Nonprofit Conference Presenters

Keynote Speaker

Leading Authentically: Staying True to Your North Star

8:30 a.m.

Amidst this volatile and uncertain world, there is an ever-increasing need for authentic leaders. This session will address the myths and realities of authentic leadership and provide tools, activities and strategies to become more authentic, mindful leaders. We will explore the paradox of authenticity in the workplace. You will learn to lead from your most authentic self and identify practical ways in which you can lead authentically in today’s world. Participants can expect self-reflection and practical activities to gain clarity and confidence as their most authentic selves. The keynote presenter will also share stories of her own personal journey related to the challenges and triumphs of leading authentically.

Eloiza Altoro

Principal Consultant

Eloiza has over 30 years of experience working for and with professional associations and nonprofit organizations. She is currently the Principal Consultant of Mind Redesign Consulting, a business that she founded over twenty-three years ago.

Mind Redesign provides Board governance, transition management, and organizational development services. Her specialty areas of practice include organizational change management, executive leadership development, strategic planning and facilitation, organizational assessment and evaluation, and board development and governance. She also has a master's in human services with an emphasis in management and organizational leadership. She is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and a Human Services Board Certified Practitioner (HS-BCP).

Breakout Sessions

Succession Planning: Securing Your Organization's Future

9:45 a.m.

Succession planning, at all levels, is important in establishing security and health for your organization's future. However, there are challenges to putting a succession plan in place when there is day-to-day work that needs to be accomplished. In this session, we will provide a framework to focus on the long-term. We will review case studies, so participants walk away with an understanding of what happens when you wait too long. Explore a framework to identify and recruit successors and create career development paths. Leave with ideas on how you can create security through communication to ensure a smooth transition.

Melissa Borowicz

CEO

Melissa Borowicz is the CEO and an Owner of The Utech Group. With twenty years of experience working with organizations across the U.S. and Canada, Melissa is an expert at defining corporate culture, as well as helping organizations to maximize and align their teams and people.

Nicole Smith

Senior Consultant

Nicole Smith is the Senior Consultant with The Utech Group. With over fifteen years of experience working with organizations across the country, she has a true passion for seeing people for who they are and engaging with them to create change and growth.

Radical Gratitude: Authentic Stewardship

9:45 a.m.

Donor retention is one of the most significant challenges nonprofits face. The increasing number of 501(c)(3) organizations across the country, combined with the decreasing number of donors, requires nonprofits to think differently about how to maintain and strengthen relationships with current donors. Radical Gratitude is a program implemented within the ThedaCare Family of Foundations that aligns high-level stewardship efforts with targeted constituencies. Through intentional, authentic, meaningful outreach, we'll share how low-cost strategies can make a significant difference in how donors connect with your organization.

Shane Kohl

Director of Foundations

Shane Kohl is Director of Foundations at ThedaCare Family of Foundations. His experience includes work in special events, alumni relations, annual giving, major giving, capital campaigns and planned giving.

Erin Tyink

Regional Development Director

Erin is Regional Development Director at ThedaCare Family of Foundations. She has experience in special events, annual giving, major giving and campaign initiatives and brings a passion for keeping donors at the center of her work.

Plant, Cultivate, Bloom: Endowments & Reserves

9:45 a.m.

After discussing important trends in nonprofit financial strategies, including the current economic and interest rate environment, this session will share insights on how endowments and reserves impact your organization, including their role in fundraising and development efforts. Distinguish between endowments and reserves, delving into their creation and utilization. Further explore helpful policies and strategies related to distributions and governance. Through presentation and open discussion, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of important financial tools to optimize financial sustainability.

Chris Moss

Senior Wealth Advisor

At CLA, Chris has worked with clients and organizations for more than twenty-five years. His extensive investment experience, combined with a natural curiosity about people and business, allows him to develop close relationships with his clients while serving as a thought leader for the advisory strategies of the firm.

Jon Swanson

Nonprofit Principal

Also at CLA, Jon brings over ten years of experience within public accounting with most of that time serving CLA’s nonprofit clients. While Jon mainly assists nonprofits with their audit and assurance requirements, he also serves as a resource for any regulatory, tax, and grant compliance needs as well.

Leadership Island: Identify & Prevent Leadership & Executive Isolation

9:45 a.m.

The “Leadership Island” or executive Isolation is very real and can cause anxiety, poor performance and even leadership turnover. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it can be reversed or, even better, prevented. It doesn’t only affect experienced CEOs of large organizations; it can affect all levels of leadership in organizations large and small. From those new to a leadership role to the most experienced, leadership Islands can be everywhere. This interactive breakout session will help you identify if you are on a Leadership Island, what factors play a role and how to get off the island.

Drew Richmond

Founder & President

After 20+ years in the nonprofit industry, Drew Richmond founded TwentySix Professional Coaching and Consulting to help others achieve their goals.

