Last week, I had the privilege of attending and holding a breakout session at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Annual Conference. Of course, I didn’t think to get a single photograph from the event! Truthfully, I was too immersed in the wonderful conference to think about taking pictures.
The conference brought together over 1,000 nonprofit leaders across the state to learn and grow together, and to support each other. It featured two amazing keynote speakers, journalist Georgia Fort, and activist Ashley Fairbanks. Both speakers were extremely inspirational while also sharing practical guidance on making a real-world impact.
The conference also included dozens of breakout session options from nonprofit colleagues, many sponsor booths from organizations that support nonprofit efforts, and plenty of time to connect with other nonprofit leaders across the state. Not only did I learn a lot, but it made me proud to be part of such a powerful and supportive network of dedicated professionals.
With that in mind, I want to take this opportunity to encourage you to build your network by attending conferences in your field. Sometimes, they feel like a waste of time and resources. Spending the time, money, and energy to travel to a conference can seem like it just isn’t worth it. I spent over 6 hours in a car getting there and back and spent two days away from my family and my regular job. However, the value I got in return far outpaced all of the expenses, both real and perceived.
The keys to getting the most out of a conference are being proactive and outgoing. Before the conference, I looked up both keynote speakers on LinkedIn and sent connection requests. Both of them accepted! During the conference, I engaged in conversation with anyone I could. I had the privilege of learning about many awesome nonprofits, related with them on their challenges, and made new friends. I even met the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Executive Director Nanako Sato. We actually connected on challenges related to parenthood!
One breakout session that I particularly enjoyed was led by another nonprofit consultant and dealt with the art of improv. At first, that might not sound like it has much to do with nonprofit management or leadership, but the presenters did a great job of illustrating how the same rules that apply to improv can apply to leading your team. Simply changing from a “Yes, but” mindset to a “Yes, and” mindset can have a huge positive impact on your communication. Here, I took advantage of this session to introduce myself to the presenters. I already reached out to her again on LinkedIn and am hoping to connect with her on a video call in the near future.
Finally, I met a Duluth-area nonprofit executive director after the breakout session that I hosted. He said that his organization, which is over 100 years old, has never had a strategic plan! He is interested in learning about the process and value of strategic planning. I scheduled a consultation with him for a few weeks from now. I am very excited to hear about their challenges, and see if my services could help them propel their mission forward.
Once again, I am so grateful that I was able to attend the MCN Annual Conference and share that experience with so many dedicated community leaders. I hope that you will take advantage of attending at least a few conferences in your area of expertise every year. And, I encourage you to submit your own proposals to present. It is a great way to share what you know, and make some real, lasting connections. I already can’t wait for next year’s conference!