Association of Consultants to Nonprofits upcoming events

2026 ACN AI Circle (08/06/2026)

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

ACN AI Circle Dates

February 5, 2026

April 2, 2026

June 4, 2026

August 6, 2026

October 1, 2026

December 3, 2026

10:00 am - 11:00 am CST

ACN Members Only

This collaborative group will meet every other month on the first Thursday of the month. We use a model that provides value to new and longstanding attendees, allowing for group members to flow in and out of the group.

Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or ready to integrate AI into your practice, this workgroup provides a supportive space to learn, share, and experiment-- helping you and the nonprofits you serve thrive in the digital age.

This group is run by ACN member, Cathy Yen. Please email Cathy if you have any questions.

From Passion to Performance: Strengthening People Managers in Nonprofit Organizations (08/27/2026)

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Thursday, August 27, 2026 | 10 am - 10:30 am CST

Free Webinar - Registration Required

REGISTER HERE

In lean nonprofit organizations, underdeveloped managers can create hidden costs that ripple across team performance, trust, and long-term sustainability. Drawing on real-world experience, Allison Wyatt will explore how clear expectations, structured check-ins, and shared ownership help people managers lead more effectively in complex, mission-driven environments. She will unpack what it looks like to give feedback in ways that reinforce accountability while also strengthening relationships and trust. The session will also examine how strong management practices support organizational values rather than compete with them. Grounded in lessons from advising nonprofit leaders, this presentation offers practical insight into what effective, sustainable management looks like when resources are tight and the stakes are high. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to move managers from passion alone toward stronger, more consistent performance.

Presenter:
Allison Wyatt
Edgility Talent Partners

Allison Wyatt is the Founder and CEO of Edgility Talent Partners, where she leads the delivery of equity-focused, sustainable talent management solutions for mission-driven organizations. She brings extensive cross-sector experience and specializes in designing comprehensive human capital strategies, including compensation studies and talent development initiatives. Allison has a strong track record of building competitive and equitable compensation programs, conducting market analyses, and advising organizations on performance management, leadership development, and talent acquisition. She also coaches executives and leads a team of consultants to deliver integrated rewards strategies and pay equity solutions.

Prior to founding Edgility, Allison was Vice President of Human Capital Consulting Services at Koya Leadership Partners, where she launched and grew a successful consulting practice. Earlier in her career, she served as Vice President of Human Assets at Education Pioneers, building the HR function and significantly expanding organizational capacity. Allison holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management and a BA in East Asian Studies from Wesleyan University.

ACN has partnered Nonprofit Learning Lab (NLL) to help serve the sector by providing quick, 30-minute webinars featuring ACN members. The Nonprofit Learning Lab is a national nonprofit that connects, supports and trains individuals in the nonprofit sector. NLL offers daily online nonprofit trainings. with workshops that focus on fundraising, board development, social media, marketing, volunteer management, and organizational leadership.

ACN New Member Q&A Session (08/27/2026)

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

ACN New Member Q&A Session

Thursday, August 27, 2026

11:00 - 11:30 am CST

Join us on the last Thursday of every other month for a 30-minute session designed for new ACN members, or if you've been a member for a while and have some questions. We'll start with quick introductions, then open the floor for your questions about the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits. It's a chance to connect with fellow newcomers and established members, build your network, and get oriented to ACN.

Please send an email to execdirector@acnconsult.org with questions.

2026 ACN New Consultants Circle (09/15/2026)

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 19:00:00 GMT

ACN New Consultants Working Circle Dates

May 19, 2026

July 21, 2026

September 15, 2026

November 17, 2026

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm CST

ACN Members Only

The New Consultants Working Circle is for new consultants to nonprofits who are looking to connect with others who are in the same stage of business-building. It will be great for anyone who has less than five years of experience in consulting. The group allows for new consultants to share their wins, ask for advice, and problem solve..

