The changemaker’s guide to nonprofit professional development

As a nonprofit professional, you’re no stranger to a busy to-do list and a week filled with essential tasks. However, one crucial priority often ends up last on our agenda—professional development.

We live in a fast-moving world with trends, attitudes, and goalposts that are forever changing. Professional development helps you understand what’s happening now and gives you the skills and knowledge you need to make an impact well into the future.

What is nonprofit professional development?

Nonprofit professional development is the process of gaining new skills and knowledge to increase your effectiveness in your work role—whether it's going back to college to earn a degree or finding a new productivity tool for your team to work smarter, not harder. It covers a wide range of activities, from formal training courses to lunch-and-learn sessions, books, podcasts, and even taking on new projects. 

Why is nonprofit professional development important?

Like any other industry professional, workers in the nonprofit sector should stay current on the latest news, insights, and trends. They need to continuously learn and implement best practices in their field to make strategic decisions, engage their community, and achieve their fundraising goals.

Even if you have years of experience, there’s always something new to learn. Donor behaviors change, research evolves, and new social media channels rise in popularity. Investing in nonprofit professional development is crucial for everyone, and here’s why:

• Making a bigger impact 🌍 By mastering industry knowledge and skills, you’re equipped to make a more significant impact in your community.
• ‍Attracting and retaining the best talent 🏆 Organizations with a flexible and generous approach to professional development not only attract top recruits but also retain skilled staff members by offering ample opportunities to learn and grow.‍
• Bringing more knowledge into your organization 📖 Level up the skills and expertise within your nonprofit by enrolling team members and board members in training courses and nonprofit professional development workshops.
• ‍Supporting team members’ career growth 📈 Show that you’re invested in people’s long-term careers, not just your organization’s current needs.‍
• Sparking new and creative ideas 🎨 Channel your team’s newfound knowledge and curiosity into an innovative powerhouse.
  

Professional development is a must if you want to live your mission and reach your long-term goals. ‍

Individual staff members at nonprofits seeking professional development opportunities should prioritize building a diverse skill set and networking within their sector. Engaging in continuous learning and actively seeking mentorship can significantly enhance their impact and career growth. 

- Linda Handley, Fundraising Marketing and Growth Consultant

11 of the best nonprofit professional development ideas and examples

Professional growth is essential for every nonprofit worker. Whether you want to enroll in a nonprofit management skills course or explore another department within your organization, discover new ways to integrate professional development opportunities into your career plan.

1. Get certified 🎓

Certification is a smart investment to level up your skills and knowledge. The most popular certificate programs include the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP), but you can take other niche courses too. These high-quality certifications introduce you to new concepts and skills and give you professional credibility.

✅ Best for: Demonstrating that you have the skills, attributes, and knowledge to make a difference in your field. 

⭐ Expert tip: You can gain CFRE credits by attending Givebutter webinars! 🎉

2. Explore further education opportunities 🏫

If you already have a certification or it’s not on your to-do list, explore other avenues, like professional development programs, college courses, or training opportunities. 

There are plenty of subjects out there—from nonprofit leadership and management to fundraising-specific skills like grant writing and strategic planning—so there’s likely to be an in-person or online course that matches your interests.

✅ Best for: Learning a new skill or expanding your knowledge on an area of interest.

⭐ Expert tip: Ask your peers if they have personally enrolled in any courses on your shortlist and whether they’d recommend them. 

3. Attend conferences and workshops 🎤

Attending nonprofit conferences can be a great way to learn new skills and network with other professionals, and there are often plenty on the events calendar. Gain valuable insights, learn new techniques, meet new people, and walk away with plenty of ideas and inspiration for your next project or program. Don’t have a whole day free? Sign up for a virtual workshop or seminar instead.

✅ Best for: Checking off several professional development goals at once. 

⭐ Expert tip: If you’re on a limited budget, see if there’s a discount or professional development grants for nonprofits that you can apply for.

4. Find a mentor 🎉

If your organization can’t invest in grants for nonprofit professional development, you still have plenty of options. Working in nonprofits is hugely rewarding, but it can feel lonely at times, and there are often so many routes forward that it can become overwhelming. Consider seeking out a mentor for advice, guidance, and direction as you move through your career.

