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 and they are listed for you below. More information for each category can be found on this page by scrolling down.

  • Emerging nonprofit leaders preparing 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

Emerging Nonprofit Leader Certification Program

The Emerging Nonprofit Leader Certification Program is designed for professionals who are 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 Emerging Nonprofit Leader Certification Program is the single most important training experience an organization can offer emerging 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

People Management Foundations – 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/

People Management Foundations – 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/

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 Emerging Nonprofit Leader Certification Program Training Schedule AND REGISTRATION

Below are the current offerings of the Emerging 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.