Application Process.
This program is limited to 12 participants. Interested candidates should apply by Friday, July 24, 2026.
Selected applicants will be notified of program acceptance by Friday, July 31, 2026.

We will also host an Information Session on Tuesday, July 14th at 2pm for prospective applicants.

Questions?
Contact Julia Och, Elevate NP Pathways Program Manager, at julia@elevatenpswpa.org or 412-219-3148.

Covered topics include:
HR Administration: Job descriptions & org charts, employee files & documentation, I-9 compliance & onboarding paperwork, employee handbook policies, time & attendance tracking

Recruiting & Hiring: Job posting & sourcing strategies, interview best practices & legal compliance, background check protocols, offer letters & employment agreements, reference checks

People Management: Performance management cycles, goal-setting & accountability, progressive discipline process, employee recognition programs, termination protocols.

Background. In 2019, The Heinz Endowments, The Forbes Funds, and Christie Cawley partnered to develop a cohort-based resource for area nonprofits to support effective HR practices. They pivoted to the Coping with Covid Webinar Series to meet urgent needs while transitioning the HR fundamentals program to a virtual cohort model that launched in the summer of 2020. The tHRive HR Fundamentals Cohort operated from 2020 through 2023, graduating more than 25 nonprofit leaders. Elevate NP is proud to relaunch this resource to continue supporting people practices throughout the nonprofit sector.

Intended Audience. The tHRive HR Fundamentals Cohort is designed for small to mid-sized, 501(c)(3) nonprofits (under $5M budget and/or under 50 employees) with paid staff. All levels of HR proficiency are welcome, but participants should be in a leadership role with direct reports and hiring/performance authority.

Program Costs. The cohort includes individualized intake review, assessment, formulating customized learning goals, 6 hours of individual coaching, and 18 hours of the group sessions. While the cost of participating is subsidized by generous foundation support, participants will be invoiced for $500 per organization upon selection for the program.

2026 Cohort Schedule

The cohort modules will be delivered as Zoom workshops starting at 10:00 AM every other week according to the following schedule: