Here is a preview of some of the concurrent sessions that will be taking place on Thursday October 16 and Friday October 17. Be on the lookout for more updates and the full schedule this summer!

Learning Lab

Responsible Storytelling in Risky Situations

Karen Rundlet, CEO, Institute for Nonprofit News

Tracy Weber, Managing Editor, ProPublica

Mazin Sidahmed, Co-Executive Director, Documented

  • Hear best practices to protect sources based on journalism ethics

  • Explore how to evaluate the risks of “going public” for people from vulnerable groups (e.g., undocumented immigrants, LGBTQIA identified) and high-profile individuals

  • Learn how to approach requests to withdraw or edit content already published or posted online

Learning Lab

Comms: Where Do We Go Wrong?

Cecilie Surasky, Director of Communications and Narrative at UC Berkeley's Othering & Belonging Institute

  • Join a candid exploration of how our well-intentioned efforts may be causing more harm than good

  • Reimagine the frontline role comms plays in divided times

  • Learn tools and framing strategies that avoid fragmentation and build belonging

  • Hear research about zero sum thinking (and how to avoid triggering it)

Case Study

Re-Branding: Brooklyn Org

Liane Stegmaier, Chief of Staff, Brooklyn Org

Jameela Syed, Communications Manager, Brooklyn Org

Kozue Yamada, Mother Design

  • The story of Brooklyn Org's brand development

  • How the rebrand process led to a full-scale modern reinterpretation of the community foundation model

  • Why Brooklyn Org changed everything but the mission statement — from category positioning, language and tone, visual identity, website strategy, and a new younger target audience

  • Explore brand applications from merch to small biz partnerships, PSA Campaign, events, sponsorships and more

Learning Lab

How Local News Can Help You Reach your Target Audience

Rachel White, CEO, The AP Fund for Journalism

Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, Executive Director, Maine Monitor

Larry Ryckman, Publisher, Colorado Sun

Kayce Ataiyero, Chief External Affairs Officer, Joyce Foundation

Steven Sloan, Director of News Strategy, AP

  • Why strengthening local news is important

  • How to build trust with your audience and depolarize issues

  • Learn how to collaborate better with local news organizations

  • Tips for reaching people in the context of changing information consumption habits

Case Study

Anniversaries: The Denver Foundation & The Duke Endowment

Abigail Kesner, Vice President of Communications, The Denver Foundation

Shaheen Towles, Director of Communications, The Duke Endowment

Charity Perkins, former Director of Communications, The Duke Endowment

  • Learn how to plan for a milestone anniversary, whether you are a nonprofit, community foundation or a private foundation

  • Explore how to connect to and engage with various audiences (internal and external) through an integrated communications approach throughout the process

  • Discover more about cornerstone activities, budget planning and lessons learned

Learning Lab

Avoiding Crises & Protecting Your Organization

Erik Olvera, Chief of Issue Advocacy and Crisis Management, Fenton

Shakirah Hill Taylor, Chief Digital Officer, Fenton

Valarie De La Garza, CEO, Fenton

  • Explore crisis communications strategies, tactics, and processes to help navigate the current environment, where a wide range of organizations are in the center of public debate and facing potential threats to funding

  • Gain better understanding on how to perform opposition research to stay ahead of negative narratives and misinformation campaigns critics may spread

  • Learn how to design scenario matrices for possible threats and vulnerabilities, including how to manage negative social media campaigns, public protests, news coverage and when to proactively engage media

Case Study

Storytelling: The Nature Conservancy

Jill Schwartz, Director of Marketing and Communications, The Nature Conservancy

Kirsten Farrell, Director, Goodman Center

  • Explore how one of the world’s largest environmental nonprofits uses personal stories to create unexpected champions for complex government policies

  • Learn how to find and produce written and video stories that are authentic

  • Hear more on how to convince your non-communications colleagues that human-centered stories do inspire action

  • Walk away with tips on getting your story out there (distribution matters)

Case Study

Advocacy: Schott Foundation, Migrant Equity Southeast, RALLY

Melissa Daar Carvajal, Donor Marketing & Communications Director, Schott Foundation for Public Education

Anastasia Ordonez, Former Director, HEAL Strategic Communications, Race Forward

Daniela Rodriguez, Executive Director, Migrant Equity Southeast 

Amy Clark, Director, RALLY

  • Discover how several organizations worked together to integrate and leverage communications into advocacy and engagement efforts across sectors to build lasting impact

  • Learn 501c3-approved communications strategies and tactics to deliver in narrative and policy contexts

  • Explore ways to structure support and resources for advocacy communications including how to be a digital influencer

Learning Lab

Comms as Community Building

Morgan Lasher, Chief Community Officer, Unify America

  • Four ingredients of community building (impact, learning, purpose and belonging)

  • How comms drives those pillars to create and support community building

  • The comms role in pluralism and building environments meant for collaboration across differences