Western Slope

Get ready, Western Slope! Connecting Colorado is coming your way!

Join us for engaging breakout sessions aimed at increasing the capacity of your Nonprofit Organization. We’ll also feature a dedicated track specifically tailored for nonprofit executives.

Connect with fellow nonprofit professionals in your region to exchange ideas, find solutions and celebrate successes through roundtables and panel discussions.

Register Here!

Event Agenda

Wednesday, September 25, 2024
8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Grand Junction Convention Center
159 Main Street
Grand Junction, CO 81501

Event Schedule

8:00-8:30 AM

8:30-8:50 AM

9:00-10:15 AM

10:15-10:45 AM

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM

12:00-1:00 PM

1:15-2:30 PM

2:30-3:00 PM

3:00-4:15 PM

4:15 PM

Registration and Networking

Opening Remarks

Breakout Session 1*

Networking Break

Breakout Session 2*

Lunch

Breakout Session 3*

Networking Break

Breakout Session 4*

Closing Remarks

Session Descriptions

Each breakout session will have 4 trainings to choose from. The presentation materials from each breakout session will be sent out following the event.

Breakout Session 1 (9:00-10:15 AM)

Unlock the Power of Trust, Clarity, and Action!
Marcial B. Dumlao,

Discover Strategies Enhancing Trust within Your Nonprofit Organization. Gain clarity on your organization’s mission, values, and priorities. Identify actionable tasks with the 90-day quick plan. Build connections and strengthen communications. Join Marcial Dumlao, a certified Trust Edge Leadership facilitator, for an enlightening session tailored specifically for nonprofit leaders attending the Colorado Nonprofit Association conference. With over 30 years of leadership experience spanning military and civilian sectors, Marcial excels in optimizing workforce performance while aligning values with impactful action.

To Rebrand or Not to Rebrand
Leah Goss, Good Cause Solutions

This session will explore the rationale for rebranding a nonprofit including how to
evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of renaming your organization, understanding what’s
involved in creating a new name, and developing strategies for strengthening your current brand. Based on actual case studies, a framework for action will be outlined that includes decision-making with your Board, identifying partners, anticipating costs, planning marketing and communication campaigns, and timing considerations.

Building Community Within Staff
Jessica Gemm, Gemm Consulting

The purpose of this session is to help nonprofit Executive Directors and CEOs feel less isolated, and more resilient and connected, so you can be more effective and have sustainable impact. This is a facilitated roundtable discussion limited to (10-15) participants, where we’ll establish ground rules to support an honest, healthy environment for vulnerability and identifying areas for support.

Beyond Surveys: Innovative Data Collection for Impactful Storytelling
Sterling Leija, Innovative Camp Company

In today’s competitive landscape, simply sharing heartwarming stories and beautiful photos no longer suffices to demonstrate value. Savvy donors are choosing their charity of choice with informed scrutiny. Clients need the reassurance of value added and quality. Prospective staff and volunteers want to ensure their time is respected and appreciated. Traditional surveys often yield limited responses and fail to capture meaningful insights. In this session, learn innovative and engaging approaches to gather actionable data to
effectively assess impact, evaluate program quality, enhance fundraising initiatives, strengthen donor stewardship, inform marketing materials, and increase retention. Discover how to tell a compelling story of mission delivery that resonates with your audience and sets
your organization apart in a crowded market.

Breakout Session 2 (10:45-12:00 PM)

Budgeting and Finance Impact for Non-Accountants
Mike Gemm, Gemm Consulting

This foundational session is designed to give the key elements of finance for nonprofits: impact and income, expenses and budgets, and cash flow. In this session, you will learn about how finance helps guide the impact and income of an organization. You will also learn about how expenses and budgets connect, and how to manage cash flow – all the key elements of finance inside a nonprofit organization.

The Profitable Gala Playbook
Dani Dotterosa, Auctions by Dani

Join us and walk away with your Gala fundraising strategy ready-to-go! You’ll learn all about creating a winning strategy as we dive into how pricing your tickets correctly brings the resources you need to hit your goals and equations that help us make pure profit on event night. We’ll explore the #1 underrated event planning detail that can make or break your fundraising and the mental reframe that will take your planning to the next level. Plus, we’ll dive into the non-negotiable fundraising stream every event needs and the secret to having donors ready to give big. Filled with pro tips and time for questions, this session will give you the confidence to tackle your fundraising goals.

Decoding Others & Communicating with Impact
Jahnavi Brenner, Vivid Leader

We all have our preferred ways of thinking and behaving, and we often communicate in those ways. Yet, the people around us have their own preferences. Using the Emergenetics framework, learn about distinct thinking and behavioral preferences & leverage this knowledge to increase your ability to influence, lead, and collaborate with others!

