Onboard United: Now What?

3/19/2024 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Start your United Way journey with the resources and knowledge you need to be successful! Through this session you will learn the basics of United Way: our vision and mission, our unique superpowers, our history, and opportunities to grow within United Way. Also highlighted at this session will be the Thriving United Way framework, a compendium of tools and resources to drive United Way performance. So, come to this session to strengthen your United Way foundation and begin to activate plans that help your United Way thrive. 

 

Faculty: Bill Kitson, United Way Worldwide | Kelsey Collier-Wise, United Way of Vermillion

BLOCK A: AI is for Everyone: Big and Small Local United Ways

3/19/2024 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

AI can benefit United Ways of any size, any cause, and any function, as a powerful tool for change.  Join us to discover how AI can help with skill development, program implementation, marketing, operations, and fundraising. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how AI can help your organization achieve its goals.

 

Faculty: Carlos McDonald, Microsoft

BLOCK A: Embracing Data & Technology - Maximize Financial Health & Productivity

3/19/2024 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

See what is possible by embracing data and technology to maximize your organization's health and productivity. Discover the power of data collection and delivery and how technology is providing nonprofit organizations with better, quicker, and more easily accessible information.  Explore how to think critically about dashboards, KPIs, and RPAs and how to utilize data and technology as a resource.

 

Faculty: Gregg Indictor, Your Part-Time Controller, LLC

DEEP DIVE: Foundations of Equitable Community Impact

3/19/2024 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

An Equitable Community Impact Agenda outlines a United Way's community goals, strategies, approaches, and success measures. This session supports Impact staff in identifying priority issues and creating a plan to address disparities by using disaggregated data and the perspectives of those with lived experience. Participants will be engaged in a workshop-like experience using tools such as the new Developing Equitable Impact Agendas Playbook to strengthen equity as a component of community impact efforts This curriculum is  aligned with the emerging Thriving United Way maturity model and, as such, will help UWs make progress based on their 2024 Thriving United Way assessment results in the area of Equitable Community Impact. 

 

Faculty: Ayeola Fortune, United Way Worldwide | Shannon Jenkins, United Way of Central Indiana

DEEP DIVE: New Leadership Orientation 101

3/19/2024 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

This session supports incoming leaders in driving their organization to become a Thriving United Way. The role of the United Way CEO will be explored in supporting Community Leadership; Equitable Community Impact; Brand Strength, Awareness, and Relevance; Diversified Revenue Streams; Strong Organizational Foundation; and Network Citizenship. You’ll learn how to use the new Thriving United Way framework to strengthen your United Way’s direction and priorities by working with your Board to assess your United Way and building plans for success. 

 

Faculty: Bill Kitson, United Way Worldwide | Anna Murphy, United Way of Southwest Michigan

BLOCK B: Do it Different, Do it Now!

3/19/2024 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

The decrease in donors and contributions to United Ways and Nonprofits is an ongoing trend prompting organizations to reevaluate their strategies. Join us and your United Way peers to discover the innovative approaches they've adopted to reverse these trends.

 

Faculty: Don Bayne, Upic Solutions

BLOCK B: Understanding & Leveraging APIs to Leverage Your Data

3/19/2024 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

In the past, we protected our data in silos made of steel. Now, we know that data becomes more valuable as it is shared. To make this possible entire ecosystems of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are used to connect different software systems. This saves time and money and adds value. However, building APIs successfully requires insight into technical requirements, data-sharing agreements, privacy, and consent methods. Let's peel the onion and build your knowledge to leverage APIs.

 

Faculty: Dr. W. Douglas Zimmerman, Visionlink

Networking: New Attendee Reception

3/19/2024 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

New to Great Rivers or have not attended in a while? Join us at the new attendee welcome reception Tuesday evening! Our Community Building Committee will be working hard to make sure your conference gets started off on the right foot! Sponsored by Upic Solutions.

Breakfast & Opening Session

3/20/2024 8:00 AM - 9:45 AM

Amy Lindner, President & CEO of United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County will share how everyone benefits from a thriving United Way. Hear about the important Key Initiatives United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County is leading and learn how the work surrounding these initiatives are helping people live better lives. And learn what other United Ways are doing to create lasting change for their communities.

Local United Way CEO Roundtable with Angela F. Williams

3/20/2024 10:15 AM - 11:30 AM

In this dynamic 75-minute session, you will have the unique opportunity to engage directly with Angela Williams, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide. This intimate gathering will foster an environment for meaningful exchanges, ensuring a focused and interactive discussion. Seize this rare opportunity to connect with Angela Williams and fellow local United Way leaders.

