Center for Nonprofit Excellence

Join us for Soup to Nuts: Fundamentals of Nonprofit Management, a free 8-part virtual series presented in collaboration with United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut. Sessions are held on the second Thursday of each month and offer an opportunity to learn and grow together in the nonprofit field.  *No April meeting to account for [ ... ] Continue reading »

February 20, 10:00 -11:00 AM (Virtual)    The Development Community of Practice is a collaborative space for nonprofit professionals to connect, learn, and grow together. Through shared experiences and peer support, members build valuable relationships, exchange ideas, and develop solutions to common challenges. Together, we’ll foster a stronger, more resilient nonprofit sector in Fairfield County. REGISTER [ ... ] Continue reading »

February 26, 10:00 -11:00 AM (Virtual)    The Program Professionals Community of Practice is a collaborative space for program directors, planners, staff, and support professionals to connect, learn, and grow together. Through shared experiences and peer support, members exchange ideas, tackle common challenges, and build valuable relationships. Together, we will strengthen our skills, share innovative strategies, [ ... ] Continue reading »

February 27, 10:00 -11:00 AM (Virtual)    The New Executive Directors Community of Practice is a supportive network for nonprofit leaders in their first three years of service. This space offers peer connection, shared learning, and practical insights to help new EDs grow in their leadership and strengthen their organizations. REGISTER NOW  

March 7th, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM (In-Person) Join us for this month’s Fueling Community gathering at Neat Coffee in Darien! Connect with fellow nonprofit professionals, share ideas, and expand your network in a welcoming and collaborative atmosphere. Don’t miss this opportunity to build meaningful relationships and strengthen our community! As always, coffee is on [ ... ] Continue reading »

March 11, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM (Virtual)    Foundations of Partnership is a three-part series designed to help participants build a collaborative mindset, embrace new partnerships, and develop the soft skills needed for success. Participants will explore the principles that foster collaboration, focusing on: Communication Trust, and respect, Learn how to identify shared goals Engage [ ... ] Continue reading »

March 13, 9:30 - 11:00 AM (Virtual) Join us for Soup to Nuts: Fundamentals of Nonprofit Management, a free 8-part virtual series presented in collaboration with United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut. Sessions are held on the second Thursday of each month and offer an opportunity to learn and grow together in the nonprofit field. [ ... ] Continue reading »

April 4, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM (In-Person) Join us for this month’s Fueling Community gathering at Frenchies Coffee Bar in Stratford! Connect with fellow nonprofit professionals, share ideas, and expand your network in a welcoming and collaborative atmosphere. Don’t miss this opportunity to build meaningful relationships and strengthen our community! As always, coffee is [ ... ] Continue reading »

April 10, 10:00 - 11:30 AM (Virtual) Join Abby Anderson of The Justice Walk for a deep and thoughtful conversation about equity within your organization. Gain valuable insights and actionable tips to create a more equitable and welcoming environment for your staff, volunteers, and the communities you serve. REGISTER NOW

April 15, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Virtual) Foundations of Partnership is a three-part series designed to help participants build a collaborative mindset, embrace new partnerships, and develop the soft [ ... ] Continue reading »

May 8, 9:00 - 11:30 AM (Virtual) Join us for Soup to Nuts: Fundamentals of Nonprofit Management, a free 8-part virtual series presented in collaboration with United Way of Coastal [ ... ] Continue reading »

May 14, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Virtual) Foundations of Partnership is a three-part series designed to help participants build a collaborative mindset, embrace new partnerships, and develop the soft [ ... ] Continue reading »

May 30, 10:30 AM - 12:30 AM (Virtual) Join Kristiana Smith for an interactive virtual convening designed to help you reconnect with your creative side. Take a step away from [ ... ] Continue reading »

June 12, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM (Virtual) Join us for the last Soup to Nuts: Fundamentals of Nonprofit Management in this year’s series, presented in collaboration with United Way [ ... ] Continue reading »

June 18, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Celebrate and unwind with us at a special networking evening. No presentations—just good company, local wines, delicious snacks, and the peaceful backdrop of [ ... ] Continue reading »

