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Unlock innovative thinking at the 20th Annual Forum on Nonprofit Effectiveness
February 26, 2019 (Phoenix, Ariz.) – Most well-known in relation to comedy, improvisation is the art of practicing in-the-moment creativity. But improv is more than entertainment; it is an intentional system of collaboration and connectivity shared by influential leaders across sectors.
In a unique, highly interactive presentation, Will Hightower – a performer, improviser and speaker across the country – will open the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation's 20th Annual Forum on Nonprofit Effectiveness with "YES, AND!" Improv Concepts to Inspire Nonprofit Leadership. The day-long forum, March 1 in Tucson, will continue with a luncheon panel and conversation, networking and interactive workshops.
During Will's opening session, participants will learn and practice important improvisational concepts that empower anyone to become a better leader and communicator. Attendees will take away a toolbox of skills to help their organization become better innovators through analog collaboration in a digital world. Using the creative genius of improvisational techniques, anyone can unlock innovative thinking across their team.
The forum takes place Friday, March 1, 2019, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Tucson Convention Center. 2019 is the eighth consecutive year the ASU Lodestar Center has held a spring event in Tucson.
Attendees will:
- Strengthen and sustain their purpose-driven organizations
- Meet and mingle with nonprofit professionals, board members, philanthropists, funders, community volunteers and business leaders
- Learn from the best while networking with the best
Whether an organization’s mission involves direct services, grantmaking, serving members or other purposes, nonprofit leaders interact daily with staff, various volunteers, board members, donors, grantees and other stakeholders to help move their missions forward. Increasingly it is understood that the nonprofit leaders that are the most successful are those who have mastered both “high touch” as well as “high tech” approaches to leading, managing and communicating.
So in this world often dominated by tweets, sound bites, webinars, crowdsourcing platforms and other high-tech approaches, the ASU Lodestar Center will revisit the value of high-touch leadership that inspires.
The 2019 forum will start promptly at 9:30 a.m. with special remarks about "The Opportunities for Nonprofit Leadership in an Age of Disruption" from Robert F. Ashcraft, Ph.D., the executive director of the ASU Lodestar Center and Saguaro Professor of Civic Enterprise for the School of Community Resources and Development at ASU's Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
Dr. Ashcraft will hand off the microphone to opening presenter Will Hightower. Will is a performer, improviser and speaker for audiences across the country; the founder of Theatre Think Tank; and a board member for a professional nonprofit theatre. In 2017, Will joined the board of directors of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN Phoenix).
At the luncheon panel and conversation, moderator Kasey Hill – executive director of Greater Tucson Leadership – will guide a thought-provoking discussion on civic leadership and why it's the responsibility of the many, not the privilege of a few. The panelists include:
- Michael Cyrino | Community Relations Representative | Arizona Complete Health
- Emilia Eldridge | Human Resources Information Manager | Child-Parent Centers and
- Co-Chair | Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (Tucson)
- Laci Lester | Program Manager, Initiatives | Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
- Joe Watson | Communications Director | AFSC-AZ
In the afternoon, forum attendees will learn from leading nonprofit experts during a series of engaging, interactive workshops:
- How to Communicate More Effectively While Investing and Betting on Yourself
- Charity Watchdogs: Who Is Watching and Why It Matters
- The Road to 100% Digital Marketing
- Stage Gate Philanthropy: Learn a Whole New Way to Craft Your Donor Proposals and Messaging
- 7 Wonders of the Storytelling World
- The 3D Management Model: Implementing Data-Driven Decisions in Nonprofit Organizations
The day's full agenda is available here.
The $75 registration fee ($85 at the door) includes breakfast, lunch, presentations and convenient parking in Lot A.
The ASU Lodestar Center organizes this and other events as part of the Center’s mission to build the capacity of the social sector by enhancing the effectiveness of those who lead, manage and support nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.
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ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation
The ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation is recognized as a national leader in undergraduate and graduate nonprofit education, research and technical assistance. The ASU Lodestar Center exists to enhance the quality of life in communities through the advancement of nonprofit leadership practices and provides knowledge and tools to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations, professionals, board members, donors and volunteers by offering a wide variety of capacity building workshops, conferences, classes and programs.