AGENDA
All session details & descriptions can be found on this page.
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 - 9:30 AM
Location: TBA
Join NAM staff and board members as we officially kick off the 2026 Nonprofit Summit of the Midlands! Celebrate the past year’s nonprofit achievements, enjoy special entertainment, and hear updates on the sector’s economic impact. We'll also cover key conference info and what to expect throughout the day.9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Location: TBA
Keynote Description:
In a time of profound challenges and change for the nonprofit sector, this keynote session will remind us of the power of courage, unity, and collective action. Join Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, for a call to action that highlights how nonprofits across the country are rising to meet threats with resilience, advocacy, and bold storytelling, and are keeping our communities, country, and democracy strong. Participants will leave this plenary with renewed strength, a sense of shared purpose, and the optimism that comes from knowing we are part of a powerful movement of nonprofits charting the way forward together.
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10:15 AM - 10:30 AM
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Location: TBA
Session Description:
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Location: TBA
Session Description:
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Location: TBA
Session Description:
You won't leave with a decision, or any pressure to make one. You'll leave with a self-guided tour to explore your options on your own terms.
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Location: TBA
Session Description:
Artificial intelligence is changing how organizations communicate, make decisions, and build trust. As information becomes easier to create and harder to evaluate, nonprofit leaders face a new challenge: determining what deserves their trust, attention, and action.
In this interactive session, participants will explore how AI is reshaping traditional signals of credibility and why discernment is becoming a critical leadership skill. Through real-world examples, collaborative discussion, and the practical COMPASS Framework, attendees will learn how to evaluate information, navigate uncertainty, and make mission-aligned decisions in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Participants will leave with actionable strategies, a practical decision-making tool, and one concrete step they can take immediately to strengthen trust, leadership, and responsible AI use within their organization.
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11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Location: TBA
Enjoy a delicious lunch while we celebrate leadership and impact in our sector. NAM will announce the 2027 cohorts for the Nonprofit Executive Institute and Rising Leaders Institute, and reveal the 2026 Catalyst Award awardee. Join us in honoring the individuals shaping the future of the nonprofit community.12:45 PM - 1:00 PM
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Location: TBA
Session Description:
Your website is no longer just an online brochure—it’s the front door to your mission, the center of your marketing ecosystem and one of the most powerful tools you have to inspire action.
This session is based on the updated edition of the 2018 book Captivate and Engage, by Firespring Founder, Jay Wilkinson which will be revised and released in September 2026. The session explores how nonprofit organizations can create audience-centered digital experiences that strengthen trust, deepen engagement and increase donor, volunteer and community action. Attendees will learn the most common mistakes nonprofits make with their websites and communications, what today’s audiences actually expect from an online experience and how to create messaging and content that connects emotionally while driving results.
Through real-world nonprofit examples, practical strategies and actionable recommendations, participants will walk away with ideas they can immediately implement—regardless of their organization’s size or budget.
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Location: TBA
Session Description:
As homelessness continues to rise and funding models evolve, community collaboration has become essential to meeting community needs. This session showcases how New Visions Homeless Services leverages strategic partnerships to expand outreach, housing, and supportive services despite limited resources. Participants will learn how New Visions developed a mobile food truck for street outreach through collaborations with a regional food bank, local health department, and civic organizations; launched a monthly “Laundry of Love” initiative to address basic needs and build trust; and strengthened coordination with law enforcement to improve engagement and outcomes for neighbors experiencing homelessness. The presentation will also highlight a recent partnership with Front Porch Development and Holy Name Housing Corporation, which resulted in the transfer of surplus land from New Visions’ new building site to create additional affordable housing, effectively doubling the housing impact of the project. Attendees will gain practical, replicable strategies for maximizing community assets, building cross-sector partnerships, and increasing community impact.
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Location: TBA
Session Description:
You are across the table from a major donor. The meeting is going well. You make the ask. Then they ask: "How did you arrive at that number?"
Most nonprofits cannot answer that question specifically. This session changes that.
Learn how to turn your financial reality into a story that funders trust. We will work through the three questions every sophisticated funder is asking, in person and on every grant application: How much do you need? When do you need it? What will it do?
You will leave able to diagnose where your financial discipline stands, build the artifacts that produce a credible plan, and translate that plan for the three audiences that matter most: your board, your donors, and your grantors.
Strong organizations do not apologize for their numbers. They lead with them. This session shows you how.
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Location: TBA
Session Description:
“Humans, Not Resources: Rethinking Workplace Culture” explores the urgent need to shift from traditional, compliance-driven management to a human-centered approach. Attendees will learn why empathy, psychological safety, and belonging are essential for engagement, retention, and innovation. The session provides practical strategies for fostering empathetic leadership, open communication, flexibility, and recognition, supported by real-world examples and research. Participants leave with actionable steps— including a 30-60-90 day plan—to pilot and scale people-first practices in their organizations, driving measurable business outcomes and creating a culture where people thrive.
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2:00 PM - 2:15 PM
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM
Location: TBA
Session Description:
Strengthen your team’s communication and accountability through more effective feedback. In this session, you’ll build a solid foundation for peer-to-peer feedback, including how to set clear expectations and create a culture where feedback is seen as a tool for growth, not criticism. Participants will explore what it takes to confidently give and receive feedback and learn a practical framework for navigating constructive conversations with clarity and purpose. Whether you’re looking to improve collaboration, reduce misunderstandings, or increase follow-through, this session provides actionable tools your team can immediately apply in the workplace.
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Location: Windsor III-IV
Session Description:
Join advocates as they discuss changes to SNAP because of HR 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This session will outline what these changes mean for individuals and families looking to access SNAP and other safety net programs affected by HR 1. Speakers will be able to highlight how Nebraska and Iowa have implemented changes to date and what to expect moving forward. To support this conversation, advocates will engage the audience in the power of supporting explore coalition work as a means of raising public awareness of changes and providing accountability metrics to informing elected officials of policy impacts. This session will provide opportunities to learn more from coalitions who are engaged in the advocacy space and work to share and brainstorm tactics on how to be effective with your own individual and organizational advocacy.
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Location: TBA
Session Description:
Your organization is already collecting data. The question is whether that data is telling the full story of the difference you make.
This session offers a practical framework for getting a clear picture of what you're currently measuring, what meaningful next steps might look like, and how to move from reporting activity to demonstrating impact. Through a real-world case story and a hands-on activity, attendees will explore what success actually looks like for their organization and what it would take to measure it. Whether you're just starting to think about measurement or looking to strengthen what you already have, you'll leave with a concrete next step and a field-tested tool to take back to your team. No evaluation background required.
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Location: TBA
Session Description:
In nonprofit work, we are often expected to carry everything, our teams, our communities, our missions, and sometimes even the emotional weight of the people we serve. We are told to be compassionate, resilient, innovative, and always available. But too often, that comes at the cost of ourselves.
In this honest and practical session, Candi Jones shares what it means to lead with purpose without losing your identity, boundaries, or well-being in the process. Through personal storytelling, reflection, and real leadership strategies, participants will explore how to balance compassion with accountability, navigate pressure with clarity, and create healthier, more sustainable ways of leading. This session is about redefining leadership so that caring for people also includes caring for yourself, lessons she teaches as she learns.
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3:15 PM - 4:30 PM
nationwide series of local town halls NCN hosted 20 years ago. Led by our state association members and others with local relationships and trust, these gatherings will combine structured, facilitated dialogue with hands-on
strategy-building. Summits are designed to move participants from shared concerns to a visioning stage to begin mapping out shared action.