Breakout Sessions

Systems Thinking + Equitable Outcomes: Let’s Talk About It!

Track: Finance

Learn about core concepts and approaches to shifting systems that have more sustainable and equitable financial outcomes.

Within the past two years Peacemaker Resources has implemented core concepts that have helped further align their outcomes with their values of sustainability and equitable impacts for their community and staff members. In this session, learn about their journey, tools used, and identify steps your nonprofit can take towards equitable outcomes.

Keila McCracken, Business Director, and Linsey McMurrin, Executive Director, Peacemaker Resources

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4 Day Work Week for Your Organization 

Track: Human Resources

Get an introduction to the 4-day work week model, hear the experience of two Minnesota nonprofits, and consider how it could work for your organization.

Responding to crisis levels of overwork, disconnection, and burnout, organizations everywhere are exploring new approaches that can better support employee engagement and retention. The most transformative solution, proven to improve wellbeing, productivity, and retention across industries in pilots around the world, is the 4-day, 32-hour work week. This session is intended for decision-makers interested in exploring if this workplace model might be a good fit for their organization, although anyone who is curious to learn more is encouraged to attend. 

Emily Anderson, Chief Administrative Officer, Arts Midwest; Laura Isdahl, Volunteer, Daisy Morin, Senior Advisor and founding member, and Elissa Schufman, Interim Executive Director, WorkFour; Megan Scanlon, Chief Operating Officer, Global Knowledge Initiative

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Beyond Silos: Empowering Finance and Fundraising Partnerships 

Track: Finance

Explore practical strategies to foster a culture of collaboration and learn how to leverage the strengths of both teams to create innovative fundraising strategies that align with financial sustainability.

Collaboration between nonprofit finance and fundraising teams is essential for maximizing impact. This session will address the common challenges that create silos and hinder effective partnership, such as communication gaps and differing priorities. Whether you’re in finance, fundraising, or a leadership role, this session will equip you with the tools needed to strengthen partnerships and achieve collective goals.  

Mariah Brook, Director of Gift Planning, and Scott Zastoupil, Chief Financial Officer, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation

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Building and Sustaining Strong (and Appropriate) Board Financial Oversight 

Track: Finance

Learn from other leaders on how to effectively engage your board of directors in their role as fiscal stewards of the organization.

Like it or not, the nonprofit model has the board, not the executive director, as legally responsible for the financial health of the organization but the board often is not clear on their role or able to fulfill their fiduciary duties. In this session, we will share some of our insights, and learn from others in the room, the tips and tricks to educate, inform and support a Board of Directors to live into their financial roles.

Roger Meyer, Co-Owner, Melissa Martinez-Sones, Co-Owner, Mighty Consulting

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Framework-Based Approach to Solving Critical HR Challenges

Track: Human Resources

Using a 4-part framework (and a rubber band), discover how to think critically about human resources and how to tackle common challenges that arise regardless of organization size. 

William Pierce II, Operations and Finance Director, Springboard for the Arts

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How Your Voice Can Save the Organization

Track: Finance

Gain a financial perspective on courageous conversations—how to have and hear courageous conversations, and what to do when the conversation does not lead to action.

Presenters will offer a case study on one organization’s journey from confusion and financial distress to clarity and a path towards stability. 

Kit Briem, Interim CEO & President, The Family Partnership; Katie Gabriel, Senior Business Development Director, Gena Holland, Senior Consultant, Korn Ferry

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Incorporating Organizational Culture in Hiring and Onboarding Practices

Track: Human Resources

Consider how incorporating information on organizational culture into your hiring and onboarding practices might effectively address staffing challenges.

Nonprofits continue to experience ongoing staffing challenges—challenges in finding the right talent and challenges in keeping that talent within the organization. How are you addressing these challenges?

Kate Solas Silva, PCC, CC, Coach & Facilitator, Transformative Leadership Strategies

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Sustaining Childcare Nonprofits: Strategies, Successes, and Lessons Learned

Track: Finance

This engaging panel discussion brings together two experienced nonprofit childcare leaders to explore critical challenges and proven strategies for sustaining childcare centers.

