Our learning experiences will help you build collaborative capacity and make greater impact.
Build your capacity to work better together to address our region’s complex problems and create community assets for all. Learn to use systems practice, a process to understand the system you’re working in and identify leverage points for change, and explore a suite of skills and mindsets to help you create the conditions for meaningful collaboration. Filter the list of upcoming learning experiences by the impact areas below, find the path that is right for you and take the next step in strengthening your organization, network and community.
Ready to learn? Let us help! The Learning Fund provides financial support to help local changemakers cover tuition and conference fees for virtual learning experiences offered from partners across the globe.
Upcoming Learning Experiences
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by Propel Nonprofits, learn to use budgeting as another tool for you to tell the story of your organization’s plans, priorities, and aspirations using a 10-step budgeting process that will also highlight ways to engage your board as well as staff across the organization. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, learn how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation, including the basic elements of a proposal, the "do's" and "don'ts" of writing and submitting a proposal, and how to follow up whether the answer is yes or no. No cost associated.
Time: 12:00 pm
Offered by the Center for Creative Leadership, learn the value of creating leadership competitive advantage for your organization, four compelling reasons for making leadership development more accessible, and explore research findings on the benefits of investing in leadership development. No cost associated.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Volunteer Fairfax, learn about recruiting, retaining and recognizing volunteers with the lens of leading the different age group and recognizing that each group has its special characteristics and challenges. No cost associated.
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by Ideo U, this 5-week, self-paced course will explore how to look at problems through different perspectives, refine your instincts into actionable and innovative solutions, learn how to de-risk and experiment to build resilient strategies, and balance creative thinking and rigor to get to breakthrough ideas and sustainable solutions. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by Ideo U, this 5-week, self-paced course will explore a strategic problem that your organization faces, frame it as a question, and brainstorm possibilities to solve it, surface and pick the conditions that would need to be true to make the possibility a winning strategy, and build and conduct different types of tests to help you choose among your possibilities. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by the Center for Nonprofit Management, learn how to align strategies and tactics with objectives and goals, how to create content that will engage while managing an online community, and tips for listening for insights and measuring your results. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 1:00 pm
Offered by Ideo U, in this 5-week, self-paced course you will learn how to use data to inspire new ideas, opportunities, and directions, frame your question and determine the types of data you need, discover insights in your data and effectively communicate why they matter, turn insights from the data into compelling stories and visualizations, and take a human-centered approach to data analysis. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, learn the basics of shifting focus from your nonprofit’s activities to its outcomes including how to draft SMART objectives for a program and identify the parts of a logic model. No cost associated.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, learn step-by-step instructions on how to generate a standard project budget for a foundation proposal including the basic components of a project budget including income and expenses, how to estimate the realistic cost of a project, and what other financial documents you may also need to submit with your proposal. No cost associated.
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by the Kalamazoo Public Library, learn how to use your voice to create change as we dive into state civics, explore advocacy strategies, and provide tools, knowledge, and strategies needed to effectively advocate for the priorities of your organization and the populations you serve. No cost associated.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Volunteer Fairfax, learn about what data you have, data you need, or data that others can provide to support your story of volunteer impact to better communicate to a wide variety of audiences. No cost associated.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, explore the different types of corporate giving, what motivates corporations to give, and how to find potential corporate partners. No cost associated.
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by the Kalamazoo Public Library, explore effective board membership and learn about board roles and responsibilities, fostering positive board culture, and running efficient meetings. No cost associated.
Time: 12:30 pm
Offered by Compass Point, this 2-part series will explore the distinction between a change and a transition and the impact they have on people in your organization, learn about the Margin to Center framework as a way to identify solutions to challenges, and how to distinguish between adaptive challenges and technical fixes. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 12:30 pm
Offered by Compass Point, this 2-part series will explore five conflict resolution styles and how they intersect with positional power and social privilege, identify how you want be your “best self” in conflict, build on your abilities of listening, inquiry, and empathy as skills for working through conflict. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 12:30 pm
Offered by Compass Point, in this 2-part series you will learn effective meeting habits, develop skills to plan a meeting, explore how to wield power to unlock everyone’s gifts and contributions, get the right voices in the room, and guide conversations toward meaningful goals. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 1:00 pm
Offered by Interaction Institute for Social Change, in this 7-part series you will develop practical collaborative skills and tools for tapping the creativity, experience, and commitment of groups and while exploring your own challenges and aspirations as a leader. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, learn about boards’ typical fundraising responsibilities, why some board members may be reluctant to fundraise, and how to overcome these concerns. No cost associated.
