Training Program Design
NLA is one of the progressive movement's leading providers of training designed specifically to address the complexity of multi-entity organizations.
Below is a sample of the types of training offered by New Left Accelerator and our partners. Topics range from the ins and outs of nonprofit compliance in election years and to multi-entity financial management to values based human resource management and a series on how to build base power across legal entities. NLA also designes state-specific training that covers the ins and outs of state law. Check out the Arizona-based series and our other trainings.
Contact us if you would like to create or run a training series for your state or grantees.
Nonprofit Compliance
Building a Culture of Compliance
Want to make sure your multi-entity organization avoids unnecessary negative PR and costly fines? Setting up a culture of compliance is step one to ensuring your organization is following the law in a fast paced and ever changing environment. We will look at how to introduce your staff to a culture of compliance, identify which regulatory and reporting requirements apply to your organization, understand why having strong finance and accounting processes is critical to legal and political compliance, learn key terms, discover where to find filing deadlines, how and when to seek expert help and learn about useful tools to help make sure information can be easily shared and the responsibility for compliance is embedded across your organization. Join Leigh Anne Collier Weinstein and Joshua Wolf, leading compliance and finance experts as we delve into why it's important for staff across your organization to be introduced to compliance, how to know what questions to ask, and first steps in creating systems to help your organization avoid risk, violations, negative attention or hefty fines.
Who should attend: This webinar is for all nonprofit staff who need to understand compliance in election years, with special relevance for EDs, COOs, and Compliance and Operations teams.
Compliance Defined
In this training we will cover the important concepts that make up the world of compliance and how they will come into play for your organizations as you navigate the electoral and non-electoral landscapes of your multi-entity organization this year.
Join Cassie Tinsmon and Andrew Madras leading compliance experts as we delve deeper into the specifics of the campaign finance reporting and learn how your organizations can mitigate risk and do bold work safely!
Who should attend: This webinar is designed for EDs, PAC Directors, Operations Team, Canvass/Phone Bank Leaders, and anyone participating in political activity.
In the Weeds with Compliance: Political Activity Tracking
You know you need to track political activity—but HOW? It's time to get in the weeds with how to actually, build, track and report your political activity. Join the NLA team and Evans and Katz for an overview of political activity trackers. We will dig into the specifics of how to track contributions, IEs, in-kinds, staff time, field scripts, and more. We will also discuss when firewalls are needed.
Who should attend: This webinar is designed for EDs, PAC Directors, Operations Team, Canvass/Phone Bank Leaders, and anyone participating in political activity.
Getting in the Game This Election Season? What You Need to Know
501(c)(3) public charities can actively weigh in with the public, candidates, and government officials during election season. They cannot support or oppose particular candidates, but they can (and should) encourage active participation in fair and democratic elections. Wondering where the line is, or how your organization can get involved? This webinar is for you.
Who Should Attend: All 501(c)(3) staff who work in nonprofit organizations that encourage civic participation in an election year.
Utilizing Corporate Structures
To defend democracy and fight for social, racial, and economic justice, more and more nonprofits are realizing the limitations of 501(c) nonprofit structures. Innovative social justice organizations are opening corporate entities and building multi-entity nonprofits that use a mix of corporate, nonprofit and PAC structures to build power.
Join NLA, Melissa Norton and Theo Luebke of Carolina Federation, Julie Scarsella of Community Building Strategies Ohio, and Le Tim Ly of Resilient Strategies & Center for Empowered Politics for a panel on multi-entity organizations that utilize corporate structures to build power for their communities.
Who Should Attend: Executive Directors, operations staff and/or nonprofit staff that are considering opening a corporate entity to support their work.
Differences Between Corporate Structures (LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp)
Participants will explore an overview of common for-profit legal structures, examples of innovative nonprofits currently using for-profit corporate structures, and have an opportunity to discuss liability, taxes, revenue, and governance pros and cons.
Who Should Attend: This webinar is tailored for nonprofit leaders, including EDs, Operations, Board Members, and Senior staff, seeking to leverage for-profit structures to achieve their mission and amplify their impact.
