Events

Building a Fundraising Engine: Sustainable Revenue Systems 

Date: Monday, April 27, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: Senior Citizens, Inc., 3025 Bull St, Savannah, GA 31405

Facilitator:
Rebecca Hurron, Sul Mare Consulting / Director, Resource Development Learning Strategy & Instructional Design at United Way Worldwide

Registration:
Pre-registration required due to space limitations. 
https://give.uwce.org/e/building-a-fundraising-engine-sustainable-revenue-systems

Description

Fundraising is vital for the long-term stability and sustainability of nonprofit organizations, but it can be difficult to build strong systems when time, staffing, and resources are limited. In this workshop, participants will learn how to create a feasible year-round fundraising strategy that strengthens donor pipelines, diversifies revenue, and moves organizations from reactive fundraising to structured development systems.

Participants will learn how to:
• Build a strong fund development program
• Strengthen donor pipelines and diversify revenue
• Develop sustainable revenue strategies with limited staff and resources 

Key Takeaways:
• Action plan for developing a fund development program
• Strategy for a year-round fundraising plan
• Donor journey map 

Audience:
Executive directors, development staff, and board fundraising committees. 

Join us for the 6th Annual Young Leaders Kickball Tournament!
In collaboration with Savannah Adult Recreation Club, United Way Young Leaders are hosting a fantastic afternoon of kickball to benefit United Way of the Coastal Empire’s Community Fund! 🤾
This event is for serious kickballers AND those just looking for a fun day outside.

Arrival/Registration: 9:30AM
Team Photos: 9:50AM
Intro/Rules: 10AM
Start time: 10:15/10:30AM

📝 To sign up for an individual or team spot, follow this link:
YL Kickball 2026 Team and Player signups

📝 Help make a difference while having a ball – sponsor our kickball tournament and kick off positive change for residents in our five-county region (Grand Slam/Presenting Sponsor is SOLD! Thank you, Savannah Fine Homes!! ❤️)
YL Kickball 2026 Sponsorships

See you there! Questions? Send to [email protected]

The Balanced Board: Clear & Meaningful Service

Date: Thursday, May 28, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location: Goodwill Southeast Georgia, 7220 Sallie Mood Dr, Savannah, GA 31406
Audience: Executive Directors, board members, and governance committee leaders

Facilitator:
Aileen Gabbey, Productive Nonprofits

Registration:
Pre-registration required due to space limitations. 
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019cdd559066752699b8784f6f6a9271

Description:
Improve organizational effectiveness through clear governance structure and board engagement practices. Finding the right balance of roles and responsibilities is critical for a healthy Board of Directors to serve an organization’s mission effectively. This interactive workshop will explore clarification of roles, strategies to strengthen engagement of board members, and steps to form a strong partnership with staff. Executive Directors, board members, and key board leaders are encouraged to attend.

Learning Objectives:
Participants will:

• Distinguish governance vs management responsibilities
• Clarify board and staff roles
• Strengthen board engagement structures
• Improve board–Executive Director partnership

Key Outputs:

• Board role clarity framework
• Governance responsibility matrix
• Board engagement planning tools

About Facilitator:

Aileen is a consultant and facilitator for Productive Nonprofits focusing on Board governance and health. She has assisted clients with projects such as: Board building and engagement; succession planning; strategic planning; bylaws, committee structures; retreat facilitation; coaching new leaders; and guiding community partnerships. Prior to consulting, Aileen led nonprofits for over 25 years including The Maryland SPCA and Susan G. Komen Coastal Georgia. In Maryland, the SPCA became no-kill, built a new center, and opened businesses for wellness, spay/neuter, and adoption. She formed and led an alliance of fellow groups. In Coastal Georgia, Aileen oversaw Susan G. Komen’s growth in fundraising, program outcomes, and governance processes. She has taught classes for United Way of the Coastal Empire, SCORE, Association of Fundraising Professionals, and Georgia Center for Nonprofits. She is a volunteer for United Way and is the Vice President and Board Governance Chair for Keepers of the Flame Foundation. Aileen and her husband, a teacher and writer, live in Savannah with their adopted street cat Gus.

Join us for Sunset Happy Hour for a Cause where 20% of sales from 5p-7p will be donated to United Way of the Coastal Empire’s community fund!

You are cordially invited to attend and shop for a cause, online or in-store!

The Kendra Gives Back program helps anyone within the community host a local event for causes and organizations that empower women and youth. 20% of purchases made in-store during the hosted event or digitally through kendrascott.com, using a custom code, will directly benefit United Way Coastal Empire’s Community Fund!

