Past Events

As we begin 2021 and start thinking about developing strategies for this new year, we must consider the external environment – including finances and the economy. Back by popular demand, join Associate Professor of Finance and Strategy Paul Hawkinson as he shares observations and predictions to help navigate our financial and strategic “now” and “next.” How will the changing economy and the emerging policies affect our work in the nonprofit sector in the coming year? What are the client, mission and donor implications of the continuing pandemic and political transitions? What can we learn from strategic and financial approaches deployed in other industries? This session will improve our understanding of how the economy and finances matter for our strategic planning.

You\'re invited to join us for three days of fundraising education and fun! If you work in the nonprofit sector, the Qgiv Conference is a must-attend Florida fundraising destination. You\'ll expand your Qgiv skills with on-site workshop training, see exclusive previews of upcoming tools and features, learn from nonprofit industry experts, and network with other fundraisers at this brand-new annual event. If you want to be an even more effective fundraiser, this event is for you! You\'ll find inspiration at every turn. Your souvenirs? Fresh ideas to grow your fundraising!

At the Project Play Summit, we will release a simplified version of our Teamwork Toolkit – a free do-it-yourself tool that local leaders anywhere can use to mobilize their community to get and keep more youth playing sports. Aspen has begun teaching park and recs how to use this resource. But what else do local organizations need to make community-based sport the dominant model through age 12? How can high-quality curriculum get packaged up to recruit and retain kids at scale? How can national sports organizations and other trusted brands support them? How can not-for-profits, entrepreneurs and schools collaborate with them most effectively?

Two Day Event also September 15, 2020

The LEAD Sports Summit is a yearly summit that connects young female athletes with Olympic champions and experts through an all-inclusive, 4-day event. Girls learn from speakers and experts through both large keynotes and smaller breakout sessions. Throughout the weekend, girls also engage in hands-on leadership activities, group discussions, and reflection exercises. Each participant is part of a Team Leader group - Team Leaders are the women who serve as the “point person” for the girls during the Summit.

Fundamental flaws in the governance model of youth sports have been laid bare by COVID-19. Without any coordinated leadership, youth sports was the last cog in our sport ecosystem to halt play and the first to restart – with some local and national sport providers moving right back into games and tournaments despite recommendations to do otherwise from the CDC, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and even their own National Governing Bodies. More accountability can help address many challenges in our sports delivery system, from improving coach quality to controlling costs to reducing injury rates. But how best to achieve that? What is the right mechanism to oversee sport development?

Join us by the sea for cocktails, raw bar, and to learn how we are getting kids in the game

In the first two decades of the 20th century, a cross-sector coalition constructed 2,000 parks and playgrounds in urban cities – laying the groundwork for youth sport as a tool of nation-building. The next wave of growth was propelled by New Deal investments that got more than 10,000 athletic and recreational facilities built. The third wave was aided by the Land and Water Conservation Act which between 1965 and 1980 got more than 40,000 facilities built. Now, the White House and Congress are mulling whether to spend trillions on infrastructure to help get more people back to work. If that bill were to include recreation infrastructure (new or revamped parks, fields, gyms, rinks, etc., plus trails and bike lanes), what would we want? And how to support the maintenance and programs that come with more places to play?

Stakeholders in the sports industry are leveraging this time in history to reposition the discussion on sports and social impact -- from what needs to change to how to make it happen. Let\\\'s face it...the COVID-19 pandemic has society on the ropes. Its impact has ushered in a time for change not seen for generations. Traditionally, the sports industry has had a special role of creating social cohesion and inclusion. But the restart of sports seems to be stuck in a perpetual loop of tentative dates and \\\"TBD\\\" plans. Those critical decisions about when, where, and how are still being made by the power brokers at the top, led by the commissioners, owners and broadcasters. In the meantime, teams, leagues, and sponsors are beginning to unite to carve out their message to the masses, while fans have raised their collective voices for protest in person and on social media. The dramatic shift in how we view past injustices - and pressure from corporate America - could make once-sacred mascots of longtime sports franchises an endangered species. We have not seen athlete activism like this since the 1960s, and it is not just the Black Lives Matter movement that is gaining traction in this equality space. The LGBTQ community has amplified the discussion on discrimination as well, garnering proud support from teammates and fans.

Join us for a hands-on training where you will learn the virtual facilitation tools, tips, and tricks needed to build trust, spark ideas, and foster collaboration in your virtual meetings.