The Alphabet Soup of Nonprofit Compliance: Getting Nonprofit Compliance Right In Election Years
Nonprofits are governed by a patchwork of state and federal regulatory bodies. From corporate formation to IRS and state tax rules to regulations that govern how nonprofits can engage in political activity, nonprofit staff must navigate a patchwork of agencies and rules to stay compliant. Join the New Left Accelerator Team to learn what nonprofits need to know to be both bold and safe when engaging in advocacy in an election year. In this webinar we will cover corporate, tax, and campaign finance key terms and core compliance concepts. Bring your team along and develop a deeper understanding of how to build a bold compliant nonprofit!
Who Should Attend: All 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) staff working in nonprofit organizations that encourage civic participation and/or engage in political activity in an election year.
Talking Abortion in Election Years: An Overview for Reproductive Justice Nonprofits
Talking about reproductive justice and rights has never been more important but messaging around abortion and elections can get tricky for 501(c)(3)s. Although nonprofits can be bold and actively weigh in with the public, candidates, and government officials on the topic of abortion, including during election season, it is important to know when talking about abortion or reproductive rights and voting might raise the risk of engaging in impermissible partisan political activity. Are you talking about abortion and elections? Is your staff wondering where the line is, what your ED can say, or when a message might be considered partisan? This webinar is for you!
Who Should Attend: This webinar is designed for any staff of 501(c)(3) &(c)(4) organizations planning to talk about abortion during election season this year. It may be especially useful for field, communications, and compliance folks who design messaging and/or track political activity.
Financial management
Multi-Entity Forecasting
It can be a struggle for any executive or senior leader for small and medium sized multi-entity nonprofits to convey priorities and expectations for the finance and accounting of their organizations. In this session, Josh Wolf will cover how organizations can establish the financial foundation to sustain your operations and grow your impact. Participants will engage in conversation and share their experiences.
Who should attend: This webinar is designed for EDs, CFOs and other senior leaders at startup and growing multi-entity nonprofits.
Four Financial Reports to Inform Forecasting and Confidently Make Decisions
It can be a struggle for Executive Directors and other senior leaders at start-up and growing nonprofits to know what financial reports they need, what they mean, and how to use them. Josh Wolf will cover the four financial reports most useful to multi-entity nonprofits (c3s, c4s and PACs) and how those reports can be used to confidently make decisions.
Who Should Attend: This webinar is designed for Executive Directors, CFOs, and other senior leaders at startup and growing multi-entity nonprofits.
End of Year Financial Close Out: A Guide for Nonprofit Leaders
Closing out end of year financials can feel like an overwhelming herculean effort for new nonprofit leaders—especially for multi-entity nonprofits. In this session we will discuss how to close the books on the prior fiscal year and how to complete an annual audit and tax forms. Join Josh Wolf and NLA for a robust discussion of practices for a quick, accurate, and efficient financial close process to save nonprofit leaders time, money, and hopefully, their sanity!
Who Should Attend: This webinar is for Executive Directors, CFOs, and any staff responsible for financial management or closing out books at the end of the year.
Understanding and Setting up Processes for Sustainable Financial Planning
Finance is key to ensuring compliance and sustainability for multi-entity organizations—join Josh Wolf for the first session of the NLA Finance Series that will tackle how organizations can set up processes for sustainable financial planning. Participants will develop a shared understanding of financial sustainability, financial planning, and learn key processes to implement financial sustainability in a multi-entity operating nonprofit environment. Participants will also get a chance during the training session to sign up for individual technical assistance with Josh Wolf to review or answer any of your financial sustainability questions.
Who Should Attend: This webinar is designed for EDs and Operations/Finance mid-level staff and above. Register here.
Human Resources
Values-Based HR: Guiding Principles and Beliefs
This webinar is an introduction to what it means to lead and manage values-based HR in a nonprofit organization. This training will define the concept of values-based human resources, outline a framework of guiding principles and beliefs, and discuss its implications across various functions in HR. Participants will also get a chance during the training session to sign up for individual technical assistance with Whitney Herrington to review or answer any of your values-based HR questions.
Who should attend: This webinar is designed for NLA cohort program participants that expressed need for HR supports.
Minimizing Pitfalls: HR-related Liabilities to Look Out For
Managing risk while leaning into our values is a hat trick all HR leads must manage. This webinar will discuss critical (and often overlooked) HR-related liabilities that multi-entity nonprofits face. We will cover topics including disability insurance, employment practices liability insurance, medical/parental leave policies, and workers comp. We’ll help participants understand the balance and trade-offs between supporting employees and protecting the organization.
