The 13th annual Drury University Nonprofit Leadership Conference takes place 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield, Mo. All sessions will feature in-person presentations. Individuals with relevant presentation proposals are encouraged to submit them for consideration.
Nonprofit organizations must be bold in establishing processes and practices that successfully connect the institution’s mission and services to people, resources, and ideas. Transformative connections emerge in organizations where there is a focus on communication, community, continuity, and collaboration. We like to think of these “connective” elements as the “four C’s” and much like the game Connect 4, success is achieved when these pieces line up in a meaningful way.
“Connect For” is the 2024 conference theme and invites attendees to consider what they are “connecting for” as they fulfill their respective roles as nonprofit leaders, team members, board members, and volunteers.
Track 1: Leadership and Governance
This track serves executive directors and other leaders who make the daily decisions that shape organizational success. We are interested in proposals that address the leadership skills and competencies needed in today’s nonprofit sector, best practices that connect mission and program outcomes, emerging trends that affect nonprofits, including employee recruitment and retention, leadership and board development, and case studies that illustrate successful adaptation and innovation in the nonprofit sector.
Track 2: Fundraising and Development
This track serves individuals whose activities support the financial health and sustainability of the organization, including development and fundraising staff, executive directors, CEOs, volunteers, and board members. We are interested in proposals that provide fresh insights on planned and monthly giving programs, major donor outreach, business models that may strengthen the resiliency of not-for-profits, innovative fundraising tools that spark connections with new donors, refocusing campaigns to create engagement and giving, strategies for diversifying funding sources, and blueprints for retaining first-time donors.
Track 3: Communication and Marketing
This track serves individuals who are responsible for the organization’s outreach to its various audiences – donors, volunteers, staff, board members, corporate sponsors, government officials, and the public. We are interested in proposals that demonstrate how to create enduring connections with audiences that support the organization’s vision and mission. Relevant topics may include messaging that communicates organizational change to internal and external stakeholders, reshaping a marketing/PR plan and budget to fit with new strategic imperatives, emerging technologies that enhance communication capacity and effectiveness, and strategies to strengthen an organization’s visibility.
We are expecting more than 150 participants at this one-day conference.
The sessions will be 60 minutes in length (approximately 50 minutes for the presentation followed by 10 minutes of Q & A).
The Drury Leadership Collaborative hosts the annual Nonprofit Leadership Conference. Since 2011, nonprofit and community leaders, staff, board members, volunteers, and students have gathered to explore issues and opportunities facing the nonprofit community. The annual Nonprofit Leadership Conference is one of the many ways Drury University serves individuals and communities with a high-quality learning experience.
Questions? Contact event co-planners:
Regina K. Waters, Ph.D., Director of the Leadership Collaborative, rwaters@drury.edu , 417-873-7251
Abby Glenn, Conference Co-Planner, glenn.abby01@gmail.com.
Save the date! The 14th annual 2025 Nonprofit Leadership Conference takes place Friday, Oct. 3 at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center.
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