Educational Events

As development professionals, we are charged with the huge task of juggling many different segments of donor activities: major donors, direct mail, marketing, events, board relationships, and even planned-giving. 

This presentation will help prioritize and give clarity to those individuals who always feel they are reacting rather than being proactive in their work to ensure the greatest return.

This presentation is incredibly informative for smaller organizations where the development director is in charge of many different areas.

Paul A. Dunne, CFRE, is the Principal/Philanthropic Advisor at The Non-Profit Group in Dallas. He previously served as the executive VP at Catapult Fundraising, where he led multiple campaigns and helped nonprofits, universities, hospitals, and churches build greater donor capacity. 

He served as the chief development officer for North Hawaii Community Hospital, and The Kempe Foundation  and executive director of Development at Inner City Health Center. 

Paul has served on the AFP International Board and just completed his term as the AFP International Fundraising board chairman. He has been awarded the Colorado Chapter AFP Outstanding Fundraiser.

Endowments provide important financial security for many organizations as they navigate uncertain times with both contributed and earned revenue. While less appealing to donors looking for an immediate impact for their contributions, sophisticated donors understand the value of well-invested endowments and when properly cultivated will give their ultimate gift (planned giving or other) to the organization directed towards the endowment. 

Cultivating and securing gifts to endowment take different approaches than other types of gifts, and they need to be tailored both to the long-term organizational vision and tailored to the interests of the donor.  

In this session, we will explore a few case studies of how organizations launched and scaled their endowment giving and share trends and ways to build an organizational approach.  

Alex Senchak is a vice president at Graham Pelton Consulting, a leading national consulting firm dedicated to nonprofit advancement. His area of practice includes growth and campaign planning for complex and unique organizations across the country. 

His focus on effective leadership-engaged fundraising, along with expanding major-gift donor engagement, follows his experience working with start-up organizations in San Francisco. 

Alex is a resident of Boston and currently serves on the board of the Boston Lyric Opera and as chair of the board of Psi Upsilon Education Foundation.

A strong, engaged board is essential for nonprofit success. This session explores the four key stages of board development:  Recruitment, Orientation, Engagement, and Leadership Pipeline. 

Learn how to strategically attract new members, equip them for effective governance, foster long-term commitment and engagement, and build future leaders. 

Whether you're strengthening an existing board or in the midst of a significant board transition, this discussion offers actionable insights drawn from best practices.

Peter Taylor of Anchor Point Consulting brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in philanthropy, nonprofit management, and higher education. As president of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (BTCF), he led its evolution from a primarily donor-directed organization to a civic leadership institution—driven by stakeholder-informed planning, donor engagement, and an agile operating model. During his tenure, BTCF’s assets grew by more than $110 million. 

Peter served as vice president of programs at Maine Community Foundation and associate dean of students at Bates College. He has chaired the boards of Philanthropy Massachusetts and the Maine Philanthropy Center.

Conflict in nonprofit settings is inevitable, but when handled well, it can lead to stronger teams and clearer direction. 

This session is designed for CEOs and Board members who want to address tension proactively, improve communication, and foster a more collaborative culture. 

Learn practical strategies, explore real-life scenarios, and walk away with tools to turn conflict into positive change.

Anne Ruwet of Anne Ruwet Consulting Services LLC is a recently retired CEO of a multi-million-dollar agency. She served as a CT State Representative for six years and continues her civic service in municipal government as a City Council member. 

Anne is well acquainted with the financial governance, service delivery, and workforce challenges nonprofit leaders face daily. Having served as a leader in the nonprofit realm for more than three decades, she is now sharing her experience and insights with others through her consulting service

At the core, nonprofit board members are the fiduciaries who guide their organizations in fulfilling their mission and ensuring a sustainable future. Over the past five years, nonprofit boards appear to be evolving and taking on enhanced roles.

While boards still execute many traditional responsibilities, they are beginning to adapt to a more purpose-driven leadership role as they face new, more challenging issues. In this breakout session, we will explore the traditional aspects of board leadership roles, responsibilities, and the duties of care, loyalty, and obedience.

