Lessons Learned Conducting Campaigns in a Virtual World
Communications Track // 75m
With Covid vaccines now being actively deployed, it’s time for fundraisers and communicators to consider how lessons learned from the pandemic will influence future work plans. Creative Fundraising Advisors has provided counsel to several local and national nonprofit fundraising campaigns over the past year and, together with nonprofit fundraisers, we will bring forth the best virtual and hybrid strategies that can be integrated with your future campaign plans. We will focus on strategies relative to individual major donors and campaigns, such as: 1. On-line campaign cultivation events that work. 2. Keeping your leadership Committee engaged and productive. 3. The digital case for support and how to adapt it for different donor audiences. 4. Making the ask over Zoom. 5. Best practice in virtual donor stewardship.
Meagan Bachmayer, vice president, advancement and chief administrative officer, Milkweed Editions; Karen Casanova, chief development officer, Northside Achievement Zone; and Jake Muszynski, vice president, Creative Fundraising Advisors
Maximizing Milestone Anniversaries
Advancement/Fundraising Track // 60m
Whether it’s one year, five years, 10 years, 25 years or more, a milestone anniversary can be cause for a high-impact, far-reaching campaign for public awareness, fundraising, or both. And for nonprofits in particular, anniversaries present a unique opportunity to share the organization’s history and past accomplishments, as well as declare a vision for the future. And equally important, it can be a launching pad for publicly shining the spotlight on your organization as a whole–the start of a larger conversation about who you are, what you do, and why it’s important. Executing a successful milestone anniversary campaign takes foresight, planning, and a healthy dose of creativity. Using nonprofit examples, including the one-year commemoration of Second Harvest Heartland’s Minnesota Central Kitchen, we’ll share some key considerations to keep in mind going into the process that will help you get the most out of the occasion at every turn.
Briana Gruenewald, account supervisor + graphic design lead, Bellmont Partners; Megan Muske, chief development officer, Second Harvest Heartland; and Dana Nelson, principal and founder, DNC Strategies
Sudden Surge: Dealing with Unexpected Donations
Combined Track // 75m
The Minnesota Freedom Fund was a small (~$180K/year) nonprofit fighting to end cash bail when the murder of George Floyd sparked a flood of support. Over 1 million donors contributed over $40 million dollars in a matter of weeks. What happens when donors find you in a crisis, and your infrastructure is overwhelmed trying to respond? Our panel was in the heart of what happens when other organizations (Facebook, ActBlue) start using your name to raise funds, when community expectations are not only unclear but often conflicting, and what your charity needs to know to get to scale fast when the demand rises. Topics include the technology to support communications as well as the strategy around setting expectations and responding in crisis.
Steve Boland, managing partner, Next in Nonprofits; Mirella Ceja-Orozco, co-executive director, Minnesota Freedom Fund; and Jasmine RuKim, CEO and founder, Monicat Data
Round 5 Breakouts // 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
It’s More than Mere Semantics
Advancement/Fundraising Track // 60m
As grant professionals, the power in our pen—and keyboard—is real. How we choose to define and describe the communities our nonprofit programs serve has impact. Words like “at-risk” when describing a child or “homeless” for a veteran define populations by their challenges and could perpetuate longstanding stereotypes and stigmas. Join us as we discuss reframing grant proposals using strengths-based messaging and asset-based terminology that will showcase how your programs and services work toward solving the bigger issues impacting the populations you serve to build stronger and more vibrant communities without minimizing the people who use them.
Jan Castillo, president & owner, The Dotted Line Consulting and Barbara Martenson, owner, Upwords and Onwords LLC
Understanding and Practicing Digital Inclusion: Building a Plan
Combined Track // 60m
In this workshop participants will learn how to monitor and improve the digital experience of the products and services their organizations provide. Accessibility best practices will be shared, and all participants will leave with a plan and fresh tools to increase digital inclusion in their organizations.
Belo Miguel Cipriani, founder and digital inclusion strategist, Oleb Media
Unite Minnesota Connecting Health and Social Care
Technology Track // 60m
Unite Minnesota is a network of health and social care providers sponsored by CyncHealth. Partners are connected through a shared technology platform, Unite Us, which enables service providers (nonprofits, health care, public agencies, etc.) to send and receive electronic referrals, address people’s social needs, and improve health across our state. Unite Minnesota is your network to securely collaborate to holistically help the people you serve. Come to this session to learn more about how to participate and how we can work together to ensure social and clinical services are available for all Minnesotans.
Allison Alstrin, community engagement manager, Unite Us and Paul Davis, board chair/executive director, Project Got Your Back
Round 6 Breakouts // 2:30 - 3:45 p.m.
Becoming an Equity-Centered Communicator
Communications Track // 75m
When thinking about equity, communications professionals often begin by wondering if they are using the “correct” words and pictures. Especially for white communications professionals, this can often land us in dicey territory. Why? While these elements are okay initial considerations regarding equity, communicators must go deeper if we wish to develop equity-centered communications skills and practices within organizations. In this workshop the presenters will share their personal experiences and journeys in trying to center equity as communicators, including mistakes they have made and frameworks they’ve used for learning. The discussion will start with an analysis of the (typical) white communicator’s journey. It will then shift to design questions/tools to incorporate when assessing whether our communications practices both center equity and reflect an organization’s commitment to equity. In small and large group conversations, attendees will consider their thinking and “workshop” questions in real-time.
Sandra Boone, communications specialist, UMN Global Programs and Strategy Alliance and Naaima Khan, owner and principal, Create Good
Everyday Tech Innovation: Stories and Best Practices
Technology Track // 75m
People often think of innovation as futuristic, cutting-edge technology, but it doesn’t have to be—in fact, many nonprofits use existing technology to innovate in more subtle ways, implementing solutions that are often both low-cost and effective. This session will feature examples of organizations using straightforward, inexpensive technology to provide higher quality services and create opportunities to do more with less. We will also share tips for how other organizations replicate their results.
Karen Graham, managing director, Tech Impact and Kim Morgan, CEO, Prosperity Digital Marketplace LLC and United Way of Western Connecticut
Nonprofit Public Policy Success in Minnesota: Case Studies
Combined Track // 75m
Nonprofits have gone through massive changes this past year as they have worked to adjust to a new normal, modifying environments, adjusting their workforce, and maintaining services to their clients whose needs have shifted and often increased. Public policy advocacy on behalf of our organizations and the missions and clients we serve has also adapted and changed. Nonprofit organizations of all sizes need to learn from each other, work smart together, and start planning for what’s next if we want to be part of shaping the new public policy/advocacy landscape in Minnesota. Successful advocacy campaigns have utilized strategies based both on the knowledge of previous best practice along with the new experience, skills, and tools gained from the reality of the past year. In this session, we invite a panel of local nonprofit advocacy leaders to share their experiences as case studies of both lessons learned and strategies that work.
Angelica Klebsch, partner, AGK Consulting, L.L.C.; Kathy Mock, chief government affairs and community engagement officer, Animal Humane Society; Stu Silberman, senior donor advisor, Alzheimer’s Association; and Paul Spies, co-founder and legislative action team lead, Coalition to Increase Teachers of Color and American Indian Teachers in Minnesota and professor, School of Urban Education at Metro State University