Lately, life sure feels like everything’s coming at us at once: The financial pressures. The political turmoil. The creep of AI into every corner of our lives.
To a nonprofit agency that’s simply trying to do good for Delaware, those global pressures can be overwhelming at times – especially as the need grows and big donations falter. They can feel beleaguered, unappreciated, alone.
Those anxieties will ease considerably this Friday, when more than 250 of the state’s nonprofit leaders come together to face their challenges as one, at the annual IMPACT Delaware Conference sponsored by DANA, the Delaware Alliance of Nonprofit Advancement. On the docket: How nonprofits can use AI agents effectively, navigate shifting federal policies, and take advantage of DANA’s new “Care for Good” healthcare plan.
It’s a day for sympathizing, but also for learning. There will be wise advice and warm reconnections with fellow advocates. Weary warriors will emerge energized, ready to renew their passion for the people they serve and the mission they champion.
“As nonprofit leaders, we have our heads down, nose to the grindstone, every day,” said Sheila Bravo, the former president and CEO of DANA. “Coming to a conference like this gives them a moment to look up from their work, to listen and understand how they can help each other thrive.”
An unpredictable world
Those moments of connection have become especially important over the past few years, as nonprofits work to steady themselves against the choppy tides of politics and finances. They’ve all had to become more resilient, more adaptable, more determined.
But that steadfast effort can come with its own emotional toll. “If you’re just kind of churning in your work, and you don’t take the time to come together, it’s just not healthy,” said Patrick J. Carroll, Chief Executive Officer of Humane Animal Partners Delaware. “It’s a day for venting, for commiserating, and even for sharing successes.”
Along with that communal, emotional reset, it’s also a chance to discover real-world strategies for countering chaos. They learn to do more with less, and to proactively push back against those acute external forces. Sessions will dive deep into the potential and perils of AI, the seemingly whimsical shifts from Washington D.C., the sometimes-disheartening softening of corporate support.
Thanks to DANA, real solutions are at hand: The group has just launched Care for Good, an innovative program designed to give its 500-plus nonprofit members sustainable, more-affordable healthcare coverage. At the IMPACT Delaware Conference, they’ll also get chances to explore fresh solutions to organizational needs, thanks to the vendors who attend each year to pitch their products, from human resources services to accounting help.
Connections create opportunities
But the best takeaway is often found away from the main stage at Clayton Hall, where attendees at the sold-out conference find words of advice and encouragement from fellow members. “One of the top things that we hear from our members after the conference is the number of people that they got to meet, the new connections that they got to make,” Bravo said. “Those connections then can create opportunities for new ideas and collaborations in the future.”
“Oftentimes in these leadership roles, it can feel very lonely,” said Lydia Sarson, Executive Director of Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids, which helps students start their own school gardens. “It’s good to know that there are others out there who are going through something similar. You can ask questions, learn from them. You can hear about different solutions that maybe you didn’t think of at all.
“So many times for us little nonprofits, especially as we’re growing and changing and moving in this work, you can feel very blind,” Sarson added.
Through the year, DANA helps clear a path toward progress: Members can seek help with their board recruiting needs, get tailored consulting services from experts, or attend courses and sessions aimed at fine-tuning their skills. Through its Nonprofit Accelerator Program, DANA helps groups through that fledgling period when limited resources can be a drag on growth.
High-profile panelists
The IMPACT conference’s focus is by nature less individualized, but still serves as a chance to understand and cope with the big-picture topics that inevitably filter down to individual nonprofits. This year, a “plenary panel” will help members protect their missions against federal policy shifts, with the help of some high-profile panelists: Thère du Pont, President of the Longwood Foundation; John Kane, Director of Policy and Federal Affairs for Gov. Matt Meyer; and Diane Yentel, President of the National Council of Nonprofits.
More high-level lessons will come during the conference’s IMPACT Talks, which will deliver rapid-fire, thought leadership discussions from three respected Delaware figures: Rony Baltazar-Lopez, Director of the Delaware Office of New Americans; Doris Griffin, Executive Director of the Delaware Adolescent Program; and Kerriann Otaño, Vice President of Engagement for OperaDelaware.
“You’re not going to find anything like that anywhere else in Delaware but at our conference,” Bravo said.
Still, there’s a sense among members that some of the most meaningful moments are more personal, and perhaps more about sustaining each person’s morale and spirit. “Sometimes, the good thing about conferences like this is just the affirmation that you’re in the right place, and that you’re doing good work,” Carroll said. “It’s a reminder to yourself that you matter, and that your work is meaningful, and that you do want to keep going.”
Sarson has felt that glow, too. “You do get a sense of emotion as you’re leaving, a feeling that, ‘Okay, we can do this. It is not just me, it is not just this person or that organization. It really is all of us trying to make each of our communities a little bit better.”
To learn more about joining DANA, visit the Membership Page.