Who should attend: This webinar is designed for NLA program participants across all programs.
Performance Conversations & Critical Feedback
The end of the year is the time when organizations engage in year-end performance evaluations. Leadership and HR staff are leading critical processes and conversations related to people, feedback, accountability, and organizational culture. This webinar will discuss both positive feedback and accountability and critical feedback. In this webinar, we will discuss preparing for and engaging in critical end-of-year conversations for your staff and the role of accountability and steps to ensure it. Join us to learn about how to incorporate your values into your end-of-year HR processes.
Who Should Attend: This webinar is for Executive and Managing Directors and HR and Operations staff that hold human-resource responsibilities related to evaluation and/or compensation.
Managing Year-End Salary Adjustments and Balancing with Staff Needs and Expectations
With year-end approaching, organizations are preparing for salary adjustments to take effect in the new year. As our country experiences the highest inflation in 40 years, your organizations are most likely contending with rewarding appropriate and feasible levels of pay increases and recognizing that these increased investments are not sufficient to keep up with the pain your staff are experiencing in the economy. In this webinar, we’ll discuss approaches to rewarding and managing compensation in this difficult economy and how to communicate with and manage expectations with your staff in people-centered, values-based ways.
Who Should Attend: This webinar is for Executive and Managing Directors and HR and Operations staff that hold human-resource responsibilities related to evaluation and/or compensation.
Arizona Nonprofit Guidance
What Nonprofits Need to Know for Playing in Arizona Elections
If your nonprofit intends to influence the conversation in Arizona this election cycle, you need to understand the differences between express advocacy, ballot measure advocacy, and issue advocacy. Are you a multi-entity organization left wondering if you need to register in Arizona to do this work? When? With what agency? What information will be public and what can be kept confidential? The answers in Arizona vary by entity type, type of advocacy, and location of advocacy.
Join Jim Barton, Legal Counsel, during this training webinar to learn the answers to these questions and other considerations that will allow your multi-entity organization to do power-building work that your community needs.
Who should attend: This webinar is for all nonprofit staff in Arizona who need to understand compliance in election years, with special relevance for EDs, COOs, and Compliance and Operations teams.
When Activists Become Employers: Employment Law Issues for Good Guy Organizations in Arizona
Are the people working for your organization in Arizona employees, volunteers, or independent contractors? Which minimum wage laws apply for your workers? How do we track Earned Paid Sick Time for part-time and temporary workers? All these questions along with how you protect your organization and its officers from unwanted liability exposure are important questions to answer as your nonprofit grows from a band of activists to established change agents.
Join Jim Barton, Legal Counsel, during this training webinar to learn about how aspects of local, state and federal employment law impact your organization.
Who should attend: This webinar is for all nonprofit staff in Arizona who manage HR or hiring in election years, with special relevance for EDs, COOs, and HR teams.
Arizona Prop 211: Building Compliance Systems: A How-To Guide for AZ Operations Staff
Join NLA and Jim Barton from Barton, Mendez, Soto on an overview of all things Prop 211, sponsored by our partners at One Arizona and Arizona Wins. This session will cover who has obligations under Arizona's Voter Right to Know law (aka Proposition 211); what information must be tracked under the law, what information must be disclosed under the law, and what disclaimers the law requires for ads that are so-called campaign media spending, as well as review the latest rulemaking and advisory opinions for the Citizens Clean Elections Commission.
Who should attend: This webinar is for nonprofit staff in Arizona who manage operations.
Get Ready for Voters' Right to Know: A Legal Review of Arizona's Proposition 211
Join NLA and Jim Barton from Barton, Mendez, Soto on an overview of all things Prop 211, sponsored by our partners at One Arizona and Arizona Wins. This session will cover who has obligations under Arizona's Voter Right to Know law (aka Proposition 211); what information must be tracked under the law, what information must be disclosed under the law, and what disclaimers the law requires for ads that are so-called campaign media spending, as well as review the latest rulemaking and advisory opinions for the Citizens Clean Elections Commission.
