Presented by:
Adrienne Schwarte
Maryville College, Professor of Art/Design, Coordinator of Sustainability Studies Minor, and Chair for the Division of Fine Arts
&
Mark O’Gorman
Maryville College, Professor of Political Science and Coordinator of the environmental Studies Program

Description

So often we look for ways to collaborate in the expected places. Many times, however, it is the unique or unexpected partnerships that have proved to be some of the most impactful and successful.  For example, Microsoft and the WNBA teaming up to provide STEM education for young women or the ASOS clothing line and GLADD (LGBTQ+ Non-Profit) to create apparel for the Together Movement which focuses on fighting discrimination. Or TN solar power installers starting to partner with conservative and even MAGA organizations.  Like these partnerships, it is also surprising to see a political science and art/design professor team up to focus on educating about environmental sustainability and climate change; impactful work for almost two decades now. This work has connected and supported numerous local non-profits in the environmental sector, farmer’s markets, eco-friendly outdoor adventure companies, environmental and racial justice groups and community centers, campus-based recycling and composting programs, private community schools, and public school districts with culmination in leading a two-year environmental education grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA-EE) supporting Title 1 local schools and communities with underrepresented populations in Appalachia, educating over 3,700 community members and students. This presentation aims to provide examples of how to build unique and interdisciplinary partnerships that serve in symbiotic ways to create lasting change that is desired by the communities they share (Say Now and How, Not No).  This presentation will help attendees brainstorm and explore unique or unexpected partnerships to support their communities’ issues and challenges. 

What you’ll learn:

• Demonstrate effective examples of unique and interdisciplinary symbiotic partnerships between university, community, non-profits and public-school districts

• Assist service leaders in how to explore unique and unexpected partnerships to address their communities’ issues and challenges

• Provide connections and resources for service leaders in East Tennessee to continue their work in building community and shared goals

Presented by:
Tonia Latham
Strategic Development Director for Epic Nine Marketing
&
Amy Dunaway
Executive Director of The Blount Memorial Foundation

Description

Learn how nonprofit staff and board members can work in partnership to cultivate meaningful donors relationships from first contact to lasting legacy. Join Tonia Latham and Amy Dunaway as they lead you through how donor relations is a team sport, consistency builds trust, and how to build alignment with all stakeholders.

What you’ll learn:

• How staff and board members can build solid relationships with potential donors

• How staff and board members can partner to be focused and moving in the same direction

Presented by:
Ashley Fontenot
CEO of New Hope Children’s Advocacy Center

Description

Great fundraising events do more than raise money…they connect people, strengthen mission awareness, and leave attendees feeling energized and excited to stay engaged. But behind every standout event is intentional strategy, strong leadership, and a team that feels equipped and valued.

 In this session, we will walk through a practical, people-centered approach to planning and executing standout fundraising events. We will discuss the drivers of success - from defining clear goals and building detailed timelines to communicating well and putting “aces in their places.” Using a simple framework (Purpose, Planning, People, Passion, and Presence), we will walk through steps to create experiences not with perfection, but with excellence.

 We will also review how your approach to leadership is pivotal in making the event come to life - all the “little” details from how you show up, respond to feedback, and care for your team can elevate (or limit) the outcome.  Real examples, lessons learned, and tangible tools will all be discussed and shared to help you walk away excited and ready to launch full-force into your next event.

Whether you are hosting your first fundraiser or refining a long-standing one, this session will provide practical strategies to implement as you bring your event from idea to impact!

What you’ll learn:

• Have completed some of their own detail schedule during the session

• Be comfortable applying the 5P framework to their own events so they are people-centered and mission-driven

• Leave feeling excited (not stressed) and energized (not drained) to launch into planning their next fundraising event.

Presented by:
Katelyn McGuire
Executive Director for The Tennessee Valley Coalition for the Homeless

Description

Often, nonprofit agencies are wary of participating in advocacy opportunities because of the misconception that nonprofits cannot advance solutions through advocacy. While there are some 501(c)(3) restrictions on lobbying, advocacy is a tool many nonprofits utilize to bring attention to policy gaps, address needs within their communities and for reforms, preserve funding and local resources, and more. This session will detail the difference between advocacy and lobbying, how to effectively use advocacy within your organization to effect change, and resources to lean on when incorporating advocacy into your strategic plan.

What you’ll learn:

• How to identify lobbying versus advocacy

• How to utilize advocacy to effect change within your nonprofit

• Resources for advocacy training, information, materials, and more.

Presented by:
Scott Payne
Outreach and Support Manager for Contact Care Line

Description

Listening is a skill which is often taken for granted.  Research shows that the majority of our time spent listening is in preparing a response at the cost of deeper understanding. This interactive discussion of the active listening model will provide participants with the opportunity to consider what may be gained through attentive, empathetic, active listening. We will learn that active listening can improve everything from work satisfaction to mental health. We will discuss how the active listening model is used in crisis intervention and how that same model can help us grow and improve satisfaction in our daily lives.