From Curiosity to Clarity: Generative AI for Small Nonprofits

Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location: Virtual only via Zoom
Facilitators: Lindsey Mott & Timothy Hafner, United Way of Broome County
Audience: Operations staff, Program managers, and Executive leadership

Registration:
Pre-registration required due to space limitations.
United Way Learning Circle Workshop Registration  

Description

In this 90‑minute interactive webinar, we cut through the hype to explore how small nonprofits should be thinking about Generative AI today. Designed for nonprofit professionals who are curious about AI—as well as organizations that have started experimenting but aren’t sure how it fits into their broader work—this session offers a clear, accessible foundation. Participants will learn the basics of Generative AI and prompting best practices, see realistic, hands‑on examples tailored to small teams, and explore how these tools can support everyday operations. We’ll also touch on key considerations for supporting staff use and mitigating risk, helping attendees understand what to think about next. Participants will leave with practical insights and ideas they can begin applying right away.

Participants Will:

• Understand the fundamentals of Generative AI and prompting best practices
• Explore how these tools can be applied to the daily operations of small to midsize nonprofit organizations
• Begin to develop strategies for implementing, supporting, and scaling staff’s use of these tools to mitigate risk and achieve organization-wide impact

About Facilitators:

Lindsey Mott serves as the Senior Director of Operations and Staff Development at United Way of Broome County, where she oversees organizational operations and leads staff development initiatives. Prior to her current role, she served as Director of Community Initiatives, supporting and advancing United Way of Broome County’s community impact efforts. Lindsey joined the organization in 2019 after earning a Master of Public Administration from Binghamton University, along with a graduate certificate in nonprofit management. She is a recent graduate of Cohort 3 of United Way’s Next-Gen Leaders Initiative, during which she developed an AI Accelerator Course in response to the needs of small and midsize nonprofit organizations.

Timothy Hafner, Director of Community Initiatives and Planning at the United Way of Broome County (UWBC), oversees the Community Initiatives Department, which includes Community Impact Grants, heath and socialization work at the Healthy Lifestyles Coalition (HLC), hygiene access through the Community Hygiene Hub, and veteran outreach efforts through Mission United. He holds a Master of Public Administration and has been with United Way for four years. Timothy started as the Community Initiatives and Fund Development Associate, managing the grant review and monitoring process while writing grants to support local community programs while acting as the organization’s lead grant writer, helping to strengthen collaborative relationships between UWBC and its community partners.

Influence in Action: Advocacy Strategies for Nonprofit Leaders
Build nonprofit capacity to engage public policy ethically and effectively within legal guidelines.

Date: Tuesday, August 11
Time: 9:30 AM-11:30 AM

Location:
JA Colonial Group Discovery Center of Savannah
11935 Abercorn St, Savannah, Georgia 31419

Facilitator: Judy Fitzgerald, MSW, Executive Director, Voices for Georgia’s Children

Audience:

• Executive & Senior Leadership
• Policy / Advocacy staff
• Board members
• Coalition leaders and community organizers

Registration:
Pre-registration required due to space limitations.
United Way Learning Circle Workshop Registration

Description:
Fundraising is vital for the long-term stability and sustainability of nonprofit organizations, but it can be difficult to build strong systems when time, staffing, and resources are limited. In this workshop, participants will learn how to create a feasible year-round fundraising strategy that strengthens donor pipelines, diversifies revenue, and moves organizations from reactive fundraising to structured development systems.

Participants will learn how to:
• Build a strong fund development program
• Strengthen donor pipelines and diversify revenue
• Develop sustainable revenue strategies with limited staff and resources

Key Takeaways:
• Action plan for developing a fund development program
• Strategy for a year-round fundraising plan
• Donor journey map

About Facilitator:

Judy brings decades of experience and a proven track record of compassionate and strategic leadership. She began her career at The Carter Center Mental Health Program, working for former First Lady Rosalynn Carter and transitioned to a boutique consulting firm addressing systems change in several states before stepping into non-profit leadership and then strategy leadership at a large community-based service delivery organization. She was privileged to join the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) as Chief of Staff in 2012 and was appointed by Governor Deal to serve as Commissioner of DBHDD from 2016 to 2022. After a year of consulting, she joined the Voices for Georgia’s Children team as Executive Director. Observing system change from diverse perspectives enables her to deliver practical pathways for impact.

Impact with Intention: Evaluation Strategies for Nonprofits
Build nonprofit capacity to engage public policy ethically and effectively within legal guidelines.

Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Time: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Facilitator: Dr. Erika Tate, Bluknowledge LLC

Location:
Hospice Savannah – Demere Center – Education Room
6000 Business Center Dr, Savannah, GA 31405

Registration:
Pre-registration required due to space limitations.
United Way Learning Circle Workshop Registration

Audience:

• Program Managers & Coordinators
• Executive Leadership
• M&E or Learning Staff
• Development/Grant Writers
• Operations or Strategy Leads

Description
Program evaluation is essential for understanding the impact of your organization, strengthening programs, and positioning yourself for sustainable growth. Yet many nonprofits struggle to know where to begin with limited time, staff, and resources. In this interactive session, participants will learn how to approach evaluation as an intentional, practical process that supports continuous improvement and funding readiness. The workshop focuses on helping organizations move beyond inconsistent or irrelevant data collection to meaningful evaluation strategies that align with their mission and goals. Through guided reflection, real-world examples, and hands-on activities, workshop participants will begin building a clear and actionable approach to measuring what matters most to the communities they serve.

Learning Objectives
Participants will:

• Understand program evaluation as a strategic tool for measuring impact and informing decision-making
• Learn key evaluation methods that align with organizational goals, capacity, and funder expectations
• Identify practical ways to collect and use data (e.g., surveys, interviews, observations) to demonstrate program effectiveness
• Begin developing an objective-based evaluation plan to support continuous improvement and growth

Key Outputs
Participants will leave with:

• A draft evaluation objective aligned with their program or organizational goals
• A simple, actionable plan for collecting and using data to monitor progress
• Increased clarity on how evaluation supports funding, program improvement, and impact storytelling
• A digital program evaluation starter kit with templates, tools, and next step

About Facilitator:

Dr. Erika D. Tate is the founder of Bluknowledge LLC, a social impact firm that advances equity in schools and communities through collaborative research, inclusive evaluation, and equity-driven professional and community learning. With more than 20 years of experience, she partners with nonprofits, educators, and community leaders to design and implement evidence-based evaluation strategies that measure impact, strengthen programs, and support sustainable growth. Her work centers equity and justice, and has focused on STEM and Arts education, public health (e.g., access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities) and community-level planning. Dr. Tate has led and supported projects that inform programming and policy at local and state levels. She has served as a research partner and evaluator on initiatives funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and numerous philanthropic organizations. A trusted advisor and expert facilitator, Dr. Tate equips mission-driven organizations and leaders with practical, responsive tools to turn data into insight and action. She holds a ScB in Electrical Engineering from Brown University and a PhD in Education from the University of California, Berkeley.

Sustaining the Mission by Supporting the People: Leadership in Times of Burnout and Change

Date: Friday, October 9, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM (Refreshments served from 8:30 AM-9:00 AM)
Location: America’s Second Harvest,1380 Chatham Parkway, Savannah, GA 31405
Facilitator: Gwendolyn A. Martin, Dr. Gwen’s Counselor Cafe LLC.

Audience:

• Executive Directors / CEOs
• Senior Leadership (COO, Program Directors, Department Heads)
• People Managers (those supervising staff or teams)
• HR / Talent / Organizational Development leads
• Emerging Leaders or Team Leads
• Board Members

Registration:
Pre-registration required due to space limitations.
United Way Learning Circle Workshop Registration Form

Description
In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing environment, leaders are challenged to sustain both their people and their mission. Sustaining the Mission by Supporting the People: Leadership in Times of Burnout and Change equips leaders with the tools to recognize, prevent, and respond to burnout while maintaining operational effectiveness. This session explores the human side of leadership, helping participants build resilience, foster trust, and lead with empathy during times of uncertainty and transition. Through practical strategies and real-world insights, leaders will learn to intentionally develop a culture of care that prioritizes people, promotes psychological safety, and drives sustainable performance.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify early signs of burnout in themselves and their teams and assess the impact on mission effectiveness.
• Apply practical strategies to sustain resilience, engagement, and well-being during periods of change.
• Demonstrate leadership behaviors that balance people care with mission demands in high-stress environments

Facilitator Bio

Gwendolyn Martin, widely known as Dr. Gwen, “The Helper’s Helper,” is a respected speaker, author, licensed professional counselor, and mental health consultant dedicated to strengthening individuals and organizations. With more than 30 years of clinical and educational experience, she brings deep expertise in leadership development, human-centered strategy, and workplace wellbeing. Dr. Gwen is the founder of Counselor’s Cafe LLC, where she provides training, tools, and practical solutions to help government agencies, schools, and nonprofit organizations mitigate burnout, reduce stress, enhance team engagement, and cultivate sustainable cultures of care. She is also the owner of Coastal Crossroads Counseling Solutions LLC, a private practice based in Savannah, Georgia. Known for her engaging and insightful approach, Dr. Gwen equips leaders with actionable strategies that promote resilience, empathy, and long-term organizational success.