Generously funded by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.
About the cohort
Even before COVID-19, technology was changing the way that every nonprofit pursued its mission. For many, the global pandemic has forced an acceleration of those changes. Jewish agencies are working with an increase in community needs and new challenges in how programs and services can operate. NTEN is privileged to offer Nonprofit Tech Readiness cohorts for staff in these organizations as they strategically navigate digital challenges and opportunities and the opportunity to receive cash awards to those who complete the program to implement their technology projects.
Nonprofit Tech Readiness is a six-month cohort program for 20 staff of eligible Jewish agencies and organizations. Participating staff can be from any discipline, professional position, or organizational department who want to gain new skills, build capacity for their agency, and receive dedicated coaching on the most urgent technology needs. Our goal is to elevate technology capacity significantly by strengthening participants’ knowledge of best practices for technology planning, budgeting, decision-making, and more while supporting each participant in advancing a technology project specific to their organization. Previous Nonprofit Tech Readiness participants have had a diversity of technology projects from developing their organization’s IT roadmap to securing internal systems, migrating databases to identifying new client management systems, and more.
Here’s what some of the participants from the fall 2021 cohort said about their experience:
- “The program allowed me to take time to focus on data and more than not, reinforced the work I was starting to do around the collecting, managing and decision making from data. I realized that I was on the right path to success.”
- “My participation in Nonprofit Tech Readiness has absolutely resulted in an increased capacity to strategically implement the use of technology for my organization.”
- “The program gave me the courage and vision to start a tech project, virtually on my own, to find a solution for electronic record-keeping. That project is now well underway.”
- “Nonprofit Tech Readiness particularly expanded my knowledge in tech equity and inclusion and provided tangible tools to put those values into practice. Overall, I feel like I'm approaching our data and tech work with more confidence and an equity lens.”
Community call
Watch the video for an overview of the NTR program, participant expectations and time commitment, and additional resources available to participants who complete the program. You can also download the slides.
Schedule
Plan for a six-month time commitment, with 8–10 hours per month for program work.
Conference
March 13–15, 2024
Attend the 2024 Nonprofit Technology Conference virtually or in Portland, Oregon, for free.
Orientation
April 2024
Ask questions and explore the online learning and community space.
Sessions
April 2024–September 2024
Take part in educational and mentorship activities.
Celebration
September 2024
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.
Technology projects
Advice and mentorship, including help with successful planning, culture change, and implementation.
Open office hours
Drop-in opportunities to get direct support.
Live educational series
Training sessions that cover the core competencies of technology planning, budgeting, implementation, and evaluation.
Self-paced educational series
Sessions that cover other competencies and best practices.
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:
- Technology assessments.
- Technology roadmaps.
- Project management.
- Cybersecurity.
- Racial equity and tech planning.
- Change management.
- Digital Accessibility.
- Tool Selection.
Additional benefits
You'll get free enrollment in NTEN’s Nonprofit Technology Professional Certificate. After the cohort ends, you'll also continue to have access to the materials and online community space.
You'll also have opportunities to:
- Include colleagues in workshops and coaching sessions.
- Receive continued coaching after the cohort concludes.
- Apply for a cash award to cover capitalizable expenses related to selected technology project.
Apply for the cohort
Who should apply
These cohorts are open to any staff person in a U.S.-based organization or agency that is:
- A member of Jewish Federations of North America.
- A member of Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies.
- A member of The Claims Conference.
- A core partner, strategic partner, or grantee of UJA-Federation of New York (preference given to organizations with robust portfolios in the health and human services field, as well as those working on inclusion and combatting anti-Semitism).
- A grantee in The Weinberg Foundation's Jewish portfolio.
Board members and volunteers are not eligible to be the lead participant but can join optional workshops or coaching sessions as applicable. Organizations are only eligible to participate once. If you have questions about your eligibility, email us.
