Get ready to be inspired, Tennessee nonprofit leaders! The breakout sessions for the upcoming Tennessee Nonprofit Conference on October 3rd are packed with dynamic speakers who are ready to share their expertise and insights. From fundraising strategies that ignite passion to innovative approaches to community engagement, these sessions offer a unique opportunity to learn, connect, and re-energize your mission. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the conversation that will shape the future of nonprofits in our state!
Early bird rate of $199 ends July 31st! Beginning August 1, rates will increase to $249 for members and $299 for non-members. Register here.
Below are the speakers you’ll see in October:
Keynote
Session: Dismantling Burnout: Empowering Leaders and Teams to Overcome Burnout Together.
Presenter: Cait Donovan
Get ready for an engaging and informative keynote presentation! Cait will delve deep into the factors that leave us vulnerable to burnout, giving you the knowledge and tools you need to identify and understand burnout. Learn more about the presentation here.
Breakout Speakers
Session: AI Insights for Social Impact: Enhancing Nonprofit Operations
Presenter: Andrew Bartolotta
Category: Innovation & Technology
AI Insights for Social Impact: Enhancing Nonprofit Operations is an interactive virtual workshop designed specifically for those in the social impact sector seeking to leverage artificial intelligence for innovative solutions. This session will delve into how AI can be strategically applied to enhance various facets of nonprofit operations—from improving data analysis and donor interactions to crafting compelling content. The workshop will provide nonprofit professionals and board members with actionable insights and tools to effectively integrate AI technologies. Participants will explore case studies and LIVE use cases with their organizations as Andrew teaches the audience how to better understand how AI can transform their organizations, making them more resilient and adaptive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Session: Recruiting, Fundraising, and Impact Funnels: Using Analytics to Hit Your Targets
Presenter: Peter VanWylen
Category: Innovation and Technology
Learn about process “funnels” and funnel analysis that can help you attain your goals in client engagement, communication / fundraising, recruiting, equity & impact. Multi-step processes that depend on a series of individual successes or progressions through a process are often visualized as a “funnel” which narrows at each stage in a process. Learn how to identify and visualize your existing funnels and use funnel data to increase your success in attaining goals with societal impact.
Session: 5 Ways to Prepare Your Nonprofit for a Data-Driven Future
Presenter: Brittany Ivey
Category: Innovation and Technology
Unlock the potential of your organization in the digital era by joining a dynamic workshop with Brittany Ivey, Senior Consultant at JCA. In this impactful session, Brittany will share valuable insights and practical strategies with 5 actionable considerations that can be scaled and applied to organizations of all sectors and sizes. Everyone is talking about the future of data and how AI can transform business. You may feel overwhelmed wondering how to get from where you are today, to this ever-evolving future. How can you leverage emerging technology? How can you make the most of your resources? Prepare your organization for the future by gaining a deeper understanding of key strategies, with 5 intentional ways to plan for a data-driven future.
Session: How to Build a Succession Plan Culture
Presenters: Philip Walkley & Sonji Branch
Category: Leadership Development
Leadership transitions happen all the time and yet most nonprofits do not have a formal succession plan in place. While having a written plan is important, developing a culture where diverse leadership is developed, resources are shared, and intentional decisions are made to ensure that a nonprofit can weather any leadership transition that comes its way is vital. In this session, participants will learn the difference between a written succession plan and a culture of succession planning. In addition, participants will come to understand how building a culture of succession planning in nonprofits is essential for: Long-term sustainability Organizational health and employee satisfaction Successful funding development Diversity and inclusion in staff recruitment and development This presentation will have interactive learning opportunities and tools to help participants walk away with concrete ideas and resources to develop a culture of succession planning at their organizations
Session: Leadership Literacy: Cultivating a Culture of Excellence and Innovation in Nonprofits
Speaker: Joseph “Jody” Holland
Category: Leadership Development
This interactive leadership workshop addresses the unique challenges faced by modern leaders within the nonprofit sector. I emphasize the importance of equipping leaders with essential skills and insights to navigate complexities, inspire teams, and drive sustainable impact. The learning outcomes foster effective leadership cultures within organizations, enhance practical strategies for effective leadership communication and influencing skills, and promote the exploration of leadership style Key components of the workshop include a diverse range of topics such as decision-making, emotional intelligence, communication, conflict resolution, and team dynamics. Through interactive exercise, participants will enhance their leadership competencies and acquire practical tools to tackle real-world challenges. The workshop design prioritizes engagement, self-reflection, and personal growth, with customized activities to promote team collaboration.
Session: From Support to Strategy: The Evolution of the Modern CFO
Presenter: Carole Melvin
Category: Leadership Development
In this session we will explore the evolving and expanding role of the modern CFO. We’ll discuss the shift in the CFO role from that of a supportive function to more of a strategic partner with the CEO and nonprofit management. We’ll also share skills a modern CFO will need to thrive in this evolving landscape, and when outsourcing might be beneficial to supplement finance functions. Learning Objectives/Attendees will learn: a. Analyze the expanding role of the modern CFO due to changes in technology, expectations, and the financial landscape. b. Discuss effective communication and collaboration strategies that help foster successful partnerships between CFOs and Executive Directors. c. Identify the typical skills a modern CFO should possess and recognize ways outsourcing could be used to supplement and support an organization’s finance functions.
Session: The Golden Rules of Community Development
Presenter: Dr. Nicole Gates
Category: Organizational Development
The Golden Rules of Community Development workshop is a workshop that will provide nonprofit leaders with essential guidelines for building strong and sustainable relationships with the communities they serve. Participants will explore key principles and strategies to effectively engage and empower stakeholders, fostering collaboration, trust, and mutual respect. Interactive activities and real-world examples, attendees will gain practical insights and actionable guidance to enhance their community development initiatives. Golden Rules of Community Development: 1. Prioritize relationship-building 2. Be transparent and accountable 3. Embrace diversity and inclusion 4. Collaborate and co-create 5. Measure and adapt
Session: Navigating the Long Game of Changing Systems: Insights from Collaborative Efforts
Presenter: Amy Merritt Campbell
Category: Organizational Development
Collaboration in addressing complex social challenges is a multi-faceted and long-term endeavor. Rooted in personal experiences with Collective Impact efforts in TN, this presentation will explore considerations for successful collaboration, including the pivotal roles of intentionality, coordination, discipline, and equity in fostering transformative outcomes. This presentation will also include an exploration of the 3 phases of the collaborative life cycle: Building a Foundation; Testing, Learning, & Refining; and Embedding and Sustaining Change. While navigating the marathon of systems change is challenging, a commitment to learning and authentic engagement remain fundamental. By embracing these principles and practices, collaborative endeavors can transcend obstacles and drive meaningful change. With this content as a framework, participants will engage in facilitated, peer-to-peer conversations about applications to their work and considerations for the nonprofit sector.
Together We Belong: Cultivating Inclusive Spaces in Tennessee’s Nonprofit Community
Presenters: Keena Friday-Gilbert, Sarah Long, and Allison Rickett
Category: Organizational Development
The Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee (AIMHiTN) experienced rapid growth and had to navigate growing pangs and challenging obstacles to meet the diverse needs of its staff and partners. This presentation will explore the journey of a statewide nonprofit’s journey in creating an organizational culture of belonging. This journey will begin with the development of shared language and understanding of organizational belonging and a glimpse into the current state of the nonprofit workforce. The presenters will then share practical steps AIMHiTN took to embed belonging into their programs and practices. Participants will be able to think collaboratively and develop key steps to implement within their organization at any budget level.
Session: Navigating Constraints, Strengthening Nonprofits
Speakers: Aleda Gagarin and Asia Hadley
Category: Resource Development
With individual giving on the decline, public trust at an all-time low, and cumbersome grant applications that come with restrictive strings attached, today’s nonprofits and fundraisers don’t have it easy. These obstacles leave nonprofits with less resources, funding, and time to spend advancing their work as demand for their services skyrockets. How can we alleviate the dynamic of constantly being asked to do more with less? Led by experts in fundraising & movement building, this session will offer practical advice and collaborative solutions to address this dynamic by 1. increasing resources, 2. decreasing funding burdens, and 3. advancing equity in the nonprofit sector. Presenters will share actionable strategies and free Candid resources to help strengthen nonprofit capacity, maximize fundraising revenue, and free up time to focus on mission-driven work. Join us to discover how together we can build a more efficient, effective, and equitable sector for all to thrive.
Session: How to REALLY fire up your board for fundraising!
Speaker: Hannah Berger
Category: Resource Development
Do you have Board members that still think fundraising is limited to event ticket sales and silent auctions? Are just a few of your organization’s volunteer leaders making introductions to prospective donors? Do some of your Board members get uncomfortably quiet or conveniently disappear when conversations turn to resource development? If so, you aren’t alone and this interactive workshop is for you! Hannah Berger will unpack common fundraising challenges that plague many nonprofits Boards and guide participants through tried-and-true solutions for your organization’s biggest fundraising woes. With a focus on partnership and empowerment, this session will help attendees understand what Board members really need to be successful, identify actions that can dramatically improve Board engagement, and provide tools that attendees can repurpose with their organizations immediately. Come to gain clarity, stay for the stories, try out some really great tools, leave with a plan.
Session: Trailblazing Tactics: Strategies for Million Dollar Asks
Speaker: Margaret Dillon
Category: Resource Development
How would you use one million dollars and make a trailblazing impact in the world? Lead by a successful recipient of MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving prize for $2 million, learn about the kind of strategy needed to edge out the competition for large donors. It takes a sort of “trailblazing thinking” to set yourself apart from the competition. Busy as we are, we need to make time to practice trailblazing thinking. There is a unique reason you founded or engaged with your nonprofit and an incredible potential for impactful change. – Learn to effectively capture the trailblazing power of your organization’s into “pitch” – Understand the “formula” for winning grants or capturing the attention of large donors – Rekindle a spirit of boldness, coupled with a solid plan, to help set your nonprofit on a new path of success.
Innovative Communication Strategies for Volunteer Services
Speakers: Tricia Spence and Debbie Garrett
Category: Volunteer Management
During the session, participants will learn about best practices for effective communication with staff and volunteers. Since a diverse and broad audience is involved, using various methods to convey messages is essential. The session will cover proven methods for relaying messages, providing training, recruiting, and more. Attendees will also learn about successful and cost-effective ways to use software programs to make messages more appealing. Additionally, presenters will discuss how technology can facilitate real-time communication between staff and volunteers. Furthermore, practical methods for developing a long-term strategic plan will be shared. Given the ever-evolving landscape of technology and social media, the importance of collaborating with internal and external communication and marketing experts will be emphasized. Participants will leave with tangible tools, templates, and innovative ideas that can be immediately applied in their roles.