Learning for Leading

As the kids head back to school, it is important to remember that learning isn't just for the young. September is also a great time for nonprofit organizations and professionals to think about professional development and make learning part of their plans for the year ahead.

Nonprofits are expected to solve increasingly complex problems with limited resources, yet professional development is often one of the first things cut when budgets get tight. That is a mistake. Investing in the ongoing development of nonprofit employees, leaders, and board directors strengthens organizations, improves retention, builds leadership capacity, and ultimately helps them serve their communities more effectively.

Nonprofits also need a pipeline of people prepared to take on greater responsibility. Professional development provides opportunities to develop strategic thinking, financial literacy, governance knowledge, people-management skills, and the confidence to take on increasingly complex or senior roles.

Professional development can also play a role in addressing burnout and disengagement. Learning isn't a cure for burnout, but giving employees opportunities to grow can counter the feeling of being stuck. It can also help people develop skills for managing workloads, teams, organizational change, and the many competing demands of nonprofit work.

The important thing to remember is that learning does not have to be expensive. Professional development can include conferences and formal certificates, but it can also involve mentorship, peer networks, webinars, communities of practice, job shadowing, stretch assignments, and sharing expertise internally.

And luckily, we don't have to leave Fernie to find excellent opportunities. There are dozens I could highlight, but let's look at just two.

Columbia Basin Trust's Nonprofit Advisors Program
We know Columbia Basin Trust, we love them, and most of us have written grants to them. But have you accessed their Nonprofit Advisors Program (NPA)?

Launched in 2015, the NPA helps nonprofits across the Columbia Basin strengthen their organizational capacity. It isn't simply a course program; it combines advice, learning opportunities, and practical organizational support.

One of its greatest strengths is that learning is connected to real organizational challenges. The program provides organizational assessments and recommendations, consulting support, webinars, an online reference library, and other resources. Depending on an organization's needs, advisors may also help with strategic planning, governance, policies, community building, fundraising plans, and more.

Not all professional development comes in the form of a course. Sometimes the most valuable learning happens while working through a real organizational challenge with an experienced advisor. If sustainability, effectiveness, and engagement are priorities for your organization, the NPA is worth exploring. Learn more at ourtrust.org.

CharityVillage Learning Centre
If you want something more structured and self-directed, CharityVillage offers another excellent option. The CharityVillage Learning Centre includes courses, webinars, articles, and podcasts covering a wide range of nonprofit topics, from accessibility requirements to donor stewardship to leadership, fundraising, governance, and workplace skills.

Courses are self-paced and designed specifically for nonprofit professionals. Individual courses can be relatively inexpensive, making this a practical option for organizations with limited professional-development budgets.

Of course, professional development shouldn't fall entirely on the individual. Nonprofit leaders and boards have a role to play in creating a culture where learning is encouraged, time is made available, and professional development is included in annual planning and budgeting.

A nonprofit's capacity is ultimately limited by the capacity of the people doing the work. Investing in those people isn't 
a distraction from the mission; it is an investment in the mission. When nonprofit organizations create a culture where employees and leaders are expected and supported to keep learning, they become better equipped to adapt, retain talent, and respond to the communities they serve.