Live sports is facing a ‘new normal’ as they welcome fans back into their venues. Already confronted with increasing, continuously evolving demands – driven by both fan expectations and operational/business requirements – recent events have only escalated these demands and introduced new complexities for venue environments. Join us for a webinar on Wednesday, July 29 at 1 PM EST as John Brams of Extreme Networks, Roy Sommerhof of the Baltimore Ravens, and Andrew McIntyre of Vinik Sports Group join Joe Londergan of Front Office Sports for a discussion on what in-venue competencies and use cases are critical to the future of live sports, and in what ways digital transformation is accelerating to meet these needs.

Join us for a hands-on training where you will learn the virtual facilitation tools, tips, and tricks needed to build trust, spark ideas, and foster collaboration in your virtual meetings.

Donald Driver is hosting a Super Bowl Championship Reunion as part of his Official Donald Driver Charity Softball Game at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in 2020! The game will raise money for the Donald Driver Foundation. The mission of the Donald Driver Foundation is to display Strong Hands, Strong Minds, and Loving Hearts to serve as a hand up, not a hand out. He is bringing back a lot of his teammates from the championship team that won in Dallas in 2011. The will be held on Sunday, July 26 at 1:05pm. 🎁 Fans attending the game will receive a complimentary, limited edition Donald Driver bobblehead! Ticket Options: Front Row Box Seat | $53 Standard Box Seat | $43 Reserved Bleacher Seat | $25 General Admission Grass Seat | $12 Patio Tables (4 seats) | $212 (limited number available) ** (includes one autographed item signed by Donald Driver) - All- You - Can - Eat seats | $80 **There are 69 All-You-Can-Eat seats available for this game for $80 per seat. This ticket includes admission to the game, an all-you-can-eat picnic for 90 minutes, and two beverages (beer, soda, or water).

While the stability of the American job market is in question, we know the nonprofit sector is looking to hire top talent when the time is right. With unemployment at an all-time high, many amazing people have nothing but time to think about their next step. If this sounds familiar, we are here to help you learn how to best position yourself in today’s job market. Join Evolve Giving Group’s President & CEO, Amy Schiffman, in conversation with a panel of nonprofit talent experts to discuss marketing your best product – yourself! Walk away with tips for building your resume, nailing the virtual interview process, negotiating your offer, and more.

The National Sports Forum and the Business of Diversity in Sports and Entertainment (BDSE) committee invite you to our FREE webinar to learn how sports organizations can weave a cohesive diversity and inclusion thread through the entire organization to drive successful business growth and increase their bottom line. According to Forbes, organizations in the top quartile for gender diversity outperform their competitors by 15% and those in the top quartile for ethnic diversity outperform their competitors by 35%. Panelists will share what sports organizations have done, what worked and what didn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t, and areas of opportunity to unleash the power of sport through diversity and inclusion at your sport organization.

Learn from Kevin Martinez, VP of Corporate Citizenship, how ESPN aims to use the power of sport for social good through employee volunteerism, charitable giving, and cause marketing programs. ESPNs strategic investments and giving are focused in 5 areas. Access to Sports - Enable greater access to sports through better equipment, programs and places to play. Leadership Through Sports - Use sport to maximize our human potential. The V Foundation - Support cancer research to help find a cure. Good Neighbor - Invest time and resources in communities where we live, work and play. Sustainability - Protect and preserve the environment for generations to come.

While the stability of the American job market is in question, we know the nonprofit sector is looking to hire top talent when the time is right. With unemployment at an all-time high, many amazing people have nothing but time to think about their next step. If this sounds familiar, we are here to help you learn how to best position yourself in today’s job market. Join Evolve Giving Group’s President & CEO, Amy Schiffman, in conversation with a panel of nonprofit talent experts to discuss marketing your best product – yourself! Walk away with tips for building your resume, nailing the virtual interview process, negotiating your offer, and more.

In our Wednesday, July 22 webinar, we’ll talk about engaging, new ways to acknowledge donors, using tools like… Personalized videos Heartfelt acknowledgement letters Shout-outs on social media And more! Join Network for Good’s Lead Fundraising Coach Kimberly O’Donnell and Customer Marketing Manager Liz Ragland as they rank donor acknowledgement techniques and trends. You’ll learn how to make a lasting impression that will help boost donor retention.

In the coming weeks, some of the biggest U.S. sports leagues will resume play. But none will open venues to fans at full capacity, and some will have no fans in the stands. For those with limited fans, how will operators communicate social distancing and other safety measures? For those with no fans, how does the approach to engagement change when your target is no longer physically there? We’ll examine the most pertinent issues, including innovative uses for in-venue signage and how chatbots and other communication tools will become more important than ever to keep fans safe and engaged.

