2026 Virginia Fund Raising Institute

Despite significant cuts to public funding, nonprofits continue to mobilize and provide critical community services. There are mission-aligned funding strategies for organizations to pursue, even in difficult times; particularly building meaningful partnerships with values-aligned corporations and foundations. Join this special session with VIA Centers for Neurodevelopment and CIMA Consulting to learn how to diversify your funding sources in ways that are right for your mission, capacity, and the moment.

Participants will be engaged in an interactive workshop to define their personal values and explore how it relates to their team, the university, and beyond. Exercises will navigate how to lead with your values in identifying personal goals, making decisions, and engaging with colleagues in the workplace.

In this transformative intensive, participants will dive deep into the principles of authentic leadership as inspired by Brené Brown’s groundbreaking research on vulnerability, courage, and human connection. This workshop is designed to challenge traditional leadership paradigms and empower participants to lead with genuine emotion, empathy, and personal integrity.

In a world where social media trends come and go in the blink of an eye, it’s crucial for nonprofits to adopt a long-term strategy to thrive in the ever-changing digital landscape. However, the third sector faces unique challenges in maintaining a long-term social media strategy that drives sustainable impact.
With practical tips and case studies, Julia will demonstrate how to effectively use social media to craft effective calls-to-action that convert fans and followers to donors and long-term supporters. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies, inspiration, and real-world examples of ways that even small nonprofits can market their mission and services on social media.

In a world of non-stop change and many unknowns, how do we foster resilience in ourselves and in our teams? This lively and interactive session will look at the practical information that we can glean from the research and will include a self-assessment that may be useful to both you and your team. Participants will gain insight into their strengths and also for areas for growth. The facilitators will provide specific and easily implemented recommendations for enhancing your own resilience and the resilience of those around you.