Workshops

Nonprofit leaders across Central Washington told us what is most on their minds—funding, board engagement, staffing challenges, and building organizations that can grow sustainably. You also asked for practical sessions with tools you can take back and use right away. In response, we’ve recruited speakers to address the issues you told us you care about most.

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Sustaining individuals and teams

People who work in nonprofit and community service roles often carry deep responsibility for the wellbeing of others. Over time, this commitment can lead to chronic stress, burnout, and emotional exhaustion.

This interactive session explores burnout through three lenses: the demands of mission-driven work, the role of the nervous system in stress and resilience, and culturally grounded approaches to restoring balance.

Participants will learn practical tools for regulating stress in real time, reconnecting with personal and cultural sources of strength, and building sustainable rhythms that allow them to continue serving their communities without losing themselves in the process.

The session will include reflection, discussion, and simple practices that participants can use immediately in their daily work.

Organizations often aspire to be equitable, but aspiration alone doesn’t shift culture, redistribute power, or repair harm. In this presentation, you will explore a clear, actionable pathway for people at every level of an organization—from formal leaders to staff without positional authority—moving beyond statements to embed equity into daily operations, decision‑making, and culture.

Grounded in practical tools and real‑world examples, this session explores how Transparency, Accountability, and Implementation work together to transform equity from a principle into a measurable practice.

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Tools and systems that support the work

Nonprofits don’t need complex HR departments. They need clear, consistent people systems that strengthen stability and expand capacity. In this practical and engaging session, nonprofit leaders will learn how to implement lean, right-sized HR practices that reduce burnout, clarify roles, and build stronger teams—all within tight budgets. Through interactive exercises and real-world tools, you will leave with actionable strategies you can implement immediately to support your mission and people.

Top Three Outcomes

1. Streamline key people processes – Identify and simplify one core HR system to reduce inefficiency and increase stability.
2. Clarify roles and accountability – Apply a practical framework to eliminate role confusion and strengthen compliance and team performance.
3. Create consistent staff development rhythms – Implement simple, sustainable feedback and growth practices that don’t require additional budget.

Build the internal strength your mission needs to thrive long term by investing in your people systems today to protect your mission tomorrow.

Nonprofits carry a heavy load, juggling administrative tasks, marketing, and grant writing on tight budgets. Artificial Intelligence doesn’t have to be another confusing or expensive hurdle. In this workshop, we will cut through the hype and focus on the practical process of integrating AI into your daily operations. You will learn how to audit your current workflows and effectively match them with the right AI tools, like Anthropic’s Claude, to build efficient, ethical systems that actually support your team and advance your mission.

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Guiding people and organizations

Opinions vary about the roles of boards and executives in leading community organizations. When differing viewpoints about governance go unresolved, they can invite conflict, paralysis, and leadership turnover. As communities evolve—with new voices, new leaders, and shifting expectations—you may need to adapt the governance structures your organization relies on to thrive.

In this session, you will imagine the optimal board for your cause and explore six tangible outcomes that can guide nonprofit board behavior into the future. You will examine common myths and assumptions that stall progress and consider your role in shaping a board culture that supports forward movement.

You will reflect on what governance means in your own experience and leave with resources to support your efforts to strengthen and evolve your board.

In this session for rising leaders, executive coach Alessandra Zielinski uses guided self‑reflection exercises to help participants clarify and articulate the leadership “brand” they bring to the workplace. Participants will explore leadership archetypes that have endured across time and culture—because effective leadership doesn’t look just one way! Through reflections on their strengths, values, beliefs, and personal journey, participants will deepen their understanding of who they are as leaders. At the end of the session, participants will have greater clarity about their leadership style and a more confident, precise vocabulary for communicating their contributions to a team and/or organization. Use this clarity to communicate your value, navigate career decisions, and step into new leadership opportunities with confidence.

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Connection and shared narrative

Stories are at the heart of nonprofit work—but how we gather, hold, and share those stories matters. For immigrant communities especially, storytelling carries both power and responsibility. It can be a tool for advocacy and visibility, but it must also protect dignity, agency, and trust.

In this session, the executive director of the Walla Walla Immigrant Rights Coalition, a small, community-based nonprofit will share how to approach ethnic storytelling as both a strategy and a relationship. She will share how she navigates sharing stories from her community, from her lived experience, on behalf of an organization. We will explore how to center community voice, navigate consent and vulnerability, and use storytelling to both amplify individual agency and strengthen organizational sustainability through fundraising.

Through real examples and guided reflection, participants will gain practical tools to ethically and effectively integrate storytelling into their work—without exploiting the communities they serve.

Nonprofits are navigating rising community needs, increasing complexity, and tightening funding streams. In this environment, collaboration is no longer optional—it is a strategic necessity. Cross-sector partnerships between nonprofits, businesses, and public agencies can unlock new resources, expand reach, and accelerate impact.

In this session, participants will explore practical strategies for identifying and building successful cross-sector partnerships. Through real-world examples and guided reflection, participants will learn how to shift from competition to collaboration, assess potential partners, and navigate the cultural differences that often arise between sectors. The session also introduces simple tools—such as a partnership radar and ecosystem mapping—to help organizations identify aligned partners and launch collaborative initiatives.

Participants will leave with actionable steps they can immediately apply to begin building partnerships that strengthen their organization’s sustainability and community impact.

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Telling your story

Evaluation is hard. You need to demonstrate measurable impact while maintaining alignment across people, systems, and strategy. This session introduces the concept of a Performance Success Team—a cross-functional model designed to strengthen organizational effectiveness through intentional evaluation, data-informed decision-making, and how people work together. You will learn how to connect your program outcomes, team, and strategy while building a culture of continuous improvement and reliability.

Your work is shaped by systems beyond your organization. At a time when needs are growing and systems around you are changing, it’s not always clear what to do next. This session starts with a simple idea: you already have more influence than you think.

You will learn how to turn your everyday work—your stories, relationships, and on-the-ground experience—into influence that moves your mission forward. You will explore what motivates people to act and how you can contribute to larger efforts happening across your region and state—without adding more to your plate.

This session is designed to meet you where you are. Whether you are part of a small, all-volunteer group or a larger organization, you will walk away with practical ways to build momentum, act with confidence, and connect your work to something bigger.

Because when many organizations take small steps to influence the systems around them, it can lead to a groundswell of change.