Here is our round-up of free webinars for non-profits and other membership organizations that we've gathered for the month of March. We found over 24 webinars on topics such as: building capacity with Boomer volunteers; social media metrics and benchmarking; project management for non-profits; and numerous leadership and fundraising sessions. So be sure to look through the list to see what might interest you or others in your organization.
While we've done our best to capture all of the free non-profit webinars out there for this month, be sure to check back from time to time to see if late-coming webinar notices are added in the comments section, down below. As always, if you're aware of a free non-profit webinar that missed our list, please add a comment below with the details.
Wild Apricot Product Webinars:
Wild Apricot Software Overview Tuesday, 8 March 2011
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (Eastern)
This free webinar is an introduction to Wild Apricot Software for associations, non-profits and other member-driven organizations. Led by one of our friendly and knowledgeable Apricots, you'll learn about the many features including: member applications and renewals; self-service portal; online member directory; communications features; event registration and management and more. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions and see first-hand how Wild Apricot can help you manage the "boring stuff" and get on with the real work of your organization.
Check our website later this month for additional Wild Apricot product webinars.
What Every Nonprofit Leader and Social Entrepreneur Should Know About Engaging Listeners
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm (Eastern)
Humor, storytelling, authenticity and passion give you the power to engage. And engaged listeners are more likely to take action on your behalf. This Ventureneer webinar will help you develop your personal story, tell it with passion and use your voice to draw people in. You'll also learn how to think on your feet so you can respond to tough questions with solid, confident answers through a 5-step process.
Work With Me: Leveraging Generational Knowledge to Accomplish Your Mission
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (Eastern)
Experiencing problems with generational communication challenges in your organization? You're not alone. Sherri Petro of VPI Strategies shows how you can increase your generational quotient and reduce misunderstandings in this webinar offered by Nonprofit Webinars.com. Learn why generations think the way they do as well as solutions other organizations are implementing by leveraging their knowledge of generational thinking with colleagues, clients, volunteers, donors and board members.
Taking the Mystery Out of Metrics
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
2:30 pm (Eastern)
More and more, we hear about the importance of metrics. But what does that really mean? Join strategy consultants Sam Frank and Michele Levy for a practical discussion about the metrics that really matter for nonprofit organizations. Offered by Nonprofit Webinars.com, this webinar will offer a brief list of key metrics you can track; an understanding of how to provide context with those metrics; and tips for creating a more metrics-driven organization.
From Prospect to Evangelist: Optimizing Relationships With Social Media
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
2:00 pm (Eastern)
Do you know the best tools to identify brand evangelists and industry influencers? This Hubspot webinar will take you through the process of generating prospects and turning them into evangelists.
Nonprofits: How to Embrace Project Management
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (Eastern)
Non-profits initiate, manage and implement projects every day. Special events, endowment plans, marketing campaigns, all profit from being properly managed. In this GiftWorks webinar, Laura Dallas Burfurd, MA, PMP, will discuss why your non-profit needs a good project management approach; steps in managing a project; project manager skills; and case studies of success.
Website Autopsy: How to Use Google Analytics to Improve Your Website
Wednesday, 9 March, 2011
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (Eastern)
You have a website and a Donate button. But how well are they performing? What can you do to increase the frequency and size of your online gifts? This CharityHowTo.com webinar offers practical ideas you can use Google Analytics to tune-up your website.
Fundraising Through Social and Personal Networks
Wednesday, 9 March, 2011
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (Eastern)
By recruiting your staff, volunteers or committed supporters to fundraise for you, you can tap into new sources of passion and contacts in a technique variously called friend-to-friend fundraising, personal fundraising, team fundraising or social fundraising. This Idealware webinar, presented by Andrea Berry (Idealware's Director of Development & Training), will tell you how to get started, what tools are available to help your supporters fundraise online and what are the best practices that lead to success.
Increasing the Role of Board Governance and Audit Committees: The Financial Responsibility of Non-profit Boards
Wednesday, 9 March, 2011
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (Eastern)
A renewed interest in financial reporting and internal controls within not-for-profit organizations has led many boards to question their composition, structure and role. This webinar, offered by NonprofitWebinars.com, will discuss best practices in board governance, audit committee oversight and responsibility, including evaluating internal controls.
Working With the Media
Wednesday, 9 March, 2011
2:30 pm (Eastern)
This webinar examines your role dealing with the media and how to respond to tough questions from reporters. This NonprofitWebinars.com webinar will provide insight into how the media works, what they want and how to drive home your talking points when answering questions. Presenter by Matt Ellis, award-winning television news journalist and founder of Ellis Strategies, will offer alternatives for answering "no comment" and outline tricks and traps reporters use.
Stepping Beyond a Spreadsheet: Choosing a Database
Thursday, 10 March 2011
10:00 am - 12:00 pm (Eastern)
Organizations often start tracking data using basic forms and spreadsheets. However, as your organization's services expand, you'll quickly find that tracking data in multiple spreadsheets can be time consuming. The good news is that there are several low cost options available to nonprofits from all-in-one tools such as WildApricot.com, to powerful platforms, such as Salesforce.com. This webinar, offered through the Center for Nonprofit Resources, will offer an overview of several software packages and provide a solid framework for you to evaluate alternatives. This session is aimed at individuals tasked with data tracking and reporting for grassroots to mid-sized non-profits.
Grantseeking Basics
Thursday, 10 March, 2011
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (Eastern)
Are you new to non-profit fundraising? This free webinar from FoundationCenter.org provides an overview of the funding research process for those seeking grants from foundations, corporations and grantmaking public charities. You'll learn: what you need to have in place before you seek a grant; what you need to know about grantmakers and how non-profits are supported; how you identify funding partners; and about resources for your grantseeking efforts.
