The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC), in partnership with the Nonprofit Center (NPC) is hosting its inaugural full-day conference: Say What Matters: A Communications and Marketing Conference.

EVENT SUMMARY: Throughout the day, attendees can select three 75-minute interactive workshops and discussion sessions led by industry experts from Maryland Nonprofits. Lunch, provided by Light House Bistro, will be served in one of Chesapeake Arts Center’s galleries, offering opportunities for networking and discussions among participants. The day will end with a Funder Panel Q&A session, delving into the grant application preferences of funders.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Say What Matters is open to all Anne Arundel County 501(c)(3) nonprofits, regardless of annual budget, size, or mission; this is a great opportunity to connect with and learn from other nonprofit leaders. Organizations must be located and operating in Anne Arundel County, Maryland with at least 50% of the population served residing in Anne Arundel County. Due to space limitations, only two attendees from the same organization may register.

COST: $35 per attendee (scholarships available). Contact CFAAC's Community Education Coordinator, Kristen Krall, at kristen@cfaac.org with inquiries.

See the NPC website at this link for more details and full session descriptions. You will be asked to select your preferred sessions when you register. These sessions have a limited number of seats. 

9:45am to 11am - Session 1 Choices:

• VISUAL MESSAGING TO BOOST ENGAGEMENT - Learn the basics of taking a good photo, writing engaging video scripts, and integrating visuals into your website. You’ll review sample infographics to identify what does and does not draw in an audience.

• STORYTELLING FOR FUNDRAISING - The way you tell your story, through social media, direct mail or in-person, can impact your ability to raise funds. What story should you tell, and how should you tell it?

• WHAT IS THE NONPROFIT CENTER (NPC) @41 COMMUNITY PLACE? - The NPC will provide capacity-building services, including professional development opportunities, to local nonprofits. Join us to discuss how the NPC might be able to meet your needs.

11:10am to 12:25pm - Session 2 Choices:

• ABCs OF ANNUAL REPORTS: Assessing Work, Building Relationships, and Communicating Impact - Defining the key components of an effective annual report, and how reports can be scaled to have maximum impact without sacrificing time from service delivery.

• MAXIMIZING YOUR COMMUNICATIONS RESOURCES: TOOLS AND SOFTWARE: Explore different communication tools and software that can help streamline your organization’s processes so your team can focus on the mission.

• INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS IMPACT ON ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS: This small group session is designed for EDs, or their designee, who want to share their challenges and hear what works and doesn’t work in other organizations.

12:30pm to 1:15pm - Networking Lunch Rect-Tables:
Enjoy lunch provided by Light House Bistro, in one of Chesapeake Arts Center’s galleries and talk with similar organizations at our rect-tables (rectangular roundtables). There are also small breakout rooms for those looking for a quiet place to meet. 

1:20pm to 2:35pm - Session 3 Choices:

• ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL - Hear from an expert who can show you the tips and tricks you need to know for AI to save you time.

• CRAFTING CONNECTIONS: BRANDING AND COMMUNICATION PLANS - Explore the various methods to raise your organization’s visibility by outlining your communications content and how to get the word out to the right audiences.

• LEVERAGING THE POWER OF TRADITIONAL MEDIA: MEDIA RELATIONS FOR NONPROFITS - Learn best practices for garnering media attention and how to determine if the effort is right for your organization at this point in time.

3pm to 4pm - Funder Panel:
What matters to funders? That’s the big question. What’s the best way to communicate with funders? What are they really looking for in grant applications? Ask them firsthand in our Q&A panel session.