This group is run by ACN member, Allison Wong Grant. Please email Allison if you have any questions.

Know Your Client: Using the Nonprofit 990 as a Consulting Tool (09/18/2026)

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

ACN New Member Q&A Session

Friday, September 18, 2026

10:00 - 11:30 am CST

Before your first client meeting, what can you learn from a nonprofit's Form 990? Quite a bit. This workshop introduces consultants to one of the most valuable—and often overlooked—tools for understanding a nonprofit organization. Using real examples and hands-on exercises, we'll explore how the 990 reveals an organization's business model, funding strategy, governance practices, and overall financial condition. You won't need an accounting background, and this isn't a class in financial analysis. Instead, you'll learn how experienced nonprofit consultants use the 990 to ask better questions, identify important patterns, and begin every engagement with a stronger understanding of the organization they're serving.

Free to ACN Members. No finance or accounting expertise required.

Takeaways: You'll leave the workshop with a practical framework for using a nonprofit's Form 990 to quickly gain insight into the organization's business model, governance, funding, and financial position—so you can begin client engagements with greater confidence and insight.

Please send an email to execdirector@acnconsult.org with questions.

2026 ACN AI Circle (10/01/2026)

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 15:00:00 GMT

ACN AI Circle Dates

February 5, 2026

April 2, 2026

June 4, 2026

August 6, 2026

October 1, 2026

December 3, 2026

10:00 am - 11:00 am CST

ACN Members Only

This group is run by ACN member, Cathy Yen. Please email Cathy if you have any questions.

2026 ACN Working Parents Circle (10/13/2026)

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 18:00:00 GMT

ACN Working Parents Circle
Second Tuesday of Every Other Month
1:00 - 1:45 pm CST

2026 DATES
February 10

April 14

June 16

October 13

December 15

ACN Members Only

Parents with kids still living at home, balancing work and life, and sharing experiences and perspectives about the unique challenges from peers who are “in the season with you.” Contact Lidia Varesco-Racoma for more information.

ACN Circle Groups are intended to be forums for like or complementary groups of professionals to empower each other with a diversity of thinking, knowledge, shared experience, perspective, support, intentional networking, business development, and inspiration. The groups will be member-driven and self-directed in terms of content, frequency of meetings, duration, number of participants, and general meeting objectives. Participation in ACN Circle Groups is open to all ACN members.

Meeting links are included in your registration confirmation email. Please contact the ACN office if you need assistance - 312-940-4008

Connect. Collaborate. Catalyze. 2026 (10/27/2026)

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Connect. Collaborate. Catalyze. 2026

Tuesday, October 27, 2026
1:00 - 4:30 pm CST

Impact House
200 W. Madison Street, Chicago IL

In today’s rapidly changing environment, nonprofits are under increased pressure to deliver impact with fewer resources and more uncertainty. Join us at ACN’s annual symposium as we unpack how to use data for strategic decision-making, fundraising, and allocating resources more effectively. Hear current expectations from nonprofit funders, learn proven strategies from consultants, and connect with your peers as we explore how to sustain nonprofit impact in a changing landscape. You won’t want to miss this opportunity for knowledge-sharing as we collaboratively prepare the nonprofit sector for long-term sustainability.

More information and registration coming soon!

Please send an email to execdirector@acnconsult.org with questions.

ACN New Member Q&A Session (10/29/2026)

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMT

ACN New Member Q&A Session

Thursday, October 29, 2026

11:00 - 11:30 am CST

Please send an email to execdirector@acnconsult.org with questions.

Contracting with Confidence: Best Practices for Contracting with Clients (11/16/2026)

Mon, 16 Nov 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Contracting with Confidence:
Best Practices for Contracting with Clients

Monday, November 16, 2026
10:00 - 11:00 am CT
Virtual Zoom Event

There are so many ways to approach contracting with clients. And so many questions to consider. Questions like:

Is your contract language adequately protecting you?
Should you bill by the hour or the job?
How do you handle a client’s preferred contract?
What if an engagement goes wrong? How will you untangle things and still get paid for what you’ve done?
What if the engagement goes so right that the client wants more of you, and more, and more?