Topics include business planning, diversifying revenue streams, managing rising operational costs, and adapting to evolving government oversight. Panelists will share real-world insights into entrepreneurial approaches, community-led models, and navigating the post-COVID funding landscape. Through lessons learned from their own journeys, the panelists will highlight actionable strategies that attendees can use to enhance financial health and ensure long-term sustainability. This session is ideal for childcare center board members, executive directors, and funders of nonprofit childcare initiatives who want to strengthen their impact and resilience.

Charity Anderson, Co-founder & Co-owner, Staci Gilpin, Co-founder & Co-owner, Rural Pathways; Danielle Larva, Board President, Polar Cubs Childcare Center; Sarah Schrapp, Director, WeeFolks Childcare

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Trend Analysis – The Ultimate Multipurpose Financial Tool

Track: Finance

Explore financial trend analysis as a tool that can provide key insights and information to inform multi-year forecasts, strategic planning, and scenario planning.

Telling your organization’s financial story is an essential skill for financial leaders. Using financial tools that reveal trends over time can help staff and board members make financially informed decisions. Propel Nonprofits will share a trend analysis tool you can use to create your own trend analysis, and a nonprofit leader will share insights and examples of the ways they are using trend analysis to move their organization forward.

Anne Leland, Executive Director, Exodus Lending; Leah Porter, Senior Strategic Services Consultant, Propel Nonprofits

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Reliable Planning: Tying Strategic Planning to your Budget 

Track: Finance

Once your strategic plan is in place, an effective way to measure success is to tie your strategic plan to your budget.

Strategic planning can be more than stakeholder opinions and ideas if you tie your data collection to qualitative measures and link those measures to quantitatively reliable surveys. With specific budgetary line items linked to your strategic plan, you have a measurable way to determine the financial success of your programs and services. This presentation will take you through the process of designing a strategic plan that is scientifically reliable and discuss how to tie the strategic plan to your budget for measurable outcomes.

Dr. Kathy B. Enger, Executive Director, Northern Lights Library Network

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Protecting Purpose: Navigating Insurance for Nonprofit Success

Track: Operations

Learn how to protect your purpose and navigate the complexities of insurance to support your nonprofit’s success and sustainability.

This session will cover the essentials of commercial insurance tailored for nonprofits, including understanding coverage options, managing risks, and ensuring organizational resilience. Whether you’re new to insurance or looking to enhance your current strategy, this session will provide valuable insights and practical guidance.

Carly Spanjers, Gallagher

*New session*
“What Now?” Staying in community during times of change 

Track: Operations

While we don’t know impacts current events or federal orders will have on nonprofits by the end of February, we do know that nonprofits having space to gather is essential to their success.

Community and connection when things feel like, or are, changing every day is important. Join nonprofit finance leaders to connect, share learnings, and ask for advice. If there are relevant updates that impact Minnesota nonprofits we will share information at that point. This session will not be recorded and is meant to take the shape of what the participants need on that day.

Presenters Kari Aanestad and Jes Wysong, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; Rebecca Field and Kelsey Vatsaas, CLA Minneapolis; Ellie O’Brien and Allie Wagstrom, Propel Nonprofits

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Right Sizing Your Internal Controls for Your Organization

Track: Human Resources

Gain a practical understanding of how by right-sizing internal controls, your organizations can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance risk management.

This session emphasizes the importance of tailoring internal controls to fit the specific needs and risks of your organization, rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach. Presenters will discuss how to set up internal controls depending on the size of your team, ensuring that the controls are neither too lax nor overly stringent. They will also cover processes and procedures, including the development of written policies and procedures and maintaining an accounting manual. Additionally, this session will highlight the benefits of considering outside resources to strengthen internal controls, such as utilizing governance for oversight and outsourcing components of processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Jasmin McKenzie, CPA, Manager, Ash M. Sparks, CPA, CFE, Partner, Boyum Barenscheer

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Advocacy for State Grant Reform: It’s About Financial Sustainability!

Track: Finance

Hear about state grantmaking reforms being proposed in the 2025 legislative session and how your organization can support the effort.

For decades nonprofits have dealt with burdensome, inequitable, and often extractive government grantmaking practices. This legislative session, Minnesota’s nonprofit sector is presenting four reform proposals: increasing allowable “administrative costs,” increased audit threshold, plain language summaries of RFPs, and advance payments instead of reimbursements.

