Those of us working in the nonprofit sector often bemoan the difficulty of staying on the cutting edges of the information and approaches that will help us be more effective in serving our communities. Lack of time and limited funds often seem like difficult barriers to overcome.

We can’t just fly off to a conference every time we decide we want to do something better – have a more effective financial system, be better fundraisers, market ourselves successfully with limited dollars or be a more strategic leader.
After finding myself in this state of mind a few years ago, I decided to be more proactive and I was amazed at the available resources I found. Here are just a few that are well worth exploring:

Forward Community Investments (FCI), offers webinars, speakers and workshops to help nonprofits become financially stronger. The webinars are almost always free, as are some of its events.

Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee, a collaborative center that encourages organizational capacity of nonprofits, offers workshops and classes on a regular basis and at a low cost ($50 –$75).

Nonprofit Network News, created by Wegner CPAS, provides a summary of all nonprofit workshops and educational events, including those from Board Star, Guidestar, the Nonprofit Center and FCI. Wegner itself sponsors free lunch presentations by experts on important topics such a leadership, accounting, board development and human resources.

StrongNonprofits.org, a new website created by the Wallace Foundation and Financial Management Associates that provides access to more than 60 tools, podcasts and articles to help improve your financial management. Two examples of tools: help with cash flow analysis and guidance on how an organization makes financial decisions.

UW-Oshkosh Not-for-Profit workshop series, covers a wide range of management issues facing nonprofits such as: board development, strategic planning, fundraising, financial management, volunteers management and sustainability.

Network for Good, offers Weekly Tips for Nonprofits, a handy, quick resource on critical topics, particularly on fundraising. Subscribe

Marti Hemwall is vice president Community Engagement at the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. Email her at [email protected].