During this webinar, we will walk you step-by-step through actionable ways to improve your LinkedIn personal and nonprofit profile page. Then we’ll review how to use LinkedIn to discover and connect with and engage your community. We\\\\\\\'ll show you how to use LinkedIn events to promote your online or face to face workshops or fundraisers and how to create the best types of LinkedIn posts that increase awareness and build an engaged following of supporters and fans. More importantly we will show you how to build relationships with sponsors and institutions.

The topics covered in the webinar • What will college football look like this fall? • Recruiting in our ‘new normal’ • Being a positive force for change

Each Leigh Steinberg Sports Career Conference brings in top sports professionals in the local market that have successfully cultivated sports careers in marketing, philanthropy, media, front office and entrepreneurship.

At the Project Play Summit, we will release a simplified version of our Teamwork Toolkit – a free do-it-yourself tool that local leaders anywhere can use to mobilize their community to get and keep more youth playing sports. Aspen has begun teaching park and recs how to use this resource. But what else do local organizations need to make community-based sport the dominant model through age 12? How can high-quality curriculum get packaged up to recruit and retain kids at scale? How can national sports organizations and other trusted brands support them? How can not-for-profits, entrepreneurs and schools collaborate with them most effectively?

Our annual goal & mission allows us to support Keshet: Special Needs. Extraordinary Opportunities. - designed to do whatever necessary to allow individuals with disabilities to achieve their potential. In 2020, we are thrilled to also include the support towards Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA) who enriches the lives of people with disabilities in their partner communities through quality recreation services. Thank you in advance to our dedicated board of advisors, donors, sponsors, celebrities and volunteers who continually make this event possible. Together, with your support, we bring the community together and raise funds for this important cause every year.

Join the NATB for our first ever Virtual Ticketing Forum, a two-day event focused on helping you navigate the current environment and position your business for a strong rebound as live events relaunch around the country. The Virtual Ticketing Forum will concentrate on navigating and successfully managing the current live events climate and take a look at the opportunities that will lead to our future successes. The VTF will kick off with a welcome from NBA Legend Bill Walton and renowned sports business analyst, Darren Rovell will kick off the second day of content.

Constant accelerations and decelerations can wear down athletes’ bodies, but it’s a whole different load management scenario when athletes are trying to get back in peak shape after spending months training in isolation. We’ll hear from experts on the best ways to prevent injuries during the ramp-up phase and how to best monitor athletes as they grind through shortened seasons that allow for less recovery time.

Virtual events have been stepping in for annual in-person fundraisers and campaigns in 2020 and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down. With the right strategies and tools, they can rival even the best in-person fundraising events in terms of revenue, reach and donations raised. Join our free, LIVE webinar where we will hear from real-world nonprofits on how they took their virtual events to the next level and raised just as much (or more!) than their in-person rendition. We’ll share the insider tools and actions that got them there and the key communication strategies to increase reach and giving before, during and after your virtual event.

Hear from current and former athletes and executives on what you can do today to make positive steps towards your future. Learn how sports has uniquely prepared you for what\\\'s next. Expand your network. Enhance your brand. Align your finances with your values. Find clarity in the chaos.

The budgets of the more than 10,000 municipal park and recreation departments with sports programs have been decimated due to COVID-19, as have those of YMCAs and other community providers. On July 15, Project Play releases Active Communities Do Better infographics that youth sports advocates everywhere can use to lobby mayors and governors to limit cuts – and recruit support from policymakers and corporations to help them through this challenging time. We ask: how can leaders best stabilize essential providers over the next 12 months? Also, what can be done to support low-income families and the children of the unemployed?

Sports have frequently been recognized as a vehicle for bringing people together despite individual differences. As our country continues to navigate the social injustices in society, intercollegiate athletics plays an important part in the journey to educate and influence positive change through the younger generation student-athletes. While diversity and inclusion plans may have previously existed in athletics departments, putting those plans into action is more important than ever. In this session, panelists will discuss a few case studies within the industry highlighting D&I plans that departments have executed as intercollegiate athletics seeks to be a catalyst for change.

Tune in here on July 14th at 7:00PM ET as we discuss return to play guidelines with Jennifer D. Rheeling, MS, ATC and Rebecca L. Stearns PhD, ATC for our REFUEL: Live Expert Chat Q&A as part of #VNATA2020. All disciplines are welcome as our panel will be answering your questions live and discussing: pre-participation evaluations, return to physical activity/conditioning, heat acclimatization, and injury prevention.

