What Now?: Succession Planning and Navigating Loss During Transition

Join Mary Beth Collins, Executive Director of the UW-Madison Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies, for a session on preparing nonprofits for the inevitable: leadership transition. We'll explore how organizations can build resilience for unexpected changes in leadership and develop succession plans that guide action during major transitions.

Participants will reflect on the emotional and cultural impact of loss or change on individuals and teams, and exchange experiences with peers about organizational transitions and where their own organizations stand on succession planning and resilience.

The session will close with actionable next steps to help your organization navigate uncertainty and future transitions with confidence.

Dance with Me and Show Me the Money: Building the Perfect Gala

Presenter: Eric Salzwedel
10:00–11:30 AM | Sustainability Room | Financial Track

A beautiful event is great—but a nonprofit fundraiser also needs to produce meaningful results. Eric Salzwedel brings decades of nonprofit, charitable giving, community engagement, and event-production experience to this hands-on conversation about creating fundraising events that actually advance your mission. Participants will explore how to align event goals, sponsorships, donor engagement, programming, expenses, and revenue so that every part of the experience works together. Eric will challenge organizations to think beyond decorations and attendance numbers and focus on what makes an event financially and strategically successful. Whether you host an annual gala, community fundraiser, donor celebration, or are planning your first major event, this session will help you approach it with greater intentionality. The room can be beautiful, the program can be memorable, and the food can be incredible—but at the end of the night, can you show me the money?

Beyond Volunteers: Building an Empathetic and Equitable Volunteer Program

Presenter: Noah Reif
10:00–11:30 AM | Innovation Room | Staff Innovation Track

From board members to community volunteers helping programs run, volunteers are often the lifeblood of nonprofit organizations. But strong volunteer programs require more than recruiting people to fill available roles. In this 90-minute guided workshop, Noah Reif will introduce participants to empathy mapping as a practical tool for better understanding the needs, motivations, experiences, and barriers of both new and longtime volunteers. Attendees will examine how volunteer opportunities are designed and whether organizational practices unintentionally make participation harder for some community members. The conversation will explore recruitment, retention, accessibility, belonging, and creating volunteer experiences that are meaningful for both the organization and the individual. Participants will leave with new ways to build volunteer programs where people do more than show up—they feel connected to the mission and valued as part of the community.

Reimagining Board Leadership and Organization Structure: What Is Fiscal Agency?
Strong governance creates strong organizations. Explore how boards can become more strategic, engaged, and mission-focused while learning how fiscal agency can expand programming, strengthen partnerships, and increase funding opportunities. Whether you're a board member or executive leader, this session will help you build an organizational structure designed for long-term sustainability and growth.

"Money Comes to Me": Manifesting Grants, Investments and Donations

Presenter: Zandra Hagberg
1:00–2:30 PM | Sustainability Room | Financial Track Part 2

Where is the money going to come from next? Zandra Hagberg challenges nonprofit leaders to move beyond constantly chasing the next grant and begin thinking more strategically about how organizations position themselves for investment. Drawing from more than a decade of nonprofit development and organizational strategy experience, along with her financial-sector background, Zandra will explore grants, donors, corporate relationships, investments, partnerships, and diversified revenue. Participants will examine how authentic relationships, demonstrated impact, organizational readiness, and confidently making the ask all influence whether people choose to invest in a mission. This session is designed to expand how nonprofit professionals think about attracting and sustaining resources in an increasingly competitive funding environment. Because getting to the money is not simply about finding another application—it is about becoming an organization people want to invest in.

"Money Comes to Me": Manifesting Grants, Investments and Donations
Funding follows organizations that communicate vision, demonstrate impact, and build authentic relationships. This empowering session combines practical fundraising strategies with a mindset of abundance, helping participants identify new funding opportunities, strengthen grant proposals, cultivate major donors, and position their organizations for long-term financial success.