 

*Please note that attendance to this session is limited to Presidents and Executive Directors of local United Ways.  

Nothing About Them Without Them: Serving Side by Side with Dignity

3/20/2024 10:15 AM - 11:30 AM

We know the mission is to improve lives by advancing the common good but do we understand the assignment? When it comes to building thriving equitable communities, too often our staff, Board, and volunteers do not fully represent the communities we strive to serve but yet we make decisions that impact lives we don't know. Come learn about several initiatives in which we've been intentional about engaging the people we serve with dignity and respect and the lessons we've learned on the journey

 

Faculty: Amber Kilawee, Fond du Lac County United Way | Laurice Snyder, CESA 6

Round-up Your Volunteers to Raise More Money

3/20/2024 10:15 AM - 11:30 AM

Learn how we engaged our volunteers, using their strengths and interests to create an exciting engaging fundraising opportunity.  This session will show you how to learn the best way to engage volunteers and give you an experiential learning opportunity about our very successful event; the Rhinestone Round-Up.

 

Faculty: Katie Koglman, United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties | Kayley Cox, United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties

Lunch with Keynote: Angela Williams

3/20/2024 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Join United Way Worldwide President & CEO Angela Williams for a network update, including updates on the brand refresh, talent development, and more.

BLOCK A: Creating Equitable and Effective Impact Agendas

3/20/2024 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

An Equitable Community Impact Agenda outlines a United Way's community goals, strategies, approaches, and success measures. This session provides a high-level look at the process for identifying priority issues and creating a plan to address disparities by using disaggregated data and the perspectives of those with lived experience. Participants will be introduced to tools such as the new Developing Equitable Impact Agendas Playbook to strengthen equity as a component of community impact efforts This curriculum is aligned with the emerging Thriving United Way maturity model and, as such, will help UWs make progress based on their 2024 Thriving United Way assessment results in the area of Equitable Community Impact. 

 

Faculty: Ayeola Fortune, United Way Worldwide | Shannon Jenkins, United Way of Central Indiana

 

BLOCK A: Demystifying Data to Maximize Your Message

3/20/2024 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Hear how you can build a strong collaboration between Community Impact, Marketing, and Resource Development staff that will generate Impact data reports, facts, and figures that delight donors and impress corporate partners. We'll share our journey and equip you with the tools you need to overcome any challenges you may face. You'll leave this session with a roadmap that will help your United Way on your journey to stronger Impact data communication. 

 

Faculty: Javaite Burton, United Way of Champaign County | Mary Noel Stefan, United Way of Champaign County

BLOCK A: Mental Health School-Based Programming and More

3/20/2024 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

United Way of Door County has implemented programs that remove barriers to accessing mental health services for students.  Learn about their STRIDE - School Based Mental Health Program and other programs that focus on mental wellness for all community members.

 

Faculty: Cami Peggar, United Way of Door County

BLOCK A: Small Cities Roundtable

3/20/2024 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Roundtable conversation for smaller local United Ways with campaigns smaller than $1 milllion.

 

Faculty: Keri Olson, United Way of Whiteside County | Kelsey Collier-Wise, United Way of Vermillion

BLOCK B: Anyone Can Be The Boss, but Can You Lead?

3/20/2024 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Now that you have been given the title, and duties of someone "in charge" are you ready to lead your department, or organization in a way that maximizes the potential of those who work with you?  Creating a workplace culture where co-workers thrive and grow just doesn't happen, you as the Leader need to make it happen.   

 

Faculty: Sue Grey, United Way of Champaign County

BLOCK B: How to Grow Your United Way Beyond the Workplace Campaign

3/20/2024 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Do you want to diversify your income beyond the traditional workplace campaign?  We will explore direct mail, grant writing, individual giving, government partnerships, and more.  These approaches can lead to increased staffing and increased community relevancy for your organization.

 

Faculty: Amy Kohnle, United Way of Door County

BLOCK B: Leveraging the United Way Brand to Increase Engagement in Your Community

3/20/2024 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

A thriving United Way brand leads to increased relevance, recognition, reach and ultimately revenue. We are on the path to leverage our strengths and recenter our brand strategy using refreshed language for United Way’s promise to the community, the pillars of our work, and our personality as an organization. This session will explore how you could apply this foundational language in marketing and communications to drive real understanding of United Way’s value in your community. 

