Keynote presenter: Steve Patty, Consultant & Founder, Dialogues In Action

Doing good in the world is taxing. The world is a complex place. The people we work with are complex. And often, so are we. 

In this keynote, Steve Patty dives into that complexity and explores how we can turn it into a source of vitality instead of exhaustion. How do we thrive in challenging environments? How do we become instruments of vitality, for ourselves, our teams, and the communities we serve? 

Vitality doesn’t just happen. It must be pursued and cultivated. Combining inspiration with clear strategy, Steve will help discover practical ways to bring more life, energy, and impact to the work nonprofits do in the world. 

1A – Funder Panel
Facilitated by: Jim White, Executive Director, Nonprofit Association of Oregon

During this panel session, we will hear from visionary leaders driving the work of some of Oregon’s major foundations. Topics will include emerging trends, evolving grantmaking strategies, collaboration between foundations and nonprofits, and the current role of philanthropy in addressing social and economic challenges. The conversation will offer a unique opportunity for attendees to gain invaluable insights from foundations as they navigate a changing nonprofit and philanthropic landscape. Participants will have the opportunity to pose questions and engage in thought-provoking dialogue.

Foundation representatives will be posted as soon as they are confirmed.

1B – The Heart of Leadership: Building Trust, Accountability, and Team Capacity Under Pressure
Presented by: Patty Casebolt, Officer & Facilitator, The Learning Well service at La Clinica

Nonprofit leaders are expected to do more with less while managing increasing community needs, staffing issues, funding uncertainties, and the emotional weight of mission-driven work. Amid these pressures, it’s easy to feel isolated or overwhelmed.  

This interactive session reassures leaders that they are not alone. It offers a practical, hopeful approach to sustainable leadership through reflection, conversation, and practical tools. Attendees will learn how self-awareness, relational intelligence, and clear agreements can build trust, accountability, and team strength, even in tough times. Join us and leave feeling more connected, energized, and ready to lead with clarity, purpose, and resilience. 

This session is designed for anyone responsible for supporting people, culture, or team performance within a nonprofit organization. 

1C – Do More With Less: A Practical Digital Marketing Playbook for Nonprofits
Presented by: Anna Madill, Founder & CEO and Megan Kenealy, Senior Digital Specialist, Avenue Agency

Small nonprofit teams juggle a lot, and digital marketing can quickly feel overwhelming. This session offers practical, budget-friendly strategies to help marketers focus on what works, spend less time guessing, and devote more energy to their mission. Join Anna Madill, CEO and Founder, and Megan Kenealy, Senior Digital Specialist at Avenue – a B Corp and 1% for the Planet digital marketing agency – for actionable ideas to strengthen your digital presence and maximize your impact. 

In this session, attendees will learn how to: 

• Prioritize digital marketing efforts that make the biggest difference 
• Create content efficiently with limited time and resources  
• Write SEO- and AI-friendly copy that boosts online visibility  
• Reach donors, volunteers, and grantmakers already searching for causes like yours 

Attendees will participate in an interactive Q&A with Avenue’s digital marketing experts. Bring all your questions! 

Session titles, descriptions, and speakers will be posted as soon as they are confirmed.

2A – How Oregon’s Nonprofits Are Navigating “Now”
Presented by: Jim White, Executive Director, Nonprofit Association of Oregon

This session offers a clear-eyed look at the current state of Oregon’s nonprofit sector. Led by Jim White, Executive Director of NAO, the session will include a candid update on the challenges, shifts, and emerging realities facing nonprofit leaders across the state. The session will also incorporate facilitated dialogue, creating space for open conversation, peer exchange, and shared reflection on what it means to lead in a time of prolonged disruption.

2B – Fundraising During Uncertainty
Presented by: Cassi MacQueen, Executive Director, Deschutes Children’s Foundation

Nonprofits are navigating a difficult landscape in which community needs continue to rise while funding, donor behavior, and economic conditions are increasingly unpredictable. This session explores how organizations can strengthen donor trust, communicate challenges honestly without creating panic, and build stewardship practices rooted in transparency and relationships. Participants will discuss practical strategies for communicating impact, connecting operations to mission, and building fundraising approaches that feel steady, authentic, and sustainable during uncertain times. 

Key Learning Areas: 

• Donor trust during instability 
• Communicating urgency without panic 
• Stewardship systems 
• Operations as fundraising 
• Collaborative storytelling 

Intended Audience: 
Executive Directors, development staff, fundraising professionals, board members, communications staff, and nonprofit leaders responsible for donor engagement and organizational sustainability. 

