2024 Friends & Allies Fall Summit
Keynote & Workshop Descriptions
Keynote
Alison Mariella Désir (she/her)
Research shows that there is a powerful connection between movement and positive health outcomes. For Alison Mariella Désir, running saved her life, connected her to community, and helped her find her purpose. Over the past 10 years, Désir has founded and led running movements and become an outdoor adventurer, all in the name of improving her own mental health and that of BIPOC communities nationally. This lecture will inspire listeners to get moving and get outside, to find meaning and well-being through movement, while also addressing the obstacles along the way and dig into how to do the important work of racial equity in systems and spaces not built for you. Alison will also discuss coalition building, allyship in the work, and spatial justice as emerging subjects in her work.
Workshops
Morning Session (optional)
Rise and Center: A Mindfulness Session
Facilitated by: Nia Harris, Healing Us Evergreen
In this morning activity, we welcome you to ground down in preparation for the day. Through the use of meditation and journaling, attendees will be encouraged to deepen inner awareness and set personal intentions for their participation in the Fall Summit. This session will also incorporate movement and interactive elements for those seeking to cultivate an attentive and alert energy.
Note: To attend, please select yes on the registration questions.
Afternoon Workshops
Building Bridges through Community Events & Programs
Faciliated by: Bea Yeh Ogden (she/they), founder, Luminous Together
This interactive workshop is designed to empower participants with the skills and tools to create impactful events and programs that unite diverse communities. In a hands-on session, participants will focus on fostering collaboration and understanding, providing practical strategies to address complex social issues and promote healing. Participants will explore essential concepts such as group problem solving, healing-centered engagement, and challenging dominant culture. The workshop begins with an overview of foundational principles in community-building, emphasizing culturally sensitive approaches. Through storytelling and shared experiential learning, attendees will examine real-world examples of successful initiatives that have bridged divides and brought groups together. This workshop offers a valuable opportunity to develop practical skills for crafting inclusive, transformative experiences that strengthen community bonds.
Creating Meaningful and Impactful Partnerships
facilitated by Derron Coles (he/him), DRC Learning Solutions
In this workshop, participants will explore the neuroscience behind how culture shapes human behavior, influences performance, and impacts our ability to form deep relationships with people from different cultural backgrounds. Together, we will delve into concepts of culture and bias, using facilitator and participants’ success stories as a foundation to co-create a list of strategies for navigating the trust-building process necessary for establishing lasting and meaningful community partnerships.
Understanding and Communicating Nonprofit Financial Statements
Facilitated by: Erin Zollenkopf, Susan Matlack Jones & Associates
Join us for an engaging workshop on understanding and communicating nonprofit financial statements.
In this interactive session, you’ll learn how to read, interpret, and present nonprofit financial statements effectively to key stakeholders such as management, board members, and funders. Designed for board members, executive directors, and staff, this workshop covers the essential financial tools and reports used in the nonprofit sector.
Set in a lively and welcoming environment, you’ll become familiar with nonprofit accounting terminology and explore the key financial statements nonprofits use. You’ll also gain valuable insights into how these numbers reflect the overall financial health of your organization and how to leverage them for allocating resources and decision-making.
By the end of the session, you’ll understand how financial statements can illustrate the work of your nonprofit and help you communicate its story with clarity and impact. We'll cover various methods for presenting financial information—using internal reports, graphs, narratives, and more—to ensure that your stakeholders, from the board to funders, fully grasp your organization’s financial picture.