https://www.nonprofitam.org/cnnc-attendees---2026/paige-piper
AGENDA
Session Descriptions
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM
9:15 AM - 9:30 AM
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Location: Younes Conference Center South
Session Description:
The new year has brought a wave of change—and with it, new challenges for nonprofit leaders and communities. However, how we respond is where our power lies. At Heartland Workers Center, we’ve developed a change management resource that helps us stay grounded and resilient, rooted in the understanding that while we can't control change, we can manage our response to it. In this
session, Dr. Stover will guide participants through a practical, trauma-informed approach to navigating uncertainty. Drawing from frameworks like VUCA, Nonviolent Communication, and collective care strategies, you’ll explore how to maintain focus, build emotional resilience, and support your team and community through these complex times. Walk away with tools you can immediately
apply to strengthen your leadership and mission impact.
Session Materials:
View Slides Here!
Download Handout!
Session Survey: Complete Here!
Location: Younes Conference Center South
Session Description:
Grant success doesn’t start with a great proposal - it starts with a great board.
Funders look closely at organizational governance, financial oversight, strategic clarity, and documentation before they ever read a narrative. In this practical, energizing session, grant strategists Katie LeDoux and Lindsey Johnson reveal the often-overlooked board practices that make organizations truly “grant-ready.”
Attendees will learn how board decisions influence eligibility, competitiveness, and sustainability; what funders expect boards to maintain; and the most common governance red flags that quietly weaken applications. Katie and Lindsey offer simple, actionable steps boards and executives can implement immediately to build funder trust, reduce staff overwhelm, and strengthen future proposals. If your organization wants more grant success, this session will show you how your board can lead the way.
Session Survey: Complete Here!
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Location: Younes Conference Center South
Session Description:
Nonprofits are often expected to deliver high-impact results without the ability to offer top-tier salaries—so how do you attract and retain top talent? This session explores how organizations can become a career destination by leveraging intangible benefits, strong culture, and clear organizational strategy. A core focus is how implementing a business management system like EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) creates a safe, predictable, and accountable work environment, providing staff with the structure, clarity, and consistency needed to feel grounded in emotionally demanding work. Participants will learn how to strengthen recruitment through brand reputation, build an “intangible benefits bank” including flexible leave, wellness, and professional development, and embed mental health-informed practices that reduce burnout and improve retention. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to build a resilient, high-performing team, proving that while nonprofits may not always pay top dollar, they can still attract and retain top-tier talent by building cultures where people feel valued, supported, and stable.
Session Materials: View Slides Here!
Session Survey: Complete Here!
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Location: Younes Conference Center South
Session Description:
and Nebraska Free Legal Answers, self-represented litigants can get the help needed to represent themselves. These limited scope legal services are limited in scope, in that most people will not be able to receive full-scope pro bono representation. With knowledge about the benefits and limits of different legal programs, community non-profits can make informed referrals to help those in need.
Session Materials: View Slides Here!
Session Survey: Complete Here!
Sara Wilcox, Snow-Redfern Foundation
Maya Chilese, Blue Agate Collaborative, LLC
Stephanie Vadnais, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation
Location: Younes Conference Center South
Session Description:
Session Materials: View Slides Here!
Session Survey: Complete Here!
Location: Younes Conference Center South
Session Description:
Most fundraising campaigns launch with a dollar goal and a deadline—but no cohesive story to rally donors. The result? Mixed messages, disengaged supporters, and missed potential. In this session, branding expert Lyn Wineman and fundraising strategist Ryan Strawhecker combine their expertise to help you build aligned, purpose-driven campaigns. You’ll explore strategies to clarify your message, engage your team, and foster stronger donor connections. Whether you’re planning a capital initiative, a giving day, or yearend outreach, you’ll leave with practical tools and a sharper approach to campaign success from start to finish.
Session Materials: View Slides Here!
Session Survey: Complete Here!
11:45 AM - 12:30 PM
Location:
Enjoy a delicious lunch while we prepare for our first keynote speaker of the day.12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Location: Younes Conference Center South
Keynote Description:
Comparison gets a bad reputation, but nonprofit teams are doing it every day—comparing resources, impact, and even their own value. In this engaging keynote, LaPora Lindsey offers a fresh, practical look at how comparison can actually strengthen confidence, clarity, and culture when used intentionally. Attendees will
learn a simple way to turn comparison into insight instead of pressure, helping teams communicate their value, make better decisions, and stay grounded in what matters most.
Session Materials: View Slides Here!
Session Survey: Complete Here!
1:30 PM - 1:45 PM
1:45 PM - 2:45 PM
Stephanie Vadnais, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation
Nicole Everingham, Collective for Youth
Location: Younes Conference Center South
Session Description:
Is your organization turning people away? You're not alone. New national data reveals that demand for community programs dramatically outpaces availability and Nebraska nonprofits across all sectors face similar capacity challenges. This interactive session brings together nonprofit leaders to explore how collaboration can solve what competition cannot. We'll share what we're learning from Nebraska's newly developed Youth Development Coalition: the wins, the challenges, and what we're still figuring out. We’ll also invite you to help build frameworks that work across sectors. Through small group discussions and hands-on activities, we'll collectively develop strategies to expand reach through partnership. Whoever you serve, you’ll contribute to and benefit from collaborative problem-solving with peers. Perfect for nonprofit leaders frustrated by waitlists or limited resources who are ready to experiment with new approaches. Let's learn together how collective action can create solutions no single organization can achieve alone
Session Materials: View Slides Here!
Session Survey: Complete Here!
Location: Younes Conference Center South
Session Description:
Are your workdays focused on schedules, lists, piles, and deadlines? Re-ignite and refresh through an hour of cooperative play! Incorporating noncompetitive play in your work culture can boost creativity, reduce stress, and improve well-being, ultimately increasing productivity. Join us and experience inclusive activities to spark curiosity, connection, and inspiration in your work. In this active session, you’ll learn simple tips for more engaging meetings, playful ways to manage stress, and new ideas to find fun every day. Come and play!
Session Survey: Complete Here!
Location: Younes Conference Center South
Session Description:
Do your financial reports ever feel overwhelming, unclear, or disconnected from your day-to-day work? You’re not alone. Many nonprofit leaders receive monthly reports but aren’t always sure what they mean—or what to do next.
This session introduces a practical, AI-powered approach to turning budgets and financial reports into tools for confident decision-making. Instead of reacting to numbers after the fact, you’ll learn how to proactively identify revenue gaps, test solutions, and communicate financial insights in ways that support your mission.
We’ll walk through a simple workflow that uses AI to help you build a budget, understand what’s driving your numbers, explore realistic options, and translate financial data into clear action steps. You’ll leave with examples of prompts you can use immediately to make your financial reporting more useful and less stressful.
Perfect for nonprofit leaders, program managers, and anyone responsible for a budget who wants to feel more confident using financial information to lead, not just report.
