Programs & Events

Special Topics

Timely, Flexible Learning Opportunities

The Johnson Center’s Special Topics courses are designed to meet the moment by providing timely, flexible learning opportunities tailored to the unique challenges and priorities facing today’s practitioners. Perfect for community foundations to offer to local nonprofits; foundation programs can provide a course to all grantees in a certain program area.

Especially ideal for place-based networks and grantmakers seeking to offer professional development to a broad group of grantees, these courses support collective learning and capacity building at scale. Availability rotates over time to reflect the shifting needs of the sector, ensuring that content remains relevant, responsive, and impactful.

Introduction to Board Service

3 Hours

Board service can be an immensely satisfying undertaking. While passion and commitment often lead people to serve on nonprofit boards, having the technical skills to be effective is critical to helping an organization succeed. This session is designed for people interested in board service or how to work with their boards more effectively. Participants will explore the duties and responsibilities required in board service and the application of good governance practices in the nonprofit sector.

From Scenario to Strategy: Introduction to Scenario Planning

3 Hours

This workshop is designed to help nonprofit leaders prepare for an uncertain future. Through hands-on exercises, expert insights, and real-world case studies, participants will learn how to build scenario-based strategies that can guide their organization through disruption and change. This session includes space to actively craft meaningful scenarios, explore their impact across key organizational functions, and make decisions that align with the organization’s mission and values. Whether facing economic shifts, changing community needs, or operational challenges, this workshop aims to bring clarity and confidence in uncertainty.

Ripped from the Headlines: Nonprofit Scandals and How You and Your Board Can Be Prepared

3 Hours

Public trust in institutions remains low, yet nonprofits and philanthropic organizations are often the exception. Still, “good organizations” are not immune to controversy. In this interactive workshop, participants explore notable scandals that shook—or at least stirred—the nonprofit and philanthropic landscape. Together, participants will examine what went wrong, how the fallout was managed, and what could have been done differently through multiple lenses. Join us to gain insights that can strengthen transparency, accountability, and trust within your organizational practices.

Volunteer Resource Management

3 Hours

This interactive workshop explores the evolving roles of volunteer managers — from trainer to facilitator, to energizer and evaluator — with research-based and participant-driven discussion on current trends and challenges affecting volunteerism in the U.S. The session unpacks strategies to promote and sustain a culture of volunteerism, and shares tools and practices to effectively manage volunteer impact.

Wellbeing in the Workplace

3 Hours

The burnout of nonprofit leaders persists, yet individual self-care approaches or workplace wellness programs offer no prescriptive solution. This workshop aims to move beyond personal practice to acknowledge the organizational and systemic barriers that treat burnout as a badge. Through facilitated discussion, this session brings a deep review of case studies from the for-profit and nonprofit sectors and their approaches to organizational health and wellbeing that are embedded in the mission, vision, and values of the organization.

"I’ve taken online courses from the Johnson Center and have been very pleased with the quality. My schedule makes it difficult to travel to courses in person, so this is an excellent option for me to continue strengthening my grantmaking skills.”

Jennifer Roller | President, The Raymond John Wean Foundation

"Johnson Center workshops are among the very best online experiences I have ever had. They are uniformly well designed and delivered, highly engaging, efficient, and relevant. I am so grateful that these trainings are online! Keep them coming, please!”

Karen Ansara | Board Chair, Network of Engaged International Donors

"Through a formal partnership with the Johnson Center, the GHACF supports their grantees’ professional development by providing free or discounted access to Johnson Center courses and webinars.”

Hadley Streng | President & CEO, Grand Haven Area Community Foundation