Nonprofit Incubator Program
Applications for the Mockingbird Incubator Nonprofit Program are closed!
The foundation your nonprofit organization needs to grow.
The Mockingbird Incubator Nonprofit Program is a cohort-based nonprofit training program for activists, founders, and early-stage nonprofit leaders who are ready to learn how to run an impactful and financially sustainable organization. We cover the administrative and operational foundations that most nonprofit founders never get taught, and that most organizations can't afford to figure out the hard way.
Based in Los Angeles. 100% online. Open to nonprofits across the United States.
Are you a foundation, fiscal sponsor, or nonprofit network looking to bring this program to your grantees or member organizations? We offer a Cohort Licensing Program that brings our full curriculum to the communities you support. Learn more here.
About the Mockingbird Nonprofit Incubator Program:
Most people who start nonprofits do not do it because they have a background in organizational management, governance, or fundraising strategy. They do it because they see a need in their community and they know how to meet it. What gets in the way is not vision or commitment. It is the administrative complexity that nobody teaches you before you start, and that only gets harder to manage once your organization is already running.
The Mockingbird Incubator was built to close that gap. Over eight weeks, our team guides nonprofit founders and leaders through the core infrastructure every organization needs to operate in compliance, raise money, and grow sustainably. Participants come out with a clear plan and the tools to execute it.
Beyond the curriculum, participants have access to a fundraising challenge with matching funds from Mockingbird Incubator, a $3,000 seed grant awarded to one completing organization each cohort, and direct support from our team and a growing community of nonprofit leaders, alumni, and funders.
Participation in the program is free, thanks to Givebutter. Use this link to create an account.
What You Will Learn:
The program covers eight core topics, each delivered in a live, facilitated two-hour workshop. Each session builds on the one before. By the end of the program, you will have worked through every major area of nonprofit management and produced a strategic plan that reflects your organization's specific stage, goals, and community. Program topics include:
Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Founders
Goal Definition for Nonprofits
Board Development and Engagement
Creating a Sustainable Fundraising Plan
Individual Giving Strategy and Donor Engagement
Stewardship and Institutional Funding Strategies
Program Design and Evaluation
Equity in Your Day-to-Day Operations
What Is Included:
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.
Time Commitment:
The core program includes eight live workshops, each two hours long. We also provide optional homework assignments to help you apply what you’ve learned and host three (3) optional discussion groups (1 hour, every other week) to support peer learning and connection.
In addition, the program includes an optional fundraising challenge to help you launch a donor campaign using Givebutter, which may require 1 additional hour of work per week for those who choose to participate.
This program is designed for organizations that are ready to do the work. Consistency across the eight weeks is the most important factor in building the peer community that makes this experience different from anything you can take on your own.
Who This Program Is For:
This program is a strong fit for your nonprofit organization if:
You are a founder, co-founder, executive director, or senior leader of an emerging nonprofit operating in the United States
Your organization holds 501(c)(3) status or is operating under fiscal sponsorship
You are available to attend the live weekly workshops and engage actively with the cohort
Your organization's work aligns with our values around equity, social justice, and community accountability
This program is not the right fit if your organization is not aligned with those values, if you are looking for a passive learning experience, or if you cannot commit to the weekly sessions. We do not accept organizations whose work is discriminatory or focused solely on lobbying, awareness-raising without direct service, or building out a technology or ai platform.
Have more questions about eligibility?
→ Read our FAQ
The Mockingbird Nonprofit Incubator Program opens for applications twice a year, in the spring and fall. Participation is free thanks to our partnership with Givebutter.
Applications for our next cohort open on July 27, 2026. The Fall 2026 cohort will start on September 11, 2026, and runs for eight (8) consecutive weeks, ending on October 30, 2026.
To be eligible, you will need a free Givebutter account. Selection is competitive and based on alignment with our values, organizational stage, and readiness to engage with the program. Use this link to create an account.
How to Participate:
MEET OUR PROGRAM FACILITATORS
Every cohort is facilitated by a team of nonprofit professionals who have experienced the same challenges you are navigating. We bring that experience into every session because the best nonprofit training comes from people doing the work.
Marisa Turesky
Guest Speaker and Mockingbird Analytics’ Director of Research and Evaluation
Rachel M. Goldman, CNM, M.S.
Chief Financial Officer
Jessica Payne
Founder, Executive Director
Our Community of Alumni
More than 400 organizations across the U.S have completed the Mockingbird Incubator Program across 16+ cohorts. They are doing critical work in racial justice, environmental advocacy, health equity, arts and culture, community organizing, and more and we are really proud to be part of their journey.
Check out our Nonprofit Blog to read about some of the organizations that have completed our program and what they are building:
→ Meet Slant'd
Fall 2025 Seed Grant Recipient
→ Meet L.A.N.E
Spring 2026 Seed Grant Recipient
