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

Offered by Propel Nonprofits, learn the four core components of a nonprofit business model – revenue mix, understanding the cost of programs, infrastructure, and capital structure – and explore how all these components connect to mission and your organization's financial health. No cost associated.

Offered by Candid Learning, gain an understanding of the different types of corporate giving, what motivates corporations to give, and how to find potential corporate partners. No cost associated.

Offered by Traverse Connect in partnership with the MI Office of Rural Prosperity, gain an understanding of the role of grant writing in nonprofit financial stability, learn the grant writing process and best practices, covering the six stages, tools, and techniques for crafting strong proposals, and apply skills through case studies. No cost associated.

Offered by Candid Learning, explore 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 connecting your goals to the funding required to get there. No cost associated.

Offered by Rotary Charities through a collaborative funding partnership with the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, the Oleson Foundation, and the Huckle Family Foundation, join us for an engaging and practical workshop designed to help nonprofit leaders prepare for an uncertain future. Through hands-on exercises, expert insights, and real-world case studies, you will learn how to build scenario-based strategies that can guide your organization through disruption and change. This workshop will be led by experienced facilitators from the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at GVSU. No cost associated.

Offered by Propel Nonprofits, gain an understanding of 2hat a cashflow projection is, review what data you need to collect to create a cash flow projection, understand how to manage cashflow opportunities, understand how to share the information with affected parties, and have a key tool to predict upcoming expenses. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Evaluation Cafe at Western Michigan University, explore how everyday evaluative skills can strengthen relationships and address diverse community needs, learn how storytelling methodologies like photovoice and journey mapping, which center community voices and lived experiences, and highlight evaluation's role in strengthening collective ties and empowering community members as active agents. No cost associated.

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 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 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. 

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 Candid Learning, explore a step-by-step guide to creating a grant proposal to a foundation including the basic elements of a grant proposal, including the need statement, project description, and evaluation plan, a model outline of the essential components of any grant proposal, the "do's" and "don'ts" of writing, planning and submitting a proposal, and methods for building a relationship with a potential funder, from initial outreach to follow-up and reporting. No cost associated.

Offered by ZingTrain, explore what Standard Operating Procedures are and why they are important for your organization, when to use different types of SOPs, and the 4 Steps to Writing an SOP - plus the chance to use them to begin documenting a system, procedure, or task. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Propel Nonprofits, learn about 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.

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 ZingTrain, explore how to recognize and better handle interpersonal workplace conflict and learn tools to engage effectively in a Courageous Conversation. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by NMC Extended Ed in partnership with Rotary Charities, the 6-week course is designed to review, discuss, and apply fundraising fundamentals to existing scenarios and/or situations currently being experienced by your organization. Content will be customized based on the topics most useful to cohort participants, but will include: prospecting, long-term relationship building, solicitations, board engagement, stewardship, communication flow, time management, and writing compelling case statements. Course begins January 6, 2026, and occurs every Tuesday thereafter through February 10, 2026. Applications are due by November 24. This course is subsidized by Rotary Charities and is not eligible for the Learning Fund.

Offered by Propel Nonprofits, explore 10 key indicators of financial health, blending both financial metrics and leadership practices that contribute to long-term sustainability, analyze financial trends and ratios to understand your organization’s fiscal trajectory, use cash flow projections and operating reserves to plan for uncertainty, review budget-to-actual reports to make informed decisions, and align your strategic plan and succession planning with financial realities. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Stanford Social Innovation Review, this 2-part workshop will explore how to shape and deliver messages that stick with your audience, improve your nonverbal presence to enhance your credibility and clarity, receive real-time feedback on message design and delivery, and gain confidence in your speaking skills. Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.

Offered by Rotary Charities through a collaborative funding partnership with the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, the Oleson Foundation, and the Huckle Family Foundation, join us as we explore how to make purpose-driven and values-based decisions around programming, staffing, and resource allocation and how to communicate those choices with clarity and courage. The session will also offer adaptive fundraising strategies that respond to evolving donor behavior and systemic realities, helping organizations build resilience and donor trust. This workshop will be led by Megan Motil, of Parallel Solutions, and Christie Perdue, of The Solvent Group. No cost associated.

Offered by Propel Nonprofit, gain clarify on roles and responsibilities of board and staff with governance and management to be the collaborative partners you need to be to achieve your mission. No cost associated.