 

Faculty: Omoiye Kinney, United Way Worldwide

BLOCK B: Tips for Updating Financial Practices

3/20/2024 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

In 2021 our VP of Finance retired after 44 years. We took this opportunity to evaluate our current practices and implement updates. This session will talk about weighing the pros and cons of engaging a third party to help with financials, how to stop using paper and the importance of cross training. We learned a lot from our process. Looking forward to sharing high and low lights.

 

Faculty: Ali Haigh, United Way of Racine County

Networking: Host City Reception

3/20/2024 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

After a day of filling your brain with knowledge and insights, get ready to rest and recharge. We’re inviting everyone to arrange their own dinner in the city. Then, stop by the Host City Reception at Northwestern Mutual, 805 E. Mason Street. Enjoy sweet treats and a variety of beverages. The celebration in Northwestern Mutual’s beautiful atrium runs from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. This is the perfect opportunity to get to know your fellow conference attendees.

 

Shuttle services will be available from the Hilton Milwaukee Center.

Breakfast: Thriving United Way Table Discussions

3/21/2024 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

Join colleagues for facilitated table discussions around the new Thriving United Way framework, led by United Way Worldwide staff. 

BLOCK A: Communication Tips: The Best Ways to Connect with Your Community

3/21/2024 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

What are some email and letter best practices? How can you make the most of a networking event? What language is the most effective when talking to donors? How can you capture an engaging photo?   Whether your United Way has 10 people or two, this session helps you discover simple solutions to connect with your community.

 

Faculty: Dan Herda, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County

BLOCK A: Shaping and Embedding IDEA within Your Staff Culture

3/21/2024 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

This session will provide operational content that will inspire and help leaders implement methods and practices building the holistic nature and interest of IDEA within your organizational culture.  Some of the methods and practices includes training and development (equity, inclusion, access & belonging), ongoing staff engagement, leadership development, community networking, employee experience, and driving organizational core values and performance metrics. 

 

Faculty: Andre Campbell, United Way of Summit & Medina

BLOCK A: You Don’t Have to Be the Expert: Discovering Your Role in Collective Impact

3/21/2024 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

A case study of community-led collaboration, leveraging government funds, and a "Blueprint for Peace". Inspired by a similar blueprint in Milwaukee, hundreds of citizens and organizations in Kalamazoo, MI came together to create our own action steps to end community violence. The United Way leveraged American Rescue Plan COVID relief dollars from the City and the County to fund the action steps through direct grants and advocacy with other local funders. 

 

Faculty: Andrea Meinema-Macklin, United Way of South Central Michigan | Reggie Moore, Milwaukee Blueprint for Peace

DEEP DIVE: Strategies to Move Collective Impact Efforts

3/21/2024 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

This session will focus on understanding how to move a collective impact effort.   We will discuss how you work within a collaborative to move from theoretical system change to a collective impact model.  Focusing on the basics of these models, moving into skills and techniques to establish trust and keep the momentum going to demonstrate impact, and looking at ways to engage and employ public policy as part of the collective impact model structure. We will use examples of community collaboratives - highlighting what has and has not worked as we are learning how to effect change as a community -  as well as ways to multiply collective impact through public policy.

 

Faculty: Naomi Lett, United Way Worldwide | Karey Chase, United Way of East Central Iowa

BLOCK B: Creating Volunteer Opportunities to Meet the Needs of Your Community

3/21/2024 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM

The work that many, if not all, United Way affiliates do cannot be achieved without the dedicated volunteers that provide their commitment to the communities they serve. Many volunteer recruitment and management strategies were forced to pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic and as we move forward, many of these strategies are still being implemented. Attendees will learn useful approaches to volunteer management as well as how to avoid and address challenges that may be presented.  

 

Faculty: Leigh Ann Martinez, United Way of Racine County

BLOCK B: Shifting the Narrative: From Agencies to Impact

3/21/2024 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM

As we appeal to more donors motivated by issues and clarify the role of United Way in our communities, how we communicate impact is important. We will consider the basics of communicating United Way's value through impact communications, review examples of communications that have been updated to focus on impact vs. agencies, and finally, analyze and discuss a range of unaltered communications. By the end of the session, you will be able to take a fresh look at your United Way's communications.

 

Faculty: Melanie Negrin, Indiana United Ways

BLOCK B: United + Strong: Building Capacity with a Strengths-Based Organization

3/21/2024 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM

Are you trying to do more with less? Is your team overloaded? Are you experiencing stress and feeling burned out? We have a proven approach to building capacity by focusing on what you and your team are naturally good at - using their unique talents. In this session we will share this proven approach as well as examples of how United Way of Southwest Michigan has created capacity and energized their team by consistently focusing on applying their strengths to their day-to-day work.

