When it comes to nonprofit professional development, organizations often wrestle with a common question: is an off-the-shelf class or certificate program right for my team, or should we invest in custom training?
Off-the-shelf training is a ready-made class, certificate program, or event designed for a broad audience of nonprofit professionals. Custom training is a solution developed specifically for your team’s mission, context, and goals.
While the answer is rarely one or the other, there’s a clear way to tell when custom training is worth it. Understanding this distinction can save your nonprofit time, money, and a lot of frustration.
How to Choose the Right Professional Development for You or Your Nonprofit
Off-the-Shelf Training | Custom Solution | |
|---|---|---|
Best for… | Professionals who don’t yet have a strong understanding or foundation in a specific topic and are seeking a solid base of best practices, those who want to sharpen current skills, those who enjoy learning alongside peers across organizations and sub-sectors | Those who want their learning to be highly tailored to their team and organization (size, tenure, revenue, etc.) or those who need support addressing a highly specific issue or opportunity |
Cost | Typically $89 to $400 per person, depending on whether it is a single workshop or multi-part certificate program | Varies based upon the need or solution, from hourly to a fixed fee for up to 30+ team members |
Time | Typically half-day sessions (three to four hours each) but can vary from two hours to a full day | Varies by scope, from a single workshop to a multi-session engagement; may also include ongoing coaching |
Format | Typically offered in person at a specified training center or virtually (live) | Customized to how your team learns best, including on-site at your organization if desired |
Personalization | Generalized to nonprofit professionals across experience levels and organization sizes/focus areas | Highly customized to your specific needs, goals, culture, and context |
Three Questions to Determine if Your Nonprofit Needs Custom Training
1. Do we have a strong understanding of the topic?
Before you decide between an off-the-shelf learning experience and a custom professional development solution, assess your team’s understanding of and capacity in the given topic.
If your team hasn’t yet built a foundation in a specific area, such as leadership, staff management, grant writing, financial management, or another critical skill set, start with an existing class or a regularly offered certificate program. These off-the-shelf experiences are led by experts who share proven best practices and can provide a solid foundation of knowledge and skills in a specific area. Once you have a solid base, you can assess where you may want or need to focus more deeply to acquire additional/specialized skills.
Alternatively, if you have multiple team members, a department, or an entire board who may need to build their knowledge on a specific topic, custom training is also an ideal option.
One benefit of off-the-shelf events is that they bring together professionals from across the sector, allowing you to connect with and learn alongside peers outside your organization.
The Takeaway:
- Choose an off-the-shelf training if you or your organization are still finding your footing in a given area. A regularly offered training program that supports groups of nonprofit professionals is best for acquiring initial knowledge and establishing a strong starting point for continued growth.
- Choose custom training if you want to build foundational skills in a large group of staff or board members, or if your organization already has a solid foundation in a topic and wants to dive deeper or address a specific challenge or issue.
2. Are we consistently struggling to apply concepts learned?
The number one sign that you need a tailored professional development solution unique to your team or organization is that you’ve consistently attended existing training sessions, absorbed the concepts, but continue to hit a wall when trying to apply them.
Every organization can operate under general best practices, but how to apply them depends on your mission, history, team, and where you are in your organization’s life cycle. Once you identify your team’s topic and need (there can be more than one!), ask yourself these questions:
- Have you (or your team) ever left a training feeling inspired, but unsure what to do next?
- Has your team tried applying a strategy or framework that worked well for another organization, but it just didn’t fit your reality?
- Do your challenges feel too unique or complex for a one-size-fits-all solution?
- Do you wish you had guidance tailored specifically to your organization’s goals, structure, or stage of growth?
- Are you navigating a leadership transition, funding pressures, or team alignment issues that require more than general advice?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, it’s likely time to have a conversation about a custom solution for your team.
3. How specific is the issue we want to build capacity in or solve?
Off-the-shelf trainings on an event calendar typically cater to professionals with varying experience levels and organization sizes.
