Skills for building trust, agreement, and collaboration for social impact
Learn and practice negotiation skills in an online interactive classroom October 1 and 2, 2026.
Creating meaningful social impact requires the ability to build relationships, align diverse perspectives, and gain support for ideas that advance a shared mission. Everyday Negotiation for Social Impact: The Art and Science of Collaboration is highly interactive skill-building workshop that equips participants with practical tools to collaborate more effectively, influence outcomes, and navigate important conversations with clarity, empathy, and confidence.
About the program
Through guided exercises, peer learning, and immersive simulations grounded in philanthropic and social impact contexts, participants will strengthen their ability to build trust, uncover shared interests, generate buy-in, and collaborate effectively.
This workshop expands on a popular module from CHIP’s High Impact Philanthropy Academy and Advising for Impact Certificate Program, offering a deeper, hands-on opportunity to develop essential collaboration and influence skills for mission-driven work. In collaboration with the Penn Leadership Education Institute, which designs and researches innovative approaches to leadership development, the course is ideal for as an introduction to negotiation for social impact and for experienced professionals and CHIP alumni who wish to practice negotiation skills in a low-risk environment.
What you will gain
You will learn evidence-based negotiation frameworks used across mission-driven sectors, engage in immersive simulations tailored to philanthropic and social impact scenarios, and develop the interpersonal skills needed to build trust across polarization, uncover aligned interests, and design durable agreements for partnerships and policies.
By the end of this program, participants will be able to:
- Understand and apply core principles of effective negotiation
- Prepare for high stakes conversations using a structured, evidence based approach
- Communicate with greater clarity and empathy across differences in power, values, and incentives
- Identify underlying interests and generate creative solutions
- Build trust, manage conflict, and reach agreements that advance social impact goals
Upon successful completion of the program, you will earn a digital certificate issued by both the Center for High Impact Philanthropy and the Graduate School of Education.
Continuing education credits are available for Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) professionals. Full participation in Introduction to Negotiation for Social Impact is applicable for 7 points in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
What Participants Say
“Negotiating left me with many communication strategies to take and implement in our work spaces.”
“The session was most related to my collaborative grantmaking work. I appreciated the opportunity to practice negotiating on a low-stakes topic and apply this to philanthropy.”
Who should enroll?
- Philanthropic professionals and funders
- Nonprofit and NGO leaders
- Education, public sector, and community based practitioners
- CSR, social impact, and mission-driven teams
- Anyone seeking stronger negotiation skills for collaborative, values aligned work
Details and registration
Dates
Thursday, October 1, 2026, 11 am – 2:30 pm ET
Friday, October 2, 2026, 11 am – 2:30pm ET
Tuition
$695
Questions? Contact Nick Matlin, the Program Manager for the Center for High Impact Philanthropy’s Executive Education courses.
Course Faculty
Dr. Zachary Herrmann, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at Penn Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE), teaches negotiations to MBA students at the Wharton School and funders at the Center for High Impact Philanthropy. He leads the Penn Leadership Education Institute and the Project-Based Learning for Global Climate Justice initiative, and designs professional learning programs focused on leadership development, team effectiveness, negotiation, and creative problem solving.
What Participants Say
“I especially appreciated the reminder to focus on maximizing overall value and utility for all parties rather than approaching negotiations as a zero-sum exercise.”
“The negotiation session clearly showed me where my blindspots are. I appreciated the opportunity to practice with my peers.”