Upcoming Sessions:

Note: these one-hour webinar sessions are free to attend.

Delivering Dignity: A Leader’s Responsibility
Thursday, September 12, 2024, 8:30-9:30 am

Every leader is responsible for delivering dignity to all who work within their organization. This framework facilitates the cultivation of a transformative organizational culture by centering on equity & intentionally honoring all & their many facets of diversity. Within this framework, everyone is seen as a valued stakeholder with agency and voice, which are amplified when organizational decisions are made. A commitment to this ensures that everyone is deeply understood and affirmed so that their expertise & perspective can be fully leveraged to drive radical organizational results.

Join this session to:

• Understand the first strand of the Delivering Dignity Framework, which requires leaders to intimately understand their personal culture, values, and perspective.
• Find out how to determine your ideal organizational culture and evaluate the extent to which dignity is currently experienced throughout the organization.
• Learn foundational skills and tools to cultivate an organizational culture rooted in dignity in which all can thrive.

Presenter: Dr. Kirsten Brown Persley, Founder and CEO, Persley Advisors

The Board Diversity Initiative (BDI): Insights for Executives and Candidates
Tuesday September 24, 2024, 8:30-9:30 am

BDI is dedicated to breaking down systemic barriers and celebrating diversity as the cornerstone of impactful governance. By embracing diversity, organizations unleash creativity, engage volunteers, and reach their full potential, driving meaningful change in the communities they serve. In this session, the BDI Leadership Team – Nicole Jacobs Silvey, Jenne Vanderbout, and Blake Cleaver – will share more about the initiative with a focus on how nonprofit executives, community members from diverse identities, and individuals with valuable skills who have experienced barriers to board service can get involved. Note: this session was moved from June.

Philanthropic Giving & Racial Equity
October 15, 2024 | 8:30-9:30 am

The non-profit community experienced a major shift in 2020, witnessing a historic, nationwide racial reckoning in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police, while in the midst of an unparalleled global pandemic. The Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership at UMKC partnered with JVS Consulting to examine how eleven major Kansas City philanthropies have implemented racial equity grantmaking plans or intentionally increased their support for BIPOC-led nonprofits in response to that shift. In this session, we will share findings from her interviews firsthand accounts that reveal the current landscape of racial equity grantmaking in Kansas City and discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Participants will gain insights into:

• The state of philanthropic giving in Kansas City as it relates to the racial equity & justice movement
• Real-world examples of funders’ progress, or lack thereof, in advancing racial equity since 2020
• The continuing challenges that BIPOC-led nonprofits face in accessing equitable funding

These programs were funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Program content is solely the responsibility of the presenters.

Photo and Video Release:
By attending the event, you are giving MCNL permission to use photos and videos from the workshop in future promotional materials.