Upcoming Events List

AI in Nonprofits: Myths, Needs, and Opportunities

Organizations of all sizes and missions are hearing the same fears and forecasts about artificial intelligence in the news, from claims that every organization is already using it to the threats it is replacing everyone's jobs. There are sensational articles popping up every week and it is no wonder many nonprofit staff feel nervous and unsure about how to cut through the noise and create space for strategic consideration. This session is designed to ensure that no matter your background or current work focus, you are able to join and lead conversations about AI in your organization, support the development of equitable policies and practices, and find opportunities to use AI appropriately.

Presenting this session are NTEN’s CEO Amy Sample Ward and Director of Equity and Accountability Tristan Penn. NTEN is an Oregon-based nonprofit that works nationally to create a world where missions and movements are more successful through the skillful and equitable use of technology.

Presenters:

Amy Sample Ward, CEO

NTEN

AMY SAMPLE WARD (they/them) believes that technology should be accessible and accountable to everyone, especially communities historically and systemically excluded from the digital world. They are the CEO of NTEN, a nonprofit creating a world where missions and movements are more successful through the skillful and equitable use of technology. Amy is currently the Visiting Scholar on AI at Independent Sector as well as a board member and advisor to a number of other organizations.
Amy's second book, “Social Change Anytime Everywhere,” was a Terry McAdam Book Award finalist. Their latest book, “The Tech That Comes Next,” co-authored with Afua Bruce, addresses the opportunities for change makers, technologists, philanthropists, and policymakers to build an equitable world with technology.

Tristan Penn, Director of Equity and Accountability

NTEN

Tristan has worked in the nonprofit sector for 21 years. He is passionate about nonprofit community engagement, organizational development & psychology, organizational technology best practices, youth development and programming; and supporting/advocating for marginalized communities— specifically Black & Native communities.

Nonprofits Joining Forces: Essential Considerations

“Merger” has often been thought of as a scary concept in the nonprofit sector. But formally collaborating with other nonprofits — whether it be through a merger, affiliation or shared service — can bring a variety of positive results for nonprofits and the people they serve. In this webinar, experienced practitioners in the field will discuss how such collaborations can enhance nonprofits’ financial stability, overall resources and operational efficiencies, and ultimately produce greater public impact. This program will also include a moderated discussion with two nonprofit leaders who have seen their organizations through the merger process.

The program will include:

• New York Council of Nonprofits Senior Attorney Michael West, Esq. and Capacity Building Advisor Jeffrey Kosmacher will discuss the details and considerations of mergers, affiliations and shared services.
• SeaChange Partner Lindsay Kijewski will discuss how her organization supports nonprofits in pursuing collaborations.
• Two nonprofit leaders will discuss the details of their organizations’ collaboration process. They will include Julie Sadowski, Senior Director of Development – Rockland County at the Community Foundation of Orange, Sullivan and Rockland County; and Faith Moore, Senior Vice President of Housing Programs & Solutions at RUPCO.

HR for Nonprofits: Balancing Performance and Compliance

4 Topics. 1 Afternoon. Your HR Confidence Boost Starts Here!

For this regional in-person workshop we've combined four popular human resources topics that apply to all nonprofit organizations, regardless of size or mission. Join our speaker, HR Expert John Kuznia, for an afternoon filled with detailed information on laws to be aware of, best practices and tips on maximixing staff performance. Real-life examples and time for questions will be included. This training is designed for nonprofit organizations with limited or no in-house HR staff.

The event will be held at OneGroup
706 North Clinton Street
Syracuse, New York 13204 

Seating is limited, register today!

NYCON Member: $150
Non-member: $210

Thank you to the Human Services Leadership Council of Central NY for their help with this event!

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This workshop will cover...

Part 1 - Employee Classification

1. Exempt/non-exempt and basic wage and hour rules
   1. Common exemptions
   2. Overtime pay rules, other common hour rules
   3. Salaried non-exempt

Part 2 - Performance Management

1. Setting performance expectations - job descriptions, SMART goals
2. Measuring (appraising) performance
   1. Common tools and forms
   2. Pointers for better appraisals
   3. Rater error and bias

Part 3 - Performance Counseling & Termination

1. Managing poor performance
   1. Counseling, progressive discipline, performance improvement plans
2. Termination of employment ... defensibly
   1. Risk assessment of terminations
   2. Executing involuntary termination

Part 4 - Recruitment & Retention/Pay & Benefits Rules

1. Recruiting and retaining staff
2. Compliance matters - pay laws in NYS
3. Benefits

 

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About Our Presenter

John Kuznia, CPA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Owner and Principal Consultant, Truman Solutions

John T. Kuznia is Truman Solutions’ owner and principal consultant. He has over 35 years experience in business administration as a CFO and HR Director, with the last 20 years working primarily in the nonprofit sector. As a consultant, he has assisted dozens of companies by filling interim leadership roles, managing transformative projects, or providing ongoing support of the organization’s financial or human resources functions. He earned his CPA while working for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Albany, and is certified as a Sr. Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and a SHRM-SCP.

