Welcome to the 2026 Wyoming Nonprofit Conference Schedule

Across Wyoming, nonprofit organizations strengthen communities through the dedication of staff, volunteers, board members, and supporters. Much of this work happens quietly, but the impact is profound. Together with the Wyoming Nonprofit Network, it is time to raise the volume on the sector’s impact and the vital role nonprofits play in improving the lives of Wyomingites.

Louder Together: Strengthening the Voice and Impact of Wyoming Nonprofits brings nonprofit leaders, board members, partners, and changemakers from across the state together for three days of connection, learning, and inspiration.

All sessions at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center unless otherwise noted.

Keynote Session 

Meeting Moxie: Using Gracious Space to Gather with Intention and Purpose

Presenters: Amy Albrecht, Director, and Julie Greer, Project Coordinator, Center for Vital Community at Sheridan College

Are you looking for new and different ways to connect, build trust, and create shared purpose? We’ll show you how in a fun, interactive, and engaging environment in under 75 minutes. Whether it’s 1:1 or in a group, at a staff meeting, with a donor, or meeting with constituents, practicing Gracious Space can revolutionize your conversations. This opening session will set the tone for the conference. We’ll send you off energized, inspired, and ready to bring people together to intentionally create gatherings where they can speak openly, listen deeply, and learn together.

They Might Not Be Crazy: Working With People You Disagree With (And Might Not Even Like)

Presenter: Dallin Cooper 

Leaders and teams are constantly navigating different personalities, perspectives, and priorities. Yet, 90% of all workplace conflicts stem from misunderstanding. When the majority of employees feel that expressing their true thoughts could put their jobs at risk, it’s no surprise that disengagement, tension, and frustration are at an all-time high. But what if the key to a connected culture wasn’t about eliminating conflict, but transforming it?

Dallin Cooper helps audiences reframe the way they view workplace relationships, leadership, and growth. From high-performing teams to emerging leaders, the ability to understand and engage with people (especially those we disagree with) is the #1 differentiator of top-tier leaders. True leadership isn’t about avoiding tough conversations; it’s about navigating them with confidence, clarity, and connection.

Through engaging stories, eye-opening insights, and actionable tools, this session will equip attendees with the mindset and skill set to break down barriers, build a culture of collaboration, and grow their impact. Whether you’re leading a team, scaling an organization, or simply looking to build stronger, more productive relationships, this program will give your audience the tools to level up their communication, deepen engagement, and drive sustained growth.

At the end of this program, attendees will leave not just with strategies, but with a new perspective on leadership, performance, and connection. Because at the end of the day, success in business (and in life) isn’t just about working with people you agree with. It’s about learning how to connect with those you don’t.

Pre-Conference Workshop (90 Minutes)

From Intent to Impact: Co-creating Programs for Sustainable Change

Presenters: Karen Drill, The Drill Consulting Group, LLC

Many nonprofit organizations focus solely on outcomes at the end of their programs. However, to maximize impact, it is essential to collect feedback and data at every stage: before, during, and after an initiative. This comprehensive approach enables organizations to make timely adjustments, understand participant needs, and measure progress more effectively, ultimately leading to greater impact. At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Understand the importance of using a theory of change and     logic model to guide programming

• Examine the critical relationship between program implementation and successful outcomes

• Learn why and how to gather feedback and data throughout the program lifecycle

• Communicate impact with confidence

Build the Board You Have 

Presenter: Erin R. Hastey, PhD, Board Leadership Consulting LLC

In the world of small nonprofits, we hear it all the time: “I can’t get my board to_____.” So often, we feel less than because we’ve learned of board best practices from large organizations with highly professionalized boards. We can spend a lot of energy worrying over how our board doesn’t measure up. Or, as executive directors, we can take a strengths-based approach and do the best we can with the board we have. Often, we’ll be surprised by how much a “little board that can” can accomplish!

In this 90-minute workshop for executive directors, we’ll learn strategies for realistic and strengths-focused board evaluation, conduct rapid assessments of our own boards, and identify “next right thing” development opportunities for our boards. We’ll also explore how to strengthen the board/executive director relationship at our organization, plan a doable board retreat, and practice celebrating every organizational win along the way. Our boards want to do right by the organizations they steward. In this workshop, we’ll learn how to help them do that, no matter our starting point.

