Training and Education Center

Training workshop at Common Ground Athens

Invest in Your Leadership

The Common Ground Athens Training Center offers workshops, seminars, and skill-building sessions designed to help individuals and organizations become more effective in their community work. Our training programs are practical, accessible, and grounded in real-world experience.

Whether you are a new volunteer looking to develop basic skills, an emerging leader seeking to expand your capacity, or an experienced organizer wanting to sharpen specific competencies, our training programs can help you reach your goals.

All trainings are led by experienced facilitators with proven track records in their areas of expertise. We prioritize interactive, hands-on learning that participants can immediately apply in their work.

Training Topics

Skills and knowledge for community impact

Leadership Development

Build the skills to lead effectively in community settings. Topics include vision-setting, decision-making, team building, and navigating conflict. Suitable for emerging and experienced leaders alike.

Facilitation Skills

Learn to lead productive meetings, facilitate difficult conversations, and guide group processes. Essential skills for anyone who works with groups in any capacity.

Community Organizing

Master the fundamentals of grassroots organizing, including power analysis, one-on-one relational organizing, campaign planning, and building coalitions that win.

Advocacy and Policy

Understand how policy is made and learn effective advocacy strategies. Topics include working with elected officials, media advocacy, and mobilizing community voice.

Nonprofit Management

Build organizational capacity with training on board development, financial management, program evaluation, and strategic planning. The National Council of Nonprofits offers additional resources.

Fundraising Basics

Learn the essentials of fundraising for nonprofit organizations, including grant writing, individual donor cultivation, and special events. Practical skills for organizations of all sizes.

Public Speaking

Develop confidence and skill in public speaking and presentations. Learn to craft compelling messages and deliver them effectively to various audiences.

Communications

Sharpen your communications skills, including writing, social media, media relations, and storytelling. Effective communication is essential for every organization and cause.

Volunteer Management

Learn best practices for recruiting, training, supporting, and retaining volunteers. Build a volunteer program that achieves results and creates meaningful experiences.

Training Formats

We offer training in several formats to meet your needs:

Single-session workshops: Focused 2-3 hour sessions on specific topics
Training series: Multi-session programs that dive deep into a topic area
Customized trainings: Tailored programs designed for your organization
Lunch and learn: Brief lunchtime sessions on practical topics
Conference presentations: Sessions at community gatherings and conferences

Most trainings are offered at low or sliding-scale cost to ensure accessibility. Scholarships are available for those who need them.

Customized Training

In addition to our regular training offerings, we provide customized training for organizations. If your organization has a specific training need, we can work with you to develop a program that addresses your goals.

How It Works

We begin with a conversation to understand your organization's needs, goals, and context. From there, we design a training program tailored to your situation, drawing on our expertise and network of trainers.

Topics We Can Address

Customized trainings can address any of our regular training topics, or we can develop new content based on your needs. Past customized trainings have covered topics such as:

Board governance and development
Strategic planning
Team building and organizational culture
Conflict resolution
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Grant writing and foundation relations

Contact us to discuss your training needs and get a proposal.

Become a Trainer

Are you an experienced professional with expertise to share? We are always looking for skilled trainers to join our network. Trainers receive a fee for their work and gain exposure to our community of organizations and leaders.

If you are interested in becoming a trainer with Common Ground Athens, contact us with information about your background, expertise, and the topics you would like to teach. We will set up a time to discuss opportunities.