Our learning experiences will help you build collaborative capacity and make greater impact.

Offered by Kalamazoo Public Library and facilitated by the MI League for Public Policy, learn skills on how to interact with your legislators, tell your story, and create a messaging strategy to ignite your base. No cost associated.

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 and engage your board as well as staff across the organization. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by the Tamarack Institute, explore the paradigm shift needed to embrace collective leadership, offering tools and resources that can help leaders effectively unpack, analyze and challenge assumptions about how leadership and governance operate in modern nonprofit organizations. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Resonance Network, this 3-session workshop will explore how inherited systems shape our world—and how to transform them for equity and connection, gain practical tools for radical imagination, values-aligned decision-making, and collaborative relationships, and engage in strategic visioning to map possibilities and align actions with your values. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by LifeLabs Learning, learn how to design one-on-ones that employees crave, design a framework to help managers increase engagement, surface issues faster, and be better career coaches, and implement org-wide interventions to improve one-on-ones across the company. No cost associated.

Join us for an afternoon at Kalkaska's Railroad Square from 9 -11 am. This event, hosted in partnership with the Village of Kalkaska as part of our Connecting with Changemakers series, offers a unique opportunity to connect with local leaders, social entrepreneurs, and community advocates. Engage in authentic discussions, share your ideas, and explore potential collaborations with like-minded individuals who are passionate about making a positive impact in our community. Rotary Charities is dedicated to fostering connections and providing resources that drive positive change. This event is designed to create a space for genuine dialogue and community building. All are welcome! Registration is not required to attend, but we appreciate an RSVP so we know how many folks to expect. We look forward to seeing you there!

Offered by the Center for Creative Leadership and the Chronicle of Philanthropy, gain an understanding of the DAC framework (Direction, Alignment, Commitment) and its relevance in today's context, learn practical ways to implement the DAC model in your organization, and discover the significance of embracing a leadership process for better outcomes. No cost associated.

Offered by the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, discover how to uncover hidden opportunities by leveraging the data you already have using internal data to identify trends, align resources, and highlight areas for potential funding. Learn how to turn program outcomes, donor behavior, and organizational metrics into powerful tools for strategic decision-making and resource development—helping you drive impact from the inside out. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by CoCreative, explore a simple, powerful framework and practical tools for getting underneath polarized positions to the values and tensions that underlie them, accessing deeper levels of shared understanding that open up creativity and pathways forward. No cost associated. 

Offered by Volunteer Fairfax, learn how to determine the right survey objective, audience, timeline, and platform to gather data that ignites positive change, understand how to write clear survey questions that respect respondents and allow for their honesty and flexibility, and design surveys with clear and easy analysis routes that link to actionable opportunities. No cost associated.

Offered by The Systems Studio, explore the mindset of a systems practitioner and reflect on your current approach to change, learn the purpose of systems mapping, types of maps, and when to use them, and gain hands-on experience using a mapping tool to analyze and address real-world challenges. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by ZingTrain, learn practical strategies to get things done, tactical tools to better manage time, and approaches that allow you to feel more satisfied and joyful about how you spend your time. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Kalamazoo Public Library, learn how to research potential funders using valuable resources like the Foundation Directory Online, develop compelling grant proposals that meet requirements and what foundations look for in successful applications, step-by-step writing techniques, and how to prepare your organization for funding opportunities. No cost associated.

Leadership Learning Lab is a 10-month program that combines monthly learning sessions, Q/A sessions, small group learning pods, individual reflection, and ongoing support. The Leadership Learning Lab is designed to help you become a more self-aware, adaptive, collaborative, and resilient leader, develop new skills for communicating and collaborating with others, and manage your time, reduce overwhelm and focus on what is most important. Leadership Learning Lab is made possible by the support of Rotary Charities, the Frey Foundations, and regional community foundations in northern Michigan. Deadline to apply is June 25, 2025. Cohorts begin in September 2025.

Offered by Candid Learning, learn how different leadership roles contribute to crisis response, practice leadership grounded in self-care and emotional intelligence, discuss the board’s role in organizational stability, create a leadership toolkit grounded in clarity, courage, and care, and introduce fundraising strategies and tools that build trust during tough times. No cost associated.

Offered by Nonprofit Quarterly, learn proactive strategies to help team members contribute their best work, the true value of feedback and how to build a positive, affirming feedback culture, clear, compassionate options for responding when agreements are broken, and how to proactively support commitment, creativity, and communication that holds each other with care and rigor. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Candid Learning, learn 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.

Offered by Ideo U, this 5-week, self-paced online course will explore how to deliver presentations that spark a shift in beliefs, behaviors, and mindsets, sequence your information in a way that will create a meaningful journey for your audience, and apply techniques to help people pay attention and remember the information you share. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Ideo U, this 5-week, self-paced cohort course will explore techniques for mapping complex systems and identifying the root causes, establish a shared view of the system, and reframe problems from different perspectives to uncover new solutions. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
 

Offered by IDEO U, this 5 week, self-paced cohort course 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.

