2026 Virginia Fund Raising Institute: Full Schedule

3:15pm EDT

Climbing with Intention: Essential Tools for Fundraising Leadership and Success

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm EDT

What does it take to succeed and lead? Technical fundraising skills alone are no longer enough to move into leadership roles. Today’s successful fundraising professionals must combine strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, ethical judgment, and organizational awareness with strong fundraising fundamentals. This session is designed for fundraising professionals at all career stages who want to intentionally grow into leadership roles. Drawing on real-world experience and practical examples from the nonprofit sector, this session will help attendees identify the skills they need to develop now to prepare for future opportunities.

Speakers

Virginia Thumm

President, Virginia Fundraising Consultants

Virginia Thumm is the Founder and President of Virginia Fundraising Consultants, where she has been responsible for designing and implementing dozens of successful, multi-million-dollar fundraising campaigns for nonprofit organizations across the region.Prior to launching her firm... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
DonorPerfect Room

Workshop, Workshop Session I

Audience Mid Career
Area Career Growth/HR

4:30pm EDT

Coaching, Mentoring and Workplace Sponsorship: Building Sustainable Fundraising Careers

Wednesday July 22, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

TowneBank Room

Strong fundraising careers are built through relationships, guidance, and advocacy. This interactive breakout helps fundraising professionals understand the distinct roles of coaching, mentoring, and workplace sponsorship—and how each supports leadership growth, retention, and long-term success. Participants will gain practical strategies for finding the right support, strengthening professional relationships, and investing in the next generation of fundraisers.

Speakers

Ken Miller

President, Denali FSP Fundraising & Grant Consultants

Ken Miller, CFRE, is a best-selling author, dynamic speaker, and transformative business leader whose powerful life story continues to motivate professionals and communities across the country. As the author of Becoming Ken, he shares his riveting journey from addiction and adversity... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
TowneBank Room

Workshop, Workshop Session II

Audience All
Area Career Growth/HR

4:30pm EDT

Sustaining the Sustainer: Well-Being for Fundraisers

Wednesday July 22, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Bloomerang Room

“Are you happy in your job?” is a common question, but is happiness the right measure—or should we focus on fulfillment? This session explores what fulfillment means for fundraising professionals and why achieving it remains challenging. We’ll share insights from practitioners and survey results on staffing and the philanthropic landscape. The discussion will address pressures such as reduced federal support, declining giving trends, and growing demands on fundraisers, which have led many to leave or change roles. Finally, we’ll examine what the future holds for the profession and present strategies for individuals and organizations to thrive.

Speakers

Kris Kuhns

Senior Vice President, CCS Fundraising

Kris’s path into philanthropy began with her study of medical anthropology, a field that deepened her understanding of human behavior, community health, and the structural forces that shape social outcomes. That academic foundation continues to inform her approach to fundraising... Read More →

Tommy Amal

Chief Advancement Officer, National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)

Tommy M. Amal, MS, CFRE, is Chief Advancement Officer at the National Association for College Admission Counseling, where he leads strategy across major gifts, foundation partnerships, and enterprise development. He focuses on building sustainable revenue and advancing equity in education... Read More →

Doug Trout

Chief Executive Officer, DRiWaterstone Human Capital

Doug Trout joined DRiWaterstone (DRiW), a leading executive search in 2020 and led the nonprofit search practice starting in 2022; he became Chief Executive Officer in 2024.

DRiWaterstone Human Capital is an ideally blended firm focused on purpose-driven organizations. DRiW unites executive search with leadership and culture advisory to build high-performing teams. Our approach: rigorous search, stakeholder alignment, inclusive practices, and measurable... Read More →

Julie Naranjo Upham

Vice President, Individual Giving, Conservation International

Julie is the VP, Individual Giving at Conservation International, where she leads the strategy for individual global philanthropy and engagement. A seasoned nonprofit executive, she is a frequent speaker at AFP ICON and has served as a co-chair for the Bridge to Integrated Marketing... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Bloomerang Room

Workshop, Workshop Session II

Audience All
Area Career Growth/HR

9:00am EDT

Leading Like a Hero: Discovering Your Fundraising Strengths

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

AFP Caucus Room

Explore a practical, role-based framework designed to strengthen fundraising leadership and team effectiveness. In this interactive session, participants will identify their primary leadership role and examine how different strengths contribute to collaboration, balance, and performance. Through guided reflection and real-world nonprofit scenarios, attendees will gain tools to enhance communication, recognize areas of growth, and improve team dynamics. This session is designed to be accessible and valuable for professionals at all career stages, including those leading as a team of one.

Speakers

Brittany Clayborne

Associate Director, The Haven Shelter & Services, Inc.

As Associate Director at The Haven Shelter & Services Inc., Brittany Clayborne brings 10 years of experience supporting survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual violence in a small rural nonprofit. She leads strategic development, fundraising, and volunteer engagement while... Read More →

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
AFP Caucus Room

Workshop, Workshop Session III

Audience All
Area Career Growth/HR

1:00pm EDT

Authentic Leadership

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

TowneBank Room

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.

Speakers

Karen Price Owen

Executive and Life Coach, Karen Price Owen Coaching

With more than three decades of experience in marketing, leadership, and organizational management, Karen Price Owen brings a rare combination of corporate expertise and certified coaching practice to the professionals and organizations she works with.A trained executive coach grounded... Read More →

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
TowneBank Room

Workshop, Workshop Session V

Audience All
Area Career Growth/HR

3:45pm EDT

Fostering Resilience in Times of Change

Thursday July 23, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT

TowneBank Room

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.

Speakers

James Burke

Co-principal, TEO Consulting, LLC

James (Jim) Burke, PhD, has worked with numerous leaders as a coach, advisor, and confidant. He is an expert in the use of assessment tools to develop high performing leaders, teams, and organizations. Jim teaches and presents widely on a variety of topics including emotional intelligence... Read More →

Linda Pierce

Co-Principal, TEOconsulting.org

Linda Pierce, MBA, has worked in various business sectors including manufacturing, government, higher education, and not-for-profits. In these capacities, she has overhauled and managed the financial capital of organizations and led strategic and operational projects. Linda focuses... Read More →

Thursday July 23, 2026 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
TowneBank Room

Workshop, Workshop Session VII

Audience Mid Career
Area Career Growth/HR

3:15pm EDT

4:30pm EDT

4:30pm EDT

9:00am EDT

1:00pm EDT

3:45pm EDT

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