Trainings, Presentations, Events - Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts

Fiscal Sponsorship Trainings

Are you leading a grassroots effort or a community-based project without 501(c)(3) status, but want to access funding? Are you a collective or a collaborative of individuals or organizations working together on a project or an initiative?

Join us for an informative training session on fiscal sponsorship.

The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) offers these capacity-building trainings to provide key insights into fiscal sponsorship—what it is, how it works, and how it can support your mission-driven efforts.

Sessions will cover the benefits and responsibilities of fiscal sponsorship, provide updates on standard models, and offer guidance on what to look for in a sponsoring organization.

These trainings are perfect for groups exploring fiscal sponsorship as a pathway to deepen their work and access funding.

May 13, 2025 | 11am – 1pm
Fiscal Sponsorship Training: How Arts Initiatives Can Access Funding Without Being a Nonprofit (For Arts Initiatives)
BOMBYX Center for Arts & Equity, 130 Pine Street, Northampton, MA

May 19, 2025 | 10am – 12pm
Fiscal Sponsorship Training (General)
Community Foundation Offices, 333 Bridge St., Springfield, MA

Save your seat

May 27, 2025 | 11am – 12:30pm
Virtual Fiscal Sponsorship Training (General)
via Zoom

Save your seat

Please note: While the Community Foundation does not offer fiscal sponsorships ourselves, we are excited to support learning about this topic.

Virtual Open Office Hours

The Community Impact Team will hold virtual open office hours on the following dates in 2025:

Friday, June 27, 2025, 10AM to 12PM

6/27 Zoom

Friday, August 29, 2025, 10AM to 12PM

8/29 zoom

Community Partner Gatherings

Please check back for future dates for Community Gatherings held by the Community Impact team. We anticipate scheduling additional gatherings this fall.

Check back regularly for future trainings and presentations.

Questions? Comments?

Please contact Margaret Everett, Grants Administrator Associate

Past Trainings and Presentations

Financial Statements 101

Community Foundation staff hosted a hybrid session to provide an overview of financial statements and how to read them

Recording of Financial Statements 101

Connecting Your Nonprofit with Volunteers

Catchafire Presentation

Recording of an Intro to Catchafire

Advocacy: Rules of the Road for Nonprofits

Presentation

Bolder Advocacy

Full Resource Library

Advocacy Capacity Tools

Lobbying Resources

Election resources

501(h) Election Information

IRS Form 5768
Why 501(h) Election is Beneficial – National Council of Nonprofits

2019: Financial Management for Nonprofits

The Basics of Nonprofit Financial Management

Presentation
Handout: Creating a Common Team Around Numbers
Resource: StrongNonprofits.org

Intermediate Nonprofit Financial Management

Presentation

Handouts:

Resource: StrongNonprofits.org

2019: Succession Planning Workshop

Research shows that in New England, senior leadership of nonprofits will be retiring in large numbers in the coming years. For the stability and sustainability of your organizations, the Community Foundation is offering a workshop to provide information and tools for managing these transitions well. Executive leadership transitions are pivotal moments in an organization’s life cycle. Thinking about and preparing for succession can enable an organization to weather the departure of key organizational leaders, maintain sustainability, and explore opportunities for growth and change. In this workshop, nonprofit executives and their board members will learn how to build an adaptable organization that transitions leadership well; implement successful transition practices that address the search and hire of new leaders; manage staff reactions to change; and identify the effective roles of the executive and board.

2018: Communicating Your Impact

Presenter: Mitch Anthony, Consultant, Clarity
Nothing communicates impact like a clear brand. Your brand is not a logo. It is a promise you make to the people you serve. It is a clear statement of how you help. Your brand invites your audience to understand, know, remember, refer, and choose you, and then choose you again.

2018: Making the Ask

Presenter: Jenn Hayslett, Jenn Hayslett Coaching & Consulting

Videos and Handouts

2018: Social Media

Presenter: John Haydon
If you are new to Valley Gives or looking for new ideas, this workshop is for you. Prepare to engage your donors leading up to and during Valley Gives. Explore strategies for reaching out to build new relationships and cultivate those with people who already care about your cause. Discuss strategic use of email, FaceBook, Instagram and FaceBook Live. Learn about ways to connect to Kimbia for Valley Gives and to your website/FaceBook page the rest of the year. Workshop will focus on the importance of storytelling and relationship building.