Enter into open and frank dialogue about the intersectionality and prevalence of race, gender, and economic privilege in the world of fundraising, grantmaking, and nonprofit governance. Learn about the cultural and historical factors that have brought us to where we are today and the growing presence of women and people of color in philanthropy. Explore how organizations and coalitions of the willing can address practices within their fundraising and other operations to open the doors permanently to a more equitable future. The goal of this session is to build familiarity and promote collaborative learning around the Fundraiser’s approach to advancing and incorporating equity into their work in service of improved outcomes for their mission and our shared community. Our central focus will be on identifying and discussing how to leverage opportunities, experiences, and expertise of our networks for more equitable and powerful resource building, grantmaking, and collaboration. Participants will benefit from content delivered from a dual perspective—both typical 501c3 organizations and supporting organizations, also known as intermediaries. By the end of this session, attendees will walk away (1) understanding the ways that race, gender, and economic privilege impact the world of philanthropy; (2) grounded in their ethical responsibility to advance equity and with trends and ideas to support their charge; and (3) with practical examples and ideas on how to begin dismantling such power differentials in their own organization and community.

How many Development professionals begin a new position with unrealistic expectations, and are unprepared for the hierarchy and the structure? Entering a new position has its challenges, even if you are a seasoned professional. The major difference for me was corporate to non-profit. The same holds true going from institution to institution. One size does not fit all. I had to develop a strategy to become an effective development officer and a team player in my new environment by using what I've termed "The Ripple Effect." Attendees will walk away knowing how to:

• Learn the culture and the chain of command, not venturing around it;
• Look and Listen;
• Follow procedures and pay attention to details;
• Be interested and interesting in all aspects of the profession;
• Set attainable goals and work smart; and
• Attract donor support without even asking; How and when to utilize "The Ripple Effect," and how to know when you are successful.

As business landscapes become increasingly networked and distributed, modern organizations are ditching their traditional, hierarchical leadership models, in favor of a more collaborative approach. In fact, many executive leaders agree that collaboration is no longer just a "nice to have," but it is more important than ever in today's challenging business environment, and that an organization's very survival depends on how well it can effectively tap the true potential of its diverse workforce. In this critical skill-building session, award-winning executive Irish-Underwood will dive into the new playbook for building a hyper-connected organization, compare and contrast leadership models, explore the critical behaviors required for this new reality, and reveal how a enlightened organization can effectively move from top-down to a team-centric. This session will challenge traditional power dynamics and uncover how by increasing connectivity and intentionally promoting diversity, creative breakthroughs and true innovation can occur. By the end of this session, attendees will come to understand how a collaborative leadership style allows them to harness ideas, engage people and access resources across boundaries—resulting in an inclusive environment that releases creativity and generates exceptional long-term performance.

In 2015, the University of Missouri, faced an unprecedented racial crisis that forever impacted the institution and all of those that worked for the university. For many university employees, this was a time of great challenges, especially for employees of color. As one of the few frontline advancement staff in a leadership role, i experienced a very nuanced moment, having to judge my responsibility as a representative of the university to our donors vs. the personal feelings I had that mirrored the experience that had led students to rise up against the university leadership. In this session, I am to unpack my experiences and help initiate a dialogue with other professionals that will inform them on how to best represent a university as a fundraiser during an identity-oriented crisis.