Keynote Speakers  

An opportunity for moments of insight and inspiration to apply to your work from stars of their craft.

Stephanie Land

Stephanie Land, author of New York Times bestselling memoir Maid, was one of former President Obama’s favorite books in 2019. It was then adapted into a 2021 Golden Globe Award-nominated original series on Netflix.

I aspire to use my stories to expose the reality of what it’s like to pursue the myth of the American Dream while being held back at the poverty line. Too often these stories aren’t being told.

Jones Award Keynote:

Innocence Project

We are thrilled to announce our Jones Award judging panel has selected Innocence Project as the 2022 The Clarence B. Jones Impact Award winner.

For thirty years, the Innocence Project has worked to restore the freedom of the staggering number of people who have been wrongfully convicted and to transform the systems that allow injustice to occur. In that time, the Innocence Project has freed or exonerated 237 people who collectively have spent more than 3,000 years in prison.

Innocence deployed a strategic digital campaign to build a diverse coalition of millions supporters that ultimately won the removal of Pervis Payne from death row. Learn more about Pervis’s case here.

The Comms Long Game: How the USWNT Won Their Fight for Equal Pay

Join us for a keynote conversation focused on communications lessons learned from the US Women’s National Soccer team’s landmark effort to achieve equal pay. The team’s work made clear how plain communications can be a powerful tool to create impact by building broad alliances and reshaping culture — and consequently, policy; as well as the need for patience and persistence — because communications change work is a long game.

Expert Assembly Speakers

Sector leaders in conversation to help you think bigger and/or differently. 

Comms for Good: The Power of Risk

Join two dynamic rabble rousers as they engage in a conversation about the challenges and potential for foundations and nonprofits. They’ll talk about the role of comms when tackling today’s big issues, the value of uniting the sector, the importance of leading from the middle, and how to embrace change and challenge the status quo.

CEO Session: Communication Lessons From the Pandemic, Produced in Partnership With The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Join leading social sector CEOs as they discuss the evolving role of their work as “communicator in chief” of their organizations. They'll reflect on lessons from the last two years of disruption and the power and need for effective communications. Panelists: William C. Bell of Casey Family Programs, Carmen Rojas of the Marguerite Casey Foundation, and Caryl Stern of The Walton Family Foundation. Moderated by and produced in partnership with Stacy Palmer of The Chronicle Philanthropy.

Changing the Narrative: How Comms Is Shifting the Homelessness and Housing Conversation in Seattle

Homelessness and lack of affordable housing are the biggest issues facing Seattle. Homelessness is a symptom of cracks in our housing, health, and economic policies, and changing the narrative to focus on systems instead of on individuals continues to be a challenge. Join prominent local government and nonprofit leaders for a dynamic conversation on the current state of homelessness, root causes, and what other cities across the country can learn from Seattle. Panelists: Marc Dones of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, Felicia Salcedo of We Are In, and Derrick Belgarde of Chief Seattle Club. Moderated by Scott Greenstone, reporter at KNKX FM.

Learning Labs

Learning Labs are workshop sessions led by experienced practitioners focused on strategies, principles, tactics, and skills relevant to attendee's work.

Emily Ladau and Gail Fuller, Disability & Philanthropy Forum

Learn how to communicate and implement an organization-wide commitment to disability inclusion

Attendees will learn about how and why to use disability-inclusive language, messaging, and imagery, as well as how to engage with and learn from the disability community to inform communications work.

Nat Kendall-Taylor, FrameWorks Institute

Culture Change: Seeing how culture is shifting and recognizing what this means for your communications   

Learn three key ways that cultural mindsets have shifted since spring 2020 and what this means for those seeking to advance progressive change on the economy, health, government, democracy, and racism.

Trabian Shorters, BMe Community

Building with Asset-Framing®

Learn about the "Builder" demographic - 51% of whom are democrats, 22% independent, 20% republican; all wanting to act on racial progress and support leaders doing the same.

Simone Worsdale, Harvard Kennedy School

Improve Your SEO: Using organic search to get your content in front of the right audiences 

Learn which tools & practices are most effective for identifying keywords and on-page SEO best practices. How to measure the impact of your digital efforts.

Chas Edwards, Pop-Up Magazine Productions

3 Strategies For Effective Multimedia Storytelling & Communications

Learn 3 strategies for effective multimedia storytelling and communications, including how to adapt your message for different media; how to make a story memorable; and how to take advantage of your setting.

