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PROGRAMS & Events

Privacy: For most events, attendees will have the option to include their name in the list of event registrants. Attendees may wish to exclude their name for privacy or security reasons. WSPN attendees’ information will not be sold, shared or rented to others.

Upcoming events

    • Thursday, October 17, 2024
    • 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
    • Loaves and Fishes Aurora Hub; 580 Exchange Court, Aurora, IL 60504
    • 67
    Register

    Join us IN PERSON

    8:30am -10:00am for Networking and light refreshments followed by our Educational Session.

    Whether you have been tasked with starting a major and planned giving program or your organization already has a program in place, this presentation will help you understand the keys to a robust and successful program. Maybe you have a major gift program but have been putting off starting a planned giving program – you will learn how the two go together and lead to meaningful relationships with your donors and larger annual gifts for your organization.

    In this session, you will:

    • Learn how to identify prospects 
    • Set goals 
    • Involve the staff 
    • Educate your donors 
    • Establish a legacy society 
    • Steward your donors and so much more 
    You’ll walk away with ideas that you can implement immediately and identify areas in your current program that you can tweak and improve!

    Meet our Speaker:

    Gina Gramarosso

    Senior Director of Philanthropy
    Northern Illinois Food Bank

    Gina has launched many new programs during her 33-year career including annual giving programs, phone-a-thons, advisory councils and regional fundraising offices. She was hired 10 years ago to build out and grow the major and planned giving programs at Northern Illinois Food Bank. During this time cash contributions have grown from $10M to $25M, portfolio management has grown from 50 donors to over 750 donors, and the legacy society has grown from 7 to 134 members.

    Her career started her senior year of college with an internship at the Southern Illinois University Foundation, where she would work for a total of 10 years. She was Director of Alumni Relations and Associate Director of Development at North Central College and Director of Alumni and Development – Chicago Region for Drake University. During a hiatus to be a stay-at-home mom, she worked part-time at the DuPage Children’s Museum and at the College of DuPage Foundation.

    She lives in Naperville where she serves on the Grace Church Foundation Board. Prior to the establishment of WSPN, she was active in the Women in Development West group and the National Society of Fund Raising Executives (AFP’s former name).

    Full participation in Launching a Major and Planned Giving Program for Organizations of Any Size is applicable for 1.25 points in Category 1.B -Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.

    • Thursday, November 21, 2024
    • 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
    • Virtual
    • 95
    Register

    Back by popular demand, the annual WSPN Funders Panel!

    This session will include multiple panelists from local and regional foundations and granting organizations.

    Session objectives include: 

    • Learn, first-hand, how grantmakers determine their giving priorities,
    • Hear how they prefer to build relationships with charities, 
    • Discover what grantmakers are currently looking for in proposals,
    • Understand what they expect from your organization in regards to communication.

    Meet Our Panel & Moderator: 

    Rebecca Laskaris, Senior Manager, U.S. Community Giving,
    BMO U.S.

    Rebecca Laskaris is a Senior Manager on the U.S. Community Giving team at BMO, with over a decade of experience in corporate philanthropy. She oversees the implementation of BMO’s corporate philanthropy strategy in the U.S. and leads the BMO North American United Way Partnership, where she aligns donations across BMO’s footprint and measures progress through an impact framework.

    Rebecca has established key partnerships with non-profits such as the Chicago Public Library Foundation, Hope Chicago, Ravinia, Junior Achievement and United Way of Metro Chicago and its Neighborhood Network Initiative.  Her focus is on maximizing the impact of BMO’s contributions to address pressing societal needs.

    Prior to joining BMO, Rebecca held roles at major cultural institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and The Field Museum in Chicago.​ She holds a BA from New York University and an MA in Arts Administration and Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

    Mary Ann Roeser, President
    The Duchossois Family Foundation

    More to come soon!

    Jeff Zakem, System Program Director,
    Community Impact & Equity, Endeavor Health
    Jeff Zakem is a healthcare leader; an advocate for health equity and diversity, equity & inclusion; and a collaborative community partner. In his current role, he oversees the Endeavor Health Community Investment Fund, is collaborating across the system to develop an Anchor strategy and roadmap, and serves as the lead for Data & Impact for our community initiatives. In addition, he supports our Health Equity Impact Team, working to close disparity gaps in uncontrolled hypertension for our Black and African American patient population and previously led an improvement initiative for reliable and accurate collection of patient Race, Ethnicity, and preferred Language (REaL) information.

    Prior to his current Community Impact & Engagement role and Health Equity areas of focus, Jeff brings more than 20 years of experience: designing education to help individuals develop and improve through behavior change; developing people through education, engagement, and motivation; delivering communication that builds buy-in, encourages stories, and inspires action; and leading high-performing teams in the Learning & Development function.