Say What?? Keys to Leadership Communication Success
Dan Prater, FORVIS

Leadership and communication go hand in hand. Whether it’s giving a speech in the boardroom, facilitating a staff meeting, or presenting at civic club, leaders must have the ability to communicate with clarity and passion in all settings. This engaging session explores various communication methods and styles, and how leaders can equip their teams to properly identify and deal with negative situations to achieve positive outcomes.The session will provide leaders with ideas and tools to help them develop problem-solving and decision-making skills to improve work culture and individual satisfaction.

Breakout Session 3 (1:15-2:30 PM)

Financial Leadership: Communicating the Financial Information that Matters
Jennifer Dombek and Joe Wagner, Your Part Time Controller LLC

Do all members of the board understand your organization’s financial position? Are your financial documents designed to foster board member understanding? Do you “have their attention?” In this session, we’ll discuss ways nonprofits can improve financial reporting to their entire board – not just the resident CPAs. We will also provide alternative presentation ideas that help direct the Board’s attention to the financial information that matters most.

Ten Ways Fundraisers are Using GenAI Today
France Hoang, Boodle.ai

France will share real-world examples and case studies showcasing GenAI applications like: personalizing donor communications at scale, using AI-powered donor files, generating fundraising ideas that align with your mission and resonate with donors, and more cutting-edge GenAI use cases that demonstrate how nonprofit staff can produce better results in less time with GenAI. You’ll walk away with practical tips on evaluating and implementing GenAI solutions for your organization. There will also be an interactive Q&A portion to get your specific questions answered.

Exploring the Future of Philanthropy: Elevating Fundraising in the Post-2020 Era
Nia Wassink and Maegan Vallejo, Team Prismatic

The challenges of 2020 placed DEIA at the core of philanthropy, highlighting the necessity for adept fundraising in the post-pandemic landscape. Gain insider knowledge as we unveil the essential keys to success, offering practical tips for navigating evolving donor behaviors, strategically employing philanthropic tools, and mastering the dynamic philanthropic terrain with a community-centered approach. Elevate your fundraising game and join us for a session that promises actionable insights and transformative strategies. Don’t miss your chance to be at the forefront of the future of philanthropy!

Innovating Board Practices: Transforming Perspectives and Frameworks
Amanda Kearney-Smith and Richard Eveleigh, Nonprofit Strategy Group

This presentation challenges the established norms of how boards conduct business and introduces concepts for innovating board governance practices. Research demonstrates that, all too often, boards lack a shared understanding of good governance, lack clear goals and accountability, and suffer from role confusion, all of which can lead to low engagement and ineffectiveness. This presentation will offer strengths-based tools and resources that support the implementation of a new framework.

Breakout Session 4 (3:00-4:15 PM)

Crafting Compelling Grant Narratives
Zebulon Miracle, Roice-Hurst Humane Society

Budgets. Deliverables. Logic models. All crucial elements of a well-written grant application. Each of these sections provide vital information to funders and provide analytical information that is needed to show a project’s need and effectiveness. Sadly, however, these often skip a program’s heart and spirit. The ability to tell a story in the program’s narrative section is just as valuable. The use of storytelling while writing a grant narrative can create engagement and connection with reviewers and have the proposal be memorable in a sea of applications. This program will illustrate creative uses in applications as well as cautionary tales.

Leveraging DHSEM Grants for Nonprofit Safety and Community Security
Ilima Kane and Mekenah Jensen, Colorado Department of Homeland Security

Join the State of Colorado’s DHSEM to explore grant programs designed to help nonprofits enhance community safety and secure their facilities. This session will provide an overview of available grants, followed by a collaborative discussion to brainstorm ideas for grant projects and actions that build resilience against hate and targeted violence. Attendees will have the opportunity to share challenges and generate solutions with the support of DHSEM experts.

Building Community Within Staff Encore
Jessica Gemm, Gemm Consulting

The purpose of this session is to help nonprofit Executive Directors and CEOs feel less isolated, and more resilient and connected, so you can be more effective and have sustainable impact. This is a facilitated roundtable discussion limited to (10-15) participants, where we’ll establish ground rules to support an honest, healthy environment for vulnerability and identifying areas for support.
This is the second session of this training to ensure all who want to participate can do so.

Leadership Development
Anna Stout, Executive Counselor Info-Tech Research Group

Join Anna Sout for an exciting session on leadership development. Anna is the owner of Transfinem Language and Cultural Services, a company dedicated to bridging cultural gaps through language and cultural training. As the President and Founder of the Foundation for Cultural Exchange, Anna initiated and oversees Grand Junction’s Sister City Program, fostering international relationships and cultural understanding. Her diverse experience in leadership, public service, and cultural exchange underscores her dedication to making a positive impact on her community and beyond.