AGENDA
Click the link below to view the full agenda for the 2025 Nonprofit Summit of the Midlands!
Session Descriptions
Session details will be added below as they are available. Click the + sign to view all details for a specific session.
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: TBA
Session Description:
Session Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
Location: TBA
Session Description:
Session Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
Location: TBA
Session Description:
Session Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
Location: TBA
Session Description:
"Innovation with Empathy: Designing Solutions That Matter" with Dr. Stephanie Kidd is not your typical lecture—it's a hands-on, thought-provoking session where participants will roll up their sleeves, challenge assumptions, and discover how to turn good ideas into real-world impact.
At the heart of this session is a simple but powerful shift: moving from solving problems in the abstract to designing solutions with and for the people who are most affected. Inspired by the National Science Foundation's I-Corps framework, this workshop introduces practical tools for framing research and innovation projects around the needs, motivations, and experiences of real stakeholders— whether you're launching a startup, developing a new program, or refining a research proposal.
We'll kick things off with a fast-paced group brainstorm to uncover common blind spots in how we approach innovation. Then, in small breakout groups, you'll take on a mini challenge—reframing a real-world problem from the perspective of a user or community member. You'll tap into storytelling, empathy mapping, and simple customer discovery techniques to shift how you define success.
Expect lots of discussion, fresh insights, and a few "aha!" moments. Along the way, we'll keep things interactive with guided prompts, live polls, and open sharing. This is a space for curiosity, collaboration, and a little creative discomfort—the good kind that leads to growth.
Session Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Location: TBA
Session Description:
As nonprofits evolve, so do leadership responsibilities, and one of the toughest transitions is learning how to lead people who lead others. Many senior leaders find themselves supervising managers or department heads without clear guidance on how to support, develop, and hold them accountable, without stepping into micromanagement. This session provides practical tools to help nonprofit leaders strengthen their middle layer. We’ll explore common pitfalls including blurred roles, inconsistent oversight, and unclear decision-making, and introduce a simple framework focused on direction, development, and distance. Participants will learn a check-in model that promotes clarity, accountability, and confidence across teams. This session helps leaders move from hands-on management to developing others who can lead with confidence.
Session Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
Location: TBA
Session Description:
The new year has brought a wave of change—and with it, new challenges for nonprofit leaders and communities. 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 Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
Location: TBA
Session Description:
Is your nonprofit ready for what's next? Discover how strategic succession planning is a powerful tool for stability and mission impact that promotes equitable retention. This interactive session challenges traditional approaches, positioning your people as the most crucial part of your agency’s success.
Agency and board leaders will learn to:
- Craft equitable retention strategies that foster growth and define clear career paths.
- Implement robust succession plans to minimize disruption during staff transitions.
- Design a streamlined executive transition framework for seamless leadership changes.
You will leave with actionable strategies, practical tools, and customizable templates to develop your comprehensive plans.
Session Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
Location: TBA
Session Description:
If you’ve ever left a meeting wondering, “What just happened and why did it take an hour?” this session is for you. Meetings are notorious for draining time and energy, but it doesn’t have to be this way. In this lively and practical session, we’ll dissect the common pitfalls that make meetings miserable, whether you’re in a conference room or on a video call, and reveal proven strategies to make every meeting purposeful, productive, and (dare we say) enjoyable. Say goodbye to wasted hours and hello to meetings that actually get things done!
Session Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM
12:45 PM - 1245 PM
Location: TBA
Keynote Description:
In times of uncertainty and rapid change, building Communities of Care is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. This keynote with Satonya Fair, CEO of PEAK Grantmaking, explores how creating communities of care and collaboration are deeply interconnected, showing that the power to rise is built not in isolation, but in community. When Satonya took on the imperative to nurture the community of grants professionals at PEAK, she came anchored in equity, knowing that she had to lead with values and that strengthening the ability to connect and build community around our principles and values would be everything. Today, PEAK celebrates and creates spaces for 9,000 grants professionals to collaborate, learn, and grow across identities, affinities, and geographies. In this keynote, we'll discuss how honoring our values must shape everything from strategy to fundraising, and how innovation, AI, and other tools must serve—not lead—our missions. With a clear-eyed focus on inclusion, equity, and shared leadership, we’ll examine how to break down silos, adapt with flexibility, and form a “coalition of the willing” committed to meaningful, values-driven impact. The resources are here; the moment is now.
