Leadership Council | Programs | Securing the Future Conference

Programs

Which program is right for me? A Force for Good Leader to Leader Mentoring Leaders Circles Leadership Challenge Securing the Future Conference About the Conference Featured Speakers Conference Workshops Who's Coming? Thank You to Our Sponsors Sponsorship Opportunities Advisory Committee

Which program is right for me? A Force for Good Leader to Leader Mentoring Leaders Circles Leadership Challenge

Mission: Possible

Resilience, Connection, and Courage in Uncertain Times

Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 8:00 am - 5 pm

Cintas Center

Attendees around a table during a group session

About the Conference:

Securing the Future is an annual conference dedicated to building the strategic, leadership, and resource development skills of the board, staff, and donors of the region’s nonprofits. This educational conference is designed to address the needs and concerns of board members and senior leadership. In addition to the keynote address, participants will have a chance to interact with peers and attend breakout sessions led by local speakers for a deeper dive into the keynote topic.

For the conference's 25th year, Securing the Future has been expanded to a full day, packed with even more breakout sessions and actionable content! Don't miss this annual conference dedicated to building the strategic, leadership, and resource development skills of the board, staff, and donors of the region’s nonprofits.

Registration has closed.

Featured Speakers:

Opening Session: Suzanne Smith, Social Impact Architects

Lunch Speaker: Patrice Borders, AmplifyEI

Conference Workshops:

Belonging at Every Level: Resetting Culture and Fundraising Through Connection

Board Leadership in a Time of Change

From Crisis to Possibility: Reframing Uncertainty with Curiosity

Growing Stronger Together: Collaborative Partnerships & Mergers

Keep Calm and Fundraise On: What Brave Fundraisers Know and Do

Make it Your Culture, Not a Crisis: Embedding Succession Planning into Practice

Making Tech Work for Your Mission

Permission to Pause: Sabbaticals as a Leadership Strategy

Positive Leadership: How Positivity Can Transform Leaders and Elevate Teams

The Confidence Catalyst: How to Hold the Room Without Holding the Mic

Turning Toward Hope: How Grief Builds Nonprofit Resilience

Who's Coming?

Is your organization on the list? We hope you will join us!

Conference Schedule:

7:45 am	check-in, breakfast, networking
8:30 am	welcome
8:45 am	opening speaker: Suzanne Smith
9:45 am	morning workshops and networking breaks
12:00 pm	luncheon speaker: Patrice Borders
1:00 pm	afternoon workshops and networking breaks
4:30 pm	reception

Conference Sponsorship:

Your business or foundation's sponsorship gives you visibility before, during, and after the conference to a broad cross-section of nonprofit leaders. Plus, it helps keep the ticket cost accessible to more nonprofits!

Sponsorship information and packages here.

Past Keynote Speakers:

2024: Kishshana Palmer

2023: Vu Le

2022: Pearl Alexander

2021: Vanessa Mason

2020: Barry Posner

2019: Alton Fitzgerald White

2018: Bob Johansen

2017: Vu Le

2016: Amanda Maria Navarro

2015: Jason Saul

2014: Paul Alofs; Nell Edgington

2013: Randall Moss; Amy Sample Ward

2012: Dan Pallotta

2011: Paul Carttar/Rosetta Thurman

2010: Peter Goldberg; David Kuehler; Rich Boehne

2009: Bob Johansen; Jan Masaoka

2008: Ruby Payne; Carol Weisman

2007: Paul Light; William Butler

2006: Jerr Boschee; James Votruba

2005: Elizabeth Beresford; Peter Block

2004: Bernard Ross; Claire Gaudiani

2003: Norma Hotaling; Peter Benson

2002: Doug Hall; Kathy Merchant

2001: Francis Hesselbein