If you are a nonprofit founder, you know that running a nonprofit isn't easy!
Besides the specific legal requirements of running a 501c3, this work requires you to understand how a nonprofit board works, how to fundraise for your nonprofit, stay in compliance, and how to market your work, among SO MANY other things. That can be overwhelming.
After many years of working with nonprofits at different stages, we've designed the Nonprofit Incubator Program to teach founders how to run scalable nonprofits that make a difference. During the eight weeks of the program, our team will guide you step-by-step through the process of growing an organization, navigating the world of nonprofits, and securing the funds you need to realize your mission.
We partner with Givebutter to provide 20 nonprofit organizations with the tools and resources they need to grow. Thanks to Givebutter, selected organizations will receive a full scholarship to participate in the program and the opportunity to apply for up to $4,000 in grant funds after completion of the incubator.
Our program includes:
Eight (8) live workshops on nonprofit management, including one workshop from our partner, Givebutter, to help with attracting and engaging individual donors on their platform.
Review of your fundraising campaign by the Givebutter team.
Access to our Fundraising Challenge and the opportunity to receive matching funds from Mockingbird Nonprofit Incubator.
Lifetime discounted access to all our additional events in nonprofit management and development.
Recordings and extra resources are available on our Teachable digital learning platform.
Access to our network of expert nonprofit professionals and founders and our growing incubator cohort alumni group.
One of our participants will have the opportunity to win our $3,000 seed grant after completing the program.
2025 Program Dates
Our 2025 program dates are TBD. The Mockingbird Nonprofit Incubator cohort meets on Fridays from 10 AM to 12 PM (PST) // 1 PM to 3 PM (EST). Additional office hour sessions will be available for participants. We reserve the right to change the order and dates of the workshops. The program topics include:
Strategic Planning for Founders
Goal Definition for Nonprofits
Board Development and Engagement
Creating a Successful Fundraising Plan
How to Engage Individual Donors
Marketing and Branding
Program Design and Evaluation
Including Equity in Your Day-To-Day Operations.
Price: 20 selected organizations will receive a full scholarship to participate in the program, thanks to our partner givebutter. To be considered, you need to have a Givebutter account. Use this link to create an account.
Meet Our Past Cohort Participants
Program Facilitators
Jessica Payne (she/her)
Founder, Director of Research & Project Management
Jessica Payne is the founder and owner of Mockingbird Analytics, a community and non-profit research and evaluation company, which she comes to with a decade of research and evaluation project management experience in government, community and academic settings. She is also the co-founder of Mockingbird Incubator a nonprofit that provides incubation services to new and emerging nonprofits. Prior to founding Mockingbird, Jessica was the Research and Evaluation Manager for CASA of Los Angeles, where she managed large scale data system conversion projects with more than 500+ users, as well as all original research and strategic planning.
PAMELA Gutierrez (she/her)
Founder, coo
Pamela joined the Mockingbird Analytics team in 2018, bringing with her a wealth of experience in finance and a passion for social impact. Before Mockingbird, she worked for over seven years in the financial sector in Colombia, specializing in Risk Management, Strategy Evaluation, and Portfolio Administration. Driven by a desire to apply her financial expertise to the social sector, Pamela moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to pursue a Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California. This transition allowed her to blend her quantitative evaluation and financial analysis skills with her dedication to social change. As Chief Operating Officer at Mockingbird Analytics, Pamela supports the development of the organization and its clients by creating systems that enable nonprofits to grow.
CLAUDIA p. sEGURA (SHE/HER)
Customer Education Manager at Givebutter
Claudia fuels fundraising success for nonprofits at Givebutter, your all-in-one fundraising platform. Leveraging a diverse background that spans program management, editorial work, and research, Claudia brings over 5 years of experience to the table. Previously, Claudia empowered families of color through educational opportunities, supported academic research and distribution, and advocated for the economic equity of new migrants. Now, at Givebutter, her passion translates into crafting engaging strategies to help nonprofits of different missions and sizes thrive.
Rebekah Grmela (she/her)
Founder/Owner Right + Good
Rebekah Grmela is a communications activist supporting justice, equity and sustainability through access to excellent strategies for women, queer and/or BIPOC founders and nonprofits. She works with Mockingbird Analytics and Incubator to support strategic marketing and branding, content strategy, visual brand design, public engagement, board communications, volunteer advocacy, fundraising campaigning and more. Rebekah founded Right + Good in 2019 to connect people with causes through intentional and strategic communications to build capacity for mission-driven organizations.
“The Mockingbird Incubator program was a game-changer for me. The intensive workshops covered everything, i.e., fundraising, compliance, board development, programing, and evaluation, etc. Their team generously shared their knowledge, provided valuable feedback, and helped me refine our strategy.”
LOOKING FOR training you can do at your own speed?
Start slow with our on-demand Nonprofit Management School program. Choose from a variety of recorded trainings, workshops, and checklists to get the ball rolling in your nonprofit.