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.
Upcoming Workshops:
Grant Reporting - WEBINAR
Learn how to create your best data-filled report and mission-driven story, and more of what The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is looking for in a grant report.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
With Kara Straun and Matt Higbee of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
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Creating a Fundraising Plan
What blend of individual, major, corporate and foundation gifts are right for you? Explore strategies for creating a realistic but aspirational fund development plan.
Location: Nathanael B. Greene Community Center, 32 Church St, Guilford
Thursday, October 3, 2019
8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Check-in begins at 8:00 a.m.
With Karen Jenkins of Development4Good, LLC
Presented in cooperation with the Guilford Foundation and the Branford Community Foundation
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Grantwriting 101
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.
Choice of Two Sessions:
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
9:00 a.m. -10:30 a.m. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.
Location: The Greek Olive, 402 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Check-in begins at 5:00 p.m.
Location: The Community Foundation, 70 Audubon St., New Haven
With Jackie Downing, Director of Grantmaking and Nonprofit Effectiveness
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Development Director Roundtable
Share experiences and compare challenges with other Development Directors at this facilitated conversation directed by participants' questions and concerns.
Location: The Community Foundation, 70 Audubon St., New Haven
Thursday, October 10, 2019
9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.
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Board Chair Roundtable
Share experiences and compare challenges with other seated and rising Board Chairs at this facilitated conversation directed by participants' questions and concerns.
Location: The Community Foundation, 70 Audubon St., New Haven
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
8:00 a.m.- 9:30 a.m. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.
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Grantwriting 201
An in-depth look at the planning and evaluation terminology used in grant writing and reporting. Explore sample questions found on applications, then write and review effective answers.
Choice of Two Sessions:
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.
Location: The Greek Olive, 402 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Check-in begins at 5:00 p.m.
Location: The Community Foundation, 70 Audubon St., New Haven
With Jackie Downing, The Community Foundation's Director of Grantmaking and Nonprofit Effectiveness
Cost: $10
Register Now
Purposeful Boards, Powerful Fundraising
Choice of Two Sessions:
Friday, October 25, 2019
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
It is of the utmost importance that Boards and staff work together effectively to solicit financial support for your organization. Designed for Board-staff teams, this practical session addresses the complementary roles Board members play in their organization's governance and resource development.
The session begins with a close look at Board recruitment, structure, operations, and culture, knowing that weak Boards don't raise funds effectively. The second part of the session focuses on how to involve Board members in effective fundraising.
With Chuck V. Loring, MBA, CFRE, Senior Governance Associate, BoardSource and Senior Partner, Loring, Sternberg & Associates
Location: Brownson Country Club, 15 Soundview Ave, Shelton
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Program Staff Roundtable
Sit down with other program staff to share experiences and compare challenges in a facilitated conversation, directed by participants' questions and concerns.
Location: The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, 70 Audubon Street, New Haven
Thursday, November 7, 2019
9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.
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Major Gifts for Nonprofits
Learn about The Major Gift Process — how to identify, cultivate, solicit, close, and steward major gift donors.
Location: The Q Club, 221 Church St., New Haven
Thursday, November 7, 2019
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Check-in begins at 5:00 p.m.
With Sarah Shrewsbury, Principal of Vineyard Consulting
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Planned Giving for Nonprofits
Learn how to work with donors to direct gifts where they will have maximum impact for the donor and for the organization – annual, capital or endowment.
Location: The Graduate Club, 155 Elm St., New Haven
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.
With The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven Development Team
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Past Workshops:
The Nuts & Bolts Webinar (RECORDED)
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.
WATCH VCF WEBINAR (RECORDED 02.20.19)
Strategic Alliances
Challenging times require nonprofit leaders serving as staff and board members to deepen their understanding of the current financial health of their organizations and the risk to their ability to continue to enact their missions. This four-part program enables nonprofits to explore their financial and operational vulnerabilities and options, and develop long-term strategies to sustain programs and services.
Which Fundraising Tools Are Right for You?
Examine fundraising tools that can take your efforts to the next level by considering how to create and expand your donor base, maximize your annual appeal, seek corporate and foundation funding, and carefully use special events.
With Karen Jenkins of Development4Good, LLC
Presented in cooperation with the Guilford Foundation and the Branford Community Foundation
The Great Give: Sharing Strategies, Successes and Challenges
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.
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
The Great Give: Boot Camp
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
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®.
The Great Give: The Power of P2P Fundraising
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®.
Outcomes, Measures and Logic Model
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.
Grantseeker Webinar 2019 (RECORDED)
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.
WATCH WEBINAR (RECORDED ON 02.07.19)
The Great Give: How to Use Matches and Challenges
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.
2018
Grant Writing 101
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
Development Director Roundtable
A facilitated conversation for Development directors to share successes and challenges.
Telling Your Story to Funders, Part II: Videos and Infographics
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
Learn the basic of how to read, understand and use budgets, profits and loss statements, and the fundamentals of cash flow.
Program Staff Roundtable
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.
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