2C – Red Flags & Readiness: Finance in Challenging Times
Presented by: Lesley Bennett, CFO Consultant, CFO Selections

Nonprofit leaders are experiencing heightened financial uncertainty caused by higher costs, unstable funding, staffing difficulties, and increased service needs. This training provides practical tools to help organizations recognize early warning signs, strengthen financial resilience, and respond effectively to shifting economic conditions.

Participants will learn how to:

• Identify red flags in cash flow, budgeting, program economics, and internal systems.
• Use scenario planning, leading indicators, and risk assessments to anticipate and mitigate financial strain.

Enjoy a buffet lunch, included with your registration.

Session titles, descriptions, and speakers will be posted as soon as they are confirmed.

3A – Getting to What Matters: A Fresh Approach to Evaluating and Communicating Your Impact
Presented by: Steve Patty, Consultant & Founder, Dialogues In Action

Nonprofits are under increasing pressure to demonstrate impact, yet the most meaningful changes in people’s lives and communities are often the hardest to measure. How can organizations move beyond counting activities and outputs to better understand, evaluate, and communicate what truly matters? 

In this interactive workshop, participants will gain a fresh approach to impact evaluation that helps organizations capture deeper, transformational change while strengthening learning, engagement, and accountability. Drawing on insights from hundreds of nonprofits, participants will explore innovative evaluation practices, discover how AI can support the analysis of qualitative data without losing important human context, and learn ways to make evaluation more meaningful for both staff and program participants. 

Attendees will leave with practical tools and new perspectives for gathering evidence of impact, communicating outcomes more effectively, and creating evaluation processes that are both credible and generative. 

3B – AI at Work for Central Oregon Nonprofits
Presented by: Samhir Vasdev, CEO, Dev Design

AI is everywhere, but most nonprofit teams are still figuring out what is actually useful, what is risky, and where to start. This session is built for people who want practical answers. We’ll look at real nonprofit use cases, walk through a small set of tools worth paying attention to, and focus on how AI can support everyday work without creating unnecessary complexity. You’ll explore where AI can genuinely save time, where it tends to fall short, and what basic safeguards matter when working with sensitive information.  

This is a hands-on, beginner-to-intermediate workshop focused on practical application, not theoretical debate. We’ll touch on ethics and policy only as they apply directly to your daily work. Expect concrete examples, live application, and guidance you can take back to your team immediately. 

Bring your laptop, be ready to work hands-on, and come with curiosity! 

3C – Stop Writing “Grant Voice”: How to Sound More Human, More Strategic, and More Fundable
Presented by: Susan Taylor, Founder & CEO, The Grant Lab

Too many grant proposals sound like they were written by a committee, a thesaurus, or even a robot. In an era of AI-generated content and reviewer fatigue, the organizations that stand out are not always those with the biggest budgets or the most polished language – but those that communicate clearly, authentically, and strategically. 

This interactive workshop explores the difference between effective grant writing and “grant voice,” the jargon-heavy, overly formal style that can hide impact and weaken storytelling. Through real examples and hands-on exercises, participants will learn how to write proposals that sound more human while remaining professional, persuasive, and fundable. 

We will also examine the role of AI in grant writing, including where it can support the process and where human insight still matters most. Participants will leave with practical strategies to improve clarity, strengthen reviewer-focused narratives, incorporate storytelling without losing credibility, and communicate organizational impact with authenticity and precision. 

This intermediate-level workshop is intended for those who have written grants before and want to strengthen the clarity and effectiveness of their proposals. 

Closing plenary details will be added soon.

Join your fellow conference attendees for a reception. This is your opportunity to relax and kick back with hors d’oeuvres, a cold beverage, and good conversation. Details to follow!

Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with several exhibitors offering resources and services relevant to nonprofit organizations. We encourage you to visit their tables throughout the day!

• Amalgamated Bank
• Amplify HR
• CFO Selections
• First Interstate Bank
• Frenzy to Freedom
• Oregon Community Foundation
• Uncommon Evaluation

Interested in Sponsoring?
Learn how your organization can support the High Desert Nonprofit Conference and connect with nonprofit leaders from across the region. Please fill out our interest form or reach out to Jennifer Monegan, Director of Membership, Development and Communications, at [email protected].

• Refunds: Refunds (minus a 25% handling charge) are available for the conference until Thursday, September 3, 2026. Cancellations received after this time frame will not be refunded. Email [email protected] to request a refund.
• Substitutions: If you’d like to transfer your event registration to another individual, please email a request to [email protected]. We cannot apply your payment to a future training event.
• No Shows: If you are unable to attend the conference and have not cancelled in advance, your payment will not be refunded. 
• If NAO Cancels an Event: We reserve the right to cancel any event or substitute presenters if needed. If we cancel an event, we will contact all registrants and offer a full refund.
• View NAO’s refund, privacy, media, and accommodations policies.