Resources – DSYF

CAPACITY BUILDING

FEATURED

PUBLICATIONS

FEATURED

Choose Your Fighter: Finding Your Place with Clients and External Partners

is a September 2026 commentary by Bethany Lee, Ph.D. of the American Hospital Association. It starts from the assumption that whether one is a freelancer, consultant, or part of an in-house team, grant work will require collaboration. Partners come in many forms: clients, content experts, implementers, program officers, etc. All provide valuable insights for a nonprofit’s proposals, projects and/or programs, and it’s vital for nonprofit leaders to bring their most effective professional self to these interactions. Choosing how partners work together is crucial. Who leads, and who follows? How do you leverage everyone’s strengths? Partners will likely adapt to each situation, but identifying potential approaches and roles in advance can make the process more seamless. Consider not only one’s own natural talents but also partners’ needs and where all can grow.

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Executive Pulse Check Report April-June 2026

CalNonprofits’ new Nonprofit Leadership Roundtable initiative brings together 25 nonprofit executives from service-delivery organizations across California to share what they’re seeing on the ground. Through quarterly surveys and group discussions, Roundtable members offer timely insights into the challenges, trends, and opportunities shaping their organizations and communities. Each quarter, CalNonprofits shares these insights in an Executive Pulse Check Report.

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EVENTS

FEATURED

Strategic Planning Essentials

10/13/26 and 10/27/26 – 2 PM Eastern
Location: Online
Cost: $109

Strong organizations don’t grow by chance—they grow by design. A well-crafted strategic plan can double the chances of success by providing the clarity and direction needed to guide growth. Yet despite its importance, nearly 70% of strategic plans ultimately fail. During this two-part webinar series, Marie Palacios of Funding for Good will help participants not only design effective planning processes but also transform conversations into clear, actionable written documents. Over two sessions, participants will explore how to streamline the planning process, and to produce a strategic plan that truly works.

Market Your Year-End Giving for a Profitable 2027

Thursday, October 15, 2026 – 9:00AM - 11:00AM Pacific
Location: Online
Cost: $50

A nonprofit’s year-end appeal should be more than a holiday wish list. This webinar is intended to help nonprofits end the year strong with a strategically marketed year-end fundraising campaign that is rightsized for the particular organization. It will help participants learn how to promote a year-end fundraising campaign that taps into the benefits for donors and kicks off the organization’s 2027 fundraising goals. Nonprofits don’t need a large budget, a lot of time, or a ton of energy to give the bottom line a boost. The trainer for this event is Leslie A.M. Smith, McCormick L.A. Public Relations.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

FEATURED

Valley Nonprofit Resources YouTube Channel

This YouTube channel offers free videos of VNR educational workshops, such as one with Danielle Bram of California State University Northridge’s Center for Geospatial Science and Technology, “Exploring the San Fernando Valley Nonprofit Mapping Tool.” The session provides a live demonstration of the free interactive platform, showing nonprofit leaders, funders, researchers, and community partners how to search for organizations, filter nonprofits by location and category, identify potential partners and collaborators, and export data for further research. It shows how the tool can help better understand the nonprofit landscape, discover organizations working in specific areas, and support community outreach and partnership development.

Valley Nonprofit Resources YouTube Channel >

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ASSESSMENT TOOLS

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YOUTH SERVICES

NEWS

PUBLICATIONS

EVENTS

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

NEWS

FEATURED

PUBLICATIONS

FEATURED

Creative Expression, Caring Relationships, and Career Pathways: A Guide to Youth Outcomes in Community Arts Programs

This new report identifies long-term benefits of youth participation in community arts programs, from well-being to future trajectories. Community-based youth arts programs have been shown to provide important, engaging, and empowering experiences for young people. But often, when asked to demonstrate their impact, programs must rely on the anecdotal experiences of participants in their particular program. An international collaboration of researchers (from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) set out to document how young people engage across these programs and what the lasting effects might be for them. The team spoke with alumni of community-based arts programs. They also held workshops with community-based youth arts program leaders to sort through people’s responses and develop “a taxonomy” of outcomes. The tool also points to program design features that support the different outcomes. The November 2025 report was authored by University of California, Irvine researchers Kylie Peppler and colleagues. The research was funded and published by the Wallace Foundation.

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Gen Z Has the Wrong Idea about College - Your Career Doesn’t Start After You Graduate

With U.S. companies saying 2026 will be the worst college graduate job market since 2021, colleges and universities need to reframe career readiness. The answer isn’t better résumé workshops. It’s helping graduating students recognize their careers have already started. According to the Cengage Group’s 2025 Graduate Employability Report, 48% of graduates say they feel unprepared for entry-level roles. Too often, students are encouraged to “get ready” for their careers. When we reposition “career” as something unfolding now, not next, we invite students to turn inward and to recognize, examine, and ultimately take ownership of the process of shaping their professional lives. This April 29, 2026 commentary is by Ashley Bigda, Director of Career Readiness and Workforce Development at the University of New England.

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EVENTS

FEATURED

Health Group Summit 2026: Limitless

Friday, October 16, 2026 – 7:30 AM - 5 PM Pacific
Location: Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049
Cost: $100 (parents and students), $200 (professionals)

For three decades, Help Group’s Summit has brought together leading experts, clinicians,
educators, parents, caregivers, and advocates to explore the latest thinking in neurodiversity, mental health, and lifelong support. What began as a professional conference has grown into one of Southern California’s premier continuing education experiences—bringing together research, lived experience, and practical strategies that improve the lives of children, teens, adults, and families. Hosted by Help Group, one of the region’s leading nonprofit organizations serving individuals with autism, learning differences, ADHD, developmental disabilities, and mental health needs, Summit reflects a commitment to building resilience, creating hope, and unlocking limitless potential.

More information and registeration >

Raising Responsible Teenagers

Wednesday, October 14. 2026 – 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Pacific
Location: Manhattan Beach Library, 1320 Highland Avenue, Manhattan Beach
Cost: Free

Join this seminar to learn about Raising Responsible Teenagers and explore strategies to take home and try with family. This seminar will be led by an accredited Triple P Positive Parenting Program librarian, and is targeted to parents and caregivers of youth ages 13 – 18.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

FEATURED

Edward E. Ford Foundation's Educational Leadership Grants

support forward-thinking proposals for projects designed to catalyze meaningful change within the independent school community. Competitive proposals should demonstrate original thinking, present innovative and replicable ideas, and promise significant impact beyond a single school. A minimum 1:1 match is required. The next application deadline is October 15, 2026 for grants of up to $250,000.

Visit their website to apply >

Make Sense Foundation

supports nonprofit organizations across the United States working to improve the lives of women and children in need. Funding spans seven areas: domestic violence, human trafficking, homelessness, poverty and food security, at-risk youth, health and wellness, and education and training. Project, program, and capital support are all available. Applications are received on a rolling deadline basis, and grant amounts range from $1,000 to $15,000.

Visit their website to apply >

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CAPACITY BUILDING

NEWS

PUBLICATIONS

EVENTS

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

ASSESSMENT TOOLS

NEWS

PUBLICATIONS

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

ASSESSMENT TOOLS

YOUTH SERVICES

NEWS

PUBLICATIONS

EVENTS

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

NEWS

PUBLICATIONS

EVENTS

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

We are Fueled by Collaboration

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