How to strengthen your nonprofit in La Crosse County—Free coaching and resources
March 5, 2025
| By La Crosse Community Foundation |
Free nonprofit coaching and consulting in La Crosse County
Most people start or join nonprofits because they care deeply about the mission; not because they love to file 990s and purchase director’s and officer’s insurance. We know that the nonprofit sector lacks accessible professional development and foundational training for those stepping into leadership roles.
Expert guidance for nonprofit leadership and compliance
While we aren’t experts in everything, we offer complimentary—and confidential—technical assistance and consulting services to nonprofits who are located in or who have a strong presence in La Crosse County.
While our Nonprofit Resource Center opened in 2021, for the first time in nearly 30 years, we took a pause from competitive grantmaking to evaluate and evolve our processes and nonprofit resource offerings. Under the guidance of our newly adopted strategic plan, we’re committed to utilizing a trust-based philanthropy approach.
Building stronger nonprofits through strategic support
In summer 2024, we introduced a couple new grant programs, refined Nonprofit Resource Center offerings, and added another impact department staff member, creating more responsiveness and consistency in support from our team.
What’d we do during the pause? We listened. A lot. We held focus groups and surveyed those who engage with nonprofits to better understand what they need to do their work well. We invited individuals who are members of the nonprofit community—from paid staff persons to regular volunteers, board members to executive leadership—which gave us a more well-rounded understanding of how we can best support our NPO partners.
Nonprofit funding and grants
We know this work is going to be ever-evolving, just as our communities are, and we’re committed to growing along with you. We reviewed years of grant request data to understand how we might be most supportive of your work. We researched best practices in trust-based grantmaking and learned from other funders who are farther along in this process.
We learned that trust-based models don’t mean zero accountability; they mean right-sizing application processes and collaborative accountability that support the priorities of the grantee and still steward dollars responsibly. We learned about what other foundations and nonprofit resource providers create capacity and mutually beneficial collaborations in their communities. Being trust-based means being more than a grantor; it means being a partner in your work.
We’ve learned, and now, we’re evolving. We hope you’ll keep sharing; we intend to keep learning, and together, we can strengthen the local nonprofit sector For Good. Forever.
Meet our nonprofit resource expert
Impact Director Lauren Journot joined the LACF team in 2023, and with her brought over a decade of experience in nonprofit work. She started in direct service working with youth in out-of-school-time spaces and managing large teams of staff and volunteers. In 2017, Lauren began her journey in nonprofit leadership, leading her to land in La Crosse in 2019 as the executive director of YWCA La Crosse.
Lauren’s experience in program and personnel management, nonprofit leadership and operations, grant writing, board development, and community collaboration make her a great starting point for nonprofits or people with charitable plans who have questions. Lauren would never refer to herself as an “expert” and enjoys that life gives us frequent opportunities to learn, grow, and do better.
Free nonprofit consulting services
She joined the foundation with hopes of leaning on her experiences to support and make connections with other nonprofits and charitable humans. Lauren understands the scarcity mindset that plagues nonprofits, has experienced the burnout that comes with a lack of resources, and recognizes barriers to accessing funding and mutually beneficial collaboration between organizations. She works to continue expanding her understanding and nonprofit expertise to help our local nonprofit sector to be healthy, collaborative, and impactful.
She understands that charitable organizations are where big ideas and incredible needs meet modest budgets and challenging compliance requirements.
Free nonprofit consulting services cover:
- Board structure, development, and fiduciary duties
- Board recruitment and matching
- Budget preparation and financial oversight
- Bylaws and policies—best practices
- Exploring starting a nonprofit
- Fiscal sponsorships
- General human resources
- Operations
- Program development and management
Stronger nonprofits, stronger communities
Building a nonprofit takes passion, dedication, and the right support. With access to expert guidance, collaborative partnerships, and trust-based philanthropy, your organization can thrive and make a lasting impact. Let’s work together to build a stronger, more connected nonprofit sector—because when nonprofits thrive, so does our community.