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by the Center for Nonprofit Management, explore belonging, workplace community, and the role of psychological safety, practice conscious conflict using real-world scenarios and situations, and explore a new conflict management model that helps navigate power dynamics and support a culture of inclusion & equity. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, learn smart ways to use budgets to demonstrate your organization’s sustainability, strength, and sound fiscal management. Cost associated. Eligible support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, learn the basic steps for developing a fundraising plan, including tips on: making your case for support, diversifying your organization's fundraising base, and creating a plan of action. No cost associated.
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by Propel Nonprofits, learn how to read nonprofit financial reports including the income statement (statement of activities) and balance sheet (statement of financial position) and gain an understanding of nonprofit finance terminology, financial statements, and staff and board roles and responsibilities. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 12:30 pm
Offered by Compass Point, this 2-part series will explore obstacles—internal, interpersonal, and institutional—that are hindering personal sustainability, a framework for energy management that includes the four core energy needs: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual, and new perspectives, strategies, and practices for self-care by understanding how to manage your energy and time differently. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 12:00 pm
Offered by the Collective Impact Forum, learn about the 5 conditions of collective impact and why they are important, strategies to support centering equity practices within collective impact work, and discussion of governance structures and the backbone role. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 1:00 pm
Offered by Propel Nonprofits, learn practical insight and share strategies for impactful decision-making processes., including ways to foster collaboration and create engagement among board members in order to harness the collective wisdom of the board and make informed and impactful decisions that advance your mission. No cost associated.
Time: 9:00 am
Offered by the School of System Change, gain insights into the interlinkages between inner transformation and system change, gain clarity on some of the dilemmas that keep us trapped in repetitive patterns, understand the role a conscious mind plays in changing habits, and experiment with practical tools, frameworks, and practices specific to inner-led change. Apply before August 22. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, learn how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation, including the basic elements of a proposal, the "do's" and "don'ts" of writing and submitting a proposal, and how to follow up whether the answer is yes or no. No cost associated.
Join Rotary Charities at Grow Benzie to make meaningful connections with other nonprofit professionals, entrepreneurs and socially-minded business folks, and community leaders who share your passion for making a positive impact in our community. All are welcome! Registration is not required to attend, but we appreciate an RSVP so we know how many folks to expect.
Time: 1:00 pm
Offered by the Tamarack Institute, this workshop focuses on the core leadership competency of trust-building, providing ideas, tools and approaches to effectively engage diverse community partners and intentionally build trusting relationships and collaborative impact. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, learn the basics of shifting focus from your nonprofit’s activities to its outcomes including how to draft SMART objectives for a program and identify the parts of a logic model. No cost associated.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, learn step-by-step instructions on how to generate a standard project budget for a foundation proposal including the basic components of a project budget including income and expenses, how to estimate the realistic cost of a project, and what other financial documents you may also need to submit with your proposal. No cost associated.
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by the School of System Change, learn how to create the conditions for relationship building, mutual learning, and coherence among 'storyholders' while weaving multiple perspectives and amplifying nuance. Apply before August 29. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 12:30 pm
Offered by Compass Point, this 2-part series will explore the distinction between a change and a transition and the impact they have on people in your organization, learn about the Margin to Center framework as a way to identify solutions to challenges, and how to distinguish between adaptive challenges and technical fixes. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, learn the basic steps for developing a fundraising plan, including tips on: making your case for support, diversifying your organization's fundraising base, and creating a plan of action. No cost associated.
Time: 11:00 am
Offered by ZingTrain, explore how to recognize and better handle interpersonal workplace conflict and learn tools for preparing yourself before diving into the steps for engaging in the conversation. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 12:00 pm
Offered by LifeLabs Learning, learn the science behind how to best enable performance and leave with a framework to assess the quality of your own reviews and a list of new ideas to implement. No cost associated.
