Fueling Knowledge, Fostering Impact: Unveiling United Way Academy’s Non-Profit Learning Experience!
Get ready to ignite your curiosity and enhance your skills with our diverse and engaging offerings. From interactive workshops to thought-provoking classes, we have something for everyone. Whether you’re passionate about personal development, career advancement, or contributing to community impact, United Way Academy is your go to place for training and development. Join us in creating an environment of learning, growth, and connection.
Browse through our upcoming schedule that is open to all United Way Safety Net partners and secure your spot for an enriching experience that goes beyond the ordinary. Let the journey to knowledge and inspiration begin at United Way Academy – where learning meets purpose.
We are also excited to offer The Volunteer Management Training Series presented by United Way of Greater St. Louis Volunteer Center. This comprehensive, four-session series is appropriate for new staff and seasoned professionals and will give individuals better insight into utilizing your organization’s volunteers more effectively. Click here to learn more about this opportunity!
Tap Into Free, Professional Support for your Nonprofit!
Need help with marketing, strategy, finance, or other key projects? Our partners at the St. Louis Community Foundation offers local nonprofits free access to Catchafire — an online platform that connects you with skilled volunteers who are ready to help. From graphic design to grant writing, you’ll find expert support to strengthen your organization and maximize your impact.
Help WashU Better Support Your Organization’s Training Needs
As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen nonprofit leadership and capacity, WashU is exploring how to best align their Fundamentals of Nonprofit Management Program with the needs of organizations like yours.
WashU is interested in how they can best support your organization in the Fundamentals of Nonprofit Management Program. Please complete this brief survey to help them determine the best timing and format for future offerings:
Your input is invaluable and will help ensure the program is accessible and relevant to your team’s development goals.
Exciting News: United Way Academy’s Partnership with NRMC!
We are excited to share that United Way Academy has partnered with the Nonprofit Risk Management Center (NRMC) to provide your organization with a fully paid 12-month affiliate membership!
This exclusive membership grants you access to a wealth of risk management resources, including:
✔️ Live risk management webinars (every other month)
✔️ Access to a library of 200+ recorded webinars
✔️ Risk Help™ – Direct access to expert advice on governance, legal risks, employment practices, and more
✔️ Discounts on risk management tools, assessments, and publications
Your membership is active, and you can start utilizing these benefits today! To access your affiliate membership, visit nonprofitrisk.org and follow the registration steps under Membership > Affiliate Registration. Please see the attached flyer for more details.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to Whitney Thomey at 571-307-4321 or whitney@nonprofitrisk.org.
We hope you take full advantage of these valuable resources!
Compassion Fatigue: Recognizing and Restoring Yourself
Facilitator: Amy Miller
When: September 18, 2025, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Description:
Are you feeling emotionally drained from caring for others? Compassion fatigue—often called the “cost of caring”—can affect your energy, empathy, and well-being.
In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn how to recognize the signs, prevent burnout, and build practical strategies for resilience. Leave with tools to protect your mental health, restore balance, and sustain your passion for making a difference.
By the end of this workshop, participants will:
- Identify common signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue.
- Apply strategies to reduce stress and prevent burnout.
- Develop a personal resilience plan to support ongoing well-being.
- Strengthen boundaries and self-care practices while continuing to serve others.
Communication Styles: Connecting with Clarity
When: September 25, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Facilitator: Amy Miller
Location: Virtual
Workshop Description: Unlock the secret to better conversations in our Communication Styles workshop!
Discover your natural style, understand the approaches of others, and practice adapting in real-time. This session will help you reduce conflict, strengthen collaboration, and build stronger, more effective relationships—at work and beyond.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify their own communication style and how it impacts interactions.
- Recognize the styles of others to improve understanding and connection.
- Apply strategies to adapt communication in diverse situations.
- Build stronger relationships that foster teamwork and collaboration.
