FULCRUM LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

Fulcrum Leadership Institute educational sessions are practical, leadership focused learning experiences designed for nonprofit professionals at every stage of their journey and are: 

  • Open to anyone
  • Available for individual registration, with preferred pricing for Fulcrum Members.
  • Built around the real challenges nonprofit leaders face right now including: people management, strategy, governance, fundraising, financial leadership, communication, AI, and more. 
  • Led by experienced practitioners. Our faculty understand the nonprofit sector and respect the realities of limited time, resources, and capacity.
  • Offered virtually and structured to be immediately applicable. 
  • Designed to leave participants with tools they can use the next day, clarity around next steps, and a stronger leadership foundation.

There are four categories of educational offerings provided by the Fulcrum Leadership Institute. More information for each category can be found on this page by scrolling down.

  • Nonprofit leaders seeking to sharpen skills, upskill, or prepare for greater responsibility
  • Executive teams seeking alignment and shared leadership language
  • Board members strengthening governance, fundraising and strategic planning skills
  • Individual leaders, boards, or teams seeking customized training experiences

Nonprofit Leader Certification Program

The Nonprofit Leader Certification Program is designed for all nonprofit professionals, especially those stepping into leadership or preparing for their next level of responsibility.

These sessions focus on building core leadership skills while helping participants understand how nonprofit organizations function optimally.

The Nonprofit Leader Certification Program is the single most important training experience an organization can offer executives to best prepare them for the roles they will step into in the future.

Trainings are interactive, practical, and grounded in real nonprofit scenarios. Participants may attend individual sessions or complete the full series to earn certification.

Program Overview

  • Virtual, live facilitated trainings
  • Two-hour sessions
  • Open to non-members
  • Each session is currently offered at $100.
  • Fulcrum Members are able to share a discount code of 50% off to colleagues and contacts.
  • Programs offered monthly or more frequently
  • Sessions may be taken in any order

Certificates and Certification

  • Each completed course includes a Certificate of Completion
  • Completion of any 12 courses results in certification as a Fulcrum Nonprofit Leadership Institute Graduate

Upcoming Emerging Nonprofit Leader Certification Programs

To register for available programs, click here.

Hiring with Confidence: Tools for Building the Right Team

Hiring with Confidence: Tools for Building the Right Team

Date/Time – Wednesday, March 25, 10:00AM to 12:00PM Pacific Time

Cost – $100 Per Session

Register Here – https://fulcrumleader.com/event/people-management-hiring/

Course Description

Hiring is one of the most consequential responsibilities an emerging nonprofit leader takes on and one of the least formally taught.

This interactive training is designed for nonprofit professionals who are beginning to hire staff, participate in hiring decisions, or influence hiring outcomes on their teams. The session moves beyond job descriptions and resumes to focus on how leaders make thoughtful, equitable, and mission aligned hiring decisions.

Participants will explore how to clarify what a role truly needs, design hiring processes that reduce bias, conduct interviews that surface real capability, and make decisions they can stand behind. The training will also address common hiring challenges in nonprofits, including limited budgets, urgency to fill roles, internal promotions, and navigating organizational culture.

Supervisors will find this session especially valuable for emerging leaders who are stepping into people management for the first time and need shared language, tools, and confidence to hire well.

This session is practical, reflective, and grounded in real nonprofit scenarios. Participants will leave with frameworks, sample questions, and a clearer understanding of their role in building strong teams.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  • Identify what a role truly requires beyond the job description
  • Design a hiring process that aligns with mission, values, and culture
  • Conduct interviews that reveal skills, judgment, and potential
  • Recognize and mitigate common hiring biases
  • Make hiring recommendations with greater clarity and confidence
  • Understand their role and influence in collaborative hiring decisions

Ideal Participants

  • Emerging nonprofit leaders
  • New managers or supervisors
  • Staff involved in hiring committees
  • High potential professionals preparing for leadership roles

Faculty

This session will be facilitated by a small group of experienced nonprofit leaders and practitioners.

  • Christopher “Chris” Looney, Founder and Principal, Fulcrum Nonprofit Leadership
  • Sarah Agee, President, Sterling Search, Inc.
  • Claudia Looney, Principal and Managing Director, Covenant Philanthropic Solutions, LLC

Faculty will share practical insight, real world examples, and perspectives shaped by experience hiring and leading nonprofit teams.

Format and Logistics

  • Virtual, live facilitated training
  • Two hour interactive session
  • Includes tools, frameworks, and practical takeaways
  • Certificate of Completion provided

Register Here – https://fulcrumleader.com/event/people-management-hiring/

Performance Reviews and Promotions: Leading Growth with Clarity and Integrity
 
When – Wednesday, April 15 – 11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET
 

Cost – $100

Register Here – https://fulcrumleader.com/event/promotions/

Course Description

Performance reviews and promotion decisions are among the most sensitive and influential responsibilities an emerging leader will carry.
Handled well, they build trust, clarity, and momentum. Handled poorly, they create confusion, resentment, and disengagement.
This interactive training equips emerging nonprofit leaders with the tools and mindset required to lead reviews and promotion conversations with fairness, transparency, and confidence. Participants will learn how to structure meaningful performance conversations, give direct and development focused feedback, evaluate readiness for advancement, and navigate the organizational and emotional complexity that often accompanies these decisions.
The session addresses common nonprofit realities, including limited advancement pathways, internal equity concerns, budget constraints, and the challenge of balancing compassion with accountability.
 
