Executive Director Forums are a low-effort, low-cost, and high-impact way to gather with your executive director peers and learn from each other. Each forum gives you the chance to participate in three roundtable discussions led by an experienced executive director. Participants share problems and solutions and trade tips and resources. All sessions will occur via Zoom.

For more than a decade, ED Forum participants consistently report that they left with actionable information and an extra bounce in their step from networking with others in our sector.

Email nancy@501commons.org if you are interested in being a discussion leader or if there's a topic you'd like to see covered.

Upcoming ED Forums:

Check back for future sessions, please

Our Board Leadership Series offers more than a dozen well-reviewed sessions about governance and board development for staff and board members. Every class is taught by expert nonprofit professionals who bring years of experience working with and consulting to nonprofit organizations like yours.

All sessions will be held via Zoom. When you register through Eventbrite, we will send you the Zoom link before the day of the training. Cost is $45 per person and $40 for organizations that are 501 Commons members. Organizations with budgets under $1 million receive a $20 discount.

Please direct your questions to Greg Scully at greg@501commons.org.

Upcoming Board Trainings:

Board EXCEL: Excel in Community Engagement and Leadership – Dec. 8, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (PST)

Technology is a crucial component for the success of nonprofits to serve their missions. 501 Talks Tech is a series of educational sessions that provide information on free and low-cost technology tools that are readily available to nonprofit organizations of all sizes.

Held online as a webinar, topics discussed at 501 Talks Tech include website maintenance, Google AdWords, social media, databases, search engine optimization, project management and collaboration tools, security & privacy, mobile, e-mail, and more. Our trainers are technology experts who bring years of practical experience using these tools for social good.

Upcoming workshops:

Check back for future sessions, please

Affordable in-depth classes designed to build up your professional skills and leadership capabilities are available through the 501 Commons Staff Development Coalition. These workshops improve how staff and executive directors work with each other and the communities they serve.

Sessions cover topics such as staff retention, diversity and inclusion, cultivating empathy and emotional intelligence, building leadership skills, improving communication, and handling difficult conversations.

Upcoming workshops:

The Power of Community: Why and How to Build It in the Workplace – Feb. 22 | 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. (PST)

For a busy nonprofit professional, effectively managing volunteers can seem challenging– even daunting – but with a little time and intention, you can become highly effective at engaging volunteers. Nancy Gaston will cover the basics for creating a volunteer program or bringing new vitality to an existing one. Join in lively and interactive learning with colleagues—some new to the profession and others with valuable experiences to share. Leave with ideas you can put into action right away.

Engaging, Equipping, and Retaining Volunteers – Dec. 6, 8, and 13 | 9:00 a.m. to noon (PST)