    Jeff is a board member of Asclepius Initiative, a Kentucky-based non-profit which seeks to improve the health and economic stability of communities through educating, inspiring, and mobilizing people to advocate for a universally accessible, affordable, equitable, and high-quality healthcare delivery system. Jeff holds a B.A. in Cognitive Science from Northwestern University and an M.H.S.A. from University of Michigan School of Public Health.

    Moderator:
    Megan Lynch, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships,
    Loaves & Fishes Community Services

    Megan Lynch is a social impact leader with experience across the nonprofit, private, public sectors. She is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for Loaves & Fishes Community Services, the largest food pantry in Illinois serving DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and Will Counties. In this role, she collaborates with partners to advance food security and help people access the food and resources needed to thrive.

    Prior to joining Loaves & Fishes, Megan managed the Charitable Fund for Duly Health and Care, where she oversaw social impact, grantmaking, and volunteerism initiatives. She previously served as Director of Corporate Relations for North Central College and managed corporate partner relationships for The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Council on Foreign Relations. She began her career at the U.S. Department of State at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

    Megan is a board member of Social Responsibility Chicago and has previously served on multiple nonprofit boards and advisory committees. She received the 2023 Grantmaker of the Year Award from the West Suburban Philanthropic Network and was selected as a 2021 NACC 4 Under 40 Award winner. Megan earned her MA in Politics from New York University and is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE).

    Registration is open until November 19, 2024.

    Full participation in the 2024 WSPN Funders Panel is applicable for 1.25 points in Category 1.B -Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.