Supervisors will find this session especially valuable for managers who are stepping into formal evaluation and promotion decisions for the first time. 
The training provides shared language, practical frameworks, and guardrails that strengthen consistency across teams.
 
This is not a theoretical session. It is practical, scenario based, and grounded in real nonprofit leadership experiences.

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Ideal Participants
Faculty
This session will be facilitated by experienced nonprofit leaders who bring diverse perspectives on talent development, organizational growth, and executive decision making.
Faculty will share practical insight, case examples, and lessons learned from leading review and promotion processes across nonprofit settings.
 
Format and Logistics

Register Here – https://fulcrumleader.com/event/promotions/

Future Ready: Leading as a Futurist Executive in the Nonprofit Sector

When – Wednesday April 29 at 11am

Cost – $100 for Non-Members; Free for Fulcrum Members; $50 for Fulcrum Member Referrals

Register Here – https://fulcrumleader.com/event/future-ready/

Course Description

In today’s rapidly evolving environment, nonprofit leaders are called to do more than deliver on current priorities. They are responsible for preparing their organizations, their teams, and the communities they serve for a future that is still unfolding. The pace of change, driven by technology, shifting workforce dynamics, and evolving donor expectations, requires a new kind of leadership, one that is proactive, adaptive, and grounded in long-term vision.

In this course, Robert Santana, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast, explores what it truly means to lead as a futurist executive. Drawing from his leadership experience and forward-thinking approach, Robert will challenge participants to move beyond reactive decision-making and instead build organizations that are resilient, agile, and positioned for sustained impact.

Participants will examine how to prepare teams for a future where many roles do not yet exist, focusing on developing transferable skills such as critical thinking, adaptability, and communication. The course will also explore how leaders can leverage data, emerging technologies, and AI to strengthen decision-making, improve organizational performance, and better inform boards and stakeholders.

A central theme of this course is the importance of focusing on what leaders can control while preparing thoughtfully for what they cannot predict. Through practical frameworks and real-world insights, participants will learn how to guide their organizations through uncertainty with clarity and confidence.

Whether you are an emerging leader or a seasoned executive, this course will equip you with the mindset, tools, and strategies needed to become future ready and to lead your organization toward a more impactful and sustainable future.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  • Define what it means to lead as a futurist executive in the nonprofit sector

  • Identify key trends shaping the future of work, philanthropy, and mission delivery

  • Build strategies to develop adaptable, future-ready teams

  • Leverage data, technology, and AI to inform stronger decision-making

  • Engage boards and stakeholders in forward-looking strategic conversations

  • Apply practical frameworks to prepare their organization for multiple future scenarios

Ideal Participants

  • Emerging nonprofit leaders and new supervisors

  • Mid-level managers preparing for executive leadership roles

  • Senior leaders seeking to strengthen long-term strategic thinking

  • Professionals responsible for organizational planning, innovation, or growth

  • High potential leaders being developed for future executive roles

Faculty

This session will be led by experienced nonprofit executives who brings a forward-looking perspective on leadership, talent development, and organizational strategy.

  • Robert Santana, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast

  • Chris Looney, CEO, Fulcrum Nonprofit Leadership

Faculty will share practical insights, real-world examples, and leadership lessons on preparing organizations and people for what comes next.

Format and Logistics

  • Virtual, live facilitated training

  • Two hour interactive session

  • Includes practical tools and strategic frameworks

  • Certificate of Completion provided

Register Here – https://fulcrumleader.com/event/future-ready/

Explore how leaders shape culture through systems, behaviors, and everyday decisions.

Gain practical tools for addressing conflict directly and productively.

Learn how to communicate effectively with supervisors, executives, and boards.

Understand the board’s role and how staff leaders partner effectively with governance.

Develop frameworks for making better decisions in complex nonprofit environments.

Learn how to translate mission into clear strategy and shared direction.

Build confidence leading through change and uncertainty.

Strengthen program design, evaluation, and impact alignment.

Increase self awareness and emotional intelligence to lead more effectively.

Build confidence in fundraising conversations and donor relationships.

Learn how to read budgets, interpret financial statements, and ask better questions.

Explore responsible and practical uses of AI in nonprofit leadership.

Learn how to support growth and development in others.

Strengthen written and verbal communication for internal and external audiences.

The Nonprofit Leader Certification Program Training Schedule AND REGISTRATION

Below are the current offerings of the Nonprofit Leader Certificate and Certification Program. Sign up today!

Events

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Executive Team Trainings

Programs, information, and registration coming soon.

Board Member Trainings

Programs, information, and registration coming soon.

Customized Training Sessions for Nonprofit Leaders, Boards, and Teams

Programs, information, and registration coming soon.