Special Topics - Johnson Center for Philanthropy

Special Topics in Professional Learning

The Johnson Center maintains a rotating catalogue of learning programs specifically designed to meet the moment.

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The Johnson Center’s Special Topics courses are designed to meet the evolving needs of philanthropy and nonprofits. Offered through private delivery, these courses provide flexible, timely learning opportunities tailored to the unique challenges and priorities facing today’s practitioners.

Each course is grounded in research, case studies, and real-world examples—ensuring that participants gain practical insights they can apply immediately in their work.

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.

Interested in bringing one of these courses to your community—virtually or in person? We invite you to reach out to explore how we can provide a Special Topics course that meets your organization’s goals.

Not seeing a course that fits your needs? Contact us about developing and delivering a new program for your audience.

Scenario Planning

This course is designed to help grantmakers' nonprofit partners prepare for an uncertain future. Through hands-on exercises, expert insights, and real-world case studies, participants learn how to build scenario-based strategies that can guide their organizations through disruption and change. Led by experienced Johnson Center facilitators, this experience will teach you how to craft meaningful scenarios, explore their impact across key organizational functions, and make decisions that align with your mission and values. Whether you’re facing economic shifts, changing community needs, or operational challenges, this session will empower you to approach the future with clarity and confidence.

New Realities for Nonprofit Communications and Advocacy

This course is designed to help grantmakers' nonprofit partners navigate the new policy landscape and drive meaningful change. Drawing from key lessons of the 2024 election and the shifting currents of public opinion, this session will equip you with strategies to influence policymakers and your stakeholders in a complex environment. Learn how to respond to emerging trends—from the rise of digital platforms like podcasts to the power of data-driven storytelling—and how to break through a crowded media landscape. With a focus on practical strategies and real-world examples, this workshop will empower you to meet the challenges of today’s policy environment and drive impactful change for your community.

A Disaster Simulation: Response, Recovery & Resilience

Preparedness is key in communities' ability to anticipate risk and mitigate damage. This disaster simulation experience invites grantmakers and other community actors of all types to engage in a realistic disaster scenario to assess readiness, identify resource opportunities, evaluate coordination strategies, and understand community resilience — all through hands-on activities and meaningful discussion and reflection. This program is grounded in the Johnson Center's research developing case studies from our home state of Michigan, where natural disasters and infrastructure failures have cost the state billions of dollars and untold impacts on humans and the environment. The course additionally complements the recent publication of "Are Community Philanthropic Organizations Planning for Climate Change?" in Volume 17, Issue 1 of the Johnson Center's peer-reviewed journal of philanthropy, The Foundation Review. The role of philanthropy in crisis highlights the critical function of foundations, especially community foundations, in convening and rapidly deploying resources during disasters.

Public Offering of “A Disaster Simulation”

The Johnson Center is currently offering a special public version of “A Disaster Simulation” to complement the publication of a related article in The Foundation Review. We invite all interest grantmakers and community leaders to participate!

Wednesday, October 8 // 12:30-4:30p.m. // Online

THE FOUNDATION REVIEW

Go Deeper: Are Community Philanthropic Organizations Planning for Climate Change?

In Volume 17, Issue 1 of the Johnson Center's peer-reviewed journal of philanthropy, The Foundation Review, article authors Beth Gazley, Rachel Cash, and Laurie Paarlberg conduct a statewide evaluation of the role of community foundations and United Ways in disaster response in Indiana. Their article offers recommendations for how climate change discussions can be depoliticized by focusing on each community’s lived experiences with disaster, by conducting risk assessments, and by networking to share information and effective practices.