RENEWED AND READY FOR WHAT'S AHEAD
Last week, more than 300 Southern California nonprofit sector professionals gathered, virtually, for CNM’s 501(c)onference, RENEWAL: Looking Forward, Looking Back.
This tenth edition of CNM’s annual sector conference drew participants from across Southern California and featured more than 15 panels and breakout sessions across two content-packed days. Advancing equity, new ways of collaborating with philanthropy, and wisdom and lessons from a tumultuous year were all among topics addressed by panelists and presenters.
“This was an important chance to hear and talk about difficult topics within the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors,” said Regina Birdsell, CNM President & CEO. “We wanted to acknowledge the toll this past year has had on local organizations and on the individuals who make up the sector, given the vital services they provide. And we wanted to begin discussions about what it means to emerge from the pandemic and look at the opportunities that lie ahead to create systems and services that are, going forward, more equitable and powerful,” she added.
A variety of practical ‘how-to’ sessions included making your organization’s website more accessible, leveraging the media, developing new funding strategies, data-driven decision-making, and innovative volunteer engagement. A surprise hit was the new Meetups networking feature, in which attendees were randomly paired with another conference participant for a five-minute chat. Participants told us they appreciated the opportunity to meet someone they might not have otherwise.
After the conference, attendees responding to a post-event survey said they liked the virtual platform and offered thoughts about the speakers and content:
Thank you to our generous sponsors who presented this virtual event: