2023 Conference Schedule
| Time | Fundamentals | Strategy & Messaging | Special Interests | Leadership | Donors & Funding |
| 8:00-9:00 am | Opening Session Earl Bridges | ||||
| 9:00-9:30 am | Coffee Break | ||||
| 9:30-10:30 am Session ONE | Marci Bradley: How to Succeed as a Small Shop Fundraising Team Toby Creek (48) | Patton McDowell, Lea Williams, Donté Shannon: 4 Ways to Inspire and Elevate Your Nonprofit Board of Directors 49er Green (144) | Michelle Hamilton: Your Fundraising Program Needs a Check-Up! 49er Gold (144) | Autumn Keck: The Grant Cycle: How to Elevate Your Grant Program Before You Hit Submit. Mallard (98) | |
| 11:00-12:00 pm Session TWO | Robin Taylor: Make Your Database Work For You Mallard (98) | Lori Avery, Rachel Sutherland: Shining a Light on your Organization Creating a Public Awareness Campaign to Raise Funds and Awareness 49er Gold (144) | Steve Waiksnoris, Derek Alley: Capital Campaign Accerlerator: Igniting Your Path to Success Reedy (36) | Elizabeth Freeze: Strengths-Based Leadership in Philanthropy 49er Green (144) | Lauren Williams: Launching a Major Donor Program Toby Creek (48) |
| 12:00-1:30 pm | Lynette Bell | ||||
| 2:00 pm Session THREE | Clare Jordan, Allen Burrows: Solving Dismal Donor Retention with Superior Stewardship 49er Gold (144) | Eric Tomalis: The Responsive Midset How to Build Resilient Teams and Drive Growth with Confidence Admist Uncertainty Reedy | Barbara Coury: The Nonprofit Marketplace: High Trust, Low Understanding Toby Creek (48) | Sarah Lanners Avinger, Stephanie Stenglein: You Won't Keep Your Donors if You Can't Keep Your Staff 49er Green (144) | Mariah Monique: Unleash Your Impact Through Corporate Sponsorships Mallard (98) |
| 3:00-3:30 pm | Coffee Break/Grab-N-Go | ||||
| 3:30 pm Session FOUR | Christine Casey: From Overwhelmed to Organized: Ten Strategies to Create Your Ultimate Campaign Plan 49er Green (144) | Amy Fazio: More Than a Mission, it's a Movement: 3 Steps to Build a Wildly Engaged Community 49er Gold (144) | Markeeta Stokes: Prioritizing solitude: How to unplug, reset, and recharge it Reedy (36) | Mendi Nieters, Stephen L. Smith: From Development Shop to Development Tribe: Building and Equipping a Team of Champions Mallard (98) | Matt Garner: High Net Worth Philanthropy: A Unique Perspective on Your Biggest Donors Toby Creek (48) |
Keynote Speakers
Lynette Bell is president of Truist Foundation, an organization committed to collaborating with innovative nonprofits and investing in communities to build better lives. In this role, she is responsible for leading philanthropic solutions focusing on small businesses and career pathways for historically underserved communities to help level the playing field, so all people are given equal opportunities to thrive.
Previously, Bell served as enterprise community reinvestment act officer for SunTrust now Truist, leading the community development program to support underserved communities. In her more than 30-year career with SunTrust, she held positions in operations, regulatory affairs, bank examinations, and compliance.
Bell currently serves on the board of directors of Purpose Built Communities and Living Cities Foundation as well as the President's Council for the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Manny Ohonme, chair of International Board of Directors at Sanford Health, called Bell a "difference maker" whose "commitment to make lasting change in our communities is truly inspiring."
She received her bachelor's degree in Finance from Florida State University and certification as a compliance manager from the University of Georgia and the Georgia Bankers Association.
Earl Bridges is best known as the host of the EMMY Nominated PBS travel-documentary series, The Good Road, where he and co-host Craig Martin travel the globe highlighting stories of philanthropic individuals making a difference in the most difficult situations. With more than 25 million viewers nationwide, The Good Road continues to be the most-viewed television program focused on global philanthropy.
His 25-year career in nonprofit-focused technology, storytelling, and activism, Earl Bridges has served as the President and Chief Generosity Office of Uncommon Giving. Bridges was also the founder of Good Done Great, an industry pioneer in corporate grant management, employee giving, volunteer hour tracking and employee engagement programs for large and small businesses. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, Good Done Great served more than 60 companies and over 2 million employees before being sold to YourCause in 2017. YourCause was subsequently acquired by Blackbaud in 2019 for approximately $157 million.
Throughout his career, Bridges has been a visible voice about the role of technology as a means for making sustainable change for good, and for the role of profitable corporations to a provide a triple-bottom line to their stakeholders. Bridges received a master's degree in International Business Studies from the University of South Carolina after earning his bachelor's in accounting from USC.
When he is not on the road you can find him on the water, in the woods, or tending his bee hives, but if you see him out drinking in some bar somewhere, you can be sure that he is sharing a pint with other brave technologists, passionate philanthropists, compelling storytellers and other like-minded folks.