What you’ll learn:

• The four stages of the Active Listening Model

• How to listen and what to say to someone in crisis

• Be comfortable using the Active Listening Model in your everyday life

• Improve communication effectiveness and efficiency

Presented by:
Wil Davenport
Developing Leaders Facilitator and Speaker at It Begins Within

Description

As leaders, how we look at challenging situations dramatically impacts our response. A healthy, realistic framing improves not only our attitude, but activates our best and most creative thinking. We literally become better equipped to handle what feels so difficult. Do you want to become a reframing wizard? You can.

What you’ll learn:

• How your thoughts can change the structure of your mind.

• The research on Cognitive Reappraisal and its impact.

• Practice in reframing a variety of challenges.

Presented by:
Ken Wells
Trainer/Consultant at Calibrate Consulting

Description

Change is constant — but successful change is strategic. This dynamic workshop equips service leaders with the framework needed to design and lead change with high confidence and far less friction.

Drawing on the Six Sources of Influence, participants learn to define a goal, diagnose what's blocking change and design change strategies that actually stick. The workshop blends proven behavioral science with hands-on application, guiding participants through their own workplace change scenario.  Attendees leave with a first-pass change plan for a workplace change topic and the knowledge to create a fine-tuned change plan to drive tangible deliverables afterwards.

Whether you're managing a major organizational initiative or navigating everyday resistance, this results-focused workshop transforms change from something that happens to your team into something your team is built to lead.

What you’ll learn:

• Don’t fight the 8 Dynamics of Change; leverage them for your advantage.

• Diagnose what may keep people from changing then design a change plan that makes the old way impossible and the new way inevitable.

• Create a project plan to implement, measure, and adapt until your goal is realized.

Presented by:
David Griffith
Owner of David Griffith Coaching

Description

We work tirelessly in organizations to connect to the people we are trying to help. Then we work diligently to create a system that works. One that meets the needs of the client, that flows with the staff, that volunteers can understand and follow. We create this beautiful little box with which we serve the people that we care for so much.

Along the way, we get into a rhythm that works “most of the time”. What we can miss is seeing where people are in their own story. No one likes to feel talked down to, but also, it can be hard when someone speaks over your head about something simple. Sometimes helping really does hurt. Are we making an intentional effort to assess where we are in putting projects before people?

I would enjoy an open forum conversation about areas where you see service organizations getting caught in the work instead of the relationship. It would be great to exchange ideas and stories of where we have broken the mold to find profound relational engagement. Most of all, I would love to explore together how we can build deeper relationships in our serving.

What you’ll learn:

• A clear framework to evaluate whether you’re truly living out your organization’s purpose or just going through the motions of its mission statement.

• The confidence to notice and act on small, meaningful opportunities that can make a significant difference in someone’s life.

• A renewed standard for connection—how to intentionally make people feel seen, valued, and genuinely part of something meaningful.

• A commitment to elevate both personal and organizational impact through deeper, more human-centered engagement.

Presented by:
Margaret Dillon
Sherpa Consulting USA

Description

Successful nonprofits make fundraising look easy - like they are a magnet for grants and large donations.  But what is their secret?
 
With our busy schedules, what activities should we focus on to ensure growth?  How do we plant seeds that will truly grow into increased income, help us flourish, and live out our mission? Learn some practical fundraising strategies to overcome your roadblocks, cultivate real financial growth, and make an even more powerful impact.

What you’ll learn:

• Identify and confront a key roadblock to financial growth

• Understand the core components of a strong nonprofit and evaluate how your organization measures up

• Identify actionable steps to increase your income

Presented by:
Stefan Wilson
Owner of Allevia Technology

Description

How can using AI enable your nonprofit to increase its impact without increasing headcount? Join Stefan Wilson, Benevolent Overlord of Allevia Technology, as he shares what it's like to invest in AI tools and processes and what results you can expect to see. He'll share practical tips that you can use TODAY to use AI beyond just asking ChatGPT.

What you’ll learn:

• How to to use AI securely to protect mission data and confidential information

• 5 steps you can take when you get back to the office on Monday to see immediate ROI

Presented by:
Niklas Trzaskowski
Director of the Career Center for Maryville College

Description

This workshop provides leaders with an opportunity to rethink and redesign one of the most exciting aspects of leadership, the staff meeting. Do your staff meetings feel unproductive or overly time-consuming? Do you want them to be more engaging and meaningful for your team? In this session, participants will work collaboratively to explore strategies for more effective staff meetings. Leaders will leave with practical ideas they can apply immediately in their own teams.

What you’ll learn:

• New ways to engage your team during staff meetings

• How to exchange ideas and insights with fellow leaders in the room

• Leave feeling reinvigorated and equipped to lead more focused, effective meetings beyond just staff meetings