Welcome & Introductions

Nonprofit Leadership Is A Team Sport

Kristi Halford (c3 Visionary Strategies)

Nonprofit leadership is a team sport. It doesn’t matter if the organization is led by paid or volunteer staff, the board of directors has a legal and fiduciary responsibility to ensure the organization is sustainable and thrives. Do you understand the role of the board and governance best practices?

In this session, attendees will:

• Gain an understanding of the role of the board
• Learn basic governance best practices
• Discover risks associated with poor governance

Staying Ready Without Burning Out

Gertha Jean (OWIG Risk Management)

Staying Ready Without Burning Out is an interactive, storytelling-based session for nonprofit leaders who feel like everything is urgent and the pressure never stops.

Using the Hansel and Gretel story as a simple way to explain leadership under pressure, this session shows how leaving clear “breadcrumbs” can help guide decisions when things get messy.

Instead of adding more work to already full plates, the presentation introduces a people-first approach built around prevention, preparation, and protection. These three leadership habits help reduce chaos, ease decision fatigue, and protect both the mission and the people behind it.

Through real-world examples and guided reflection, attendees walk away with practical tools to spot small issues early, improve communication and decision-making, and stay ready for the unexpected without burning out.

If It Isn’t Easy, They Won’t Do It.

P.J. Chambers (WebIXI)

Your supporters are busy—and even small frustrations can stop them from taking action.

From making a donation to signing up for a newsletter or registering for an event, every extra click, confusing form, or unclear message creates friction. This session dives into the real-world impact of user experience (UX) on nonprofit marketing and fundraising—and why simplifying the journey is one of the fastest ways to increase conversions without increasing your budget.

Designed for nonprofit professionals who want practical wins, this session will explore how donors, volunteers, and stakeholders actually interact with your website—and where they’re getting stuck. We’ll show how to use free, accessible tools like Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity to uncover hidden barriers, observe real user behavior, and focus your attention on the issues that truly matter (not just the ones that feel loud internally).

Attendees will learn how to identify common objections and friction points, prioritize fixes that move the needle, and test improvements with confidence—whether your goal is more donations, more sign-ups, or more engagement overall. No advanced technical knowledge required—just a willingness to look at your website through your users’ eyes.

If you’ve ever wondered why people start but don’t finish taking action on your website, this session will give you the clarity, tools, and mindset to make doing the right thing effortless for your supporters.

Building Better Teams:  A Hands-On Exploration Of Personality Styles

Joe Wyrwas (Wyser with Joe, LLC)

In this interactive workshop, participants will explore four distinct personality styles through a fast-paced LEGO-based activity designed to highlight how people think, communicate, and collaborate differently.

Using an accessible framework inspired by established personality research, attendees will discover their preferred interaction style and how to work more effectively with those who approach the world differently.

Whether you’re driven by logic, connection, structure, or spontaneity, this session will provide insight into what makes teams tick and how to build stronger ones.

Key Takeaway Points:

• Discover your dominant interaction style using a simple 4-group personality framework.
• Learn how different types approach problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.
• Recognize potential friction points between personality styles and how to work through them.
• Practice adapting your style to better connect with others in real time.

Lunch

Planned Giving Campaigns Panel Discussion

• Moderator:
  • Breanna Hill (APGFCU)
• Panelist:
  • Marie-Yves Nadine Jean-Baptiste, Esq (The Saint Yves Law Firm)
  • Cindy Skilton (19th Hole Wealth Strategies)
  • Sarah Karantonis (Upper Chesapeake)

Protecting The Mission:  Risk Management

Jebb Lacey (Wilson Oliver Agency)

Your mission is too important to leave exposed.

Nonprofit leaders juggle countless responsibilities—but risk management and insurance often live quietly in the background… until something goes wrong. This practical, plain-language session is designed to demystify insurance and risk management for nonprofit executive directors, board members, and senior leaders—without the sales pitch.

Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how nonprofit insurance really works, including the core coverages every 501(c)(3) should understand, as well as risks and policies unique to mission-driven organizations. More importantly, we’ll explore how your programs, policies, and operations are viewed by insurers—and how thoughtful preparation can help reduce premiums, strengthen coverage, and position your organization more favorably when shopping or renewing insurance.

This session goes beyond theory. Participants will receive hands-on worksheets to evaluate their current risk profile, identify gaps, and uncover opportunities for improvement—tools you can immediately bring back to your board, leadership team, or insurance broker for more productive conversations.

If you’ve ever felt unsure whether your organization is properly protected—or frustrated by insurance conversations that feel confusing or reactive—this session will empower you with clarity, confidence, and actionable next steps to help safeguard your mission for the long term.

What Your Board Members Wish You Told Them Panel Discussion

• Moderator: 
  • Vanessa Milio (CEO & Owner, Coach Lead Guide)
• Panelist:
  • Jeff Bathurst (Founder and Principal, JB Strategic Technology Services LLC)
  • Mary Hastler (CEO, Harford County Public Library, 
    Harford County Cultural Arts Board)
  • Quinton Askew (Founder, Conscious Minds Foundation)
  • Allyn Finegold (Founder & President, Full Glass Consulting, LLC)
  • Rachel McFadden (Left Brain and Co-Founder, Drio, LLC)

Announcements, Thank You For Attending