Session Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
1:45 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: TBA
Session Description:
When employees resign, it's often worth asking: are they running from something or moving toward something better? The role of a supervisor is both challenging and rewarding, requiring a balance between micromanagement and effective delegation. Retaining highquality employees is not only difficult but also essential for long-term success and cost-efficiency. Understanding what motivates and inspires your team is just as important as the guidance you provide. In fact, the ability to learn from those you supervise can have a profound impact on team dynamics and performance. In this session, participants will explore various leadership styles and learn the essential skills that define successful supervisors and managers. Many supervisors are unaware of how their leadership style and skill set affect those around them. Gaining insight into your own leadership approach is a critical step toward becoming a more effective and empowering supervisor.
Session Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
Ana Lopez Shalla, Working Ventures
Stan Odenthal, Working Ventures
Emily Adams, Ph.D., Inclusion Analytics
Speaker TBA
Location: TBA
Session Description:
As funding streams shift and uncertainty grows, organizations must clearly demonstrate value and return on investment (ROI) to secure support. This advanced session, led by consultants specializing in strategic planning and evaluation, is designed to help mission-driven leaders—especially from smaller organizations—build internal capacity for data-driven storytelling.
Drawing on real-world experience, facilitators will share accessible frameworks for identifying, interpreting, and reconciling data to create funder-ready impact narratives. Participants will examine common barriers, learn how to synthesize data meaningfully, and practice articulating outcomes in ways that resonate with funders and stakeholders.
The session emphasizes practical strategies, peer learning, and tools that make data approachable, even for those without technical backgrounds. Attendees will leave with greater confidence and clarity in using data to communicate their organization’s strategic value and impact in today’s evolving funding landscape.
Session Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
Location: TBA
Session Description:
Discover practical techniques to cultivate inner peace, effectively manage stress, and improve your overall well-being. This session emphasizes actionable strategies, including deep breathing exercises for nervous system regulation and relaxation, mindful movement practices, and the development of positive self-talk to reframe negative thoughts, fostering emotional balance and inner harmony. Furthermore, engaging in joyful and immersive activities such as creative expression, nature connection, or hobbies significantly enhances inner peace and resilience. Participants will acquire practical tools and valuable perspectives for navigating modern challenges with increased resilience. Through interactive exercises, you will learn concrete steps and receive practical guidance to integrate these techniques into your daily life.
Session Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
Location: TBA
Session Description:
Most storytelling sessions tell you WHY stories matter. This one shows you HOW to tell them better. In this fast-paced, hands-on workshop, you’ll learn Pixar’s simple yet powerful storytelling formula and use it to rewrite one of your own nonprofit’s stories on the spot. You'll walk away with a repeatable framework that makes any story more emotional, more memorable, and more likely to inspire action, whether it's for an appeal, a speech, or your next social post. No fluff. No jargon. Just a clear, proven method that helps your mission stick.
Session Survey: coming soon!
Session Materials: coming soon!
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: TBA
Session Description:
From shifting political dynamics and executive orders to a volatile stock market and economic uncertainty, nonprofits are under intense pressure across all funding streams. While we’ve weathered crises before – most recently during the pandemic – this moment feels different and even more complex.
In today’s ever-shifting environment, creating “good, bad, and worse” budget scenarios feels nearly impossible. Yet leaders must be ready to make strategic decisions in the face of ambiguity.
This closing session is designed to help you update your scenario planning approach. We’ll explore the key drivers of your organization’s business model and how to prepare for unexpected funding shocks. Through a focus on revenue streams, reserves, cost structures, and mission impact, you’ll gain tools and a mindset to make confident decisions—even with limited information—and protect what matters most: your mission – no matter the scenario.