Confident Leadership: Advancing Your Mission with Impact
When: October 2, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Facilitator: Aimee Dunn, The Corsa Group
Location: Virtual
Workshop Description: Strengthen your ability to represent your mission with authority and authenticity. This session explores what confidence truly is, why it matters in leadership, and how neuroscience-backed strategies can help you overcome barriers, lead boldly, and inspire action.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Understanding what confidence is and is not.
- The latest research and studies on the impact of confidence on our work.
- Understand what gets in the way.
- Neuroplasticity and how we can change our brains to feel more confident.
- How we can apply this to our work.
Overcoming Immunity to Change: Unlocking Your Most Important Goals
When: Thursday, October 9, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Facilitator: Ian Buchanan, NIA Education Group
Location: Virtual
Using Harvard University’s Immunity to Change framework, this highly interactive workshop helps participants identify and dismantle the hidden fears, unchallenged assumptions, and competing commitments that keep them stuck. Leaders and teams will confront the mindsets and behaviors that undermine progress on their most important goals, replacing self-sabotage with targeted strategies for breakthrough growth.
By the end of this workshop, participants will:
- Identify an important personal or professional improvement goal and the behaviors that undermine it.
- Pinpoint hidden fears and competing commitments that keep them “immune” to change.
- Challenge and test big assumptions that limit growth.
- Develop actionable strategies for long-term, sustained improvement
Beyond Grants – Unlocking New Funding Pathways in an Uncertain Economy
When: Thursday, October 16, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Facilitator: Kimberlin Butler, The L.E.A.D Agency
Location: Virtual
The funding landscape is shifting – are you ready? With federal cuts and policy changes impacting traditional revenue streams, nonprofits must reimagine how they sustain their missions. This high energy solution focused will move beyond theory t real world application.
What we will explore:
- The Science of Philanthropic Behavior
- Understanding the federal shift
- Case Studies & Best Practices
Court the Corporation
When: Thursday, November 6, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Facilitator: Latonya Annoor, Level UP
Location: In person (TBD)
Court The Corp. is a dynamic workshop designed to equip individuals and organizations with the tools, language, and strategy needed to secure corporate sponsorships and partnerships. It’s more than a pitch, It’s about building authentic relationships with decision-makers and understanding what corporations value most.
Attendees will gain insider insights from corporate leaders, learn how to position their brand for funding, and walk away with a roadmap to turn mission into money.
This isn’t just a workshop, it’s your opportunity to level up and align with power.
Start Smart: Building Sponsor Relationships Before You Need Them
When: Thursday, November 13, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Facilitator: Mariah Monique, The Sponsorship Catalyst
Location: Virtual
If your nonprofit has never secured a sponsorship before, this session is your starting point. Sponsorships aren’t just for the big-name organizations — they’re for any nonprofit ready to form real relationships with aligned partners. In this session, we’ll cover why starting the conversation before you’re in fundraising mode is key, how to identify potential sponsors, and what makes sponsorships different (and more sustainable) than one-time donations. You’ll leave with the clarity and confidence to begin laying a strong sponsorship foundation — even if you’ve never pitched before.
Objectives:
- Understand what sponsors are really looking for — and why they want relationships, not just recognition.
- Learn how to warm up your sponsor pipeline before you’re under pressure to raise funds.
- Explore simple, authentic ways to start conversations and build trust with potential partners at the local, regional, and national level.
- Tips to engage board members as champions in sponsorship outreach and relationship building
Future Proofing Your Workforce
When: Thursday, December 4, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Facilitator: Kimberlin Butler, The L.E.A.D Agency
Location: Virtual
With rising operational costs, burnout and federal workforce policies impacting nonprofits, organizations must refine how they retain, engage and sustain their teams. This session will move beyond surface-level retention tactics, providing participants with concrete workforce strategies to strengthen organizational resilience.
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Assess your workforce risk
- Reimagine Retention
- Future-proof Staffing Models
- Take action.