We will also examine what it means to be a purpose-driven board, how to prioritize a board's purpose, respect the eco-system in which they operate, commit to equity and inclusion and understand the power dynamics within the communities they serve. We will conclude with discussing the incremental steps every board can do to meet the emerging needs of a challenging world.

Sharon Danosky is a strategist and thought leader who brings a unique combination of expertise in governance, strategy, and fundraising. Sharon’s nonprofit experience began by being a member of the team that raised the funds to build a new hospital, almost 40 years ago.

She started her consulting firm Danosky & Associates in 2008 and has led organizations to achieve unprecedented growth, re-infuse boards with a new sense of purpose, focus discussions on strategy and impact, build sustainable fundraising programs that achieve double-digit increases, facilitate multi-stakeholder collaborations, and challenge existing structures through narrative change.

Securing a major gift for your organization is no accident, and developing a major gifts program is more than asking people for a single large gift. It is a strategic process that is implemented over a period of time and culminates with both the donor and the nonprofit reaping significant benefits.

For the donor it is the ability to have an impact on causes that they are passionate about. For the organization, it is financial support to achieve its mission. This breakout will help executive directors, development directors, board members and volunteers learn how to move donors from casual contributors to significant supporters.

John Brooks has more than 27 years of nonprofit management and fundraising experience. He has expertise in major and planned giving, corporate sponsorships, foundation and corporate grants, fundraising events, direct marketing, volunteer management, community outreach, external communications, and media relations.

A successful development office must include policies, structure, and strategies to help build relationships that are vital to nonprofits long-term sustainability. It's more than just fundraising. It's designing strategies to increase revenue and build partnerships. It's learning how to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward donors.

This workshop will help you plan and organize your development office and implement a successful fund development program.

Gina Marcantonio of G. Marc & Associates, LLC is a development professional with more than 30 years of nonprofit experience. She knows firsthand the challenges nonprofits face and can provide organizations with various innovative solutions that help build organizational capacity.

Gina has a master's in nonprofit management and philanthropy. She is the president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Connecticut Chapter. She is an AFP master trainer.

Do you often feel alone in this journey as a leader? Not only are you called to serve as a visionary and business executive, but you are also the one who holds high the torch of your organization’s mission and inspires your workforce to embrace greatness. No small feat.

Together we will look at establishing your own “Circle of Strength” to maintain balance and refresh your spirit. Starting with a genuine self-assessment, we will consider how to take the next steps in your personal and professional journey with a more definite sense of your ultimate goals, capabilities, and areas for growth. As a leader of a Board or as the Executive Director, taking the opportunity to “recharge or fill your tank” will keep you inspired and focused as you travel the demanding road of creating a better world for those your organization serves.

Anne Ruwet is a recently retired Chief Executive Officer of a multi-million-dollar agency. Anne is intimately acquainted with the financial governance, service delivery and workforce challenges nonprofit leaders are faced with on a daily basis. Having served as a leader in the nonprofit realm for more than three decades, she is now sharing her experience and insights with others through her own consulting service. Anne also served as a CT State Representative for six years and continues her civic service in municipal government as a City Council member.

Friday, May 8, 2020

Develop assumptions and evaluate the implications of each assumption, including financial ramifications. Learn to run different financial models to help plan now and in the future.

Friday, May 1, 2020

Communication with all your constituents is vital. How frequently should you communicate and how? What tone of voice is most effective, and how can you communicate most authentically?

Friday, April 24, 2020

Every board and every board member should be stepping up to help the nonprofits they serve weather the storm and stay on course. Learn what board members can take on right now.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Your Business Continuity Plan (BCP): Is it in place? There is still time to look at it.
Preparing a BCP will help you evaluate scenarios now, raise funds, and plan for a successful re-emergence later. Know what resources are available and how to plan when you don't know what lies ahead.

Friday, April 17, 2020

Should you be fundraising now, or cultivating your donors? What is the best fundraising approach? How can you best engage with your donors and what should you be doing, so you can raise funds later?