 

Faculty: Anna Murphy, United Way of Southwest Michigan | Kathleen Wolf, The Purpose Partners 

Lunch with Keynote: Derek Mosley

3/21/2024 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Unconscious Bias is a learned stereotype that is automatic, unintentional, deeply ingrained, universal, and able to influence behavior. Unconscious bias seeps into decisions that affect recruitment, retention, hiring, access to healthcare, banking, housing, education, the justice system, providing services, interpersonal interactions, and outcomes in ways that can disadvantage both individuals and groups of people. We all have some form of unconscious bias, and the key is to recognize that we have it and employ techniques to mitigate it.

 

Keynote Speaker: Judge Derek Mosley. 

BLOCK A: Funding to Impact: How United Way Serves as a Catalyst for Community Schools

3/21/2024 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

What does it look like when dollars lead to school transformation? This session will explore how United Way's funding of Community Schools can give students, families, educators and the community the agency to transform their schools and how targeted strategies are helping these stakeholders impact their current realities in and outside of the classroom.

 

Faculty: Glenn Carson, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County | Francisco Sanchez, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County | Briana Fox, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County | Dom Portis, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County

 

 

BLOCK A: Leveraging Local Key Initiatives to Attract New Donors

3/21/2024 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

During this session participants will learn how United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County leveraged the success of their Teen Pregnancy Prevention outcomes based work to identify our next community wide goal, then used those goals to retain current and engaged new donors.  

 

Faculty: Gina Santagati, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County | Dawn Helmrich, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County | Maureen Grant-Hayes, United Way Worldwide

BLOCK A: The Power of Donor Networks: Empowering Volunteers to Drive Impact

3/21/2024 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

United Ways of all sizes can utilize volunteers in a way that drives impact. In this session, you will hear from the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County about how they empower their volunteers to fundraise, volunteer, and advocate. The leadership of a Donor Network (Affinity Group) is powerful and imperative for success. This session will include a panel discussion with community leaders speaking to the role volunteers play in the success of the overall United Way Campaign.

 

Faculty: Nancy Clarkin, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County

DEEP DIVE: Can You Tell a Story? Video Storytelling from A-Z

3/21/2024 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Whether you're looking for your first story or want to refine your skills, you will discover storytelling through video. Learn how to identify compelling stories, gauge their impact, and transform them into engaging video content. We'll also guide you through the production process, from basic equipment needs to advanced filming techniques. Join us to unlock the power of video storytelling, and uplift your narrative. Bring your equipment and have CapCut downloaded across your devices.

 

Faculty: Marisa Markowski, United Way of Kenosha County | Rob Moore, 4D Business Group

BLOCK B: Lessons Learned in Convening Community Partners with Purpose & Impact

3/21/2024 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

United Way of Central Indiana facilitates more than 50 convenings with their community partners each year. These convenings – supporting partners who are focusing on 2Gen outcomes, financial stability, early learning, innovation and more – are designed and informed by partner and community voice including leadership development, peer learning, network building, professional development and training, and more. Attendees will learn of about strategies that are turnkey and able to be implemented in their home communities.

 

Faculty: Shannon Jenkins, United Way of Central Indiana

BLOCK B: Mobilizing People and Resources to Amplify Change

3/21/2024 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

United Ways of any size can benefit from leveraging key sponsorship opportunities and mobilizing donations of critically needed items to support our partners while also creating change. The best part - it doesn't have to be a heavy lift. With a little planning, you can easily incorporate these types of opportunities into your existing workload and see major ROI for your United Way.

 

Faculty: Karissa Gretebeck, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County | Jon Andrekopulos, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County

BLOCK B: Working Outside the Box: How to be More Than Just a Grant Funder

3/21/2024 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Do people just see dollar signs when you enter a room?  Would you like them to see you and your United Way as a problem solver? Have you stepped outside the box of grant funding? Community Impact staff of all sizes can explore how to be more than a grant funder in their community.  

 

Faculty: Beverly Baker, United Way of Champaign County | Javaite Burton, United Way of Champaign County

Networking: Live United Lounge

3/21/2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Join us for fun and comradery at the Live United Lounge hosted by United Ways of Illinois and sponsored by Your Part-Time Controller, LLC.

Breakfast with Keynote: Drew Dudley

3/22/2024 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Join us for the conference closing and hear from internationally acclaimed leadership speaker and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Drew Dudley. Drew will be speaking on The Leadership Test: Six Questions that Transform People and Organizations.