Registration for the Greater Cayuga Nonprofit Summit has been extended to noon Friday, Sept. 25, giving nonprofit staff and volunteers another week to sign up for the Oct. 8 program.
The United Way of Cayuga County and Catalyst Cayuga will host the summit at The Lodge, 4355 State St. in Skaneateles Falls. Networking begins at 8 a.m., and workshops are scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Registration costs $50 and includes access to workshops, the vendor fair, breakfast, lunch, snacks and beverages. Organizers said the day is intended to help nonprofit professionals build skills, connect with peers and work through organizational challenges.
Panel and group discussions focus on nonprofit capacity
The keynote program will be a panel discussion titled “Capacity Building — What Does It Mean? What Are the Needs? And What Are the Solutions?” Daniel Fesseden, executive director of the Fred L. Emerson Foundation, will moderate.
Panelists will include Lisa Kaminski, executive director of the United Way of Cayuga County; Jenny VerNooy, executive director of Catalyst Cayuga; Katie Fong, Cayuga County program director at Causewave; and Gwen Webber-McLeod, president and CEO of Gwen Inc.
Deb Mohlenhoff, founder of BEE Strategies, will serve as emcee. The schedule also includes roundtable discussions and a “Burning Questions” activity led by Kate Budlong of Leadership-Culture-Performance Consulting, with participants encouraged to bring a problem for the group to consider.
Six workshops cover staffing, finances and partnerships
The summit will offer two breakout sessions with six workshop choices. Topics include using artificial intelligence to support an organization's mission, recruiting and retaining employees when pay is limited, nonprofit financial planning, and storytelling for fundraising.
Other sessions will examine the economic impact of cultural nonprofits and tourism, as well as how organizations can build more effective partnerships. Presenters include Shanthi SSV of Spur Spark, Caprice Reader of Reader HR Consulting, Kimberly Manrow of Aster Financial Group, Courtney Kasper of Tour Cayuga, Geoffrey Starks of the Cayuga Museum of History and Art, Jennifer VerNooy of Catalyst Cayuga, Deb Mohlenhoff of BEE Strategies Consulting and Chris Iven of Unity House of Cayuga County.
A vendor fair will run alongside the summit. Businesses offering services to nonprofit organizations can purchase vendor or sponsorship opportunities ranging from $200 to $3,000, with summit tickets included.
Registration and the full schedule are available through the United Way of Cayuga County's online event materials. Organizers said participants will receive a request for panel questions after registration closes.
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