He has led organizations through strategic planning, mission and vision advancement, business operations, board assessment and development and fundraising initiatives. Drew has worked with and supervised hundreds of individuals and helped turn supervisors and managers into expert leaders. He has worked for some of the most highly regarded organizations in the country, as well as smaller, community-focused nonprofits.

Effective Governance Trends for High-Performing Boards

11:15 a.m.

Today’s nonprofit boards need to be as externally focused as they are internally focused. Post pandemic pivoting, heightened public scrutiny and tough competition for talent and dollars are just a few things facing nonprofits. High functioning nonprofit boards are needed, now more than ever, to tackle these issues and more. This session will present tools and guidance used to strengthen the governance capacity of nonprofit boards. The session will cover the following topics: principals of governance, nonprofit corporate structure, board roles and responsibilities, board & staff partnerships, nonprofit planning cycle, fiduciary duties and risk awareness and avoidance. Led by keynote presenter Eloiza Altoro.

Eloiza Altoro

Principal Consultant

Be Ready: Nonprofit Crisis Communication Planning

11:15 a.m.

A crisis can shake an organization to its core, causing damage to your organization and its reputation. Learn about the fundamentals of crisis communication planning and the steps to create a plan so to maintain trust and credibility when you could need it most. Hear from Bridget O’Connor, a communications strategist, and Michael Schwartz, a nonprofit executive director, who has prioritized the creation of crisis communication plans at multiple nonprofits. They will share examples of what Bridget and her team helped Michael put in place, so that you, too, can be ready if needed.

Bridget O'Connor

Owner & President

Bridget helps leaders of organizations tell their unique stories. Her company, O’Connor Connective, provides organizational strategic communication, public relations, marketing and creative services and training. Bridget and her team assist leaders aligning strategy with communication to achieve their goals.

Michael Schwartz

Consultant

Michael Schwartz has worked in nonprofit management for most of his career in positions that reflect his love of working with people with disabilities. Michael especially enjoys strategic work and has helped each nonprofit expand and thrive. Michael led the revitalization of the Volunteer Center of Brown County.

Nonprofit Budget & Finances

11:15 a.m.

If you’re involved in a nonprofit organization, you likely know the importance of budgeting. In this course, you gain an understanding of the uses and functions of budgets and how to align your mission with financial goals. We will discuss how to identify financial vulnerabilities within the organization and different cash flow management strategies. Join us on this journey to empower your organization with financial wisdom and ensure a resilient, successful future.

Briana Peters

CPA

Briana Peters joined Hawkins Ash CPAs in 2013. She is a partner in the firm’s Green Bay office and provides audit, review and tax services to nonprofit organizations. In addition, she works on audits of employee benefit plans and commercial entities. She is also the director of training for the firm.

Matt Neu

CPA

Matt Neu joined Hawkins Ash CPAs in 1999. He is a senior manager in the firm’s Manitowoc office. He provides audit, review and tax services to nonprofit organizations. In addition, he works on audits of employee benefit plans and commercial entities.

Assess Operations, Infrastructure & Strategy

11:15 a.m.

Amid A daily triage of urgent demands, nonprofit organizations and leaders often face challenges in assessing core organizational components such as operations, compliance and governance. The UW-Madison Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies offers a Foundations Workshop to guide organizations through a concise yet impactful review of their purpose and structure. Step back and consider aspects of an organization's "why, what, and how," operations, infrastructure, compliance, governance and strategy. Attendees gain insights into how to prioritize needs and receive a toolkit for in-depth team review and discussions.

Mary Beth Collins

Executive Director

Mary Beth Collins is a teacher, attorney, executive, presenter and author.

Her career has focused on the third sector (including nonprofit organizations, community-based efforts, and a range of purpose-based organizations) and civic health. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the UW-Madison Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies, working with a team of students, staff and other collaborators to advance the Center’s research, teaching and outreach.

Advocacy as a Tool to Advance Your Mission

1:30 p.m.

Many nonprofits overlook advocacy despite discovering harmful laws or policies affecting their mission. This session aims to address the widespread absence of advocacy in nonprofit sectors, emphasizing the need for deep conversations in boardrooms. Advocacy is a potent tool for mission advancement; it combines legislative lobbying, non-partisan activities and direct services. The session targets nonprofits new to advocacy, offering insights on its importance, legal allowances, barriers and roles for board and staff members. Discover entry points where advocacy already exists in your organization. Attendees will leave with a toolkit and actionable steps for integrating advocacy into their organizations.

Frank Martinelli

President

Frank Martinelli has over 40 years of work, training and consulting experience with a wide range of nonprofit and public sector organizations. He is president of the Center for Public Skills Training.

