Professional Development

Wisconsin Nonprofit Summit 2023

Save the Date!

July 27-28, 2023

Hybrid format

Brookfield Conference Center

Wisconsin nonprofit leaders, staff members, volunteers, and board members will be able to gather in a hybrid format next July to gain valuable information and resources for leading a nonprofit organization into its next best step. The Helen Bader Institute (HBI) for Nonprofit Management at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee presents the inaugural Wisconsin Nonprofit Summit – themed “Together,” which will feature national-level speakers and three learning tracks: Leadership, Financial Sustainability, and Marketing & Communication.

 

July 19, 2023

A virtual pre-conference forum offered free and open to the public. Statewide participants will engage in a series of virtual round-table discussions to network and define the current challenges of Wisconsin’s nonprofit sector in a post-COVID world.

July 27-28, 2023

An in-person two-day conference featuring virtual participation options. Sessions and keynote addresses will focus on fundraising, board governance, advocacy, marketing, information technology, and more.

Both in-person and virtual attendance options will allow participants all over Wisconsin to participate in the invaluable networking and connection with leaders from other organizations pursuing similar missions around the state, leading to collaboration and a more significant community impact.

Registration, speaker, and sponsorship information are available on the HBI website.

Please contact Bryce Lord, HBI Associate Director, at balord@uwm.edu for more information.

UWM microcredentials offer specific skills in nonprofit management ‘a la carte’

fast.flexible.focused.

Beginning this fall, UWM will offer microcredentials in eight sought-after skill areas of nonprofit management. To earn this new graduate-level credential, students take a cluster of three courses focused on a specific topic, which they can complete in under a… Read More

Virtual Proposal Writing Workshop

Tuesday, September 27 2022 - Friday, September 30 2022 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Online

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

In partnership with Candid, the Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee will offer a grant proposal writing workshop as part of its Nonprofit Skills Academy.

In this two-day, fully-online, hands-on workshop, you will learn the main parts of a grant proposal. You will write several of those parts of the proposal during the class and get feedback on them from experts and peers. You’ll also learn how to find potential funders for your project, and you’ll learn what those funders look for in a proposal and what they don’t like to see.

Last May’s workshop filled up fast. Don’t miss out this time around!

What will you learn?

  • Understand how to write a grant proposal for your own project
  • Create a basic budget to use in your grant proposal
  • Find potential grant funders for your proposal using Foundation Directory
  • Learn what grant funders want in a proposal and the biggest red flags from their perspective.

Who should attend?

  • Board members
  • CEOs, executive directors, upper management
  • Fundraising & development staff
  • Grant writers
  • All levels of experience

Bonus materials

  • A 70-page workbook with worksheets and example
  • Downloadable templates for preparing your proposal
  • Temporary access to Foundation Directory

ENROLL NOW

Note: This workshop is limited exclusively to registrants from nonprofit organizations based in Wisconsin.

Virtual Proposal Writing Workshop

Tuesday, May 24 2022 - Friday, May 27 2022 9:00 am - 12:00pm

Online

Virtual Proposal Writing Workshop

In partnership with Candid, the Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee will offer a grant proposal writing workshop as part of its Nonprofit Skills Academy.

In this two-day, fully-online, hands-on workshop, you will learn the main parts of a grant proposal. You will write several of those parts of the proposal during the class and get feedback on them from experts and peers. You’ll also learn how to find potential funders for your project, and you’ll learn what those funders look for in a proposal and what they don’t like to see.

What will you learn?

  • Understand how to write a grant proposal for your own project
  • Create a basic budget to use in your grant proposal
  • Find potential grant funders for your proposal using Foundation Directory
  • Learn what grant funders want in a proposal and the biggest red flags from their perspective.

Who should attend?

  • Board members
  • CEOs, executive directors, upper management
  • Fundraising & development staff
  • Grant writers
  • All levels of experience

Bonus materials

  • A 70-page workbook with worksheets and example
  • Downloadable templates for preparing your proposal
  • Temporary access to Foundation Directory

ENROLL NOW

Note: This workshop is limited exclusively to registrants from nonprofit organizations based in Wisconsin.

Nonprofit Executive Leadership Circles 2021-22

The Helen Bader Institute (HBI) for Nonprofit Management is pleased to announce that registration is open for the 2020-21 cohort of HBI’s Nonprofit Leadership Circle program. HBI’s Nonprofit Leadership Circle program focuses on the needs of nonprofit Executive Directors & HR… Read More

Lunch Hour with HBI

Wednesday, January 20 2021 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Zoom

Nonprofit life can be challenging for even the most experienced among us. So, whether you’re an experienced leader, part of nonprofit staff, or just interested in the Wisconsin nonprofit sector, the Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee is here to offer our support and insights to help you develop skills necessary for effective nonprofit leadership and managementAnd we want to hear about your experiences, too. With this in mind, grab your lunch and join us at noon for Lunch Hour with HBI — a new quarterly free virtual discussion series!

Lunch Hour with HBI provides you with the opportunity to meet different members of the Institute’s team and be part of a casual, facilitated discussion around a theme or critical question related to nonprofit management and leadership. If you have a topic of particular interest, contact HBI Associate Director Bryce Lord (balord@uwm.edu) and start the conversation.

REGISTER HERE

Introduction to the Foundation Directory Online (FDO)

Friday, January 8 2021 9:00am - 10:30am

Zoom

Looking for grants for your nonprofit?

Come learn how to use Foundation Directory Online (FDO), the most comprehensive prospect research tool for fundraisers, with over 226,000+ grantmaker profiles. You will learn how to search for grantmakers who have funded organizations working on causes and with communities similar to those you serve.

NOTE: This class is for nonprofit organizations looking for funding. It is not geared to individuals seeking grants. We recommend you take our free one-hour course, Introduction to Finding Grants, before attending.

Upon completion of this course you should be able to:

  • Explain what FDO is
  • Identify your needs to prepare for searching for potential grantmakers in FDO
  • Research potential grantmakers using a project-based search in FDO
  • Evaluate prospects for strong or weak fit using FDO
  • Identify the options for accessing FDO
  • Access resources for getting help with FDO

REGISTER HERE

HBI Launches Nonprofit Skills Academy

In the fall of 2020, HBI joined into a training partnership with Candid.org, home to GuideStar, the Foundation Center, and former GrantSpace (now Candid Learning). As a new member of the Funding Information Network, HBI & UWM have the combined… Read More

Nonprofit Executive Leadership Circles

The Helen Bader Institute (HBI) for Nonprofit Management is pleased to announce that registration is open for the 2020-21 cohort of HBI’s Nonprofit Executive Leadership Circle program. HBI’s Nonprofit Executive Leadership Circle program focuses on the needs of nonprofit Executive… Read More