Have you noticed how many great free training opportunities the Web offers to nonprofits, these days? Live or recorded, online seminars (webinars) or web-based teleconference calls make it easy and affordable for your staff and volunteers to get in direct contact with expert resources, without anyone needing to take time off work or to travel.

Of course, if you’re like me, you tend to find out about these online events a day after they’ve happened! So… here's a list of webinars I've rounded up for this month, just to help with that whole "planning ahead" thing:

23 Free Nonprofit Webinars for October 2009

(Mind you, this is by no means a complete list — but I hope it can at least serve as a starting point, to help you access the knowledge and skills training your organization may need but you can’t quite squeeze out of the budget.)

Wake Up Your Nonprofit Brand! How to Distinguish Your Organization and Reach Donors in a Down Economy
Free webinar hosted by Howard Levy, Red Rooster Group, includes examples of branding campaigns, hands-on activities to clarify your organization’s brand, and a chance to “Ask the Expert” your branding questions (60 minutes).
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Time: 12:00 noon Eastern
Register

Causes on Facebook: Partner Center, Application Redesign and America’s Giving Challenge, Oh My!
Free teleconference with Matthew Mahan, the Director of Nonprofit Relations and Business Development at Causes, the largest application on Facebook.
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

How Idealist supports nonprofit professionals
Free webinar introducing several resource centers at Idealist.org (30 minutes).
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

VolunteerMatch 101
Free introductory webinar for nonprofits new to VolunteerMatch.org (60 minutes).
Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Time: 11:00 a.m. Pacific
Register

Risk Management Webinar: The Volunteer Protection Act
Free webinar sponsored by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center (90 minutes).
Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Central
Register

YouTube for Nonprofits
Free webinar presented by see3 communications on getting the most out of your online videos (60 minutes).
Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

Accounting For Change: Implementing FAS 117-1 For Endowment Fund Management and Addressing the Reporting and Auditing Challenges Facing 403(b) Plans
Free basic webinar by Clifton Gunderson LLP is aimed at US nonprofits (60 minutes).
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2009 (two sessions)
Time: 10:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. Central
Register

Gear Up for Giving: Recruiting, Fundraising and Running Effective Campaigns on Causes
Free webinar with Sarah Koch, Causes Nonprofit Coordinator, with best practices, tips, and success stories about how to get more people to join your cause and use those supporters to run effective fundraising campaigns (60 minutes).
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

Get to Know Your Online Activists
Free webinar uses the case study of the NY League of Conservation Voters to explore the value of building a relationship with your online activists (60 minutes).
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Central
Register

Welcome to Idealist’s social media tools
Free webinar introducing new social media features on Idealist.org, including blog, podcasts, discussion forums, video, Idealist Groups, and more (30 minutes).
Date: Monday, October 12, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

Proposal Writing Basics
Free webinar teaches the basics of writing a proposal for your nonprofit organization (60 minutes).
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Time: 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

Strategies for Diversifying Revenue Sources
Free webcast workshop, part of a series presented by Talisman Associates  and National Safe Place, will share best practices on how to expand your fundraising using the human and financial resource you have (60 minutes).
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Time: 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

Best Practices for Recruiting Online
Free webinar covering the eight simple things you can do to help your opportunities stand out on VolunteerMatch.org  (60 minutes).
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009
Time: 11:00 a.m. Pacific
Register

Email Messaging: Best Practices for Reaching and Engaging your Audience
Free webinar with Eric Rardin from Care2, who takes you through simple techniques for composing compelling, engaging email messages with high open rates (60 minutes).
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Central
Register

Skilled Volunteers: How to Maximize their Potential
Free webinar for nonprofits just beginning to add skilled volunteers to their program, or thinking about doing so; hosted by VolunteerMatch.org (60 minutes).
Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Time: 11:00 a.m. Pacific
Register

“Missionize” Your Year-End Fundraising: Maximizing Your Organization’s Fundraising Potential this Holiday Season
Free introductory teleconference with Terry Axelrod, founder and CEO of Benevon®, which trains and coaches nonprofit organizations to implement a mission-based system for raising sustainable funding from individual donors.
Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

Fundraising House Party Basics: From Planning to Asking
Free webinar with Andy Robinson, nonprofit consultant, explains how you can organize a fundraising house party event in one to six weeks (60 minutes).
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Central
Register

How Idealist supports individuals: job seekers, volunteers, prospective grad students, and service corps members
Free webinar introducing the the Nonprofit Human Resources Center, The Volunteer Manager Resource Center, and  Nonprofit FAQ at Idealist.org (30 minutes).
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

Before You Seek a Grant: A Checklist for New Nonprofits
Free webinar will provide you with a step-by-step checklist approach to help increase your organization’s readiness for foundation fundraising (60 minutes).
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2009
Time: 3:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

Annual Giving for Nonprofits
Free webcast workshop, part of a series presented by Talisman Associates  and National Safe Place, presents how to find, cultivate, solicit and upgrade your annual donors (60 minutes).
Date: Tuesday, October 27
Time: 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

Grantseeking Basics
Free webinar provides an overview of the funding research process for those seeking grants from foundations, corporations, and grantmaking public charities (60 minutes).
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Time: 3:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

How Idealist supports nonprofit professionals
Free webinar introducing several resource centers: Idealist.org (30 minutes).
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

Introduction to Fundraising Planning
Free webinar provides an overview of the process of strategically thinking through the components of a fundraising plan (60 minutes).
Date: Friday, October 30, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Register

I’m sure there must be a good many other free webinars and teleconferences for nonprofits scheduled for October — if yours isn’t already listed, please feel free to leave your event information in the comments, below.