Offered by Bolder Advocacy and the Alliance for Justice, learn about the “fundamentals” of advocacy evaluation theory and practice, practical tips and resources on how to build capacity to evaluate and advocate, and where to find user-friendly advocacy evaluation tools and resources. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by ZingTrain, gain an understanding of the elements of an effective annual plan, what components to consider including in your own plan, and how to draft a plan to help your organization achieve success. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Volunteer Fairfax, explore practical ways to support and empower volunteers to share your mission with confidence, learn about tools, resources and training to foster a culture of advocacy, and learn strategies to amplify impact through the voices of those who know your organization best. No cost associated. 

Offered by Candid Learning, gain an understanding for making your case for support, diversifying your organization's fundraising base, and creating a plan of action. No cost associated.

Offered by the Interaction Institute for Social Change, learn about the power of networks, how networks can support the core determinants of shared prosperity and equitable wellbeing, and the core network principles to guide your work. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Bolder Advocacy and the Alliance for Justice, learn how federal tax law permits lobbying for charities and how lobbying is defined, one easy step most charities can take to maximize the amount they’re allowed to spend on lobbying, yearly lobbying limits for charities, tips for taking advantage of the narrow definitions of lobbying – which will help charities make the most of their lobbying limit, and  how to apply these rules to ballot measure activities.  Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Unity Effect, explore how to use communication tools for delivering and receiving feedback, methods for feedback one-or-one or in a team, and setting ourselves up for success: conditions for effective feedback. No cost associated. 

Offered by ZingTrain, learn how to recognize and better handle interpersonal workplace conflict and how to engage effectively in courageous conversations. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by ZingTrain, learn about the correlation between effective self-management and personal/organizational success and new tools and techniques to live and lead more intentionally. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

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.

Offered by ZingTrain, learn the benefits of building an inclusive workplace where everyone thrives, key qualities and traits of an inclusive leader, and how to evaluate your current systems and practices to find opportunities for greater equity and inclusion. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Candid Learning, learn how to draft SMART objectives for a program, identify the parts of a logic model, and report the impact on your Candid profile. No cost associated.

Offered my Nonprofit Quarterly, learn about the Block, Bridge, Build organizing framework—to interrogate the tensions of current times and explore effective ways to advocate and bridge across difference in divided times. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, learn smart ways to map out donor meetings, craft compelling messages, and track key metrics to ensure you make the most of the next six months and hit your goals for the year. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by The Collective Impact Forum, this 2-part workshop will explore tools and strategies to help you more intentionally plan, design, and facilitate meetings that are results-driven and move your collaborative forward. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Propel Nonprofits, learn why reserves are valuable and for what purpose, the perennial question of how much, and some practical tools for managing and communications. No cost associated.

Offered by CompassPoint, in this 4-part series you will explore the coaching mindset (“How attitude, openness, and the outlook create the right space for others’ discovery and development”), build on your communication abilities through three key coaching skills (“deeper/engaged listening,” “inquiry,” and “championing”), and learn how coaching interrupts dominating behavior and builds power with others. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Propel Nonprofits, explore how to assess your current and future financial positions by developing new scenario and contingency plans for your organizations, learn techniques and approaches to having practical conversations critical to organizational decision making, and work with analytical tools to assist in gauging the risks to your income and the flexibility of your expenses. No cost associated.

Offered by the Interaction Institute for Social Change, this 7-part series will explore facilitative leadership and building power equitably, how to encourage continuous improvement by focusing on process and relationships, creating the conditions for collaborative action, and learn how to make sense of complexity by involving others to understand the visible and invisible levels of systems. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Join us for a morning at Elk Rapids Rotary Park from 9-11am. This event, hosted in partnership with Paddle Antrim as part of our Connecting with Changemakers series, offers a unique opportunity to connect with local leaders, social entrepreneurs, and community advocates. Engage in authentic discussions, share your ideas, and explore potential collaborations with like-minded individuals who are passionate about making a positive impact in our community. Rotary Charities is dedicated to fostering connections and providing resources that drive positive change. This event is designed to create a space for genuine dialogue and community building. All are welcome! Registration is not required to attend, but we appreciate an RSVP so we know how many folks to expect. We look forward to seeing you there!

Offered by CompassPoint, in this 2-part series you will explore the distinction between change (an event or situation) and transition (a process) and recognize the impacts on people in your organization, gain an understanding of the Margin to Center framework as a way to identify solutions to challenges, and learn to distinguish between adaptive challenges and technical fixes and how they apply to a change occurring in your organization. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Candid Learning, learn 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.

Offered by Propel Nonprofits, learn how to create the conditions for a healthy relationship between the board chair and ED/CEO that will increase your nonprofits ability to accomplish its mission and minimize stress of board and staff. It is ideal to have the ED/CEO and board chair attend this session together to explore their critical relationship and to discuss how they will support each other in leading their organization to success. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Ideo U, this 5-week, self-paced online course will explore how to deliver presentations that spark a shift in beliefs, behaviors, and mindsets, sequence your information in a way that will create a meaningful journey for your audience, and apply techniques to help people pay attention and remember the information you share. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Ideo U, this 5-week, self-paced cohort course will explore techniques for mapping complex systems and identifying the root causes, establish a shared view of the system, and reframe problems from different perspectives to uncover new solutions. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
 

Offered by IDEO U, this 5 week, self-paced cohort course 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.