✅ Best for: Building your support network and navigating your career path.

⭐ Expert tip: Approach someone a few steps ahead of you or someone you’ve always admired and ask if they’re open to mentoring or meeting with you occasionally.

5. Outsource or delegate 📝

Clear some items off your to-do list to focus fully on critical tasks. Benefit from the knowledge consultants and contractors can introduce to your organization and bring experts on board to help projects run smoothly and more successfully.

✅ Best for: Filling skill gaps and providing essential support during busy seasons.

⭐ Expert tip: Use the Givebutter Experts directory to find the perfect match for your needs.‍

Focus your activities in the organization on the hard things. There are a million things that need to be done inside an organization but, usually, only one or two things are the blockers or movers that will keep the mission from happening or directly cause the mission to succeed. Focus on seeing those blockers or movers objectively and learn how to align your efforts there. That will maximize the real outcomes that are created directly from your work.

- Givebutter Expert Michael J McGovern, Modern Financial Care

6. Stay in the know 📚

Invest time in learning current trends so your programs, fundraising campaigns, and marketing efforts align with audience expectations. Read industry publications, monitor new research, listen to podcasts, and catch live or on-demand webinars.

✅ Best for: Understanding how to make a bigger impact if you don’t have the time or budget for a professional course or seminar.

⭐ Expert tip: Discover your new favorite listen from our list of the best nonprofit podcasts.

7. Volunteer in another role 💚

Gain valuable experience and understand how another area of your nonprofit works by volunteering in a different role. Shadow a team member, learn about their position, and walk away with new ideas on working together to make a difference.

✅ Best for: Understanding your mission and role from another perspective and set of skills.‍

⭐ Expert tip: Ask if your nonprofit has a training program like this—if not, maybe you can inspire one!

8. Use software as a productivity hack 💡

Spending what feels like forever repeating the same manual processes is easy—but it’s not doing you any favors. Stop what you’re doing and utilize fundraising, communication, and donor management software to automate tasks, allowing you to reclaim your valuable time.

✅ Best for: Saving you time and effort so you can focus on what matters the most.

⭐ Expert tip: Simplify your fundraising and donor management with an all-in-one platform like Givebutter. Enjoy the time-saving benefits of a nonprofit CRM that creates segments, sends donation receipts, and generates reports in seconds.

9. Upgrade your toolbox 🧰

Level up your skillset and improve your content at the same time. Try out new technology for emails and texting, fundraising pages, website widgets, or all of the above. Discover how new tools can refresh your communication strategy and make your story shine for maximum impact.

✅ Best for: Putting your marketing skills to the test and getting creative—without spending a dime.

⭐ Expert tip: Try Givebutter’s free nonprofit marketing and engagement features, including a Canva integration that lets you add fun, engaging graphics to your donor communications in just a few clicks. 

10. Use templates ⚒️

Don’t feel like you have to start from scratch every time you launch a new program, write to donors, or plan an event. Streamline your process using ready-made templates that you can customize with your details.

✅ Best for: Finding an easy, professional way to improve your work without expending all your time and creative energy.

⭐ Expert tip: Find a whole library of fundraising templates in the Givebutter Freebies gallery.

11. Take on a new challenge ⛰️

One of the best ways to grow as a nonprofit professional is by embracing new, diverse, or challenging opportunities. Maybe you’ll try filming your first video, hosting a webinar, or independently managing a project from inception to completion.

✅ Best for: Proving to yourself that you can conquer any professional challenge, even if it seems daunting.

⭐ Expert tip: List all the ideas or activities you want to try, then pick one to accomplish first.

Drive your nonprofit professional development forward with Givebutter

Professional development is essential for all careers, particularly in nonprofit organizations where trends, funding opportunities, and community engagement methods are constantly evolving. Use this guide to prioritize your professional development and take the next step in your career journey.

However you decide to approach professional development, make sure you have the best tools available to help you make the most of your new skills, strategies, and ideas. Whether you want to streamline your workflow or enhance the donor experience, Givebutter has everything you need to make it happen. 

‍Sign up for Givebutter today and see how this free, all-in-one nonprofit fundraising platform can help bring you and your organization to the next level.