10 Steps To Getting More Out Of Facebook For Your Nonprofit
Monday, 14 March, 2011
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (Eastern)
This CharityHowTo.com webinar is designed to help your non-profit get more results from Facebook. Presented by John Haydon, Facebook and social media expert, and moderated by Kurt Steiner, founder of CharityHowTo.com, the webinar will explore why you should use a Facebook Page instead of a Group or Profile; what applications you can use to customize your page; how to promote your Facebook Page; how you can collect donations from your fans and more. To access this free webinar, you must have a Facebook profile. To register, you can log into your Facebook profile and click the "Like" button to be redirected to the registration for this webinar.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): What Every Small Business and Nonprofit Needs to Know
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm (Eastern)
When your business or nonprofit is at the top of the search engine results, people find your website before they find your competitor's. The process of getting your site high up on the search engine results is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In this Ventureneer webinar you'll learn what is SEO and how does it work; how is it different from pay-per-click and Adwords?; should I be doing SEO internally; and how do I find a good SEO company.
Essentials of LMS Selection: Getting It Right the First Time
Thursday, 17 March 2011
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (Eastern)
Great content is only part of the equation for successful online education: most organizations also need a way to effectively deliver the content, track participation and manage the issuance of credit. The right technology can mean the difference between a big success and a big headache. This Tagoras webinar offers a discussion of fundamental factors involved with learning management system (LMS) selection; a checklist of questions to ask prospective vendors; as well as an understanding of what to expect in the LMS selection process.
Proposal Writing Basics
Thursday, 17 March 2011
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (Eastern)
In this FoundationCenter.org webinar, those new to proposal writing will find answers to common questions, such as: what are the key components of a proposal to a foundation? Who should sign a grant request? How should the proposal be packaged? Should you contact a funder if your proposal is turned down?
How to Captivate and Engage Constituents With Your Website
Thursday, 17 March 2011
9:30 am to 11:00 am (Central)
In this Firespring webinar, you'll learn: the 5 required elements of an engaging website; the 3 biggest mistakes non-profits make with their websites; 5 proven methods for promoting your organization online; and the #1 thing non-profits should consider for Search Engine Optimization.
Proposal Budgeting Basics
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (Eastern)
Learn how to prepare and present a budget in a grant proposal. This FoundationCenter.org webinar, for the novice grantseeker, will answer budgeting questions, such as: what kinds of expenses are covered under "personnel?" What level of detail do you need to include for non-personnel expenses? What types of expenses can be included in the "overhead" category? What other documents will funders want to see? Foundation Center recommends taking their Proposal Writing Basics webinar before this one.
Boomer Volunteers Building Capacity: Creating Positions and Developing Leaders
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
12:00 PT / 1:00 MT / 2:00 CT / 3:00 ET
Engaging effective volunteers builds organizational capacity beyond what staff alone can accomplish. Through this webinar, participants will better understand how to develop appealing leadership opportunities, craft effective position descriptions, market those positions to skilled volunteers and cultivate leaders. Presenters Jill Friedman Fixler and Bether Steinhorn will share case studies, position description templates and marketing messages. This VolunteerMatch webinar is part of a series of four webinars that can be taken in any order.
How to Approach a Foundation
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (Eastern)
From initial contact to getting funded, following field-tested best practices will increase your chances of getting the grant. In this FoundationCenter.org webinar, you'll learn how to initiate contact with potential funders; plan calls and meetings; communicate during and after a grant decision; and ultimately, how to build lasting partnerships with grantmakers.
Internet Marketing Essentials for Small Businesses and Nonprofits
Thursday, 24 March 2011
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm (Eastern)
Internet marketing is an elusive creature: what's hot today might be passe tomorrow. How does a small business or nonprofit executive keep up? In this Ventureneer webinar you'll learn how to make sense of the latest marketing trends; determine which tools and approaches are right for you; and the fundamentals you need to create an Internet Marketing Action Plan.
Learn the Science of Timing
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
1:00 pm (Eastern)
In this free webinar presented by Dan Zarella, HubSpot's Social Media Scientist, you'll learn: the best (and worst) times to send email and publish a blog post; how frequently you should update your Facebook status; and when is the bst time to publish tweets.
Nonprofit Social Networking Benchmark Report
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
11:30 am (Pacific)
This is a webinar about the third annual NTC presentation of the "2011 Nonprofit Social Networking Benchmark Report." This is based on market research that answers questions on: the % of nonprofits using Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and YouTube; how nonprofits are using social networking for marketing, fundraising, service delivery and customer support; how nonprofits measure success and ROI on social networks, etc. Presented by Jeff Patrick, President of Common Knowledge, this webinar offers session attendees a download link to the white paper.
Your Board and Fundraising: An Introductory Course
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (Eastern)
In this FoundationCenter.org webinar, you'll learn how to actively engage your board in fundraising. You'll also discuss: why board members may be reluctant to fundraise and how to overcome these concerns; ways the board can participate in the fundraising process; and tips for strengthening your fundraising board.
Same time, next month?
This round-up of free non-profit webinars is a regular monthly feature compiled by the Wild Apricot Blog. Subscribe by RSS or get updates by email and be sure to catch next month’s webinars, as well as other great resources for non-profits.
Do you have a webinar for the April Round-up?
If your organization offers a free webinar that would be of interest to non-profit, membership or volunteer-based organizations and you want to include it in next month's post, please send an overview (like those above) to lori@wildapricot.com no later than March 15th.
And, as always, if you know of a free webinar that we've missed for this month – please share the details in the comments section below!