Offering Nonprofit Staff Affordable Ways to Improve Skills and Build Relationships
May 13, 2026
When we launched the Goodman Nonprofit Center last year, a primary goal
was to provide learning and community building opportunities tailored to people working at nonprofits. Creating the Goodman Nonprofit Fellowship aligned with that vision, but did so by offering great depth of learning to a small number of people.
Since then, we have continued to develop our capacity, and are now offering a broader range of events and training for people working at nonprofits across the Greater Madison area.
The goal of these events is to help people across our sector learn, improve skills, build relationships and collaborate with peers at other organizations. Our goal is to host events that will be relevant to people at a wide range of organizations, in a variety of roles and with different experience levels.
What we don’t want to do is to duplicate what other organizations already are doing in our community.
Thanks to our generous donors, these programs are low cost or free, making them accessible to organizations that may have limited professional development budgets.
Programming This Spring and Summer at the Goodman Nonprofit Center
Here is a quick overview of events and training we have planned for this spring and summer. We are working on programming for the fall – so stay tuned!
Demystifying Impact Data and Corporate Funding
May 15, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Catholic Multicultural Center
Presenter: Sara Ansell, Director of Analytics and Innovation at True Impact
Cost: $15
Nonprofits are increasingly asked to demonstrate their impact, but the expectations around “impact” can be unclear or inconsistent. This workshop will demystify how corporate social responsibility teams think and will teach participants how to better communicate their impact.
Registration for this May 15th workshop is closed!
Engaging With Your Congressional Office
June 10, noon to 1:00 p.m.
Zoom Webinar
Presenter: Morgan Salli, Field Representative for Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02)
Cost: Free
This webinar will cover the scope of congressional office casework, what constituent services in a congressional office look like, and how people can make their voice heard. There will also be ample time for Q&A.
Register for this June 10th webinar!
Nonprofit Leaders Retreat
July 24, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Holy Wisdom Monastery
Running a nonprofit organization can be both deeply rewarding and full of challenges, and recent events have made the challenges even more pronounced for many. This retreat is designed to provide leaders with the chance to connect meaningfully with other leaders and to step away from the day-to-day urgencies and have time to reflect and rejuvenate. We are planning this retreat in partnership with the United Way of Dane County.
More details to come!
Young Nonprofit Professionals Networking Event
August, day TBD
A chance for younger members of the nonprofit community to come together, meet new people, share experiences, and discuss opportunities to learn and grow in their roles and careers.
More details to come!
Other Resources and Opportunities for Learning
Ascendium Education Group is offering a free half-day workshop entitled, “Smarter Social for Your Nonprofit.” The workshop will cover social media strategy, workflow and outcome measurement. May 14, 9:00-noon.
Get more information and register: https://www.addevent.com/event/5c3355gtqgv5.
The Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies (CommNS) at UW-Madison is accepting applications for the Community Fellowship, an opportunity for a community practitioner to collaborate with CommNS. Includes a stipend and requires hosting a student intern.
Applications accepted until May 19.
Learn more and register now https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ity9BOBJsf5-X1aV-qzwHkpouFdamATPPv0SBGxoiPk/edit?tab=t.0.
The Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has launched the 2026 Wisconsin Nonprofit Compensation and Benefits Survey. Survey participants will receive a complimentary copy of the final report. For more information and to take the survey: https://milwaukee.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_799HG5HVUNJYAfk
United Way of Dane County is working with the Otto Bremer Trust to administer funds through the Otto Bremer Community Responsive Fund. They are accepting applications from organizations through the end of May and will be awarding grants of up to $75,000. “Qualified applicants focus on food, shelter, low-income healthcare clinics, disability services, and school-based mental health.” For more information and to apply: https://www.unitedwaydanecounty.org/funding-opportunities/
The Wisconsin Partnership Program at UW-Madison is currently accepting applications from Wisconsin-based nonprofits for its Community Impact Grant Program, focused on health. Grants are up to $500,000 over three years. Level Two: Accelerate grants are designed for larger organizations with annual expenses of $1 million or more and require an academic partner. Letters of Intent are due May 28. For more information: https://wpp.med.wisc.edu/grant-funding/community-grants/rfp-community-impact-grant-level-two/
Contour Consulting is offering a Nonprofit Accelerator series, including a session on May 15 called “Mastering Community Engagement & Strategic Networking.” These sessions are designed for “executive directors, board members, and key leaders who want useful tools, fresh perspective, and meaningful encouragement they can put into practice right away.” Cost is $30. For more information: https://www.contourconsultinggroup.com/non-profit-accelerator/.
Let Us Know What You Would Like to Learn
If you have ideas for events and training that you would find helpful, or that you think would be beneficial to others working in our local nonprofit community, please reach out to us at gnpc@madisongives.org or call us at 608-232-1763.