Offered by Bolder Advocacy, learn how to track your lobbying time and expenses so that your 501(c)(3) organization stays within its lobbying limits, how a 501(c)(3) reports its lobbying to the IRS, such as on the Form 990 or Form 990-EZ;, how tracking and reporting varies depending on whether a charity measures its lobbying under the insubstantial part test or the 501(h) expenditure test, and how state and local law may require additional tracking and reporting. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by the Interaction Institute for Social Change, this 5-part series will explore the foundations of systemic racism, the power of storytelling, how to prepare as a facilitator, facilitation fundamentals and will include coaching and practice. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Propel Nonprofits, 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.

Offered by Propel Nonprofits, gain an understanding of the critical actions nonprofit boards can take in this time of ongoing uncertainty when the ability to adapt is more important than ever before. No cost associated.

Offered by CoCreative, gain hands-on experience and learn proven methods for recognizing, mapping, and harnessing the diverse values and perspectives within your team to turn conflict and polarization into genuine alignment and productive collaboration. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by CoCreative, gain hands-on experience and learn proven methods for recognizing, mapping, and harnessing the diverse values and perspectives within your team to turn conflict and polarization into genuine alignment and productive collaboration. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by The Systems Studio, explore the mindset of a systems practitioner and reflect on your current approach to change, learn the purpose of systems mapping, types of maps, and when to use them, and gain hands-on experience using a mapping tool to analyze and address real-world challenges. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by CoCreative, learn the key elements of Collaborative Innovation, compare the approach to other common practices in multi-stakeholder collaboration, familiarize with key concepts and tools, and explore the six conditions for success. No cost associated.

Offered by the Interaction Institute for Social Change, this quarterly gathering is a space for connection, reflection and action where challenges are explored, progress is celebrated, and strategies to advance racial justice are shared. No cost associated.

Offered by the Tamarack Institute, this 2-part workshop will explore the mindset needed to create a successful Collective Impact Initiative that's intentionally designed to drive systems change and how to incorporate programmatic and systems change strategies into your Collective Impact implementation plans. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, learn how nonprofits are turning the tide and get proven ways to inspire and connect with a broad pool of donors. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Ideo U, this 5 week self-paced, online cohort course will explore how to look at problems through different perspectives, develop 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.

Offered by Ideo U, this 5-week, self-paced cohort course will explore techniques for mapping complex systems and identifying the root causes, establish a shared view of the system, and reframe problems from different perspectives to uncover new solutions. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
 

Offered by IDEO U, this 5 week, self-paced cohort course 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.

Offered by the School of Systems Change, this 5-week course will explore group dynamics and energies, power, process design, leadership and understanding your self as an instrument for change. Deadline to apply is October 2. The course starts on October 20. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by the Tamarack Institute, gain an understanding the importance of community and power in place, build the knowledge and competence to think about policy change, and build a foundation and next steps for change. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by CompassPoint, in this 2-part series you will explore the distinction between change (an event or situation) and transition (a process) and recognize the impacts on people in your organization, gain an understanding of the Margin to Center framework as a way to identify solutions to challenges, and learn to distinguish between adaptive challenges and technical fixes and how they apply to a change occurring in your organization. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by CompassPoint, in this 2-part series you will learn how to use the “purpose, outcome, and process” (P.O.P) format to design a meeting, how to center marginalized voices in meetings, and strategies for interrupting oppressive power dynamics in meetings. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by the School of System Change, this 5-part series will explore introductory knowledge and application of tools and frameworks from across the systems change field and orientate yourself to what it means to integrate systemic ways of working and collaborating. Course starts on November 4. Deadline to apply is October 16. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by the Tamarack Institute, in this 2-part workshop you will explore seven essential facilitation practices, learn and apply practical tools, and actionable facilitation strategies, and practice your skills in small groups and receive specific coaching. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Ideo U, this 5 week self-paced, online cohort course will explore how to look at problems through different perspectives, develop 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.

Offered by Ideo U, this 5-week, self-paced cohort course will explore techniques for mapping complex systems and identifying the root causes, establish a shared view of the system, and reframe problems from different perspectives to uncover new solutions. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.
 

Offered by IDEO U, this 5 week, self-paced cohort course 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.

Offered by CoCreative, identify common dynamics in collaborative work, apply strategies to expand creative possibilities, utilize reflective and iterative processes to ensure shared alignment, transform differing perspectives and conflicting ideas into opportunities, and implement structured problem-solving and human-centered design techniques to enhance collaboration. No cost associated.

Offered by the Tamarack Institute, learn the seven steps to craft compelling stories which highlight your collaborative’s successes and progress to help you to attract and retain the funders and partners needed to deepen your community impact. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by the Interaction Institute for Social Change, this quarterly gathering is a space for connection, reflection and action where challenges are explored, progress is celebrated, and strategies to advance racial justice are shared. No cost associated.