Our community joined together in person in Indianapolis earlier this month for the 2023 Kids’ Chance National Conference, hosted by Kids’ Chance of Indiana (KCIN). But before the conference officially began, four pre-conference sessions were presented for our state volunteers. 

Kids’ Chance of America (KCOA) Director of State Services Barbara Milligan discussed how to complete a board-wide organizational assessment. In her second session, Barbara shared insight into the importance and role of a board development committee and how having one can ensure engaged board members and painless leadership transitions. 

Kids’ Chance of Arkansas (KCAR) and Kids’ Chance of Pennsylvania (KCPA) teamed up for “How to Develop Your Roadshow.” Christina Johnson of KCAR and Rob Alcott of KCPA outlined their tips and tricks for getting the word out state-wide and managing their volunteer efforts for the greatest impact.

Gabie Benson, KCOA Director of Development, hosted the “Fundraising Round Robin” to discuss such items as how to write appeal letters and thank you letters. 

There were three main educational sessions at the conference for our attendees.

Bill Stanczykiewicz from The Fund Raising School at Indiana University kicked off conference sessions with “Leadership in Philanthropy.” During this interactive session, Bill shared how leadership is an effort to maximize the effort of others in order to achieve goals. He explained the four roles of a nonprofit leader: vision, change agent, coach and fundraiser. 

Following Bill, another representative from The Fund Raising School, LaKoya Gardner, presented “The Art of the Ask.” Participants learned the process of requesting a charitable gift and were then invited to role play in teams of two, with one participant acting as the fundraiser and the other as the prospective donor. 

To close the conference on Saturday,  Kevin Turner of Paradigm, Suzanne Emmet from Eastern Alliance, Paula Boca-Bommarito of Copperpoint, and Heather Lawley from Sedgwick outfitted a panel on “Finding Your Corporate Mojo,” facilitated by incoming KCOA Executive Director Jeannette Archer-Simons. Participants learned the role that charitable giving plays in a market-based economy, why businesses donate to nonprofits, and how to deepen relationships with funders.

To access all the educational session handouts, click here. 

About Kids' Chance

Kids’ Chance gives the kids of workers who have been injured on the job a chance at a better future by providing scholarships and support. Since 1988, Kids’ Chance organizations have awarded over 9,300 scholarships totaling over $33.2 million dollars. To learn more about Kids' Chance, visit our website at www.kidschance.org.

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