Tough Calls: Making Hard Decisions

Session 2: Tough Calls— Making Hard Decisions

In a time of rising authoritarianism, justice-rooted organizations are trying to do the opposite—center transparency, cultivate democratic participation, and build shared power. In this session you’ll get practical tools for decision-making that centers values and gets things done—especially when the stakes are high and the decisions are tough.

We’ll help you:

• identify the most common decision-making traps in movement groups and organizations;
• explore concrete tools for equitable, effective decision-making;
• practice using them in sticky, real-world scenarios; and
• think critically about who holds power and how to distribute power intentionally.

Date and Time: Sept. 25th, 10am-12pm PT/11am-1pm MT/12pm-2pm CT/1pm-3pm ET

SPECIAL PRICING: A limited number of discounted early bird tickets for individuals are available until August 15th. Interested in registering with a coworker or collaborator? Contact us for a discount code when you register 2 or more people for a session at any Supported by Organization rate.

Tune Up Series Overview

Tune Ups is a program for people in social change organizations working to stay grounded in liberatory values while navigating complex, high-pressure conditions. This AORTA workshop series provides the tools, frameworks, and practices that nurture resilient organizational cultures, build collective power, and support democratic leadership at every level.

Whether your work is in nonprofits, cooperatives, philanthropy, or grassroots collectives, these workshops are designed for folks who are:

• already on the path; you’ve been trying to build democratic, values-aligned structures with your team but are hitting the limits of what’s been working.
• looking for concrete tools. You want to understand the why but also want actionable frameworks for decision-making, HR, governance, and communication that match your values.
• organizational influencers; you’re the person folks turn to when things feel messy or need direction. You have a deep stake in transformation and want professional development that matches your values.
• rooted in movement ecosystems. You’re trying to build organizations that can survive and adapt in this moment and still hold onto vision.

We are offering three different workshops this Fall. Come to one or all three!

Full Series Dates and Times

• Session 1: DeCluttering Conflict, Sept. 11th, 10am-12pm PT/11am-1pm MT/12pm-2pm CT/1pm-3pm ET
• Session 2: Tough Calls: Making Hard Decisions, Sept. 25th, 10am-12pm PT/11am-1pm MT/12pm-2pm CT/1pm-3pm ET
• Session 3: Humane Resources: Cultivating Systems for Care, Support, and Accountability, Oct. 9th, 10am-12pm PT/11am-1pm MT/12pm-2pm CT/1pm-3pm ET

Access information

• Zoom: We will be meeting via Zoom. If you have access to a computer or laptop, we encourage you to join the training by computer to make navigating the materials more easeful. During the training, we will be navigating between two windows: Zoom and a slide deck. We may occasionally use the screen share function.
• Breaks: In our 2 hour training, we will be taking one 10 minute break. This break will be timed on the day of to adapt the needs of the group.
• Captions: We will be offering CART Captioning during the training.
• Chat: This training includes use of the chat function in Zoom. Participants will be asked to enter responses in the chat throughout the training.
• Post-training Materials: Participants will receive the training slide deck and a recording of the training. The recording will be available for 30 days after each training.
• Tech and access support: A tech and access support person will be present throughout the training to attend to any emergent participant needs regarding Zoom, the slide deck, and access.

How to choose your rate:

AORTA offers our public trainings at different rates depending on your individual and organizational access to money and wealth. Our sliding scale is an intentional effort to distribute resources equitably between organizations and organizers we work with.

Please reflect on the self assessment linked below to help you consider what rate to pay to attend this workshop.

https://aorta.coop/public-program-rates

Rates for Individuals

These rates are for you if you are paying for the training without financial support from an organization. The cost listed below is for 1 person attending the full event.

• Early Bird Rate (until 8/15/25): $60
• Solidarity: $90
• Sustain: $135
• Full Cost: $170
• Redistribution: $200

Rates for individuals supported by organizations

These rates are for you if you are a member of an organization that is paying for your participation in the training. The cost listed below is for 1 person attending the full event.

• Solidarity: $150
• Sustain: $200
• Full Cost: $250
• Redistribution: $300

Please note our refund, transfer, and cancellation policy for virtual trainings:

AORTA is a small business that depends on stable revenue from our trainings and offerings. As such, we are not able to make exceptions to our refund policy.

• All of our training fees are non-refundable.
• All registrants will receive a recording of the training.
• You may request a transfer of your ticket to a different date within the training series (e.g. a training in the Spring of a calendar year) if a spot is available at your selected ticket rate. Requests must be made more than 7 business days prior to the training.
• Additionally, you can transfer your registration to a different participant (their name and email address must be shared at least 3 business days prior to the training).
• If AORTA needs to cancel the training (due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the trainer becoming ill), then we will do our best to reschedule the training for a later date. If you are unable to attend at the rescheduled date, or if AORTA is not able to reschedule the training, then you will have the option to be fully refunded, transfer you registration as outlined in 3 and 4 above, or convert your registration fees to a donation to support AORTA’s ongoing work to strengthen movements and organizations working for social justice.