13th Annual Nonprofit Institute Conference at CSM Aims to ‘Build a Collaborative Community’

The Nonprofit Institute (NPI) at CSM invites local nonprofits representatives to register for its 13th annual conference to be held April 20. NPI returns to an in-person conference for the first time in three years to offer the region’s nonprofits leaders and staff an opportunity to learn, network and access resources.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Collaborative Communities: Building an Equitable Region,” a nod to the relationships and spirit of collaboration that arose against the backdrop of the pandemic’s upheaval – strengthening and proving nonprofits' capacity to meet needs and effect change. The conference will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on CSM’s La Plata campus.

“The nonprofit sector in Southern Maryland is very different today than it was three years ago,” said Nonprofit Institute Senior Consultant Cara Fogarty. “The number of nonprofits that we serve and work with has skyrocketed. At the same time, the nonprofit community is more interconnected than ever, and the institute has been a big part of helping to make those connections. The tumult of the past few years has spurred nonprofits to reassess and reimagine not only the ways in which we work within our organizations but also the incredible potential to partner with other nonprofits to serve our communities.”

The keynote address will be provided by CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson, who became CSM’s sixth president in January 2023. Prior to her presidential appointment, Wilson, pictured right, was vice president of Instruction, Ashe Campus and Alleghany Center at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. She worked in the North Carolina and South Carolina Community College Systems for more than 22 years, beginning her career as an adjunct faculty member before moving into more progressive leadership roles in both academic affairs, student services, and campus operations. Her work in higher education has centered on creating a student-ready college culture, mitigating institutional barriers to access, retention, and completion, and strategically focusing on programming and policies that support all students to success.

Wilson has completed the 2019-2020 Aspen Rising President's Fellowship program, received the Phi Theta Kappa Distinguished College Administrator's Awards – both internationally and within the Carolinas – and was recognized as the South Carolina Technical Education Association Administrator of the Year at York Technical College. She serves on the Aspen Institute Alumni Advisory Council. She is the Region 2 director for the American Association for Women in Community Colleges; serves as a peer evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; and she is a Leadership Coach for Achieving the Dream.

Wilson earned her bachelor’s degree in English Education and her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland, College Park, and her Ed.D. in Adult and Community College Education from North Carolina State University.

“I am honored to address this year’s Nonprofit Institute Conference “Collaborative Communities: Building an Equitable Region,” and look forward to engaging with representatives from our region’s nonprofits in person,” said Wilson. “The College of Southern Maryland is both a connector and a convener in our communities and this year’s conference will shine a bright light on the collaborative work we all do to provide services and opportunities to our most vulnerable populations. Community college students are among those who have tremendous needs for wrap-around services offered by the lion’s share of nonprofit organizations in our region and I am excited about honoring their impactful work and building stronger coalitions for all.”

The conference will feature more than one dozen breakout sessions focused on topics of leadership, development, communications, planning and operations and management. Fogarty said that sessions are designed so that everyone from a volunteer to an executive can leave with concrete steps that can put into practice immediately.

Attendees will have the opportunity to attend popular sessions from previous conferences as well as new sessions developed for this year. For example, Director of Learning and Partnerships at the Maryland Philanthropy Network Elisabeth Hyleck will present a new session on “Foundations 101 and Maryland’s Philanthropic Landscape,” while the perennially popular “Meet the Media” panel will once again give attendees the chance to speak directly with the press. Over lunch, a panel of local leaders will lead an open discussion about workforce challenges and creative solutions.

Finally, an exhibition hall will showcase agencies that provide services to nonprofits, giving attendees the opportunity to explore many resources in one place.

“This is a pivotal moment—an exceptional opportunity for the region’s nonprofits to cultivate the relationships that will position and empower us to overcome present and emerging challenges and build a more equitable Southern Maryland,” said Fogarty.

The Nonprofit Institute at CSM is the premier source of professional development and capacity-building for the diverse array of nonprofits serving the Southern Maryland region. Registration for the conference, which is limited, runs until April 13 and the fee to attend is $65.

Learn more and register at https://www.csmd.edu/npiconference,