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by Propel Nonprofits, learn about board responsibilities and explore the nuances of board authority and relationships. Participants will receive Propel’s Nonprofit Board Governance workbook and the workshop is designed for those new to serving on a board or those who are contemplating joining a board. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 12:30 pm
Offered by Compass Point, this 2-part series will explore five conflict resolution styles and how they intersect with positional power and social privilege, identify how you want be your “best self” in conflict, build on your abilities of listening, inquiry, and empathy as skills for working through conflict. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 12:30 pm
Offered by Compass Point, this 2-part series will explore obstacles—internal, interpersonal, and institutional—that are hindering personal sustainability, a framework for energy management that includes the four core energy needs: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual, and new perspectives, strategies, and practices for self-care by understanding how to manage your energy and time differently. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 1:00 pm
Offered by the Collective Impact Forum, explore 10 challenges that often hinder a collective, from steering away from strategy drift to setting up a culture that encourages accountability, and share some practices and principles to navigate through them and help set (or reset) your initiative on a path forward. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by Ideo U, this 5-week, self-paced course will explore a strategic problem that your organization faces, frame it as a question, and brainstorm possibilities to solve it, surface and pick the conditions that would need to be true to make the possibility a winning strategy, and build and conduct different types of tests to help you choose among your possibilities. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 1:00 pm
Offered by Ideo U, in this 5-week, self-paced course you will learn how to use data to inspire new ideas, opportunities, and directions, frame your question and determine the types of data you need, discover insights in your data and effectively communicate why they matter, turn insights from the data into compelling stories and visualizations, and take a human-centered approach to data analysis. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 1:00 pm
Offered by Propel Nonprofits, explore the tension that can exist and gain clarity in the space where board governance stops and management begins to ensure that board and the staff continue to be collaborative partners to achieve the mission of the organization. No cost associated.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by The Chronicles of Philanthropy, learn how to measure and convey impact in ways that impress supporters and ignite interest in your organization. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, learn how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation, including the basic elements of a proposal, the "do's" and "don'ts" of writing and submitting a proposal, and how to follow up whether the answer is yes or no. No cost associated.
Time: 11:00 am
Offered by The Systems Sanctuary, this 2-part series will explore theoretical frameworks underlying collective learning and get you started on building frameworks and structures for learning across your network. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by the Center for Nonprofit Management, learn to create and modify a nonprofit budget that can provide a solid financial roadmap for your organization even in the face of the types of surprises and unforeseen changes that can occur in a typical annual operating period. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 1:00 pm
Offered by the Human Systems Dynamics Institute, in this 2-part workshop your will learn how to see and understand patterns, use stories to leverage complexity to inform future actions, and create narrative to navigate your uncertain world. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 1:00 pm
Offered by ZingTrain, learn what Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are and why they are important for your organization, when to use different types of SOPs, and how to use the Four Steps to Writing an SOP to begin documenting a system, procedure, or task. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, learn the basics of shifting focus from your nonprofit’s activities to its outcomes including how to draft SMART objectives for a program and identify the parts of a logic model. No cost associated.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by LifeLabs Learning, learn the science behind how to best enable performance and leave with a framework to assess the quality of your own reviews and a list of new ideas to implement. No cost associated.
Time: 10:00 am
Offered by Propel Nonprofits, learn how to read nonprofit financial reports including the income statement (statement of activities) and balance sheet (statement of financial position) and gain an understanding of nonprofit finance terminology, financial statements, and staff and board roles and responsibilities. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 1:00 pm
Offered by the Tamarack Institute, explore different evaluation techniques to determine what a community most needs in order to move forward in a good way, analyze the impacts that our projects, initiatives, directivities, programs or policies are having, and tell the stories that need to be shared to inspire, empower, catalyze change and sustain your initiatives. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Stanford Social Innovation Review, recognize opportunities for your nonprofit to partner with government entities to scale impact, discover strategies for nonprofits to build public-private partnerships, identify and connect with government leaders, develop deep coordination with government entities to sustain impact, create structures within your organizations to establish the foundation for a partnership mindset, and foresee pitfalls of working with government partners and approaches to address those challenges. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
Time: 2:00 pm
Offered by Candid Learning, learn step-by-step instructions on how to generate a standard project budget for a foundation proposal including the basic components of a project budget including income and expenses, how to estimate the realistic cost of a project, and what other financial documents you may also need to submit with your proposal. No cost associated.
Time: 5:00 am
Offered by the School of System Change, this 7-month course will develop your understanding of systemic change framings, how to apply tools and methods to complex challenges, how to see change over time and at different levels, and how to see patterns and connections and apply them to complex challenges. Course starts on October 28. Apply by September 30. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.