Come get the answers to these and other questions from Kelly Kleiman of NFP Consulting, Kelly was once a lawyer and nonetheless has made every contractual error imaginable. Some people can only learn from painful experience, but you can skip the painful part while benefiting from Kelly’s experience. Come prepared with questions.

Kelly Kleiman

Kelly Kleiman, a lawyer educated at the University of Chicago, has spent more than 30 years in the nonprofit sector. She founded NFP Consulting in 1988 after serving as Executive Director of the Chicago Children’s Choir and Assistant Dean of IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Earlier in her career she practiced real estate and zoning law with the firm of Rudnick & Wolfe, now DLA Piper. Through her consulting practice Kelly helps nonprofits with fundraising, strategic planning, Board development and the use of high-skills volunteers. She also frequently serves as interim Executive Director for nonprofits undergoing leadership transition. Details at NFPConsultingChicago.com/

Kelly co-founded the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits, ACNConsult.org, and served for several years as its President. She has taught professional development courses for the Axelson Center, the Association of Volunteer Administrators, the United Way of Lake County, the College of DuPage, and other educational and professional organizations. She wrote advice and commentary for nonprofits online as The Nonprofiteer from 2010 to 2014.

Please contact ACN Association Manager, Jennifer Heffernan, at execdirector@acnconsult.org if you have any questions.

2026 ACN New Consultants Circle (11/17/2026)

Tue, 17 Nov 2026 20:00:00 GMT

ACN New Consultants Working Circle Dates

May 19, 2026

July 21, 2026

September 15, 2026

November 17, 2026

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm CST

ACN Members Only

This group is run by ACN member, Allison Wong Grant. Please email Allison if you have any questions.

2026 ACN AI Circle (12/03/2026)

Thu, 03 Dec 2026 16:00:00 GMT

ACN AI Circle Dates

February 5, 2026

April 2, 2026

June 4, 2026

August 6, 2026

October 1, 2026

December 3, 2026

10:00 am - 11:00 am CST

ACN Members Only

This group is run by ACN member, Cathy Yen. Please email Cathy if you have any questions.

2026 ACN Working Parents Circle (12/15/2026)

Tue, 15 Dec 2026 19:00:00 GMT

ACN Working Parents Circle
Second Tuesday of Every Other Month
1:00 - 1:45 pm CST

2026 DATES
February 10

April 14

June 16

October 13

December 15

ACN Members Only

Meeting links are included in your registration confirmation email. Please contact the ACN office if you need assistance - 312-940-4008

Association of Consultants to Nonprofits upcoming events

2026 ACN AI Circle (08/06/2026)

From Passion to Performance: Strengthening People Managers in Nonprofit Organizations (08/27/2026)

ACN New Member Q&A Session (08/27/2026)

2026 ACN New Consultants Circle (09/15/2026)

Know Your Client: Using the Nonprofit 990 as a Consulting Tool (09/18/2026)

2026 ACN AI Circle (10/01/2026)

2026 ACN Working Parents Circle (10/13/2026)

Connect. Collaborate. Catalyze. 2026 (10/27/2026)

ACN New Member Q&A Session (10/29/2026)

Contracting with Confidence: Best Practices for Contracting with Clients (11/16/2026)

Contracting with Confidence: Best Practices for Contracting with Clients

Monday, November 16, 2026 10:00 - 11:00 am CT Virtual Zoom Event

2026 ACN New Consultants Circle (11/17/2026)

2026 ACN AI Circle (12/03/2026)

2026 ACN Working Parents Circle (12/15/2026)

Contracting with Confidence:
Best Practices for Contracting with Clients

Monday, November 16, 2026
10:00 - 11:00 am CT
Virtual Zoom Event