For example, a leader from a nonprofit that’s existed for 30 years with more than 50 staff and one from a newly launched nonprofit with two full-time employees may both need help with training their boards and be in the same training. But “board training” may mean completely different things depending on the context in which it is used and on their experience.
This can be extremely valuable for peer learning and networking, but there are times when you may have a current challenge or highly specific issue that requires a custom training solution.
(Fun fact: boards themselves are often great candidates for custom training. Governance is just one piece of what a board can grow in!)
What Does a Custom Solution Look Like?
If a custom solution feels like the right direction for you or your team, know that it doesn’t just mean a private version of a class.
Depending on what your organization needs, a custom learning experience can take many forms:
- Facilitated training or workshops tailored for your team, organizational strategy/language, and real scenarios
- Individual or group coaching that gives leaders a thought partner to work through challenges, issues, and/or implementation
- Organizational assessments, like the Core Capacity Assessment Tool (CCAT), the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), or a Conflict Dynamics Profile, paired with facilitated planning to act on what the data shows
- Consulting support to review a framework, process, or plan through the lens of your specific mission and structure
Whatever your size or budget, custom solutions are about finding the right fit for your team.
Schedule a Call to Explore Custom Solutions for Your Nonprofit
At the Nonprofit Leadership Center, we believe leaders are learners. Knowing that every nonprofit’s needs are unique, we’re here to help you acquire the knowledge, skills, and capacity to grow and thrive.
We’d love to talk with you about your needs, consider possibilities, and craft the right solution for your team.
Here’s what you and your nonprofit can expect when you explore custom training with the Nonprofit Leadership Center:
- You submit an inquiry telling us a bit about your needs and budget.
- We hold a discovery conversation to understand your organization’s needs, goals, and constraints.
- You receive a proposal, based on our discovery conversation, that offers a menu of flexible options to address challenges and achieve desired outcomes.
- You review the proposal with your leadership or board, and we finalize the details together.
- We get to work to deliver the custom support you need!
From your first inquiry to the final proposal, we’re here to help you build a mix of solutions, unique to your team, to accelerate your mission and strengthen the communities you serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between custom and off-the-shelf training for nonprofits?
Off-the-shelf training is a ready-made class, certificate program, or event built for a broad audience of nonprofit professionals. Custom training is designed specifically for your team, using your mission, language, and real challenges. Off-the-shelf learning experiences build foundational knowledge and skills, while custom solutions help you apply them to your unique situation.
When should a nonprofit choose custom training?
A nonprofit should choose custom training when it already has a foundation in the topic, keeps struggling to apply concepts to its specific situation, or faces a challenge too complex for a one-size-fits-all class. Leadership transitions, funding pressures, board alignment, and team communication issues are common signs.
Is custom training worth the cost for a small nonprofit?
Custom training can be worth it for nonprofits of any size, because solutions are built to fit your budget, mission, culture, and needs. Whatever your size, the value comes from guidance tailored to your goals, not general best practices you have to adapt and implement on your own.
How do I know if an existing class is enough for my team?
An off-the-shelf class is usually enough when your team is still building foundational knowledge in an area or wants to learn alongside peers from across the sector. If you have the foundation but keep hitting a wall applying it, that is the clearest sign to consider a custom solution.
Can board training be customized for our organization?
Yes. Boards are often strong candidates for custom training, because governance needs vary widely by an organization’s focus area, size, and longevity. A newer board may need help recruiting and engaging members, while an established board may want support through a leadership transition.
Who provides custom training through the Nonprofit Leadership Center?
Depending on the topic, Nonprofit Leadership Center staff will facilitate coaching or training, or we will refer you to one of the outstanding subject matter experts in our training and referral network who provide skills and expertise beyond our team’s knowledge or capacity. See our current network of trainers and consultants here.
How can I learn more about custom training for my nonprofit?
Learn more about the custom training and solutions that the Nonprofit Leadership Center offers here. Contact us at 813-287-8779 or info@nlctb.org to schedule a discovery call to discuss your specific needs.
