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Program Staff Learning Network Meeting: Strategic Investments in Small Budget & Grassroots Organizations

Join us for our last Program Staff Learning Network meeting of the year. This facilitated session, will have experts from the Nonprofit & Grantmaker Advisory Group at BDO, who have facilitated sessions for us before. We will have a brief framing presentation followed by a real-time dialogue focused on the opportunities and challenges around grantmaking to small budget / grassroots organizations. In recent years, some nonprofits have grown significantly due to one-time funding. Others have benefited from short-term COVID-19-related support. Some have struggled to restructure due to unanticipated losses in revenue or expense increases. In many cases, these organizations are not well-positioned to navigate the choices ahead, and their funders can be a valuable resource. How funders approach such efforts will matter.

Subtopics might include:
  • Dispelling myths around financials of nonprofits with budgets less than $500k
  • How offering financial planning capacity building alongside grants can help organizations
  • Nonprofit tipping considerations
  • The merits and challenges of different kinds of grants (e.g., project funds, GOS, growth, change capital, etc.)
The format for the program will include a presentation and time for dialogue. A follow-up conversation with BDO will be offered in Q1 2025.

This session will be co-created by the BDO team using feedback and information from attendees.  It would be helpful if you can share one burning question related to this topic to help us prepare (please submit with your registration).

About the Network:

The Learning Network convenes mid to senior level program staff who share elements of a common program staff job description but work across issue areas and types of funding institutions. The purpose of the Learning Network is to create an ongoing, safe space for mid to senior level program staff to learn together, furthering their professional development alongside their peers. To participate in the Learning Network you must meet the following two criteria:
  1. Have worked in a professional setting for at least 10 years.
  2. Currently situated in philanthropy at a foundation or grantmaking program as mid to senior level program staff