John also taught as an adjunct instructor in Human Resource Management at the Sage Graduate School, and as a guest lecturer at UAlbany. He is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the Capital Region Human Resource Association. He also serves as the President of the Board of Directors of CAPTAIN/CHS, a local human services agency.

http://trumansolutions.com/home.html

john@trumansolutions.com

NYCON (New York Council of Nonprofits) Membership Benefits Orientation [Webinar]

Note: This is the last orientation webinar before November 20, 2026, there sill be no session in October 2026.

Whether your organization is a new NYCON member, you are new to your team, your organization is considering membership, or you simply want a refresher on all NYCON’s benefits this webinar is for you! Join NYCON staff for our benefits orientation to learn about our programs, costs, and what you get for FREE.

Benefits we will cover include:

• Nonprofit Training, Education, and Professional Assistance: NYCON empowers our members with best practices, policies, and procedures, as well as information on ever-changing regulations, funding, accountability, and more. We will give you information on upcoming educational webinars, trainings, and conferences like Camp Finance and Executive Director Leadership Retreats. Learn about consultations available exclusively to our members and if funding may be available for your organization.
• Cost Savings Solutions for Nonprofits: NYCON leverages the purchasing power of thousands of nonprofits to bring you economies of scale on everything from office supplies to fundraising registration services. We will give you information on all these programs, including our members-only insurance programs including Directors’ & Officers’ insurance for your Board and Dental, Life, and Flexible Spending Account programs for your staff.
• And so much more!

Find out how NYCON Membership will benefit you by attending this 45-minute session.

 

Is Your Nonprofit Growing, or Just Getting Bigger? What your financial statements reveal

Financial statements shouldn't just satisfy your auditor. They should help shape your organization's future.
This session is built for finance professionals and leaders at growing nonprofits who are ready to move beyond simply reading the numbers and start using them to answer their organization's most important strategic questions.
You'll learn how to evaluate financial health, spot warning signs before they become crises, assess the long-term impact of major decisions, and give your board financial insights that actually matter. By the end, you'll be equipped to answer questions like:

• Can we afford to add this role, and how does it affect our overhead ratio?
• Should we launch a new program or accept a new grant?
• Are we building financial sustainability, or simply growing?
• What warning signs are hiding in our financial statements, before they become a crisis?
• Which financial reports should our board be reviewing every month?

Whether you're an executive director, finance leader, board member, or nonprofit manager, you'll walk away with actionable frameworks to make smarter, more strategic financial decisions that strengthen your mission and set your organization up for long-term success

Who Should Attend?
This webinar is designed for nonprofit leaders and finance professionals at established organizations with more complex financial operations, including:

• Executive Directors and CEOs who want to use financial data to guide strategic decisions
• CFOs, Finance Directors, and Controllers looking to strengthen board reporting and financial storytelling
• Board Treasurers and Finance Committee members who want to ask sharper questions of the numbers
• Program Directors and Managers involved in budgeting or new program development
• Development professionals who need to understand the financial side of new grants and funding decisions

Presented by: Jackie McLaughlin, CPA

Technical Reviews & Training Manager, Chazin

Jackie started her career as an auditor with KPMG where her client base consisted of tech startups. From there she worked for Fortune 500 companies in audit management and internal audit. She then returned to her start up roots until she decided to use her training and experience to help nonprofits. She has over thirty-five (35) years of accounting experience, eighteen (18) years specific to nonprofit accounting. Jackie is responsible for quality control, training and financial reviews.

inside your bylaws: A governance deep dive

Gain a clearer understanding of how your nonprofit's bylaws guide governance, decision-making, and organizational accountability in this in-depth webinar. We will discuss how to interpret key provisions, identify potential risks or gaps, and ensure your bylaws align with legal requirements and best practices. Designed for board members and nonprofit leaders, this session provides practical insight to strengthen oversight and support sound governance. 

This webinar is part of the NYSCA Statewide Organizational Development Servces program provided by NYCON via our partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts and made possible with the support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

 

Eight HR Essentials for Nonprofit Organizations

This webinar explores eight essential HR practices that help nonprofit organizations comply with labor law requirements to support their mission effectively. We will discuss how to reduce legal risk, stay aligned with evolving employment statutes and regulations, and implement policies that protect both your organization and your people. Designed for leaders and HR professionals, this session provides practical guidance to help ensure compliance and minimize legal exposure across your organization.

