Capacity Development Lab

Training Date: Runs from April 7 to May 19, 2026, with sessions held every Tuesday.

Delivery Format: Online-Live, Cohort

Training Swap: No

Every non-profit moves through predictable stages of growth—and each stage brings its own pressures, opportunities, and capacity challenges. But many organizations don’t have the time, space, or tools to step back, understand where they are in their lifecycle, and make intentional decisions that strengthen their long-term sustainability. The Capacity Development Lab provides that space.

This seven-session lab helps non-profit leaders look beneath day-to-day symptoms and uncover why their organization may feel stretched, stalled, or ready for the next leap forward. Grounded in the Non-Profit Lifecycles framework, the lab offers a practical and affirming way to understand organizational health across five core areas: programs, management, governance, business model, and administrative systems.

Through guided reflection, interactive learning, and a comprehensive self-assessment, participants map where their organization is today—and what realistic, achievable steps will move them toward greater stability and impact. Rather than prescribing “best practices,” the lab acknowledges that every organization grows differently. You’ll learn to identify the stage you’re in, see your current challenges as part of a normal progression, and develop a roadmap tailored to your actual capacity—not someone else’s expectations.

Suggested participants: A few team members who want to conduct a deep review of your organization. This can include senior staff (Executive Directors, CEOs, general managers, etc.) and non-profit board members.

Important note! Capacity Development Lab includes space for up to four individuals from your organization to participate. We recommend having your executive director (or most senior staff person) and one board member participate for the entire program. The additional spots can be alternated with different staff or board members for specific sessions, depending on the topic relevance.

Capacity Development Lab is a three-month guided self-assessment process that blends virtual learning sessions with consultant advisory support between sessions.

Application Deadline: 1 week before the start date

Bursary Application Deadline: 1 week before the start date

Lab Outcomes

By the end of this lab, you will be able to:

• Understand the seven stages of your organization’s lifecycle.
• Assess the five areas of your organizational capacity (programs, management, governance, systems, and financial resources).
• Get clarity on your organizational development activities that offer the greatest impact.
• Develop a detailed organizational capacity enhancement plan.

Lab Benefits

• Identify transition stages that may be causing pressure and how to move through them.
• Outline realistic steps your organization can take to build capacity in governance, management, financial resources and/or administrative systems.
• Understand how your current challenges and opportunities are part of a normal progression.
• Complete a comprehensive self-assessment to identify your organization’s current lifecycle stage and identify next steps to build capacity.