Workshops

BIOGRAPHY

Mary Gladstone-Highland founded Spark Group Consulting, a fundraising and strategy firm for nonprofits. Mary is a Certified Nonprofit Professional with eighteen years of experience leading organizations. Mary is a graduate of the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She holds a Master of Public Administration and an Advanced Study in Conflict and Collaboration Certificate. She is also a Certified Fund Raising Executive who wrote the Amazon best-selling book Grant Writing: The Complete Workbook for Writing Grant Proposals that Win. Mary is skilled at analyzing large amounts of information to find creative solutions to complex problems. She strives to use an asset-based approach in every situation.

Workshop

• Title: Navigating the Storm: Strategies for Success in Rapidly Changing and Competitive Fundraising Environments
• Description: In today's ever-evolving fundraising landscape, organizations face unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Join our exclusive webinar, "Navigating the Storm: Strategies for Success in Rapidly Changing and Competitive Fundraising Environments," where nonprofit fundraising coach Mary Gladstone-Highland will guide you through essential strategies to not only survive but thrive amidst the rapid shifts in fundraising dynamics.
  1. Perfecting the Basics: Crafting an Excellent Fundraising Plan Learn the fundamental elements of a powerful fundraising plan. Understand how to align your fundraising goals with your organization's mission and vision. Discover proven techniques for effective goal-setting, budgeting, and resource allocation.
  2. Diversifying Revenue Streams: Seeking Out New Sources of Support Explore innovative ways to identify and tap into diverse revenue sources. Understand the art of grant writing, corporate partnerships, and online fundraising campaigns. Gain insights into leveraging technology and social media for fundraising success.
  3. Playing the Long Game: Building Lasting Relationships with Donors Delve into the importance of relationship-building in fundraising. Explore strategies for donor recognition, appreciation, and retention. Learn how to cultivate meaningful connections that translate into sustained support for your organization.

BIOGRAPHY
Kyle Sawyer (they/them) is an anti-oppression facilitator and educator specializing in working with individuals and organizations on how to turn privilege into change. He is a trans, queer, mixed-race, white-passing individual. With over a decade of experience Kyle launched The Active-Ally Model in 2019 with the term Active-Ally, someone who witnesses injustice and responds to it in any situation. Kyle has worked with teachers, nonprofit organizations, students, therapists, social workers, community members, family members, and many others on learning how to be Active-Allies through an intersectional lens. Kyle has facilitated workshops and coached one-on-one with participants In the U.S., Spain, The Netherlands, Mozambique, and Sweden. Kyle is also a certified Continuing Education Provider through the CAMFT organization, training licensed therapists and counselors on building trans affirming practices and organizations.

Workshop

• Title: Turning Privilege Into Change
• Description: This workshop is for those who are interested in learning about a different way to address privilege and create systemic change. Participants will learn about turning privilege into change and how-to begin addressing systemic issues through an exploration of their own experiences and emotions.  
  
  

  Participants will be introduced to the Active-Ally Model: Awareness, Action, Integration; and engage an exercise to learn about and embody the Five Guiding Principles: Honesty, Grace, Vulnerability, Witness, Commitment.

  What is the Active-Ally Model?

  The Active-Ally Model responds to the question, how do you want to show up? In this moment, in this conversation, in this life. It is about transforming behavior and learning how to move through all the emotions and barriers that come from the process of change. It offers a different lens through which to do life. It asks us to live in the honesty that is not about locating truth. To, more often, exist in the space between. This lens requires sitting in the unknowing, in the discomfort of not understanding, the fear of being witnessed; it asks us to reject our understandings of right or wrong and to acknowledge and love ourselves in ways many of us have never experienced. To love others in ways many of us think we are not capable. This model asks us to hold grace for ourselves and others and to risk intimacy and embarrassment, in the pursuit of transformation and systemic change.

      

       

       

       

BIOGRAPHY

Betsy Leondar-Wright, PhD, coordinator of the Staffing the Mission project, has more than 30 years of experience with economic justice nonprofits. She writes and teaches about social class inequities, classism and race/class intersections. 

Workshop

• Title: Beyond Burnout: Towards Sustainable Nonprofit Jobs
• Description: In this interactive workshop, participants will learn more of the causes of nonprofit burnout and solutions to increase staff satisfaction and retention. We will draw on the groups' own experiences to understand what makes a job into a burnout job. The presenters will highlight problematic and sustainable practices in four areas of nonprofit operations; participants will pick one of the areas to discuss in breakout groups. By the end of the workshop, everyone will have concrete next steps for making their organization more worker-friendly.