Effective Capacity Building
in the Current Context
A learning cohort to amplify capacity building for your grantees and the nonprofit sector in the current context.
In the face of greater instability for the social sector, funders have invested in the safety and wellness of grantees, created pooled funds to move money to urgent needs, and provided legal support to help organizations navigate the changing legal landscape. But recent research shows that the types of capacity building support that nonprofit organizations need now must support greater nimbleness, adaptiveness, and resilience for grantees.
CEP’s Effective Capacity Building Cohort is designed to help you hone your approach to capacity building in the current context of political and financial uncertainty and attacks on the social sector.
In this cohort, you will expand your knowledge about how funders are adapting the capacity building support they provide to nonprofit organizations; learn how funders are bolstering their grantees, given sector-wide shocks to the system; and connect with a group of supportive peers. You’ll apply these learnings to your organization’s context and have a chance to learn from skilled practitioners.
The cohort includes seven virtual sessions hosted from February through May 2027. Sessions will include interactive presentations on effective practices, compelling guest speakers, discussions in large and small groups, and peer-to-peer learning.
In this cohort, you will explore:
- Options to deepen your impact through capacity building that meets grantees’ needs in the current context.
- Example approaches from curated peer funders.
- What to look for in potential capacity building partners to strengthen organizations and the nonprofit ecosystem.
- How to address common challenges, such as defining impact and navigating power dynamics.
Eligibility
- This cohort is designed for senior-level programmatic staff (i.e., Vice Presidents and Directors of Programs and Senior Program Officers) at grantmaking institutions who manage capacity building efforts with grantees.
- Program assistants and associates are generally not eligible, as the content is geared towards staff who set programmatic strategy and/or hold primary relationships with grantees and make decisions about the provision of capacity building support.
- If your role does not match the participant description but you would like to be considered, please connect with CEP prior to registering.
Past CEP Cohort Speakers
Philip Li
President & CEO, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation
Elisha Smith Arrillaga
Vice President, Research, CEP
Jesús Gerena
CEO/President, UpTogether
Kevin Bolduc
Vice President, Assessment and Advisory Services, CEP
Mailee Walker
Executive Director, Claneil Foundation
John Jackson
President & CEO, Schott Foundation
Thomas Hilbink
Senior Director & Counsel, Pivotal Ventures
Kathy Reich
Executive Director, The Catena Foundation
Sampriti Ganguli
Former CEO, Arabella Advisors
Donna Daniels
CEO, Possibility Labs
Leticia Peguero
Executive Director, Amplify Fund
Joleen Ruffin
Chief Financial and Operations Officer, Kataly Foundation
Jamie Allison
Executive Director, Walter & Elise Haas Fund
Don Chen
President, Surdna Foundation
Kara Inae Carlisle
President & CEO, The Ford Family Foundation
Calendar Quick Look
Each of the seven virtual sessions will be two hours and will take place from February through May, 2027. Sessions will take place between 12-2pm PT/1-3pm MT/2-4pm CT/3-5pm ET.
| Session | Date |
|---|---|
| Session 1: Welcome and Setting the Stage | February 22 |
| Session 2: Capacity Building in Practice | March 8 |
| Session 3: Small Group Consultancies | March 22 |
| Session 4: Hearing from Practitioners: How capacity building has changed in the current context | April 12 |
| Session 5: Hearing from Practitioners: How capacity building has changed in the current context | April 26 |
| Session 6: Hearing from Practitioners: How capacity building has changed in the current context | May 10 |
| Session 7: Closing | May 24 |
Past CEP Cohort Participants
Registration
Early Bird Pricing: $4,350
Pricing: $4,850
Early Bird Deadline: October 31
Registration Closes: December 18
Limited spaces available! Register now to secure your space!
Group and Community Foundation Discounts: We offer a $100 discount per person for participants who join with a colleague (limit: three participants per organization) and for those joining from a community foundation. Multiple discounts may be combined.
Accessibility: CEP is committed to making cohorts welcoming and accessible spaces. Reach out to us if you have questions or require accommodations.
Contact CEP if:
- You are joining from a community foundation and/or as a group and would like to apply a discount code.
- Your role doesn’t match the participant description, but you’d like to be considered.
- You require accommodations to fully participate.
- You prefer to pay using EFT, check, or grant.
About the Learning Institute
CEP’s Learning Institute offers cohorts, workshops, and custom trainings for foundation staff and leaders to support your learning and implementation of data-backed practices.