Melanie Gaboriault, HootSuite

The future of digital and social media

How can you anticipate the next hot trend vs. what is here to stay? Should you be on TikTok? YouTube? Working with influencers? Learn tips for how to leverage various platforms to get your message heard

Allison Silver, 4Context

Making Your Point

Making your voice heard during what feels like endless Days of Rage can be difficult. Amid the cacophony, it’s hard to command attention. So, make every word count when you write. Hear 7 writing tips to help you gain the power of persuasion and make sure readers get your point.

David Fenton, Author: The Activist’s Media Handbook

Using Communications to Advance Advocacy 

• Learn tools and tactics to get your message across and advance your cause

• Learn how to sell the power of communications in your organization

Kristen Grimm and Adam Bink, Spitfire Strategies

Plan Against Panic: Navigating a Crisis Through Strategic Communications

Who doesn't face a crisis from time to time? In this lab session, you'll learn how to put a response plan in place now, so it's there if and whenever you need it. This session will help you anticipate a crisis, prevent one when possible, and prepare to respond if one strikes.

Jason Wilmot and Marcia McInnes, Canva

How to Design with Canva

Canva is a visual communications platform. In this session, we'll share how to bring your ideas to life using some of our favorite templates — from presentations, videos, thank you cards, social media posts and more. We encourage you to sign up for Canva for Nonprofits (free), so you're ready to start creating!

Susan Feeney, Maru Becker, Dylan Tyne, and Jasmine Johnson, GMMB

From Spurned to Earned: Upping Your Media Relations Game

Earned Media, Media Relations, Banging Your Head Against a Wall … whatever you want to call it, pitching your story to reporters is harder than ever with the press of never-ending breaking news and diminishing newsrooms.

We’re here to tell you it’s doable, and even more valuable than ever to advance your communications goals. In this interactive session, connect with veteran earned media experts (including a former media senior editor) who have had success (and okay, a few failures to learn from). Go home with tips and new approaches to up your media relations game.

Ruth Johnston and Ted Richane, Consequential

Harnessing the Power of Storytelling

Learn how to reach a broad audience to advance your mission using documentary film, and how to use film successfully as a means for measurable change.

Mik Moore, Yes, And Laughter Lab

How comedy can be a force for social good

All of us watch or listen to comedy, whether live at a club or theater, at the movies, on television, and increasingly on social media, podcasts and entertainment platforms. Join us to learn about comedy's unique ability to break down barriers and shift narratives, while exploring some specific examples of how philanthropy and nonprofits have invested in comedy as part of their social change strategies.

Tracey Madigan and Anne Dickerson, 15 Minutes Group

Prepping your Spokesperson for a Media Interview

Learn from a former TV reporter/producer how to talk about your organization’s work. How to think like a journalist, how to prep your content so that your delivery is succinct, tips on delivery and appearance, and how to stay in control of an interview with techniques to handle difficult questions.

Carrie Schum, Hattaway Communications

Research and Communication Lessons from an 18-month Communications Community of Practice That Brought Together Nearly 1,000 Communicators to Fight Covid-19

Learn how to structure, analyze, and use research to clarify complex topics, and gain rich consumer insight to guide large-scale communications programs. This session will draw upon 18 months of tracking studies conducted by The Rockefeller Foundation, with support from Hattaway Communications, on Covid-19 messaging.

Alex Kapitan, Radical Copyeditor

Words Matter: The Art and Style of Conscious Language

Contrary to popular belief, there’s no such thing as objectively “neutral” or “correct” language. Intrigued? Come gain tools and top tips for crafting your words with care and equity—whether via organizational style guides; in publications, websites, and media; or in conversations with colleagues, stakeholders, and constituents.

Scott Winn, Race Forward

Operationalizing Racial Equity in Decision-Making: A Strategy to Achieve Equity for All

Explore tools for transforming organizations, communicating about racial equity strategies, and how to articulate racial equity outcomes.

Tracy Rector and Jessica Ramirez, Nia Tero

The Power of Indigenous Storytelling

Indigenous storytelling is gaining exciting momentum. Nonprofits and foundations can have a role to play here but how can they function in a world where there is an imbalance in who has control of the resources. Hear from industry leaders, Tracy Rector (Managing Director, Storytelling, Nia Tero) and Jessica Ramirez (Creative Producer, Storytelling, Nia Tero) on how they set the stage for Indigenous driven media projects with allies which center Indigenous creatives, their communities and the Earth.

See more info about how you’ll learn with peers.