Agenda
Schedule is subject to change. Click Session details throughout the agenda to learn more.
Thursday, November 5 | Executive Director Focus
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When you spend your days giving your energy to your work, your team, and everyone around you, it can be easy to miss the warning signs that your own flame is beginning to fade. Burnout does not always happen overnight—it can build slowly as exhaustion, overwhelm, fear, and the pressure to keep doing more become part of the everyday routine.
In this energetic, honest, and interactive session, author and motivational speaker Jason Barnaby will challenge participants to take a closer look at what is fueling their fire—and what is quietly extinguishing it. Drawing from his Fire Starter philosophy, Jason will explore practical ways to recognize burnout, rethink where we invest our time and energy, quiet the fears and “WhatIfAbouts” that keep us stuck, and surround ourselves with people who help fan our flame.
Participants will leave with practical ideas for protecting their energy, reconnecting with purpose, and making intentional changes that help them show up with greater engagement at work and in life.
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Public education foundations are being asked to do more than ever while operating in an increasingly competitive philanthropic environment. Economic uncertainty, changing donor expectations, and rising community needs require organizations to think beyond traditional fundraising events and annual campaigns.
This session explores how education foundations can intentionally build a diversified fundraising portfolio that strengthens long-term sustainability while deepening community engagement. Participants will learn a strategic framework for evaluating which revenue streams best fit their organization's mission, capacity, and community.
Drawing on Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation's growth and 25th anniversary year, Justin will share practical examples of how diversified funding strategies can strengthen financial resilience while expanding mission impact.
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Education foundations pour significant resources into student scholarships and teacher grants, yet outdated processes, low application rates, and heavy paperwork can prevent funds from reaching those who need them most.
Learn how foundations and schools are modernizing scholarship and teacher grant programs using affordable, purpose-built technology. Michelle will share ways to increase applications, streamline review and selection, automate communications, and free valuable staff time for fundraising, donor stewardship, and community partnerships.
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If your foundation keeps doing the same things and getting the same results, something needs to change. This session will help you diagnose whether you need focused attention in a few areas or a bigger overhaul, with real examples and concrete steps to get re-energized and create greater impact.
Attendees will leave better able to distinguish between foundations that need targeted improvements and those that require a more comprehensive relaunch, as well as assess when an event or activity has outlived its usefulness.
Jenny Zahm, Executive Director | Clark-Pleasant Education Foundation
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An annual report is one of the most effective ways to showcase your organization's impact and connect with donors, sponsors, and the community. Whether you are creating your first report or improving an existing one, this session will cover how to get started, what to include, and practical tips for creating a report that highlights your mission and inspires continued support.
Lucha Ramey, Director of Communications | Penn-Harris-Madison Schools
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Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation's Communications Department and the P-H-M Education Foundation have built a partnership that redefines how districts and foundations collaborate. With a shared mission to support P-H-M schools, the district actively promotes PHMEF events through storytelling and social media—driving record attendance, increased fundraising, and stronger community engagement.
In an era of shrinking state and federal funding, this aligned approach demonstrates how strategic communication, community pride, engagement, and business investment can become catalysts for educational excellence.
Choose from 10 practical table topics during rotating small-group conversations designed for quick ideas, peer learning, and takeaways you can use right away.
See all 10 Gold Mine topics
Friday, November 6 | Board Focus
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Join members of the INAPEF SGO Task Force for an informal breakfast conversation about what we know, what questions remain, and what education foundations should be watching as the federal scholarship tax credit program develops.
Ginny Brown, Executive Director | Greenfield Central School Foundation
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Every education foundation has strengths to celebrate and opportunities to strengthen. In this interactive session, participants will explore the INAPEF Standards developed by the Standards Task Force as a practical framework for assessing organizational effectiveness and identifying priorities for growth.
Attendees will learn how to engage board members and staff in a meaningful self-assessment process, evaluate current practices, and create an actionable plan focused on their foundation's most important area of opportunity. The session will also highlight resources available through INAPEF to help foundations avoid reinventing the wheel and accelerate progress through proven best practices, templates, and peer networking.
Whether your foundation is new or well-established, this session will provide a roadmap for building capacity, strengthening governance, and increasing long-term impact in support of students and schools.
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Boards struggle with fundraising, and executive directors struggle with getting their boards to do it. This session reframes the challenge by acknowledging that fundraising includes multiple skills and activities, then shares a tool to help identify exactly what training and support your board needs to be successful.
Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the range of fundraising skills and activities, the different strengths board members can bring, and strategies for training and support.
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Raffles, bingo, pull tabs, casino nights, and other gaming activities can be great ways to engage supporters and raise funds—but organizations need to know the rules before planning the next fundraiser.
Heather will provide a practical look at Indiana charity gaming requirements, including licensing, reporting responsibilities, allowable activities, and common compliance issues. Come prepared with questions and leave with greater confidence that your next charity gaming event is both successful and compliant.
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Nonprofit marketing often means juggling events, fundraising campaigns, social media, donor communications, newsletters, and community outreach with limited time and resources. It can be easy for marketing to become more reactive than strategic.
Jen will share how a well-planned marketing calendar can help nonprofits organize campaigns and content, plan around key dates and priorities, coordinate messaging across channels, and communicate with greater consistency and purpose.
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Many public education foundations provide a “menu of activities” for board support yet still struggle with inconsistent engagement and a lack of individual accountability. This session explores how Washington Township Schools Foundation underwent a six-month transformation to address that challenge.
Emily will walk through the shift from vague participation goals to a SMART framework—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—and the cultural shift toward making development the collective responsibility of the entire board. Attendees will leave with practical resources they can adapt for their own organizations.