Speakers
Bridget Brandt, President & CEO - Leander Chamber of Commerce
Bridget Brandt has been working with nonprofit and governmental organizations for many years. Her background includes for profit and not-for-profit organizations. She is the current President & CEO of the Leander Chamber of Commerce. She has presented sessions on creating loyalty through experience, social media, and nonprofit management at the Nonprofit Day at the Direct Marketing Association’s Annual Conference, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Charity Channel, and the Bridge conference. In addition to many local nonprofits and foundations dedicated to the nonprofit sector. Her witty, in your face honesty exposes the truths of non-profit management and helps executives and marketers realize their full potential.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance, with additional coursework in management and marketing, from The Red McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, and an MBA from Texas State University-San Marcos.
In addition, she was the founder of Support Behind the Badge. She has also had the honor of being selected as one of the Top 50 Women in Business by the Austin Business Journal. She has won numerous marketing awards, including two Best in Show awards. She is very passionate about the non-profit sector and helping non-profits increase awareness, consideration, and donations!
9:00 am - 9:30 am
9:45 am - 11:15 am
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Morning Keynote
Morning Breakout: Nonprofit Story Telling
COULD YOUR NONPROFIT INCREASE GIVING BY 1,000%, JUST BY TELLING BETTER STORIES?
In this session, you will learn why are some charities are setting records in annual fundraising -- while others remain trapped in monotony.
In this class, I will teach you to become a better storyteller.
...the kind of storytelling that makes people listen.
...the kind of crisp storytelling suited for today's hyper-fast message environment.
...the kind of emotional storytelling that connects directly with the place in our brains where purchase decisions (e.g., gifts to charity) are made.
This session is for those of you who are already fundraising stars ... but know you still have something important to learn about effective storytelling. And for savvy, success-oriented nonprofit executives who know that top-quality storytelling is THE secret to increased donor support and long-lasting organizations.
In this session, you will get:
- an overview of the elements needed to tell a great story.
- the training and the tools. You'll practice the skills and be gently coached.
My goal is for you to leave with a great story that you can use to grow your nonprofit. The class will require group work and presentations.
Morning Breakout: Marketing Tactics Every Fundraiser Needs to Know
help you increase dollars raised in your next fundraising campaign. This fun-interactive class will teach you real world tactics that every small nonprofit can easily implement.
What the workshop will cover:
- 10 marketing tactics designed to help promote your organization and raise more dollars.Tactics include the following topics:
Direct Mail Marketing
E-mail Marketing
Social Media Marketing
Website Design
Video Marketing
& More… - A group discussion on successful tactics.
- An evaluation of your current collateral.
Chris Carmona, CPA, Schriver, Carmona & Company PLLC, Co-founding Partner, Assurance Services
Chris Carmona, CPA, is a co-founding partner of Schriver, Carmona & Company and has over twenty years of public accounting experience. Chris’ experience includes leading and supervising the audits of several nonprofit entities, including nonprofits requiring single audits as specified in the Uniform Guidance, governmental entities, employee benefit plans, and commercial entities.
Chris received his BBA in Accounting from the University of Texas at San Antonio (Go Runners!) and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Texas Society of CPAs. He currently serves as chair of the San Antonio regional board of KIPP Texas, as treasurer of The Nonprofit Council, as treasurer of Eva’s Heros, and on the founding board of governors for The Centre Club (formerly The Plaza Club). Chris’s past board experience includes Guide Dogs of Texas, where he served three years as board chair. Chris has chaired the finance council and served on the school council of his parish, St. Matthew Catholic Church. In addition, he also chaired the Annual Archbishop’s Appeal for three years and represented St. Matthew as the parish’s chair for the Archdiocesan Capital Campaign.
Chris and his wife, Ana, will celebrate 20 years of marriage in March and they have been blessed with three children: Sophia (17), Daniel (15) and Michael (8).
9:45 am - 11:15 am
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Morning Breakout: Achieving a Great Audit!
Course Overview:
Equip yourself with a step-by-step guide to effectively prepare for an audit. Learn about essential documentation, common prerequisites, and best practices to ensure a smooth audit process.
Course Objectives:
- 1) Differences between and audit, review, and compilation; 2) Key audit preparation steps; and 3) Overview of the audit process.
Who should attend this class?
Nonprofit Board Members/Finance Committee Members, CEOs/Executive Directors, CFOs/Finance Directors, Controllers, and any other nonprofit accounting/finance and program staff who assist in preparing financial information for CEOs/Executive Directors and/or Board Member/Finance Committee Members.
Afternoon Breakout: Budget Basics for Nonprofits
Course Overview:
An annual budget is a planning tool that helps nonprofit organizations develop short-term financial plans to reflect and reach long-term financial goals related to the organization’s programs, mission, and strategic plan. This course will provide basic steps in developing, implementing, and executing an effective budgeting process for nonprofit organizations.
Course Objectives:
- What is a budget? Why budgeting is important to a nonprofit organization; How to create an effective budget and How to use your budget as a tool.
Who should attend this class?
Nonprofit Board Members/Finance Committee Members, CEOs/Executive Directors, CFOs/Finance Directors, Controllers, and any other nonprofit accounting/finance and program staff who assist in preparing financial information for CEOs/Executive Directors and/or Board Member/Finance Committee Members.
Becky Dinnin, Executive Director, Social Venture Partners San Antonio
Becky Dinnin is the Executive Director of Social Venture Partners San Antonio (svpsa.org), a network of business and community leaders, innovative do-gooders, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists who are providing their expertise and capacity building expertise to more than 125 nonprofits. She is a leading expert on nonprofit operations and social enterprise, with an extensive background in community relations, marketing, public relations, and brand management. She has served in organizations across Texas, in Tennessee and Switzerland. She serves on several nonprofit boards.
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Afternoon Breakout: Where Talent Meets Purpose: Building Nonprofit Capacity through Skilled Volunteers
Debi Pfitzenmaier and Becky Dinnin will combine forces to bring us this session. If you've spent any time working with or for a nonprofit, you know: the to-do list grows ever longer. It's a struggle to prioritize needs. There are too many projects, too much need, too little time and too little funding. Now, imagine a network of volunteers, nonprofits and funders all working together to solve those urgent problems and help nonprofits get stuff done, accelerating impact and expanding capacity to serve the community. This is the foundation of Catchafire, a platform that facilitates the free flow of volunteer talent into the social impact sector, helping nonprofits easily access the expert help they need, when they need it. Social Venture Partners has pulled together a collaboration of partners who have funded more than 125 subscriptions to Catchafire, generating almost $2M worth of in-kind support. In this session, we'll show you how Catchafire works to support a wide range of operational needs, empowering organizations to work more effectively, expand their reach and impact and ultimately better achieve their missions. This workshop is best for nonprofit staff, nonprofit funders and those with professional skills who are looking for meaningful ways to volunteer.
Steely Lott, The Greater Boerne Chamber of Commerce
Steely is the Marketing and Events Coordinator at The Boerne Chamber, and loves working with the community in many different aspects to bring more growth and success to the members. She has experience in event planning/coordinating, social media management and marketing, public relations, and retail. Steely was born and raised in Comfort and has stayed local, graduating from The University of Texas at San Antonio in 2019 with a BA in General Business. She currently lives with her family in Comfort, where they raise goats, sheep, donkeys, chickens, and ducks! Steely joined the Chamber staff in March of 2022.
9:45 am - 11:15 am
Morning Breakout: Make a Splash: Top Tips for Successful Events
It’s time for your events to make a splash! In this session, Holly Rodriguez and Steely Lott have teamed up to share tips on event planning, promotion, execution, and revenue generation for your nonprofit. From attendance, sponsorships, vendors and more, there’s a bundle of information to absorb and apply to make your next fundraising event a success!
Debi Pfitzenmaier, Catchafire Program Manager, Social Venture Partners San Antonio
Debi Pfitzenmaier is the Catchafire Program Manager for Social Venture Partners San Antonio, helping nonprofits build capacity through the effective use of skilled volunteers. A writer, neurodiversity advocate and antique bead collector, Pfitzenmaier founded Youth Code Jam, a Texas-based nonprofit providing opportunities for all young people to explore computational thinking and creating with code. Pfitzenmaier has worked on impactful initiatives with many inspiring and creative nonprofits over the course of her career, including the American Red Cross, The Ecumenical Center and Educational Services International, among others.
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Afternoon Breakout: Where Talent Meets Purpose: Building Nonprofit Capacity through Skilled Volunteers
Debi Pfitzenmaier and Becky Dinnin will combine forces to bring us this session. If you've spent any time working with or for a nonprofit, you know: the to-do list grows ever longer. It's a struggle to prioritize needs. There are too many projects, too much need, too little time and too little funding. Now, imagine a network of volunteers, nonprofits and funders all working together to solve those urgent problems and help nonprofits get stuff done, accelerating impact and expanding capacity to serve the community. This is the foundation of Catchafire, a platform that facilitates the free flow of volunteer talent into the social impact sector, helping nonprofits easily access the expert help they need, when they need it. Social Venture Partners has pulled together a collaboration of partners who have funded more than 125 subscriptions to Catchafire, generating almost $2M worth of in-kind support. In this session, we'll show you how Catchafire works to support a wide range of operational needs, empowering organizations to work more effectively, expand their reach and impact and ultimately better achieve their missions. This workshop is best for nonprofit staff, nonprofit funders and those with professional skills who are looking for meaningful ways to volunteer.
Callie Roberson, Owner + Creative Director of Manifestive Design
Callie is now an award-winning brand strategist, graphic designer, and muralist with over 13 years of professional experience. Her clients have ranged from the Texas Department of Agriculture and a PGA Golf Tournament, to dozens of small businesses, in just about every industry.
After graduating from Texas A&M University in College Station in 2009 with a BA in Environmental Design and Visual Studies, Callie worked at an event branding studio for 3 years before co-founding Creative Parc, which provided information design, content strategy, corporate brand creation, event design, specialty print projects, custom websites, motion graphics, and design systems services. After growing the company for 8 years to 12 employees and $1MM in annual revenue, Callie sold her ownership shares and joined the GRIT Co. team to launch the GRIT Co. Branding division.
Under Callie's guidance and leadership, GRIT Co. was able to begin offering environmental design, branding, and graphic design as part of the company’s construction services. After 2 years, she had grown the division to 5 team members and their clients included Medina Valley ISD, Kerr EDC, Hill Country Daily Bread, The Boerne Chamber of Commerce, among many others. For her efforts there, Callie became a recipient of the Top40 Award in 2021 by the KerrEDC.
But, even with that success, the lure to own her own company again won out. In May of 2022, Callie leveraged all of her previous knowledge & client base to start Manifestive Design. Now, with her own design studio offering Brand Strategy, Brand Design, Graphic Design, Website Design, and Environmental Design, Callie continues to help business owners visually engage their audience, all while guiding other designers on her team to their full potential.
9:45 am - 11:15 am
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Morning Breakout: Websites: Let's Un-Complicate This.
Afternoon Breakout: Branding: Must-Have’s vs. Nice-to-Have’s
Nonprofits are built on shoestring budgets and elbow grease. When it comes to your image, though, there are just certain things you can’t skimp on. In this course, we’ll look at where you CAN cut some corners, while still looking the part.
(who should take this class? Nonprofit leaders and marketing chairs)
Holly Rodriguez, The Greater Boerne Chamber of Commerce
Holly Rodriguez currently serves as the Vice President of The Greater Boerne Chamber of Commerce. In her role at the Boerne Chamber, she manages operations and accounting, and also provides marketing and communications oversight. Holly is committed to developing unique opportunities to drive exposure for Boerne Chamber members and the business community.
Holly’s professional background includes experience in marketing, advertising, public relations, event planning, graphic design, and social media management. She is a graduate of Texas State University in San Marcos with a degree in Public Relations and joined the Boerne Chamber staff in 2018. Holly lives in Boerne with her husband and their two young sons.
9:45 am - 11:15 am
Morning Breakout: Make a Splash: Top Tips for Successful Events
It’s time for your events to make a splash! In this session, Holly Rodriguez and Steely Lott have teamed up to share tips on event planning, promotion, execution, and revenue generation for your nonprofit. From attendance, sponsorships, vendors and more, there’s a bundle of information to absorb and apply to make your next fundraising event a success!