About the cohort
Reaching and Retaining Donors: a Nonprofit Tech Readiness cohort, is designed for nonprofit professionals responsible for fundraising and marketing efforts, including website content and appeals, email campaigns, data analysis and management, and impact storytelling. Through this cohort, participants will strengthen their understanding of technology and data best practices, and gain the skills to plan, budget, and manage systems that support their organization’s fundraising and donor engagement goals.
Thank you to Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund for supporting this cohort.
While technology is essential to effective fundraising, it’s often left out of staff training and professional development. NTEN’s research over the past twenty years shows that nonprofit staff often have access to tools and software, but lack the support to make informed decisions about how to use them. Better technology strategies can make a meaningful difference in how nonprofits connect with donors and tell the story of their mission’s impact.
Hear from the Program Director, Jeremy Garcia
Schedule
Plan for a six-month time commitment, with 8–10 hours per month for program work.
Application period
February 1–20, 2026
Ask questions and explore the online learning and community space.
Conference
March 10–13, 2026
Attend the 2026 Nonprofit Technology Conference virtually for free.
Orientation
April 1, 2026
Ask questions and explore the online learning and community space.
Sessions
April–September 2026
Take part in educational and mentorship activities.
Culmination
September 2026
Celebrate achievements and hear from inspiring guest speakers.
Sessions
You'll be supported as you move your customized technology project from the idea stage to a full-blown action plan and get the guidance you need to implement the project. You do not need to have a project decided or in mind when you start.
Technology projects
Advice and mentorship, including help with successful planning, culture change, and implementation.
Open office hours
Drop-in opportunities to get direct support.
Educational series
Training sessions that cover the core competencies of technology planning, budgeting, implementation, and evaluation.
Leadership development
Facilitated process for discussing feedback and practicing and modeling experiences you can replicate at your organization.
Interactive workshops
Working sessions to build your project planning skills and develop connections with your peers.
Topics
The curriculum is tailored to the cohort's needs, and new courses are added as available. Topics include:
- Change management
- Communications fundamentals
- Constituent and community data privacy
- Developing robust and flexible campaign plans
- The neuroscience of planned giving
- Text message fundraising
- Email welcome journeys
- Foundations of data visualization
- Harness development and communications teams for donor campaigns
- Storytelling in fundraising
- The art and science of legacy giving
Additional benefits
You'll get free enrollment in NTEN’s Nonprofit Technology Professional Certificate. Thanks to Fidelity Charitable, participants who complete their cohort program receive a cash award for use as a challenge grant to fuel their next donor cultivation event or fundraising appeal. You'll also have opportunities to include colleagues in workshops and coaching sessions.
Apply for the cohort
Who should apply
Nonprofit staff in organizations in south, central, and mountain west states – Arkansas, Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia – with a preference given to applicants in organizations under a $2 million annual budget, are eligible to apply.
Applicants should be staff interested in practical, tangible technology training and in any role responsible for advancing and implementing a technology project at their organization. Board members and volunteers are not eligible. If you have any questions about your eligibility, email us.
Note: Program delivery and materials are in English and event scheduling is based on Pacific Time Zone (PST).
Application
This application is currently open. Can't apply this time? Sign up here to get notified about new cohorts as they open.
Application deadline: February 20, 2026