Presented by Michael West, Esq. and Tamar Tait, Esq.

This webinar is sponsored by Council Services Plus

QuickBooks Intensive

NYCON Member Registration Enter your email address here to access a prefilled form and member-exclusive rates. Rates will increase — register early. Email Address: Having trouble? Email membership@nycon.org

General Public Registration Click Here to Register

 

Registration

Member Rate: $575.00

+ Grants Management in QuickBooks: $200.00

Non-Member Rate: $640.00

+ Grants Management in QuickBooks: $240.00

Date & Time

• December 2, 2026   1pm-4pm
• December 3, 2026   10am-1pm

Presenter:

Gregg S. Bossen, CPA created QuickBooks Made Easy for Nonprofits in 2000, and has since been teaching QuickBooks seminars around the country for various groups, conducting webinars, providing technical support to hundreds of clients, one-one-one consulting, and offering industry-specific streamable training. Gregg’s teaching style is funny and entertaining, and his energy and knowledge of Nonprofits make his classes a unique experience. Gregg has taught new users as well as other CPAs, who are themselves considered experts in the software. In total, he has taught over 4,500 seminars to more than 65,000 students. He currently teaches for over 30 Nonprofit State Associations, as well as annually at Scaling New Heights and QuickBooks Connect

 

Overview

This 6-hour course covers basic and intermediate accounting using QuickBooks Online is designed to get any fiscal team up and running building their own financial systems, managing their money well, and being able to provide high quality financial reports for Director and Board level requirements. Broken into two three-hour sessions, attendees will be able to either learn from scratch, or update their existing knowledge, on the following:

Day 1

• An Introduction to the Software:
  • Different choices of QuickBooks
  • Navigating QuickBooks
• Effectively using the Bank Connections
• Proper Setup for great reporting
  • Accounts
  • Programs
  • Grants and Funds
Basic Revenue Transactions:
• Entering donations and grants
• Creating, customizing, and sending out invoices
• Receiving payments

 

Day 2

• Basic Expense Transactions:
  • Entering bills to pay, and booking bill payments
  • Other expense booking

• Budgeting in QuickBooks
  • Basic Bugeting by Account
  • Budgeting by Program
  • Budgeting by Grant
• Financial Reporting:
  • Essential financial reports
  • Report customization

Who Should Attend

This training is ideal for small shop nonprofits, organizations currently using Excel or basic spreadsheets for financial tracking, and new or transitioning fiscal staff - including anyone who has inherited a QuickBooks file and needs to understand or rebuild it. It is also a great fit for Executive Directors, or board treasurers who support budgeting reporting.

Day 3 - Optional Add-On (additional $200 Member / $240 Non-Member)

Grants Management in QuickBooks (2.5 Hours)

• Overview of grants
  • Conditional vs. Unconditional
  • Restricted vs. Unrestricted
• Using Projects in QuickBooks to track grant activity
• Advanced budgeting for grants
• Allocation of P/R to grants
• Indirect Cost Allocation in QuickBooks
• Advanced Grant Reporting

Grants Management in QuickBooks

NYCON Member Registration Enter your email address here to access a prefilled form and member-exclusive rates. Rates will increase — register early. Email Address: Having trouble? Email membership@nycon.org

General Public Registration Click Here to Register

 

Registration

Member Rate: $200.00

Non-Member Rate: $240.00

Registration does NOT include access to our QuickBooks Intensive to register for that event or both at once, Click Here.

Date & Time

• December 7, 2026   10am-12:30pm

Presenter:

Gregg S. Bossen, CPA created QuickBooks Made Easy for Nonprofits in 2000, and has since been teaching QuickBooks seminars around the country for various groups, conducting webinars, providing technical support to hundreds of clients, one-one-one consulting, and offering industry-specific streamable training. Gregg’s teaching style is funny and entertaining, and his energy and knowledge of Nonprofits make his classes a unique experience. Gregg has taught new users as well as other CPAs, who are themselves considered experts in the software. In total, he has taught over 4,500 seminars to more than 65,000 students. He currently teaches for over 30 Nonprofit State Associations, as well as annually at Scaling New Heights and QuickBooks Connect

 

Overview

• Overview of grants
  • Conditional vs. Unconditional
  • Restricted vs. Unrestricted
• Using Projects in QuickBooks to track grant activity
• Advanced budgeting for grants/li>
• Allocation P/R to grants
• Indirect Cost Allocation in QuickBooks
• Advanced Grant Reporting

Who Should Attend

Anyone using QuickBooks that has grants that are restricted in any way should be here.