Breakout Session (60 Minutes)

Making Your Case: The Intersection Between Data and Advocacy 

Presenters: Laurel Wimbish, Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center at University of Wyoming, and Micah Richardson, Wyoming Women's Foundation

Effective advocacy begins with a compelling story, and strong, accessible data is one of the most powerful tools for telling that story well. This session explores how child and family data can inform, strengthen, and elevate your policy and advocacy efforts in Wyoming. Participants will learn about key data resources, the newly published Wyoming Child and Family Well-Being Data Book, and the interactive Kids Count Data Center. We’ll discuss how to move beyond numbers alone by integrating data into narratives that resonate with decision-makers, partners, and the public. Whether you are preparing testimony, writing a grant, communicating with legislators, or engaging your community, this session will help you use data with purpose, clarity, and impact. Learning Outcomes: By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Identify reliable sources of child and family data and Navigate and interpret the Wyoming Child and Family Well-Being Data Book to find actionable, Wyoming-specific insights. Use the Kids Count Data Center online to explore, compare, and download data for advocacy, presentations, and reports. Apply strategies for weaving data into effective storytelling, making your advocacy messages clearer, more compelling, and better grounded in evidence. 

Building a Board that Shows Up and Steps Up

Presenter: Tiffany Comer Cook, The Align Team

This session is designed to help nonprofit leaders strengthen board involvement across the full board member lifecycle, from recruitment and orientation to onboarding and ongoing committee service. Participants will explore how clearly defined roles, assigned tasks, realistic deadlines, and intentional relationship-building create accountability and camaraderie among board members. The session will highlight strategies for activating every board member as a contributor to fund development, organizational sustainability, sound financial management, and effective advocacy. By the end of this session, participants will be able to: 1. Identify strategies to increase board engagement at each stage of the board member lifecycle. 2. Design clear board roles with specific tasks, timelines, and expectations that promote accountability and follow-through. 3. Apply practical approaches to foster camaraderie and a culture of shared responsibility among board members. 4. Engage board members more effectively in fund development, financial oversight, organizational sustainability, and communications/advocacy efforts. 5. Assess current board practices and identify at least one actionable step to improve engagement within their own organization. 

Impact Storytelling 101: How to Find, Gather, and Share Impact Stories Ethically 

Presenters: Taylor Rosty and Jordan Yates, Co-Owners, Yonder Marketing

In this session, participants will learn how to ethically and effectively gather impact stories (testimonials) from those they benefit, and how to use those stories to better communicate their organization’s impact. Participants will: - Learn what makes an effective impact story - Learn how to identify good impact story subjects and ethically get their consent for involvement - Learn how to ask the right questions to gather powerful stories from beneficiaries, board members, and other stakeholders - Gain an understanding of how impact storytelling can empower and engage beneficiaries - Learn how to effectively use impact stories in their marketing and communications. 

Marketing that Moves Communities 

Presenters: Sommer Grogan and Dustin Neal, The BARK Firm 

Why People Should Care Reframing Nonprofit Marketing to Build Real Community Support Nonprofits are not selling products or services first. You are selling why people should care. And if people do not care, they do not donate, volunteer, advocate, or show up. This session challenges the traditional nonprofit marketing mindset that focuses on programs, outputs, and “what we do.” Instead, The BARK Firm introduces a people-first approach to community outreach that centers on emotional connection, shared values, and visible impact, the true drivers of engagement. Drawing from real-world work with nonprofits across Wyoming, this session shows how to shift messaging from information-heavy to care-driven. Attendees will learn how to clearly answer the question every donor, volunteer, and community member is already asking, Why does this matter to me and to us? Participants will walk away with practical strategies to: Reframe programs and services into why-you-should-care messaging Build trust and emotional investment before asking for donations or time Use marketing as a tool to mobilize people, not just inform them This session is not about doing more marketing. It is about doing the right marketing, the kind that creates connection first, care second, and action last. When nonprofits lead with why people should care, communities respond.

From Numbers to Narrative: Practical Budgeting for Nonprofits 

Presenter: Abbey Hagerman, CPA, ClingerHagerman, LLC

This session provides nonprofit leaders with practical tools for building meaningful budgets that support mission-driven work. Participants will explore budgeting best practices, how to develop clear and compelling budget narratives, and ways to set realistic financial goals in an uncertain funding environment. The course emphasizes accountability, transparency, and informed decision-making, helping organizations strengthen financial management and communicate more effectively with boards, funders, and stakeholders.

Securing the Future: Planned Giving and the Role of Professional Advisors 

Presenters: Wyoming Community Foundation Staff and Panel of Wyoming Professional Advisors 

The Great Wealth Transfer is underway, and planned giving must be at the forefront of Wyoming nonprofits’ development strategies. Planned gifts are often the largest and most transformational contributions a donor will ever make, and an organization’s ability to understand, accept, and steward these gifts is critical to long-term financial security. This panel includes an Estate Attorney, a CPA, and a Financial Advisor to explore how professional advisors guide their clients in considering charitable gifts through wills, trusts, and other estate planning vehicles. Panelists will share how these conversations happen in practice, what donors care about most, and how nonprofits can work effectively with advisors to attract and secure these gifts for their organization. Attendees will gain practical insight into building relationships with professional advisors, identifying planned giving opportunities, positioning their organizations to receive and manage planned gifts, and learning about common vehicles for planned giving. 

Small Shops, Big Connections 

Presenter: Eric Heininger, Eden+ Fundraising Consulting

Small organizations succeed in fundraising by building strong, authentic relationships. Small Shops, Big Connections offers a practical framework to help organizations identify, manage, and grow donor relationships using existing resources, clear roles, and smart tools—without losing the personal touch that defines small shops. A clearly defined donation lifecycle creates consistency and accountability across the organization. This lifecycle includes prospect identification, research and evaluation of capacity and affinity, next-step planning, timelines, requests, stewardship, recognition, documentation, and ongoing cultivation. Responsibilities are shared among staff, leadership, board members, and volunteers to make fundraising intentional and sustainable. Prospecting begins with people—friends, family, board networks, community partners, and stakeholders. Prospects are prioritized by aligning data with real-world readiness and opportunity. Organizations are encouraged to start with resources already in hand, such as their CRM, social media, and internal lists (alumni, event attendees, ticket buyers, grateful patients, and civic groups), supplemented by public records and relationship-mapping tools when helpful. Strategic use of screening tools like iWave, WealthEngine, or DonorSearch adds clarity without overwhelming small teams. Each prospect is organized into a simple profile with contact information, affinity, estimated capacity, and connections, ensuring continuity during staff or volunteer transitions. The session emphasizes shared engagement across audiences, responsible data use, and CRM practices that support relationships—not just transactions. Personalized details and ethical data management enable meaningful donor experiences, while AI tools streamline research, documentation, and follow-up. Progress is tracked through a simple lifecycle sheet to maintain visibility and momentum. Participants will develop an understanding of the complete donation lifecycle by clearly identifying each stage—from prospect identification through stewardship—and assigning appropriate roles to staff, board members, and volunteers to ensure consistency and accountability. Participants will be able to identify, evaluate, and prioritize donor prospects using existing organizational data, basic screening tools, and affinity indicators to create a realistic and actionable prospect pipeline. Participants will be able to organize, use, and maintain donor data ethically and effectively by leveraging CRM best practices, privacy considerations, and time-saving tools (including AI) to strengthen personalized donor engagement and long-term relationships.  

Finding the Right Fit: How to Research and Assess Grant Opportunities 

Presenter: Hannah Cortez, The Dotted i

Not every grant is worth chasing and knowing what’s worth your time can save you a lot of heartache down the road! This session zeroes in on one of the most important (and often overlooked) grant skills: finding and evaluating the right funding opportunities. Participants will learn where to look for grants, how to read grant guidelines like a pro, and how to spot red flags before committing time and energy to an application. Expect plenty of practical strategies, examples, and a mindset shift toward working smarter, not harder, when it comes to grant research. Learning Outcomes: By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Identify reliable places to search for grant opportunities at the local, regional, and national levels. Evaluate funder alignment by reviewing eligibility criteria, funding priorities, and past grantmaking. 

Employee Retention 

Presenter: Jenny Hargett, The Align Team

Participants will identify opportunities to enhance the employee experience and retain employees at various stages of the employee lifecycle. We will discuss recruitment and onboarding best practices, theories of organizational culture, and the leader's role at every stage. Participants will be encouraged to learn from one another as well as the presenter. They will have an opportunity to note what they learn in a workbook that includes a curated list of resources to enhance their understanding of employee retention after the training. 

Dallin Cooper - Pending

Workshop Sessions (90 Minutes)

From Competition to Collective Impact: Mapping Your Nonprofit Ecosystem

Presenter: Anna Wilcox, Backburn Co.

In a state where resources are limited and needs are high, Wyoming nonprofits can’t afford to work at cross purposes. Yet it’s common for organizations serving the same population to compete for funding, duplicate programs, or unintentionally weaken each other’s impact. This session challenges participants to rethink competition and explore collective impact as a strategic choice. Through hands-on tools and a guided environmental scan, attendees will identify who else is working in their space, clarify roles across their ecosystem, and explore where collaboration could strengthen services, funding opportunities, and advocacy efforts. Designed as a working session, participants will leave with practical frameworks they can take back to their organizations. This work supports stronger partnerships, clearer roles, and a louder, more unified nonprofit voice across Wyoming.

Leading Through Change 

Presenters: Hugo Santos, Bethany Cutts, Christine Vencill, Brenda Kost and Rochelle Green, UW Casper - Organizational Leadership and Social Work

Leaders today face constant organizational change that places significant emotional and psychological strain on individuals and teams. This interdisciplinary session integrates organizational leadership frameworks with evidence-informed stress management strategies drawn from social work practice to support leaders in navigating change more effectively. Participants will explore how stress manifests during periods of transition and how leaders can respond through trauma-informed approaches, strengths-based leadership, reflective practices, and healthy boundary-setting. Emphasizing practical application rather than clinical intervention, the session equips leaders with human-centered tools to foster resilience, reduce burnout, and sustain trust and performance during times of uncertainty. By the end of this session, participants will be able to: 1. Identify common sources and indicators of stress at the individual and team levels during organizational change. 2. Apply social work–informed strategies (e.g., trauma-informed leadership, strengths-based approaches, and boundary-setting) to support well-being while leading change. 3. Integrate stress-responsive leadership practices that promote resilience, ethical decision-making, and sustainable organizational culture.

Networking Without the Ick: Building Real Relationships That Help Nonprofits Thrive 

Presenter: Kari Anderson, Incite! Consulting 

The phrase “your network is your net worth” endures for a reason—especially in the nonprofit sector. Strong relationships are often the key to greater impact, resilient organizations, and sustained resources. Whether you serve as a board member, staff leader, or volunteer, networking is not an extra task—it’s a core leadership skill. In this interactive session, we’ll rethink what networking really means, address the common discomfort many people feel about it, and explore practical ways to build authentic, intentional connections as part of everyday work. Participants will learn how strong networks support everything from board recruitment and fundraising to professional growth and idea-sharing. Join Kari Anderson, Principal with Incite! Consulting, to discover how individuals at every level of your organization can contribute to stronger relationships—and a stronger mission. By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Reframe networking as intentional, values-aligned relationship-building rather than transactional or self-promotional activity. Identify common barriers to networking in the nonprofit sector and apply practical strategies to reduce discomfort and increase confidence. Recognize the role of networks in advancing nonprofit goals such as board recruitment, fundraising, partnerships, and professional development. Apply simple, actionable techniques for building and maintaining authentic connections as part of everyday work. Engage others within their organization—staff, board members, and volunteers—in shared responsibility for strengthening relationships and networks.

Creating Customized AI Tools That Work with Teams

Presenter: Aaron Makelky, Descript and Aaron Makelky.com

You've used ChatGPT or Gemini. Maybe you've built a prompt you copy & paste into every conversation. But what happens when a colleague needs that same tool, or you switch platforms next year? In this hands-on session, participants will build "agent skills", simple instruction files written in plain text that tell any AI tool how to do a specific job for your organization. Think of them like a cheat sheet for your AI intern: grant narratives, program reports, donor emails, volunteer onboarding docs or whatever recurring task you walked in with. You'll package your skill as a shareable file, save it locally, and back it up in the cloud so your team can find it, use it, and improve it. These files aren't locked to one platform. The same skill works in ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, so you're not starting over every time your org adopts something new. Bring a specific workflow or recurring task you want to build around. What Participants Will Walk Away With: A clear understanding of what agent skills are. 1.) How a plain-text file can replace repetitive prompting and give your whole team a consistent starting point for common AI tasks. 2.) A custom skill file they built during the session. Participants will use an AI tool to help draft the skill itself, based on a real workflow they brought with them. 3.) Working knowledge of how to structure a skill so it's portable. What goes in the file, what's optional, and why the same file works across different AI platforms. 4.) Hands-on experience saving, packaging, and sharing skills. Exporting as .md and .zip files, saving locally, and uploading to a shared repository their teammates can access. 5.) Enough GitHub (free cloud storage) fluency to use it as a team skill library. Creating an account, uploading a file, and understanding how version control keeps your skills organized without needing a developer on staff.

Telling Your Story: Writing Clear and Compelling Grant Proposals

Presenter: Hannah Cortez, The Dotted i

Grant writing often gets a bad rap, but at its heart, it’s simply storytelling with some structure and a word count. This beginner-friendly session invites participants to think about grant writing as a clear, intentional way to share their organization’s work, values, and impact. Together, we’ll explore practical ways to describe community need, program activities, and outcomes in language that is both funder-aligned and human-centered. Using real-world examples and guided exercises, participants will learn how to translate their organization’s day-to-day work into clear, compelling narratives that help funders quickly understand why the work matters and why it matters now. The session will also offer simple strategies for following funder guidelines while keeping community voice and impact at the center of the story. Learning Objectives By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Use basic storytelling principles to clearly and confidently describe community need, programs, and impact in a grant proposal. Write concise, approachable narrative responses that align organizational goals with funder priorities. Recognize common writing challenges in grant proposals and apply simple strategies to improve clarity and confidence.