The Virage Foundations Course:
Everything you need to know about working at a nonprofit.
Our Foundations course empowers new leaders and middle managers to shift from reactive to effective leadership, even in demanding environments.
We’ve developed the Virage Foundations course as a one-stop shop for:
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Foundations looking to increase capacity building and organizational sustainability of their grantees through sponsoring a cohort.
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Nonprofits of all sizes that don’t have the capacity to support their leadership pipeline.
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New managers and staff aspiring to take a leadership role in nonprofit organizations
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Young professionals or experts who don’t have a formal education in management
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First-time managers who’ve been in the role for two years or less
The course at a glance:
A complete toolkit for
working in nonprofits
Available in English
and French
Canada-rooted
learning
Available online
and in-person
14 hours to complete
Cohort-led
The Curriculum
WEEK ONE
What Makes Nonprofits Unique?
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Roles of Executive Director, board, and staff
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Governance 101
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Key differences with for-profits
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Understanding your role in your organization's workflow, vision and strategy
WEEK TWO
Leading with Purpose
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Mission vs. Vision
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Theory of Change
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Impact frameworks
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Organizational strategy basics (SWOT, strategic plans)
WEEK THREE
Measuring What Matters
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Designing KPIs
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Applying SMART goals
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Logic models
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Basic evaluation tools
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How to create storytelling that captivates funders & teams
WEEK FOUR
Finances & Budgeting
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Full-cost recovery
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Doom loops & restricted funds
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How to do a statement of operations & program budgeting
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Mistakes to avoid when budgeting for grant proposals
WEEK FIVE
Influencing with Integrity
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Defining and using values-based leadership
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VIA Character Assessment
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Influence without authority
WEEK SIX
How To Manage a Team
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Tools to monitor team energy, tension, and trust
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What makes team leadership different in nonprofits
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Setting expectations and creating team agreements
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Setting up systems for giving and receiving feedback
How it works:
Over 6 weeks, you’ll get:
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Weekly live online or in-person sessions that are practical, focused, and immediately applicable.
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Canada-specific case studies and cohort discussions based on real challenges from ACTUAL non-profit leaders.
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Eye-opening exercises and frameworks that you can apply immediately to your work.
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Spotlights on issues from expert guest instructors.
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Small cohorts (12 or fewer) with other nonprofit workers. Bring your questions and real-world experiences—we love learning from each other!
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Presentation slides, weekly reading lists, and a library of supplementary material.
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Access to our alumni community in a private LinkedIn group where you can connect with other cohorts, see our job board, and get details about upcoming industry networking events and news.
Is it for me?
In nonprofits, where stakes are high and margins are tight, gaps in leadership skills don’t just slow you down. They can lead to real risks:
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Reputational damage
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Burnout
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Broken trust
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Financial losses
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Staff turnover
And while directors may care, they don’t always have the time to train or explain. That’s why the Virage Foundations course doesn’t offer random “tips.”
Every session is built to prepare you for the real-world challenges. We cover:
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How to decode the nonprofit world including governance, boards, and your real place in the mission
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How to connect your day-to-day work to big-picture strategy, vision, and impact
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How to make sense of nonprofit budgets, funding realities, and what success really looks like
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How to lead with clarity, even if you’re not “the boss”—from team trust to giving great feedback
your
instructor
Meet
Marie-Eve Levert
Having stepped into a leadership role early in her nonprofit career, Marie-Eve recognized the gaps in support available to middle managers. Marie-Eve designed the Virage curriculum to provide the practical guidance and community she wished she had when starting her own management journey.
Marie-Eve has over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She has worked primarily with small non-governmental organizations, wearing many hats, from regulatory affairs and trade facilitation, to strategic planning, fundraising and multi-stakeholder engagement.
Over the years, she has facilitated over $7 million in grants awarded to Canadian nonprofits and chaired two national committees involving federal, provincial, academic, and sector partners.
"I created this course to equip new and junior managers—sandwiched between strategy and frontline—with the skills to be the strong link their organizations need. Virage provides all the necessary tools to anyone new to a leadership role to shift from being reactive to proactive."
Marie-Eve Levert
Founder, Virage and Organic Strategy