Past events

Thursday, September 19, 2024 September Education Session - Strengthening Your Annual Fund Plan
Thursday, August 29, 2024 22nd Annual WSPN Philanthropy Awards
Thursday, July 25, 2024 WSPN Summer Social
Thursday, June 20, 2024 June Education Session - Finding Inspiration in Your Achievements & Annual Meeting
Thursday, May 16, 2024 May Education Session - Building a Winning Public Sector Strategy for Your Organization
Thursday, April 18, 2024 April Education Session Avoid Burnout While Doing Work You Love - Redefine Your Servant Leadership
Thursday, March 21, 2024 March Education Session - AI and Fundraising
Thursday, February 15, 2024 February Education Session (cancelled)
Thursday, January 18, 2024 January Education Session - How to Strengthen Your Asks with Data
Thursday, December 07, 2023 WSPN 2023 Winter Social
Thursday, November 16, 2023 November Education Session - Funders Panel
Thursday, October 19, 2023 October Education Session - Meaningful Gifts: Major Gift Fundraising
Thursday, August 31, 2023 21st Annual WSPN Philanthropy Awards
Thursday, June 15, 2023 June WSPN Education Session - Funders Panel
Thursday, May 25, 2023 May WSPN Education Session - Engaging and Stewarding Donor-Advisors: As Easy As DAF (Donor-Advised Funds)
Thursday, April 20, 2023 April WSPN Education Session - Annual Fund & Collateral Sharing
Thursday, March 16, 2023 March WSPN Education Session - Strategies to Diversify Your Funding Sources
Thursday, February 16, 2023 February WSPN Education Session - Incorporating Giving Days into Your Fundraising Plan
Thursday, January 19, 2023 January WSPN Education Session - Executive Functioning for Nonprofit Professionals
Thursday, December 15, 2022 WSPN Member Winter Social
Thursday, November 17, 2022 Nonprofit Conversations - Virtual Discussion Groups - November WSPN Education Session
Thursday, October 20, 2022 October WSPN Education Session - Mindfulness for Nonprofit Professionals
Thursday, September 15, 2022 Securing Top Talent in a Tight Market
Tuesday, August 30, 2022 20th Annual WSPN Philanthropy Awards
Thursday, June 16, 2022 June Funders Panel
Thursday, May 19, 2022 WSPN Peer-to-Peer Co-Working Session
Thursday, April 21, 2022 Trends in Fundraising
Thursday, March 17, 2022 Building a Data-Informed Culture
Thursday, February 17, 2022 Making the Ask, Successfully
Thursday, January 20, 2022 Rearchitecting Work . . . Unleashing Your Potential
Thursday, November 18, 2021 COVID Conversations: Reflecting on Lessons Learned and the Path Forward for Chicagoland Nonprofits
Thursday, October 21, 2021 Become a Nonprofit Social Media Superhero: Increase Your Marketing Reach and Efficiency Using Data
Thursday, September 16, 2021 Collaboration for the Win: How Finance and Development Can Work Together for Deeper Donor Engagement
Wednesday, September 01, 2021 Membership Amnesty Contributions
Thursday, August 26, 2021 19th Annual WSPN Philanthropy Awards
Thursday, June 17, 2021 WSPN Funders Panel
Thursday, May 20, 2021 Leadership Succession Planning: The Secret to Sustainability and Growth
Thursday, April 15, 2021 Leveraging Data to Tell Your Story
Thursday, March 18, 2021 Partnering for Success: A Conversation about Nonprofit Strategic Partnerships in a post-COVID world
Thursday, February 18, 2021 Consultant Speed Dating
Thursday, January 21, 2021 Time Management & Organization Skills
Thursday, November 19, 2020 HOW TO: Grow Your Individual Giving (and become less dependent on government, program, or event revenue)
Thursday, October 15, 2020 Inclusive Storytelling: Incorporating Strengths-Based Strategies into Your Nonprofit’s Communications
Thursday, September 17, 2020 Nonprofits and Racial Equity – What Do We Do Now?
Thursday, August 27, 2020 CONNECT & CELEBRATE: WSPN 18th Annual Philanthropy Awards ~ A digital gathering recognizing this year's Honorees & Finalists
Thursday, June 18, 2020 WSPN's Funders Panel
Monday, May 11, 2020 WSPN Board Meeting
Thursday, April 16, 2020 Free Online Webinar: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly Truth About the True Costs of Realizing Your Nonprofit Mission
Thursday, March 19, 2020 CANCELLED - Overcoming Fundraising Mistakes
Monday, March 16, 2020 WSPN Board Meeting
Thursday, February 20, 2020 Manage Stress & Increase Resilience
Tuesday, February 04, 2020 WSPN's Re"SOLUTION" 2020
Thursday, January 16, 2020 Vision for your Profession
Monday, January 13, 2020 WSPN Board Meeting
Thursday, November 21, 2019 Where Are You Growing? Cultivating a Growth-Mindset for Success
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 WSPN's Happy Hour
Friday, October 04, 2019 NONPROFIT PARTNERS CONFERENCE 2019
Thursday, September 12, 2019 Reading Between the Numbers: Understanding Nonprofit Finance
Friday, September 06, 2019 Food for Thought
Tuesday, July 23, 2019 Cocktails & Conversation
Thursday, June 20, 2019 Successful Board Fundraising-Tips and Practical Advice from Small, Medium and Large Organizations
Thursday, April 18, 2019 The Business Case Behind Building Diverse Teams in the Nonprofit Workplace
Monday, April 08, 2019 Inaugural Food for Thought
Thursday, March 21, 2019 Balancing Act: How to Manage, Balance, and Thrive in a Small Organization
Thursday, February 21, 2019 Engaging Professional Advisors in the Philanthropic Process
Wednesday, February 13, 2019 Cocktails & Conversation
Thursday, January 17, 2019 Mentoring and Role-Modeling: Why It's a Big Deal for You and Your Organization
Tuesday, November 27, 2018 WSPN The Happiest Hour
Thursday, November 15, 2018 Money in the Middle - Making the Most of Mid-Level Donors
Thursday, October 11, 2018 Storytelling Your Way to #GivingTuesday Success
Thursday, September 13, 2018 The War for Fundraising Talent and How Small Shops Can Win
Thursday, July 12, 2018 WSPN's Summer Social
Thursday, June 21, 2018 Funders Panel
Thursday, April 19, 2018 Creating an Unforgettable Online Presence Suitable for a Goldfish
Thursday, March 15, 2018 Developing Effective Junior Boards
Thursday, February 15, 2018 Special Event Bootcamp
Thursday, January 18, 2018 Promoting your Nonprofit through Public Relations
Thursday, December 07, 2017 WSPN Holiday Gathering
Wednesday, November 08, 2017 The 3rd Annual Partners in Philanthropy Day
Thursday, October 19, 2017 Finding the Dollars in Your Data
Thursday, September 21, 2017 The State of Philanthropy: Trends and Perspectives
Thursday, September 07, 2017 WSPN After Hours
Thursday, June 15, 2017 Funders Panel
Tuesday, May 23, 2017 15th Annual West Suburban Philanthropic Network Awards Luncheon
Thursday, April 20, 2017 Restructuring for Success: Mission Sustainability through Organizational Restructuring & Strategic Collaborations
Thursday, March 16, 2017 Board Development and Engagement
Thursday, February 16, 2017 Finding & Working with the “Invisible” Staff Members
Thursday, January 19, 2017 Planning Ahead: Charting Your Career Path to Best Benefit You and Your Organization

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