Best Nonprofit Conference - New York City, Long Island, Westchester

When your nonprofit is stronger, all of us are stronger. The Best Nonprofit Conference is a one-off-its-kind opportunity for all of us to learn from - and aspire to - the best practices of exceptional nonprofits.

On December 7th and 8th we culminated the 2020 Nonprofit Excellence Awards, the program’s 14th year, with close to 300 nonprofit leaders from organizations across our sector. We gathered online to learn from and aspire to the best management practices of extraordinary organizations. The Conference was full of engaging conversations and fun-filled networking opportunities where nonprofit professionals, consultants, funders, and partners learned, strategized, and connected.

Read our 2020 Conference Recap

2020 Best Nonprofit Conference Agenda

Monday, December 7 and Tuesday, December 8, 2020 | Virtual

Day 1 Sessions: Monday, December 7, 2020, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm: Registration & Explore the Expo
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm: Opening and 2020 Nonprofit Excellence Awards Presentation
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm: From Crisis to Recovery: The Current State of the Nonprofit Sector

Melanie Hartzog, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services
Gisele Castro, Executive Director, exalt youth
Evie Hantzopoulos, Executive Director, Global Kids
Jenni Wolfson, Executive Director, Chicken & Egg Pictures

2:15 pm - 2:30 pm: Networking, Visit the Expo, Sponsor Sessions

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm: Key Area of Nonprofit Excellence Breakout Sessions

Is Everyone Here?: Prioritizing our People While Remote
Alexandros Hatzakis, Chief Operating Officer, FPWA
Angela Jefferson, LCSW, Vice President of Programs, Partnership with Children
Marvin Webb, Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration, Funders for LGBTQ Issues
You Have to 'Unmute': Speaking Up and Often During a Crisis
Tim Lemberger, Director of Marketing & Communications, Project Sunshine
Farra Trompeter, Chief Growth Officer, Big Duck
Cindy Choung, External Relations Manager, Chicken & Egg Pictures
Virtual and Focused: Governance when Managing the Unexpected
Sharmila Rao Thakkar, Executive Director, SI Not for Profit Association
Jan Fisher, Executive Director, Nonprofit Westchester
Riel Peerbooms, Executive Director/CEO, Trail Blazers

3:30 pm - 3:45 pm: Networking, Visit the Expo, Sponsor Sessions

3:45 pm - 4:45 pm: Key Area of Nonprofit Excellence Breakout Sessions

Don't Freeze: Tech Solutions to Keep Moving
Karim Beldjilali, Information Technology Compliance Senior Manager, The New York Times
Katie Doctor, Managing Director of Educational Strategy & Data, DREAM
Joe Donato, Director of Technology, The Osborne Association
The Rainy Day is Now: Weathering a Financial Crisis
Luis Medina, Senior Associate, Nonprofit Finance Fund
Ellie Hume, Director, Your Part-Time Controller
R. Franklyn Pintado, Vice President of Finance, Partnership with Children
Advocacy in 2020: We're the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For
Kim Belizaire, Director of Partnerships and Advocacy, Good Call
Alejandra Duque-Cifuentes, Executive Director, Dance/NYC
Kimberly Roberts, Public Policy Fellow, Philanthropy New York
Brian Romero, Policy Associate, GMHC

4:45 pm - 5:00 pm: Day 1 Close Out

Day 2 Sessions: Tuesday, December 8, 2020, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
9:00 am - 9:30 am: Truth in our Words, Power in our Actions: Radically Reimagining the Nonprofit Sector

Richard Buery, Jr., President, Achievement First
Jarrett Lucas, Executive Director, Stonewall Community Foundation

9:30 am - 9:45 am: Networking, Visit the Expo
9:45 am - 10:45 am: More Than a Protest Slogan: Making Anti-Racism Real in Your Organization

Michelle Lawrence, Director of Anti-Racism Organizational Development, Safe Horizon
Yvonne M. Brathwaite, Director of Programs, Global Kids
Marisha Marsh, Development Manager, Good Call
Alexa Salame, Learning & Resources Manager, Nonprofit New York

10:45 am - 11:00 am: Networking, Visit the Expo, Sponsor Sessions

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP: Strategic Alliances and Advocacy in Uncertain Times

11:00 am - 12:00 pm: Key Area of Nonprofit Excellence Breakout Sessions

The End of Business as Usual: Shifting Priorities and Plans
Joseph Barretto, Principal, Barretto Consulting
Gisele Castro, Executive Director, exalt youth
Brian Lewis, Deputy Director, exalt youth
When Fundraising Gets Tough, the Tough Stick to their Values
Christa Orth, Principal, Wingo NYC
Yolanda F. Johnson, Founder, Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy
Jenni Wolfson, Executive Director, Chicken & Egg Pictures

12:00 pm - 12:45 pm: Rebuilding Together: Preparing for the Next Phase

Jonathan Bowles, Executive Director, Center for Urban Future
Maria Torres-Springer, Vice President for US Programs, Ford Foundation

12:45 pm - 1:00 pm: Conference Close Out

2020 Best Nonprofit Conference Photos

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"On a broad scale, the areas of excellence and workshops you provide in each area are so valuable to help frame our work, and provide an overall paradigm. I have learned the most from that alone, areas of which I may not be as familiar with from my work on the program end. The opening panel was really great, and I think set the stage for the entire conference. And then the selection of speakers in the sessions was fantastic- too many to note individually, but very memorable."

— 2019 Best Nonprofit Conference Participant

"While I found the entire day to be well spent, I found the panel discussion featuring EDs from winning organizations the most significant because it provided a range of perspectives from organizations varying in size based on headcount, reach and budget. Very valuable."

— 2019 Best Nonprofit Conference Participant

"This was an excellent conference! The space was amazing and much of the content was very valuable. The feeling in the room was very supportive and uplifting. Even the vendors seemed happy to be there! lol."

— 2019 Best Nonprofit Conference Participant

Contact

For program inquiries: Lakimja Mattocks, [email protected]
For press and media inquiries: Melkis Alvarez-Baez, [email protected]
For sponsorships: Matt Cheng, [email protected]