Pictured: Joe Carter, CAP leads an Invest in Incredible (i3) workshop designed for nonprofit professionals. Provided photo.

Some of the most meaningful investments we make aren't financial. They're investments in people and knowledge. After decades in philanthropy, I've learned the same lesson over and over: organizations are only as strong as the people running them. When those people have the right skills and the right information, they make better decisions. As our community changes, and adapts to challenges along with it, staying informed and having the right skills to respond matters.

Invest in Incredible (i3), Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast)'s nonprofit capacity-building initiative, is one opportunity for nonprofit board members and employees to strengthen those skills. The workshops focus on practical knowledge that participants can put to work right away, with topics ranging from fundraising and charitable giving strategies to board governance, leadership, finance, and communications. That breadth is intentional. An organization is stronger when its team understands more than just their own piece of it.

In September, I will lead two practical workshops, including Planned Giving Instruments & Strategies on Sept. 15, where I'll share practical approaches to planned giving and how to have more confident conversations with donors about creating lasting gifts. The Building Your Endowment session on Sept. 29 takes a different but related approach, focusing on how organizations can build a long-term source of financial support for their mission. This is the kind of specialized learning i3 offers across its programming, giving professionals access to knowledge they can apply immediately.

For the times when a workshop opens the door to a more specific need, i3 offers ways to get focused support. Consultants are available to work one-on-one with staff and boards on specific challenges, questions, or areas where they could use some additional guidance. Gulf Coast Leadership Institute (GCLI) and Gulf Coast Board Institute (GCBI) also offer more in-depth training for people at different stages of their roles, from those just starting to those with years of experience. Both give people a chance to sharpen what they know and contribute more meaningfully to the place they call home.

I3 workshops are not limited to those who work directly in philanthropy. The initiative goes beyond staff and executive leadership, offering learning opportunities for board members, professional advisors, emerging leaders, and others across the nonprofit sector. This summer, Gulf Coast hired Melissa Ehrhardt, the Foundation’s first full-time Director, Capacity Building, with a focus on expanding i3’s reach into Charlotte and DeSoto Counties. It's an investment in the health of the nonprofit sector across our whole region. Melissa believes deeply in what nonprofits can do for the people they serve, and she's looking forward to being out in the community, working alongside Gulf Coast's cohort of sector-expert consultants to meet the needs of nonprofits here.

Philanthropy works best when everyone involved — from donors to nonprofit teams to professional advisors — keep learning as needs change. A board member who strengthens their understanding of governance, a staff member who develops new communications skills, or a development professional who deepens their understanding of donor strategies can each bring that knowledge back to their organization and put it to use immediately. Professional advisors can also benefit, whether they want to better understand charitable strategies they can discuss with clients or bring that knowledge to their own board service.

When we continue learning and sharing what we know, we all play a part in creating and sustaining a stronger nonprofit sector.

Joe Carter, CAP is Vice President, Philanthropy at Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

Pictured: Joe Carter, CAP leads an Invest in Incredible (i3) workshop designed for nonprofit professionals. Provided photo.