September 5, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM (In-Person) Join us in Monroe to connect with fellow nonprofit professionals, share ideas, and expand your network in a welcoming and collaborative atmosphere. Don’t miss this opportunity to build meaningful relationships and strengthen our community! As always, coffee is on us. No need to register, just show up! [ ... ] Continue reading »

Brewing Community is a fresh twist on our popular Fueling Community coffee meetups only this time, we’re raising a glass after hours. Now held quarterly, these casual happy hour gatherings invite nonprofit professionals, members of The Allies community, friends, and colleagues to come together for connection, support, and inspiration. Whether you're looking to exchange ideas, [ ... ] Continue reading »

For our January session, join us as we welcome Mariana Serrano for Reimagining Fundraising: From Transactional Giving to Transformative. This session will explore how nonprofits can move beyond transactional giving to build deeper, values-aligned relationships that support long-term impact. Register Now

Join us at Elicit Brewing in Fairfield for an evening of hops and hang outs. Let’s reconnect over our work in the new year and decompress after a few weeks back. Tickets: $10 — drinks and snacks included. Get your tickets now! Register Now

Designed for those newer to advocacy or looking to scale early efforts, this webinar—led by Nonprofit VOTE—will provide an introduction to voter engagement. Participants will learn why engaging voters is important (and effective!) for nonprofits, the dos and don’ts of remaining nonpartisan, and key concepts and strategies for engaging voters, including how to begin building [ ... ] Continue reading »

Join us at HMTX for this practical session designed for nonprofit leaders who want to better understand their organization’s cyber risks—without needing a technical background. Participants will learn the basics of cybersecurity, common threats facing nonprofits, and simple, actionable steps leaders can take to protect their organizations, staff, and the communities they serve. Cost: $200 [ ... ] Continue reading »

For our February session, join us as we welcome Eva Liu for Leveraging Simple AI Tools to Unlock Fundraising and Development Capacity. Learn how simple, accessible AI tools can help nonprofits unlock new fundraising and development capacity. Register Now

Numbers alone rarely move people — stories do. In this interactive session, participants will learn how to transform raw data into compelling narratives that inspire action, strengthen funding proposals, and communicate impact clearly to boards, donors, and community members. Through hands-on exercises and real-world nonprofit examples, attendees will gain practical strategies for framing data for [ ... ] Continue reading »

Nonprofits collect valuable qualitative data every day — from surveys to interviews to community feedback — but analyzing it can feel overwhelming. This session equips participants with practical tools to systematically organize, code, and identify patterns and themes in qualitative data. Attendees will learn how to translate insights into actionable strategies, strengthen program outcomes, and [ ... ] Continue reading »

March 6, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM (In-Person) Fueling Community is a casual, relationship-centered gathering for nonprofit leaders to connect over coffee and conversation. With no formal agenda, this event provides a relaxed environment to share what you’re working on, exchange ideas, and build meaningful peer connections across organizations. Space is limited. Coffee and snacks [ ... ] Continue reading »

Join us March 12 for Reimagining Fundraising: From Transactional Giving to Transformation Session Time: 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM Strengthen your nonprofit from the inside out through Soup to Nuts: Fundamentals of Nonprofit Management — a free, 8-part virtual learning series designed to help nonprofit professionals learn, connect, and grow. Each 90-minute session dives into a key [ ... ] Continue reading »

In partnership with LifeBridge Community Services The first session of our Spring series equips participants with tools to strengthen organizational and personal resilience. Using the Community Resiliency Model (CRM), participants will learn evidence-based strategies to manage trauma, chronic stress, and ongoing challenges in nonprofit work. This session is designed for staff at all levels, providing [ ... ] Continue reading »

The nonprofit sector is famously tight on resources, and many of us know this to be our reality. Yet, we are rich in community. Join us for this Offers & Needs Market, a guided session designed to create strategic connections across our nonprofit ecosystem. We all have needs, and we all have something to offer. [ ... ] Continue reading »

Brewing Community is a gathering and networking opportunity for nonprofit leaders to connect, share insights, and explore ideas in a relaxed, conversational setting over drinks. This event is ideal for those seeking meaningful peer connections beyond traditional networking, providing space to exchange ideas, challenges, and solutions in a friendly and informal environment. Tickets: $10 — [ ... ] Continue reading »