Our Impact

learners are leaders

Studies show that capacity-building efforts, such as group training and professional development, can increase nonprofit performance, while strong learning cultures have been correlated with organizational success.*

As community needs continue to exceed nonprofits’ capacity to meet them, the Nonprofit Leadership Center provides training events and customized learning experiences for nonprofit professionals to strengthen organizations and our communities.

Nonprofit professionals and organizations participating in our events report immediate and long-term benefits.

OUR INTENDED IMPACT

Everything we do at the Nonprofit Leadership Center is designed to develop skilled and confident leaders advancing effective and sustainable nonprofits committed to a culture of learning and reflective of the communities they serve.

Specifically, the events and experiences we offer focus on:

how we measure impact

To understand the impact of our programs on nonprofit leaders and organizations, we conduct annual online surveys and one-on-one interviews with nonprofit professionals and C-suite leaders. Quantitative data is collected through Qualtrics and externally reviewed by third-party experts.

To evaluate outcomes for individual leaders, we distribute three online surveys to nonprofit professionals to capture their self-reported perceptions at different moments in time — immediately after event participation, 60 days after event participation, and looking back across 12 months of engagement. For 2025, we had 1,381 partial and completed immediate post-event survey responses, 126 60-day survey responses, and 310 annual engagement survey responses (completed between January 22 and February 2, 2026).
To evaluate outcomes for nonprofit organizations, we distribute an annual survey to nonprofit CEOs engaged with the Nonprofit Leadership Center. For 2025, we collected 69 partial or completed responses from nonprofit C-suite leaders between January 22 and February 2, 2026.

RESULTS SUMMARY

WHAT NONPROFIT PROFESSIONALS

are saying:

Taking courses at the Nonprofit Leadership Center has increased my knowledge of leadership principles I have only read about in books. This organization is truly committed to equipping leaders across different types of organizations. I am thankful for the way I have grown, and I feel like the skills I have learned are transferable wherever I go.

Nonprofit professional & 2025 Participant

DEVELOPING SKILLED & CONFIDENT LEADERS

In 2025, we served 2,239 nonprofit professionals, a 2% increase from 2024, by providing 16,412 hours of training to help them achieve their learning and development goals. Nonprofit professionals who participate in our training events and responded to our surveys report increases in knowledge, confidence, and job effectiveness. They say the most valuable aspects of their engagement with us are our knowledgeable, engaging facilitators; interactive, real-world practice; immediately applicable tools and resources; peer learning and networking; and personal growth.

97% of nonprofit professionals say their knowledge increased immediately after a training class. More than 9 in 10 (92%) say they've applied concepts learned at NLC to achieve a desired objective.
90% of nonprofit professionals feel more confident in their leadership skills immediately after a training class.
More than 9 in 10 nonprofit professionals (91%) agree their participation in our events has helped them be more effective in their jobs.

"Participating in the grant writing program game me both the confidence and practical tools to take real action. Since attending, I've had the opportunity to sit in on funder calls and better convey the impact of our work. I've also taken the lead in writing proposals for two grant opportunities that are currently under review. This experience has been incredibly empowering and has already helped me grow professionally."

"I have been able to recruit and retain more volunteers at my nonprofit from attending sessions at the Nonprofit Leadership Center and applying the principles learned."

"I feel more confident in dealing with my direct reports, and daily communication with my team is better."

ADVANCING EFFECTIVE & SUSTAINABLE NONPROFITS

In 2025, we are proud to have supported 595 nonprofit organizations, up 7% from 2024. Working in partnership with nonprofits across our region, we’re helping nonprofit leaders and teams achieve their goals and strengthen our communities. In 2025, 69 CEOs and C-suite-level leaders took our annual survey to share more about their experience and perspective participating with the Nonprofit Leadership Center.

"Participating in the Nonprofit Leadership Center sessions has had a meaningful impact on my leadership and nonprofit's operational growth. I've strengthened our internal leadership structure, clarified departmental roles, and helped implement standardized systems and operating procedures that improved consistency and accountability. The sessions also shaped how I lead people. Overall, my experience at the Nonprofit Leadership Center has led to stronger operations, improved staff capacity, and an enhanced ability to serve more than 1,000 youth annually."

"Participation in NLC events has enhanced staff skill sets, provided valuable tools, and equipped them with improved leadership tactics that they have been able to put into daily practice."

"We have been able to gain so much insight and direction for growing our board. As a new executive director, NLC has helped me fill gaps in my nonprofit experience."

"NLC is the thought leader in our community and the foremost expert in nonprofits in Tampa Bay. Keep up the great work!"

because where you learn matters

Because a person’s learning environment affects their ability to learn and connect with others, we’re proud that nearly all nonprofit professionals participating in our classroom trainings say they are inclusive experiences where everyone is welcome and belongs. This data represents responses from 1,381 nonprofit professionals who took our online evaluation survey sent immediately after their classroom event.

Nonprofit professionals rate their overall experience at our classroom events as 4.8 out of 5 — and our trainers as 4.9 out of 5.
96% of nonprofit professionals say participating in our events is a valuable use of their time.
96% of nonprofit professionals would recommend the Nonprofit Leadership Center to others.

For more information

For questions or more information about the Nonprofit Leadership Center’s impact strategy or annual impact report, please contact us at info@nlctb.org.

* Sources: Mizner, Klerman, Markovitz, & Fink, 2014; Gallup, 2019: Association for Talent Development, 2021

OUR IMPACT