Last week, we celebrated our Effective Nonprofit Management cohort and the donors who made this program possible with an exclusive dinner at Me & Billy! This program—the first of its kind at our Center for Nonprofit Excellence—brought together nonprofit leaders from across the region to strengthen their organizational capacity and leadership skills. Monthly in-person cohort sessions were tailored to participant interests to ensure real-world relevance. Morten Group Consultants facilitated the entire program, bringing a high level of expertise, structure, and care to every interaction. The cohort format enabled participants to build relationships, share best practices, and grow together as a regional leadership community. As you can see, participants ended the program with a strong network. Thank you to all our participants and the donors who believe in the power of our nonprofit sector. (fb)

This week, the Center for Nonprofit Excellence held the first session in our Strong Board Governance Series. The first course focused on board orientation and recruitment. Here's what Ray Freeman—financial advisor, Country Financial, and current board member with the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce—took away from the conversation: "Inclusion is intentional. That’s a key lesson in this program. You need to let people know why they are being recruited and selected for a board position. That’s part of building a strong, cohesive team." Learn more about this powerful series and register for the second course here: https://www.qccommunityfoundation.org/strong-board-governance (fb)