Who should attend: This webinar is for all nonprofit staff who need to understand advocacy work in election years, with special relevance for EDs, COOs, Compliance and Operations teams, Communications teams, and Organizing teams.
Arizona Proposition 211: Disclaimers and Disclosures
Learn about what nonprofits are required to disclose and report as they execute campaign media spending—we will cover practical tips and review the legal rules that all nonprofits need to know to do bold work safely this year!
Who Should Attend: This webinar is best suited for field, communications, and operations staff of nonprofits in Arizona doing civic engagement work in the 2024 election cycle.
Political Activity
Selecting The Right Legal Entity for Advocacy in Election Years
If your nonprofit advocates for change, it is important to understand what legal entities can engage in different types of advocacy. This webinar will provide an overview of how multi-entity organizations can maximize their impact by selecting the right vehicle. We will cover the different types of advocacy—express advocacy, issue advocacy, and ballot measure work—as well as the implications of election and tax law for nonprofits.
Join Jim Barton, Legal Counsel, to learn about how to choose which tool to employ in various advocacy contexts, what 501(c)(3)s 501(c)(4), 527s and PACs can and cannot do during the campaign season. Come learn how your multi-entity organization can do power-building work safely this year.
Who should attend: This webinar is for all nonprofit staff who need to understand advocacy work in election years, with special relevance for EDs, COOs, Compliance and Operations teams, Communications teams, and Organizing teams.
What you Need to Know About DACA, Immigration Status and 501(c)(4) Work
If your nonprofit works with DACA recipients in election years, you may want you to understand the implications of recent FEC enforcement action and the ways in which DACA recipients can participate in 2022 elections. Are you a multi-entity organization left wondering how you can continue your 2022 campaigns this year within the limitations of the new FEC action? Join Jim Barton, Legal Counsel, during this training webinar to learn about how these enforcement actions might impact how DACAmented employees and volunteers can and cannot work on campaigns and how multi-entity organizations can continue to do power building work this year.
Who Should Attend: This webinar is for all staff who hold responsibility for protecting and engaging members, with special relevance for EDs, COOs, Communications teams, Fundraising teams and Organizing teams.
Operations & Lobbying: The Compliance Side of Advocacy
Both c3s and c4s build power through lobbying! Lobbying can be both ballot initiative work and influencing legislation—and is a critical strategy in your advocacy toolbox. Organizations must understand the various laws that regulate lobbying, appreciate when the different laws apply, and consider how lobbying might help your c4 meet its primary purpose goal. This webinar will cover strategy and compliance basics for lobbying work, such as determining which entity executed lobbying work, tracking time and money, and the differences between what needs to be reported at the federal and state levels.
Who Should Attend: This webinar is targeted at Executive Directors and Operations Staff who are responsible for compliance with lobbying rules.
501(c)(3) & Elections: What 501(c)(3) Nonprofits Need to Know for Elections
Join Jim Barton of Barton, Mendez, Soto to understand and examine how to maintain your entity's tax-exempt status while engaging in non-partisan voter registration and GOTV, community education, issue advocacy -- and to a limited extent, lobbying.
In addition, you will learn the ins and outs of public communications that promote each of these categories and how they are treated by election law enforcement agencies -- including information on state law, like Arizona's new requirements under the Voter Right to Know Act.
Who Should Attend: This webinar is best suited for field, communications, and operations staff of nonprofits doing civic engagement work in the 2024 election cycle.
501(c)(4) & Elections: What (c)(4) Nonprofits Need to Know for Playing in Elections
Are you ready to maximize what your 501(c)(4) will do this election season? Join Jim Barton of Barton Mendez Soto to examine how to maintain your entity's tax-exempt status while engaging in primary purpose activity, issue advocacy, unlimited lobbying and to a limited extent express advocacy.
There will be updates regarding recent changes to laws in states like Arizona concerning reporting requirements, solicitation notices, and paid political advertising disclaimers, including those triggered by Arizona's new requirements under the Voter Right to Know Act.
Who Should Attend: This webinar is best suited for field, communications and operations staff of nonprofits doing civic engagement work in the 2024 election cycle.
