Through participating in the offerings that make up the Nonprofit Peer Learning Program you will:

• Increase your capacity to effectively deliver on your organization’s mission.
• Develop your organization’s capacity for continuous improvement.
• Center equity, inclusion, diversity, and justice in your non-profit organizational practices.
• Engage in an environment of peer learning and networking that can support you and your organization.
• Identify opportunities for joint action to create change at policy, systems, and environment levels.

The audience of this program is:

• Early phase non-profit organization leaders.
• Small to midsize non-profit organization leaders.
• Individuals who are new to their non-profit leadership roles.

To get the most out of the program we recommend that your organization:

• Is either a 501c-3 or a fiscally sponsored organization (e.g., beyond the pre-formation stage).
• Has some funding base, whether through grants, donations, program revenue, or corporate sponsorships.
• Has developed a mission statement, a purpose statement, or a theory of change.

The program is delivered using real-time sessions, self-paced learning, and open space.

• Real-time sessions may be conducted in-person or virtually using Zoom. Real-time sessions will be interactive, using a variety of learning strategies including small group exercises, discussion, story-telling, applied improvisation, and storyboarding.
• Self-paced learning is designed to support the concepts explored during real-time sessions. This may include readings, reflections, worksheets, videos, and audio recordings. Self-paced learning includes applying concepts directly to your organization through the development of organizational plans, and suggested conversations to facilitate with your staff or board members.
• Open space may be in-person or virtual and is an unstructured time for participants to come together to network, discuss what is on their minds, and further explore the application of content to their organizations.

The program uses an online learning management system called Canvas. The Canvas ‘course’ site will serve as a central location for resources and agendas, and provides space for participants to engage asynchronously with one another,  program facilitators, and guest speakers.

Note: The exact format of the program will depend upon the specific offering.

We’ve heard from non-profit leaders that the best way to learn about running a non-profit organization is through one’s peers – people who are encountering similar challenges, who have creatively overcome barriers, and who are knowledgeable about the resource environment.  We hope that a peer learning environment will accomplish three objectives:

1. Provide support to one another: peers can provide encouragement, suggestions, and offers of mutual aid.
2. Share technical know-how: peers can lean on one another for information regarding how to build more effective organizations, and share information about resources.
3. Collaborate for community change: when it comes down to it, people get involved in the non-profit world because they care about working toward positive, equitable, sustainable community change. The peer learning network will hopefully launch partnerships and collaborations, and long-term relationships that lead to support for each others’ change initiatives.

Local non-profit leaders will be featured in video presentations talking about their areas of expertise. Collaborating presenters include:

• Araceli Esparza, Midwest Mujeres
• Kate Harris, Fundraising consultant
• Harry Hawkins, Nehemiah Center & Justified Anger
• Genia Stevens, Rock County Jumpstart & Belwah Media
• Nasra Wehelie, Empathy4Equity
• And more….