9:00-9:30AM Registration & Networking 9:30-10:00AM Opening Session 10:00-10:15AM Networking Break 10:30-11:45AM Morning Breakouts The Fundraising Engine: Building a Revenue System That Works | Witnie Martinez, Absolute Impact (Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro)
This session equips nonprofit leaders with the framework to build a high-performing fundraising engine that drives predictable revenue. You’ll leave with a clear model to strengthen your development operations, increase donor engagement, and accelerate revenue growth. How Your Best Self Translates Into Your Best Leadership | Ashley Schwader, Two Suns Consulting (Asheville)
In this interactive session, participants will explore how personal well-being, self-awareness, and intentional self-care directly influence leadership effectiveness, team culture, and organizational success. Grounded in both research and real-world nonprofit experience, this training reframes self-care as a critical leadership competency, not a luxury. Reclaim Your Time: Productivity Frameworks and Tools for Nonprofit Professionals | Mary Gallivan, Joyline Consulting (Charlotte)
This session equips you with practical productivity frameworks and proven techniques for organizing your time and leveraging tools you likely already have. You'll leave with approaches you can start incorporating immediately. Deep Tend | Rosie Molinary (Greensboro)
This self-care strategy session is designed to give participants tools to create a self-care plan to support them beyond the workshop. You'll learn about preventative and interventive self-care, stress, and burnout; review components of well-being and our approach to each; reflect on how we're feeling/doing and why; and create a gentle plan to support well-being. Leading Through Financial Uncertainty | Rebecca Coker, Cresvara Partners (Wilmington)
This session will take a closer look at how shared financial leadership shows up across your organization, shaping priorities and decisions. You'll leave with practical approaches and tools you can use right away to make confident decisions and connect your financial path forward to your strategy and values. Self Care IS a Best Practice | J'vanete Skiba, M. Ed., New Hanover Resiliency Task Force (Wilmington)
This session will provide nonprofit leaders with an overview of how our brains can "wire" us for resilience and offer skills to help participants be their best selves at home and in the workplace. By learning body-based wellness skills, professionals can create opportunities to "share their calm" with colleagues and those they serve.
11:45AM-1:10PM Lunch & Local Funders Panel (Click on locations above for details on funders in attendance) 1:15-2:30PM Afternoon Breakouts Leading Through Financial Uncertainty | Rebecca Coker, Cresvara Partners (Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro)
This session will take a closer look at how shared financial leadership shows up across your organization, shaping priorities and decisions. You'll leave with practical approaches and tools you can use right away to make confident decisions and connect your financial path forward to your strategy and values.
Beyond The Urgent Sign-On Letter: How Your Nonprofit Can Align Mission with Policy Advocacy to Make Change | Greg Borom, Western NC Early Childhood Coalition (Asheville)
This session will help nonprofit leaders move beyond thinking of advocacy as urgent emails and thinking about how to embed advocacy in your organization's DNA — aligning it with your mission and strengths just like your other programs. You'll learn how to lead your nonprofit in strategic conversations that build trust, skills, capacity, and alignment to sustain advocacy year after year.
Deep Tend | Rosie Molinary, Circle de Luz (Charlotte)
This self-care strategy session is designed to give participants tools to create a self-care plan to support them beyond the workshop. You'll learn about preventative and interventive self-care, stress, and burnout; review components of well-being and our approach to each; reflect on how we're feeling/doing and why; and create a gentle plan to support well-being. Advocacy in Action: What Nonprofits Should Know (From Both Sides of the Table) | Brian Cockman, One Sector, One Voice Triad (Greensboro)
This session will help participants understand advocacy as a long-term organizational and community practice rooted in relationships, trust, civic participation, and community voice. The discussion will focus on how organizations can gradually build advocacy into their culture, leadership structure, and community engagement strategies while remaining mission-centered and community-focused. From Charity to Democracy: Nonprofit Advocacy for Social Transformation | Sara Fletcher, MPA, QENO (Wilmington)
This session will detail how new innovations in philanthropy and nonprofit capacity building are creating opportunities to explore social issues in more transformative ways. You'll learn how data-driven programming and client-engaged advocacy can be accelerated with organizational development systems that strengthen your nonprofit's strategic thinking skills and processes. Building Resilient Fundraising: Practical Strategies for Leading, Funding, and Growing in Uncertain Times | P. Kevin Williamson, I Develop You Coaching Solutions (Wilmington)
This session is designed for executive directors, development leaders, and small teams navigating the day-to-day realities of fundraising with limited resources. Grounded in current trends and real-world experience, participants will gain practical strategies to strengthen annual fundraising efforts, deepen donor relationships, and build internal capacity across staff and board leadership. 2:45-3:00PM Closing Session | 
