wednesday, February 20, 2019
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
LIVE WEBINAR

Learn about the different grant opportunities offered by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and the Valley Community Foundation. Examine the applications for Project, Capacity Building and General Operating support in the combined 2019 Responsive Grant process. Attend right from your desk, or join us or in person; stay for the full session or just the parts that interest you. See schedule details at the link below.

Outcomes, Measures and Logic Model

Tuesday, February 26, 2019
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.)

This workshop is strongly encouraged for all project grant applicants, and it also serves as a useful tool in framing your thoughts for any grant application. Review the different elements and appropriate steps for developing and using a logic model for planning and evaluation. Participants will be given time to create their own logic model and walk away with an in-depth understanding of the tool.

MARCH 2019

The Great Give: Boot Camp

Thursday, March 7, 2019
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.)
(LOCATION TBA)

With eight weeks to go, this is the time to make sure your Great Give campaign is ready! In this hands-on workshop we’ll go over tips to successfully engage with your supporters, including best practices for creating a compelling profile and marketing strategy, identifying audiences and setting up essential messaging. Bring your laptop and spend the day perfecting your profile for maximum success.

The Great Give: Office Hours with GiveGab

Friday, March 8, 2019
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (book a half-hour session)
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
70 Audubon St., New Haven

Sign up for a 30-minute, one-on-one session with a member of the GiveGab team! Come talk about your page and perfect your strategy for The Great Give®.

APRIL 2019

The Great Give: Sharing Strategies, Successes and Challenges

(TWO SESSIONS)

Tuesday, April 9, 2019 (Shelton)
8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Thursday, April 11, 2019 (Greater New Haven)
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Hear from organizations, large and small, who were successful in past years of The Great Give®! Learn tips and tricks and share practical information with your peers.

Past Workshops:

FEBRUARY 2019

Grantseeker Webinar 2019

Thursday, February 7, 2019
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
LIVE WEBINAR

This webinar will review responsive grant opportunities offered by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and the Valley Community Foundation. Join us in person or attend right from your desk! Topics include:
• all of The Community Foundation's grant processes
• how to apply for the Responsive Grant process
• the timeline from start to finish
• responsive application types
• upcoming technical assistance opportunities to support your application preparation
Please note that webinar participation is strongly encouraged, even for experienced responsive grant applicants. However, it is not required.
The first stage of the grant process begins with a submission of an application, due on March 28, 2019. Decisions to encourage or deny your application to move to the second stage of the process will be made in May. All funding decisions are made in September and October 2019.

JANUARY 2019

The Great Give: How to Use Matches and Challenges

Thursday, January 17, 2019
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
LIVE WEBINAR

Organizations with matching funds and challenges raise 4.5 times more on average than organizations without a match! Learn more about this exciting way to motivate your donors to make a greater impact in The Great Give® and beyond. In this live webinar with GiveGab staff, we’ll cover best practices for finding sponsors and how to utilize your matching dollars for maximum engagement

SEPTEMBER 2018

Grant Writing 101

Wednesday, September 26
9:00 a.m. –11:00 a.m.
Connecticut Center for Arts & Technology
4 Science Park, New Haven

For professional and volunteer grant writers with little to moderate experience. Examine the standard elements included in many grant applications. Learn tips and techniques for writing compelling narratives and presenting necessary financial information.

With Jackie Downing, The Community Foundation's Director of Grantmaking and Nonprofit Effectiveness

October 2018

Development Director Roundtable

Thursday, October 4, 9-11am. Check-in begins at 8:30am. The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, 70 Audubon Street, New Haven.

A facilitated conversation for development directors.

Telling Your Story to Funders, Part II: Videos and Infographics

Wednesday, October 24
10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m.
Whitneyville Cultural Commons, 1253 Whitney Ave, Hamden

With presenters Rev. Kevin Ewing of Baobab Tree Studios and staff from The Community Foundation, this workshop is the second in a two-part series on the basics of visual storytelling. Explore how to select and use videos and infographics to tell compelling stories that illustrate your mission and impact.

Nonprofit Finances 101

Thursday, October 25, 9-11am. Check-in begins at 8:30am.
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, 70 Audubon Street, New Haven.

Learn the basic of how to read, understand and use budgets, profits and loss statements, and the fundamentals of cash flow.

November 2018

Program Staff Roundtable

Thursday, November 1. 9-11am. Check-in begins at 8:30am. The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, 70 Audubon Street, New Haven.

Nonprofit program staff share successes and challenges in a facilitated discussion.

*Workshops are produced by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven for nonprofits providing services its 20-town region, including the five towns served by the Valley Community Foundation.