He specializes in strategic planning, governing board development, organizational capacity building for advocacy and systems change, and development of community partnership and alliances. Beginning with a TEDx talk on social change and nonprofits in 2016, Frank also provides resources and network building opportunities to help nonprofits deepen their impact at the underlying systems level, thereby creating more permanent solutions to community problems.

Successful Marketing: What's the Game Plan?

1:30 p.m.

Successful marketing tactics can create a comprehensive strategy that effectively reaches and resonates with your target audience, builds strong relationships within the community, maximizes your advertising reach, and utilizes specialized skills for optimal results. In this breakout session, learn why all of the tactics listed above are crucial components to gaining attention, in all the right places.

Lindsay Harrison-Eirich

Owner & President

Lindsay Harrison-Eirich is the owner and president of Engaged Marketing Co., a marketing agency founded in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Since 2013, Lindsay has transitioned the company from including social media marketing expertise to

incorporating strategic marketing planning, web development, graphic design and promotional products. Prior to starting Engaged Marketing Co., Lindsay went to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and obtained her bachelor's degree in marketing and minor in Spanish. Having a background in event planning and hospitality, she gained a multitude of experience in event planning and channel marketing before becoming an entrepreneur and starting her own legacy as a business owner, relationship builder and community leader.

Masterful Tactics to Building & Keeping Your Dream Fundraising Team

1:30 p.m.

This session caters to executive directors, leadership teams and board members aiming to maximize their fundraising teams in today's competitive philanthropic landscape. Explore topics from job description essentials to effective hiring practices, qualities to seek in development professionals, strategic involvement of fundraisers in decision-making and insightful reporting. Learn to establish priorities, utilize metrics and support your team. All fundraising professionals are welcome to join us to empower your fundraising efforts and initiate conversations with your ED about achievable expectations and support.

Cara Gosse

Nonprofit Consultant

With an unwavering commitment to the nonprofit sector, Cara Gosse has had a 24-year career in the industry, dedicated to driving impactful change. Her expertise spans higher education, human services and healthcare.

Jennifer Allen

Nonprofit Consultant

Jen Allen began her 20-year fundraising career in higher education, where she established her expertise in annual giving and major gifts. She transitioned into leadership fundraising roles with large community-based nonprofits, overseeing and guiding development teams.

Leveraging Workplace Culture for Retention

1:30 p.m.

Let's face it, competing for talent is tough for all employers, but it's even tougher for nonprofits! Stress and burnout across the sector are at an all-time high. Rapid change and ongoing uncertainty have employees feeling less connected than ever. Understanding what motivates employees to stay is essential to your employee engagement and retention strategy. In this workshop you will learn: the difference between culture and engagement, what factors motivate employees to stay, a way to measure your culture and organizational strategies that engage your team and board in building an intentional culture at your nonprofit.

Lisa Kogan-Praska

President & CEO

Lisa is the President & CEO of the United Way Fox Cities.With over 25 years in nonprofit and healthcare leadership, Lisa has a passion for working together to build stronger, healthier communities.

Prior to joining the United Way, Lisa was the CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Bay & Lakes Region. She has also served as the CEO of Catalpa Health, a nonprofit dedicated to improving access to mental health care for youth. Her experience leading rapid growth organizations has given her a solid foundation in leadership, collaboration, strategic planning, community engagement, and culture optimization.

Generative AI for Nonprofits

Closing 3 p.m.

AI isn't just for sci-fi movies anymore; it's real, and it is here. If you can't decide whether AI is a cool futuristic tool or a robot plotting to take your job, take a breath. AI has potential, especially when it comes to grant writing and fundraising. Whether you're dipping your toes into the AI pool for the first time or a seasoned enthusiast, this session's got you covered. We'll dive into best practices, tips and tricks, and hands-on applications. It doesn’t matter if you are part of a big team or a solo fundraiser, AI's ready to be the coworker you never knew you needed. This session will spark curiosity and boost your confidence in utilizing AI for fundraising and grant writing.

Kate Morrow

Grant Writer

Over the years, Katie has worn many hats, from development director and grant writer to grant coordinator and administrator. Today she can be found writing grants—lots of them— for Loving Venti, LLC as a content writer.

Catherine Pederson

CEO

Catherine has over seventeen years of experience empowering people to make a difference in their community. She is the CEO of Loving Venti, LLC, a nonprofit consultant, and an adjunct lecturer at UW-Milwaukee in the Helen Bader School of Nonprofit Management.

Register for the Conference

The second annual Nonprofit Conference takes place on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. All levels of nonprofit professionals are invited—entry level to Executive Director. Last year the conference sold out, so register early!

Join the Waitlist

Need Guidance?

If you need additional guidance, please contact Kayle Petitjean, Office of Professional Continuing Education, at professionaled@uwgb.edu or (920) 465-2642.

Email Us