Connect with Grantmaker Peers

NCNG facilitates a variety of learning programs, professional development opportunities, and networking events. 

You can connect with fellow NCNG members across the state around North Carolina-specific issues, promising grantmaking practices, personal identity, or your specific role. 

All staff and board of NCNG Member organizations may attend any of our programs.

Generally, virtual programs are free for members and in-person workshops have a small fee in order to provide an accessible experience, pay speakers, and provide a healthy lunch.

North Carolina Community Issues

Some of our most-popular topic areas are below. All of these overlap with one another quite a bit! We encourage our members to attend all of our NC-specific programming because of the intersectionality of the work. 

• Education
• Health
• Housing
• Environment

Grantmaking Practices that Support Strong Communities

We work with community partners, other philanthropy infrastructure organizations, expert facilitators and, of course, your fellow NCNG members to highlight grantmaking practices that are rooted in ensuring that all North Carolina communities are valued and thriving. You might find sessions that cover: 

• "Right-sizing" grant application and reporting requests
• Best-practices for rural grantmaking
• Advocacy
• Equitable evaluation
• Capacity building for nonprofits
• Scholarship administration
• Working with and supporting under-resourced communities
• Legal and policy concerns for grantmakers and nonprofits
• "Getting Grounded in Grantmaking" - our annual 101 for new grantmakers.

Peer Networking, Learning, and Support

Several sub-groups of our membership meet together regularly to solve problems together, discuss common areas of interest, lift up helpful resources, and keep each other in the loop. 

If one of these role or identity groups sounds like you, please email info@ncgrantmakers.org to make sure you are included in our list. A snapshot of these groups is below. More information can be found on the Learning Communities Page. 

• Communications – This group is for anyone responsible in whole or in part for the communications of their foundation. 
• Corporate Funders – Mainly for corporate giving officers, this group meets to connect and discuss best practices for their unique funding roles. 
• Emerging Leaders – Programming for this group is for foundation staff of all ages who are new to philanthropy, or want to brush up on their skills.
• Finance and Investment - Foundation staff in accounting, CFO, COO and investment roles can share resources relevant to the financial workings of their organizations
• Chief Executives - Foundation leaders - CEOs, Executive Directors, Director of Corporate Grantmaking, Presidents - meet to discuss the particular challenges of their roles and highlight exciting work in their organization.
• Evaluation - For anyone who is involved with learning and evaluation work at their organization.
• SPIN - Scholarship Providers Information & Networking