What you Need to Know About DACA, Immigration Status and Nonprofit Work In Election Years
Are you a multi-entity organization left wondering how you can continue your 2024 campaigns this year within the limitations of the FEC action on DACA recipients participating in campaigns? Join Jim Barton of Barton Mendez Soto during this training webinar to learn about how these enforcement actions might impact how DACAmented employees and volunteers can and cannot work on campaigns and how multi-entity organizations can continue to do power building work this year.
Who Should Attend: This webinar is best suited for Executive Directors, field and operations staff of nonprofits doing civic engagement work in the 2024 election cycle.
Fund Development by Design: Planning and Mobilizing Resources for Multi-Entity Organizations
Election years pose unique challenges for Executive Directors seeking to resource their work across their multiple entities. This interactive workshop is designed to equip leaders with essential skills to mobilize the right mix of resources they need to move their work in election years.
During the session, Jolea Payne provides insights on how to design a plan that supports the work of your 501(c)(3), (c)(4), and/or PAC and tips for strategically mobilizing resources in advance of a presidential election year (when money often moves fast and late). The session is designed to inspire leaders to engage mission-aligned donors and supporters to raise the right mix of funding for their multi-entity work.
Who Should Attend: Executive Directors, Fundraising / Grants Directors and/or Managing Staff.
Building Base Power
Base Building & Multi-Entity Membership Models
Start here with an introductory webinar designed to build a foundation of understanding of the vocabulary and common challenges and solutions faced by multi-entity, base-building, and membership organizations. We’ll explore membership models and key considerations of effectively engaging members and supporters in both 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) work. The strategies and tactics covered in this webinar help organizers and multi-entity leaders think imaginatively and critically about how they might structure their work to build a widespread and engaged base of supporters across the family of organizations they use to build power.
Trainer: Jay Carmona, Sematonic Strategies
501(c)(3) and (c)(4) Membership Programs: Navigate the Law
Our second session features an in-depth review of frameworks and boundaries of how to be bold AND legally compliant while building a multi-entity base or membership programs. Tackling many of the most common and complex legal questions about multiple-entity membership models—things like running joint campaigns, the legal definition of membership, sharing lists across legal entities—Bolder Advocacy practitioners share their expertise in how to do bold work safely when working with 501(c)3s and 501(c)4s.
Trainer: Ronnie Pawelko, Bolder Advocacy, a program of Alliance for Justice
Using Your 501(c)(4) to Engage Your Membership
A 501(c)(4) works as a vehicle for engaging and investing in the leadership and power of your members and base. This webinar will explore how organizers and leaders can use 501(c)(4) work to build and expand their members' connections to their 501(c)(3) work. Dive into the challenges and successes of multi-entity member engagement to learn how to build your supporter base. If you want to make sure that your 501(c)(4) work supports your longer-term organizational goals to make change—this is the webinar for you.
Trainer: Nijmie Dzurinko, Put People First PA
Resourcing the Base: (c)(3)/(c)(4) Fundraising & Dues
Progressive groups that can secure sustainable, long-term funding have more power to determine how they will meet their movement goals, but this kind of funding can be complicated to manage as a multi-entity organization. In this session, learn about innovative strategies for resourcing multi-entity organizations that ultimately helps them lean deeper into their missions.
Trainer: Bethany Maki, Progressive Multiplier
Membership & Data: Data for Building Power
Learn how to make the most impact through members’ data in a multi-entity organization while keeping it safe. In this session, participants cover best practices for data sharing and how to manage powerful technology for progressive change!
Trainer: Rose Espinola, Movement Tech Help Desk
Power of the Membership: How to Engage Your Members for Endorsements
Learn how the most powerful and most engaged advocacy organizations are engaging their communities to endorse candidates and platforms. With a focus on centering members in endorsement processes, this webinar will explore how member power keeps us accountable and how to plan for successful, meaningful engagement with your members.
Trainer: Mo Manklang, U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives
Data for Multi-Entity Organizations
This webinar led by Rose Espinola and Steven Carmona Mora from Movement Tech Help Desk will guide attendees through key questions and answers about how to utilize and manage powerful data, and provide valuable insights and guidance on resource sharing agreements, data flows, and more.
Who Should Attend: Whether you oversee operations or are involved in data management, this webinar will equip you with the knowledge and tools to effectively utilize and manage data across different legal entities. It is recommended for Executive Directors of multi-entity organizations, as well as staff leading operations, data, digital, communications, and organizing.