NonprofitReady

NonprofitReady is a free online learning site built only for the nonprofit sector. It is a signature program of the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation, which describes itself as a nonprofit committed to transforming the way people help people, and the About page says the foundation launched NonprofitReady in 2014 to give the sector anytime, anywhere access to professional learning. The site offers more than 600 learning resources, a mix of online courses, certificate programs, videos and downloadable how-to guides, for nonprofit professionals and volunteers "in all roles, at every stage of their career". Everything is free; the home page says it plainly: "All 100% free." A learner creates a free account, picks a course and starts.

What the catalog covers

The site describes its range as running from hard skills such as fundraising, grant writing, marketing, volunteer engagement and program management to soft skills such as leadership, communication, time management, unconscious bias, and diversity and inclusion. The course catalog is organized into fifteen areas: fundraising, starting a nonprofit, nonprofit board member training, accounting and finance, new to the sector, grant writing, nonprofit marketing, DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), volunteer engagement, job seeking, leadership training, program management, mental health and wellness, human resources, and business software. The home page says the resources are chosen to support the most common nonprofit jobs, naming fundraising, grant writing, leadership, governance, accounting and finance, operations, marketing and communications, volunteer engagement, and program management.

Courses come from NonprofitReady's own foundation and from partner organizations, and each course card names its author. Three category pages show what that looks like.

Fundraising. The fundraising page says the site's free fundraising courses and certificate programs come from experts in online fundraising, donation campaigns, email marketing and fundraising events. Its most popular courses are Creating a Fundraising Plan, from the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation, which covers building a plan, adapting it to unexpected events and avoiding mistakes; Major Donor Fundraising, also from the foundation, on identifying major donors aligned with your mission, strengthening relationships and making the ask; and Virtual Fundraising Events, from Pledge, on planning and promoting an event and the steps to take afterward.

Finance and accounting. The finance page offers courses on budgeting, balance sheet basics and more from experts in nonprofit finance and accounting. Its popular courses are Think Money First!, from Social Sector Partners, a systematic approach to tracking the true costs of running a nonprofit; the Nonprofit Accounting Online Course, from ProLiteracy, a 1.5 hour training in essential accounting principles; and Capital Supports Mission, from Propel Nonprofits, on creating a business model that maximizes value for your community.

Leadership. The Emerging Leaders Pathway is aimed at new managers, people improving their management skills and those developing a team. The page says it draws on over 40 learning resources, which learners can pick from according to what is most relevant and take at their own pace, and lists the topics as transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager, key management skills, strategies to hire great employees, developing a team, and building a leadership plan. It is summed up as 3 hours of free online courses, and the page notes that organizations around the world use these same courses to develop their next generation of leaders.

Certificates

Certificates are a central part of the offer, and all of them are free. The site's menu lists seven certificate programs: Nonprofit Essentials, Leadership Essentials, Fundraising Essentials, Grant Seeking Essentials, Marketing Essentials, Financial Management Essentials and Board Member Essentials. Two category pages describe theirs. The fundraising certificate is a series of free courses covering the basics of fundraising and how to identify, cultivate and solicit donors, pitched as a certificate for your resume, and the page says it is "Eligible for CFRE Continuing Education Credits". The finance certificate is a free, 2-hour online training in the basics of nonprofit financial management and how to determine the full cost of operating a nonprofit.

How learning works

Learning is online, on demand and self-paced. The About page invites learners to "Take Training on Any Device, Anywhere, Anytime", and the home page says that whether you are at work, at home or in a cafe, it is easy to find new courses or pick up where you left off. Getting started takes three steps: create a free account, choose a course, start learning. Learners log in to a personal account, so progress carries over between sessions, and the site links to tech support and its terms of use.

The About page says the team includes experts in learning design and nonprofit professional development, and that experts from across the nonprofit sector and the eLearning industry donate their time and knowledge to the program. The menu also has sections on partnerships and on training your own people, for organizations that want to use NonprofitReady with their staff.

Reach and reviews

The site sizes its community at more than 500,000 nonprofit professionals, board members and volunteers, while one section of the home page puts the number of users at more than 600,000. The fundraising page says there are over 500 free courses, part of the wider set of more than 600 resources.

Learners quoted on the home page are positive. Remy Attig, operations manager at the David Suzuki Foundation, says: "NonprofitReady breaks down information into digestible morsels of learning that can fit into anyone’s daily schedule." Ambra M., quoted on the leadership page, says: "NonprofitReady has been life changing. Not only for my organization, but for myself as well." Another review on the home page reads: "I needed economical, convenient, and meaningful professional development for my staff and myself." The reviewers listed there include a volunteer administrator at City of Hope and an executive director at the Western Avenue Community Center.

Who it suits

NonprofitReady suits anyone working or volunteering in a nonprofit who wants practical training without a budget line: a development officer learning major donor fundraising, a program manager stepping into a first management role, a finance lead who needs to understand full-cost accounting, a board member learning governance, or someone new to the sector or looking for a nonprofit job. Small organizations get the most from it, since an executive director can point every staff member and volunteer at the same free catalog and certificates. The CFRE-eligible fundraising series is a useful extra for fundraisers keeping up continuing education.

It is a self-paced library, so the courses are short and practical rather than an academic program, and learners work through them on their own. For staff who need structured, free professional development in the specific work of running a nonprofit, that format is a good fit.