Marie Ellis, Policy Director, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; Trisha Reinwald, VP of Member Advancement, Metropolitan Consortium of Connected Communities

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Assessing the Financial Health of Your Nonprofit Organization 

Track: Finance

Walk through 10 key indicators of financial health so you can craft an accurate ‘financial health check-up’ for your nonprofit.

The 2024 Current Conditions of Minnesota’s Nonprofit Sector, published by MCN, reported that 79% of nonprofit leaders believed that their organizations would experience financial distress within 12 months. When things feel unstable, it can be helpful to focus on some key data points to help understand your organization’s true financial position.

Sarah Jackson, Portfolio Director, and Allison Wagstrom, Senior Lender, Propel Nonprofits

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Co-Designing Human-Centered Policies for Organizational Sustainability

Track: Operations

See in real time what it’s like to use survey instruments, consensus-based tools, and facilitation methods to arrive at ideas that leverage the collective wisdom of a diverse group.

As generational shifts in the workforce challenge traditional power structures, leaders face daunting and exciting opportunities to retain employees through authentic engagement, transparent decision-making, and overhauls of internal policies toward human-centered practices. This session will provide participants with hands on tools for facilitating change management within their organizations by utilizing community-informed decision-making processes. After a case study is shared, participants will have the opportunity to collectively work through a community-informed process toward a sample internal policy update.

Kari Aanestad, Associate Director, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits

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Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave: What You Need to Know 

Track: Human Resources

Understand the implications of PFML for employers, including compliance obligations and potential impacts on workforce management.

Join us for an informative session on Minnesota’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) requirements. This presentation will cover the key aspects of the recently enacted legislation and upcoming changes including eligibility criteria, benefit amounts, and the application process.

Caleb Golberg, Consultant, Health and Wellness Consulting, Gallagher; Madison Belland, Account Executive, Group Benefit Sales, Gina Rutledge, Director, Paid Family and Medical Leave Product Management & Strategic Planning, MetLife

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Building Financial Capability to Advance Mission Impact 

Track: Finance

Discover approachable and applicable technology advancements and systems to build your nonprofit’s finance capacity.

Nonprofits are working to solve many of the most complex problems in our community and require highly capable finance functions and technology systems to most effectively support their missions.

Kassie Danielson, Finance Coordinator, Brian Peterson, Chief Financial Officer, Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans; Heidi Grinde, Principal, Kyle Roberts, Principal, CLA

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Empowering Sustainability Through Employee Engagement 

Track: Human Resources

Learn to identify key efficiency gaps within your organization using employee insights to implement impactful sustainability strategies.

Explore essential leadership skills that cultivate a culture of innovation and collaboration, empowering staff to contribute to sustainable practices effectively. Additionally, you’ll discover practical strategies to boost employee engagement and satisfaction, ultimately enhancing retention rates and fostering a dedicated workforce. This session offers valuable insights and actionable takeaways, making it a must-attend for nonprofit leaders eager to drive meaningful change and contribute to a sustainable future for their communities. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your organization’s sustainability journey! 

Miriam Williams, Founder & Coach, Ordered Soul

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How to Choose the Right Technology Solutions for Your Organization

Track: Operations

How do we know we are choosing the right solution for our organization’s specific needs?

To do more with less, we need the right systems and processes in place, but how and where do we start? In this session we will look at the telltale signs that you are outgrowing your current system and then examine the best method for evaluating and selecting the right solution for your organization. It’s easier than you think!

Geniene Scherer, CPA, Partner, Abdo

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GAAP Guidelines: Interpreting and Complying with What’s New

Track: Finance

Join two nonprofit industry experts to enhance your understanding of the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) complexities, with a focus on revenue recognition, internal controls, and other new guidance. 
 
Using practical examples, the presenters will cover key topics such as understanding conditional vs. nonconditional contributions, donor restrictions, non-cash contributions, and other revenue-related considerations. They will also explain the importance of internal controls for financial integrity and compliance. This session is ideal for nonprofit financial professionals looking to deepen their knowledge and apply best practices in their organizations. A Q&A session will follow to address your questions. 

Hannah Hugen, CPA, Nonprofit Senior Manager, Joe Wallis, CPA, Nonprofit Senior Manager, Abdo