Leadership Advantage.

Session 1 7:30a – 9:00a

The Cost of Inequity: Snapshots from Lancaster’s First County-level Racial Equity Profile – Isabel Castillo, Aimee VanCleave – YWCA Lancaster
As a leader, what do you understand about equity in Lancaster? What opportunities are we missing by not breaking down systemic barriers to success? Join us for a discussion centered on data from the Lancaster County Racial Equity Profile—the first of its kind in the state—which paints an important picture of the challenges and opportunities before us to build communities where everyone can succeed.

Participatory Cities: Accessibility and Inclusion in Community Engagement – Amer Al Fayadh – Communication Essentials, LLC
As service providers, it is our obligation to have a diverse representation of voices when seeking feedback from staff, volunteers, or service recipients. Sound and representative data is the key to improving community-based programs and service delivery. Language proficiency should not be an exclusion factor when selecting or facilitating input from the community. Join us at this session to learn more about creative, culturally appropriate, and budget-friendly ways to engage culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Designing Organizational Practices to Incorporate Conflict – Chris Wenden – Advoz: Mediation and Restorative Practices
“Conflict is good in a negotiation process…It’s the class of two ideas, which then, all being well, produces a third idea” – Luke Roberts What if you could build an everyday framework in your organization that recognizes conflict and uses its power to improve the workplace and productivity? This session will take you through a framework Advoz developed to ensure team members operate with intentionality of thought and action when facing conflict.”

Making Grants Less Daunting and More Equitable – Joe Kirkenir – Maneval Consulting
Learn the basics of nonprofit grant/proposal writing, including the basics of what a grant is, where to find them, how to prepare yourself to apply for them, how to apply for them, what to do after receiving a grant, and the grant reporting/evaluation process. We will also touch on social justice issues during this presentation to highlight the disparities that exist within the nonprofit industrial complex.
We’ll also touch on social justice issues to highlight the disparities that exist within the nonprofit industrial complex.

Leading with Heart: Unlocking Potential Through Relationships – Amanda Katchur – Community Services Group
People are seeking to work with leaders who understand what it means to be human. This session will discuss trends related to person-first leadership and how components can be used to approach leadership in a more connection-driven way.

Session 2 9:15a – 10:45a

J.E.D.I.: Equity Awakens – Jessica Purdy and Julia Cao – FIC Human Resource Partners
“This interactive training workshop will provide foundational knowledge on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (J.E.D.I.) concepts and help foster open dialogues on building a more inclusive culture through • Knowledge sharing and interactive group discussions. • Individual and group exercises. • Slide presentation. • Study guide/workbook for notetaking and activities (provided in digital and/or hardcopy format) Caution Warning: This training involves discussions of systems of power, oppression, discrimination, and related issues which some may find disturbing or triggering. While discomfort can be an opening for meaningful learning and growth, the facilitators aim to lead these discussions with care, nuance and compassion for all participants.”

Power Over vs. Power With Redux – Kristy Aurand, Community Action Partnership
This session will continue the conversation started at Leadership Advantage 2023, though attendees will not have needed to attend that session to participate. Presenters (who include fundraisers and a funder!) will share concrete examples of challenges encountered and changes made to our fundraising mindsets, strategies, and practices. Attendees will be invited to do the same and workshop ways to infuse more equitable power balances into fundraising while increasing alignment of fundraising practices with organizational values. A “Start, Stop, Continue” exercise will help attendees move from mindset to action.

Caring for Yourself and Your Workplace Culture – Leslie Wireback – Wireback Works
“Our responsibilities as Leaders includes caring for the people and culture of our workplaces. And yet, culture is a nebulous concept and is often an undefined aspect of an organization. When culture is not clearly defined and cultivated, it is left to chance and may change in ways that are not beneficial to the people or the organization. To be intentional with the culture, it also takes the intentionality to care for yourself too. You must prioritize your care and well-being to serve yourself and your workplace. • If your culture was not clearly defined previously, it is time to invest in doing it now. • If you aren’t making time for self-care, it is time to start doing it now. • If you aren’t sure whose responsibility culture is, it is time to determine it. The difference between the right culture and the wrong one is the intention, deliberation and enthusiasm put into it.”

Unlocking Potential – Discovering and Developing Strengths – Melissa Jeanes – Melissa Jeanes LLC
​​Research shows that people who focus on developing their strengths benefit from increased workplace engagement and performance, greater well-being, and increased quality of life. But how often do we spend time investing in what we do best? This session creates space for you to identify your strengths, celebrate them, and begin to unlock your potential.

Let’s Have a Better Conversation – Steve Erb – True Edge Performance Solutions
We all struggle with difficult conversations, but rather than avoiding, we should seek to learn how to handle. The ability to turn difficult conversations to learning conversations effectively is foundational to achieving almost any type of significant change.

Tell Your Story | How to get authenticity, UGC, and good ROI on Visual Content – Andrew and Carley Bilindabagabo – INGOMA Films
We all struggle with difficult conversations, but rather than avoiding, we should seek to learn how to handle. The ability to turn difficult conversations to learning conversations effectively is foundational to achieving almost any type of significant change.

Session 3 11:00a – 12:30a

Supplier Diversity as a Business Practice – Tammie Fitzpatrick – HDC MidAtlantic
HDC MidAtlantic is a developer and manager of affordable multi-family housing in central Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland Eastern Shore. HDC envisions a world where a safe, affordable, and welcoming place to call home is open to everyone. This vision cannot become a reality until America fully comes to terms with its legacy of systemic racism. HDC will advance social justice advocacy and racial equity, diversity and inclusion in our organization and in communities that we serve and one way we do this is through supplier diversity. Supplier diversity in the U.S. is not a new concept; in fact, the business case has been reaffirmed over a 60-year period. Research shows that diverse suppliers (minority-, women-, LGBT-, Veteran- and Disabled-owned businesses) experience a disproportionate share of obstacles when starting, growing, and accessing contract opportunities. HDC MidAtlantic formerly launched its Supplier Diversity program in 2023. Our program strategy is designed around data analysis, program guidelines, advocacy, outreach, and onboarding. We have assembled a cross functional team within our organization to create an inclusive purchasing atmosphere to deliver more opportunities to our small and diverse suppliers as well foster opportunities for development, retention, and extending new opportunities to grow their businesses through our partnerships with our general contractor community.

Every Experience Matters- Creating a Fantastic Fundraising Event Experience – Tim Keller and Andy Keller – H.K. Keller Fundraising
We’ll explore how to create an experience so that our guests become wholehearted supporters and passionate donors. We do this by creating a memorable and inclusive event from beginning to end. We will address these 5 Critical Areas:

Why the Parking Lot Matters – First and last impression
How One Phone Call Can Make It Great – Who do you know that knows someone?
The Two Things that No One Talks About – Where is the money and where are the board members?
Why Events are Getting Better – Technology and sharing
Don’t Forget the Good Night Kiss – Moment of impact after the giving

Tame the Grizzly of Conflict! – Greg Davidson Laszakovits – GDL Insight
Imagine entering any conflict with the confidence that you will solve the problem at hand, that the situation will improve, and that by the end, you will even feel better. Imagine your team no longer paralyzed by the fear of potential conflict, or endless to and fro of hot conflict. Imagine knowing you’ll not only be able to endure the conflict, but your relationship with the other person or people will be stronger and more productive going forward. Imagine a conflict arising and your first feeling now being excitement for possibilities, rather than fear of the repercussions. It’s possible. That is exactly what you will learn in this course, Tame the Grizzly of Conflict.

The Power of Communication to Advance your Organization’s Culture – Nikki Shingle – North Group Consultants
When it comes to building a healthy organizational culture, communication is at the heart of your success. As leaders, we shoulder the responsibility of bringing clarity to the organization’s mission, vision and values. Effective communication builds trust, cohesion, and accountability which are foundational for your team to increase efficiencies, manage change, and maintain a high-performance workplace culture.

Understanding the organizational value of a healthy workforce and the benefits of properly navigating our local health system – Robert “Teke” Drummond and Keith Fox – Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
Companies that prioritize employee health experience lower health care costs, better recruitment and retention, and benefit from a workforce with a more vested interest in the success of the business, driving higher productivity and performance. Our community is fortunate to have an award-winning, comprehensive health care delivery model local to Lancaster. Learn how the complexities of this service continue to evolve and innovate into a simpler way to engage employees and create greater value for the employer.

Dollars to Difference: A Guide to Understanding Nonprofit Financial Statements – Jackie Winchell and Erin Pabon-Busansky – McKonly & Asbury

In the dynamic world of nonprofits, understanding financial statements is paramount for organizational success. During this presentation, we will demystify the complexities of nonprofit financial statements, while providing leaders, board members, and stakeholders with the knowledge to decode the financial narrative.

Join us as we delve into the language and key components of nonprofit financial statements and learn to interpret financial data effectively, while gaining insights into the financial health of your organization and its ability to drive impact.

Through real-world examples and practical insights, this session aims to foster financial literacy within the nonprofit sector. Whether you’re a seasoned nonprofit professional or someone new to the financial landscape, this presentation provides valuable tools and strategies to enhance your ability to make informed decisions, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and ultimately amplify the positive change your organization seeks to achieve.

Embark on a journey to unlock the potential within your financial statements and propel your nonprofit towards greater transparency, sustainability, and mission-driven success.