For 25 years, the Axelson Center has enhanced the performance and effectiveness of individuals and organizations in the nonprofit sector, building vibrant communities in Chicago and beyond through strengthening nonprofit leadership. Through conferences, our CEO Bootcamp, nonprofit management awards, and more, we have served thousands of nonprofit leaders and organizations.

We are overjoyed to be celebrating our 25th anniversary this year. Please celebrate with us on the evening of May 16 at Provisio Partner’s downtown offices. This will be a time of good food, fun, a silent auction, and reflections on the important work of the nonprofit sector.

If you are interested in supporting the Axelson Center, .

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Title: Hiring, Retaining, and (re)Training Fundraising Staff
Presenter: Sidney C. Freitag-Fey, MA, CFRE, Chief Development Officer, Delta Institute

The fundraising sector–like so many–has been buffeted by substantial change over the past four years. Many practices, approaches, and engagement methods no longer net the same return on investment as they did a decade ago, and a new generation of fundraisers are entering the field in the COVID-19 era. Compounding these realities, fundraiser staff turnover remains stubbornly high within the sector, resulting in unexpected and unbudgeted costs that can stymie an organization’s forward progress. These are some of the many considerations that nonprofit executives, Boards, current fundraising staff, and persons tasked with hiring, retention, and capacity building functions need to keep in mind.

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Title: Fundraising for Introverts
Presenter: Brian Saber, President, Asking Matters

It’s time to break free from the biggest stereotype holding back the nonprofit world – that only extroverts can be successful fundraisers. Join Brian Saber for this 60-minute interactive webinar to learn all the powerful attributes introverts bring to fundraising, not only in major and planned gifts but in special events and across all fundraising. At the end of the webinar, introverted fundraisers will be validated and empowered to use their tools, and managers of introverts will understand how to harness the power of everyone in their organization.  Additionally, Brian will cover board dynamics, the key roles introverted board members play, how to ensure you’re fully engaging introverted board members and the dynamics of introverted donors.

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Title: Nonprofit Board Fundraising
Presenter: Mary Morten, President of Morten Group

As a board member, one of your responsibilities is help make sure your organization has enough resources to meet its mission. As the ED or development person, you need the involvement of your board in fulfilling their role with fundraising.

How do you approach these efforts in a way that focuses on an abundance mindset and not one of scarcity? In this interactive session, we’ll discuss strategies that emphasize building relationships that are transformational, not merely transactional, all while lifting your ability (as a board member) and your strategies (as ED and staff to encourage the board’s involvement) to ask for what is needed to ensure your organization’s success.

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Title: Your Case for Support: Becoming Fluent in Your Donors’ Language
Presenter: Doug Diefenbach, VP, Strategy & Brand, Foster Avenue

The first truth of every fundraiser: donors aren’t giving to support your organization — they’re giving to achieve higher objectives that they value. Clarifying that connection is the job of your case statement – the crucial document that underpins and guides all your donor-directed communications, from cultivation pieces to proposals, annual reports, and social media – and which is fundamental to energizing your organization’s culture of philanthropy.

Ranging from the strategic to the highly practical, this workshop in “case craft” is appropriate for development professionals, nonprofit communicators, executive and volunteer leaders – or anyone facing the challenge of representing an organization to its constituents. By learning to develop rock-solid answers to every donor’s “why now, why here, why this, and why me” questions, you will pinpoint your organization’s unique philanthropic appeal and present your fundraising priorities not as dry projects, but in terms that resonate with donor interests. Discover the rational, stepwise process for articulating your organization’s underlying values – values that your donors will recognize readily and support generously.

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The daylong conference’s theme, “Mining for Gold: Uncovering Hidden Treasures in Your Organization,” emphasized highlighting the talents of the people within nonprofit organizations, and connecting them to trends within the sector for maximum impact. Interactive sessions throughout the day offered strategies to leverage opportunities and reinvigorate the way professionals look at internal resources.

In addition to breakout workshops on timely industry topics hosted by sector leaders throughout the day, the Symposium this year offered two new features: Ask the Expert, individual appointments that allowed for questions on a variety of specific subjects; and Ask a Funder, opportunities to connect with program officers at area foundations.

In her keynote address sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, speaker Kimberly Bryant challenged attendees to use what was unique about their organizations and “figure out a way in our work to create real change for the communities we serve.” Bryant is the founder and executive director of Black Girls CODE, a nonprofit dedicated to “changing the face of technology” by introducing girls of color to the tech and computer science world, with a concentration on entrepreneurial concepts.

Named by Business Insider as one of the 25 Most Influential African Americans in Technology, Bryant grew Black Girls CODE from a local nonprofit serving only the Bay Area to an organization with seven U.S. chapters and one in South Africa. She was able to develop the organization by turning perceived disadvantages into advantages, Bryant said at the Symposium. “We focused on digging back into our culture, and tapped into the unique needs of our communities,” she said. “What I’m most proud of is how we’ve developed these girls as leaders. We’ve changed the conversation around tech and changed the lives of our students.”

The world puts people into boxes, Bryant said. But in the field of technology, people are taught to be disrupters. “Identify the pain points or things that make you uncomfortable, and work through them to make them your own,” she said. “If you’re still in the box as a nonprofit leader, it’s time to come out. It’s time to create change, and it’s time to get to work. Nonprofits play a special role in creating change in an equitable way. The time is now to realize the power that nonprofits have.”

Nonprofit Management Awards

The Axelson Center also announced the winners of its and its  at Monday’s awards luncheon. The 2016 Excellent Emerging Organization Award, presented to an up-and-coming Chicago-area nonprofit, was given to Muslim Women’s Alliance. The 2016 Alford-Axelson Award, given for exemplary nonprofit management practices, was presented to Christopher House, with an honorable mention awarded to Elgin Symphony Orchestra.

(MWA), the 2016 Excellent Emerging Organization Award winner, promotes the Islamic values of fairness, service to others, and community building. MWA’s core focus areas are development of women leaders, fostering community service, mentoring women to build confidence, and empowering the community through awareness and action on social issues.

“This is a gesture to us that we need to keep powering on,” said MWA Director of Organizational Development Suroor Raheemullah in her acceptance remarks. “A lot of the time, when you see things that happen like what happened last weekend, it can get defeating,” Raheemullah said, referencing the recent Orlando shooting and its possible connection to religious motivations. “I’m really honored to get this and continue to do important work. It is important that when you see us, you don’t fear us, but love us, because we love all of you.”

MWA received a $2,500 cash prize, sponsored by MB Financial Bank, a commemorative award, and a capacity-building package, valued at over $25,000, that will support improvement of services and efficiency. The Excellent Emerging Organization Award was created to honor organizations whose strength is apparent even in the early stages of existence, displaying sound management practices, innovation, and programming and leadership capabilities.

This year’s Alford-Axelson Award winner, , provides education and resources to low-income children and their families to succeed in school, the workplace, and life. “In this environment, with a state budget crisis, this sort of investment and recognition of our hard work to get us to be a high-performing organization really means a lot,” Christopher House CEO Lori Baas said, accepting the award. “So thank you very much.”

The Alford-Axelson award honors and continues the legacies of Nils G. Axelson, a devoted community healthcare leader and visionary, and Jimmie R. Alford, a leading contemporary thinker and founder of the national consulting firm the Alford Group. Christopher House received a $5,000 cash prize and a commemorative award symbolizing the organization’s dedication to extraordinary managerial excellence.

In recognition of their honorable mention, CEO David Bearden said, “Winning is not about just getting an award, it’s in the process of learning who you are. So we thank this organization for helping us do that.”

The Symposium ended with the Make Your Pitch contest, in which a variety of local nonprofits made their case to a panel of judges for a $1,000 cash prize, sponsored by Wintrust Commercial Bank. Conference participants were invited to hear pitches and also cast their vote in support of the best pitch. The winning organization, , works to improve children’s product safety, and received the prize after pitching the concept of developing and printing Spanish-language safety brochures.

For more information about the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, visit .

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