Road to Resilience

Road to Resilience is a collaborative, cohort-based learning experience for people working in nonprofits who are responsible for managing resources in complex and uncertain times.

In Road to Resilience, participants learn alongside peers, share real-world challenges, and build practical financial skills that strengthen organizational stability and long-term sustainability. Each session blends dialogue, applied learning, and reflection, with ongoing participant feedback shaping the program along the way.

In Road to Resilience, you will:

• Strengthen your understanding of nonprofit finance fundamentals, including financial reports, budgeting, and internal controls.
• Learn to communicate financial information clearly, transparently, and with confidence.
• Build connections with peers while sharing experiences and practical wisdom.

For too long, much of the nonprofit and social sector has been shaped by chronic underinvestment. We’ve been asked to do more with less, to compete for limited resources, and to operate in conditions of ongoing uncertainty and constraint.

What might it look like to move beyond survival and toward stability and resilience?

Road to Resilience is a learning space for people working across the social sector - program leaders, managers, organizers, and administrators - who are responsible for stewarding resources and budgets, often without formal training or prior experience in financial leadership.

Here, you’ll build practical financial skills and confidence: understanding core finance principles, strengthening budgeting processes, and communicating financial information clearly to different audiences. Together, we’ll cultivate approaches to resource stewardship that are rooted in equity, transparency, and long-term sustainability, so you can lead with clarity and resilience.

Thursday, May 21 (05/21/26), 9:00am – 12:00pm

In today’s uncertain funding landscape, understanding and communicating financial information is more important than ever. In this session, you’ll get hands-on with key financial statements including balance sheets, statements of activity, cash flow reports, and budget vs. actuals, learning where the numbers come from and how they are generated.

We’ll explore basic accounting practices, the purpose of each report, and how to apply them in ways that support equity and transparency across your organization. Using sample statements, you’ll practice interpreting and presenting data clearly so staff, board members, and partners understand the big picture and their role in it.

By the end, you’ll feel more confident using financial information to strengthen organizational resilience and equitable decision-making.

Thursday, June 11 (05/11/26), 9:00am – 12:00pm

A strong budget is a key tool to strengthen your organization’s resilience and plan for a sustainable future. In this interactive session, you’ll learn how to build a flexible, inclusive budgeting process that aligns resources with priorities and centers equity in financial decision-making.

Using historical data, projections, and real-world examples, you’ll practice creating a strategic budget tailored to your organization’s needs. You’ll also receive a customizable budgeting template and guidance for applying these practices in real time.

By the end, you’ll feel confident using your budget to communicate financial priorities and strengthen your organization’s long-term stability.

Thursday, June 25 (05/25/26), 9:00am – 12:00pm

Strong financial policies and internal controls build trust, reduce risk, and strengthen your organization’s long-term sustainability. In this interactive session, you will explore practical approaches to creating and adapting internal controls and financial policies that fit your organization’s size, structure, and mission.

Using real-world examples and customizable templates, you’ll learn how to protect resources, stay compliant, and operate with integrity, all while centering equitable practices in decision-making.

By the end, you’ll have concrete tools and strategies to strengthen your organization’s financial foundation.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The New Center, 1100 North Main Street, Ann Arbor, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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