Join Evolve’s Vice President, Lisa Tarshis and CEO of Swissa Creative, Kobi Swissa to demystify your virtual event production needs. We’ll unpack how to determine if you should work with a production company or produce your event DIY style, how to think about and plan for your production budget, some of the many possibilities in the virtual event space and how to make your event stand out from the crowd. We’ll leave ample time for Q&A so bring your questions.

Equilibria in Sports, a global expert in personality diversity that coaches others to be self-aware and embrace diversity of thought, believes it’s time to take a different look at diversity and inclusion. By putting a different lens on what we ourselves do, perhaps innocently, that undermines, discounts or devalues those around us, we can reduce discriminatory incidents and thoughtless word or actions that lead to unfavorable outcomes. Join us for our powerful Diversity & Inclusion Webinar Series. The series will be two x 90 minutes on-line sessions on the following dates; Tuesday & Thursday, July 14th and 16th from 8:00-9:30 PM (ET), 7:00-8:30 PM (CT) or 5:00-6:30 PM (PT).

Join the NATB for our first ever Virtual Ticketing Forum, a two-day event focused on helping you navigate the current environment and position your business for a strong rebound as live events relaunch around the country. The Virtual Ticketing Forum will concentrate on navigating and successfully managing the current live events climate and take a look at the opportunities that will lead to our future successes. The VTF will kick off with a welcome from NBA Legend Bill Walton and renowned sports business analyst, Darren Rovell will kick off the second day of content.

During this webinar, we will walk you step-by-step through actionable ways to improve your LinkedIn personal and nonprofit profile page. Then we’ll review how to use LinkedIn to discover and connect with and engage your community. We\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'ll show you how to use LinkedIn events to promote your online or face to face workshops or fundraisers and how to create the best types of LinkedIn posts that increase awareness and build an engaged following of supporters and fans. More importantly we will show you how to build relationships with sponsors and institutions.

Nonprofit Strategic Planning This free webinar introduces the practical techniques and fundamental principles of a strategic planning orientation for nonprofit organizations. Looking at strategic planning as an ongoing process of goal formulation, implementation, measurement, and reporting.

Details coming soon

A full-day, must-attend conference that brings together sports philanthropy professionals for education, discussion and networking!Our 2019 event had over 120 organizations represented and you can see the videos and photos from last year at the link below.

American Diabetes Association--RIDE, RUN, WALK, FOR LIFE

4 pm Gates Open 6 pm Home Run Derby 7 pm Softball Game (Texans offense vs. Texans defense)

The inaugural Thielen Foundation Charity Softball Game and home-run derby will be on Sunday, May 31, 2020, at CHS Field. Thielen and his Minnesota Vikings teammates will play softball to benefit the Thielen Foundation. Attendees will enjoy an incredible evening with in-game giveaways, a silent auction, raffle and firework show. You’re not going to want to miss it! Make plans now to attend this fun, family-friendly event!

Play Illinois: A Sports and Public Health Summit is a one-day event that will convene sports-based youth development practitioners from across Illinois for workshops, networking, and discussions. Sports and play have become the social fabric of communities across Illinois, there is no better time than now to bring attention to the way they also address public health disparities. Focusing on Girls and Sports, Inclusive Programming, Sports for Emotional and Mental Health and Sports and Community Health are the pillars that will launch this effort as we look at the innovative ways they are part of public health.

Spectators attending the Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament will be positioned in eight locations throughout the White Pines Golf Course where they’ll be able to interact with celebrities as they play through, take selfies, and receive autographs. Spectators will then attend the After Party at Murray Brothers Caddyshack where they’ll be able to enjoy a private party with the celebrities in attendance where there will be plenty of games and shenanigans with Celebrity Bartenders. Cost of the ticket includes beverages and snacks during the Golf portion and beverages and appetizers during the After Party portion.

The Tyrann Mathieu Celebrity Kickball Weekend is back! Tyrann Mathieu Celebrity Kickball Weekend is May 15 & 16 where Tyrann, his KC Chiefs Super Bowl Champion Teammates and celebrity friends will battle it out on the kickball field to support the Tyrann Mathieu Foundation! Tickets are officially on sale and will go fast, so get yours today at: https://lnkd.in/dmVeRtd

the Building Character Program served more than 1,000 youth which we aim to triple in 2020. Following last year’s “Honoring Milwaukee’s Greats” event, we are kicking off the new year by hosting Boxing Night – A Milwaukee Tradition on May 14th. Boxing Night is a fun evening where people of all backgrounds can come together and enjoy themselves. Instead of the typical fundraiser, City Champs will do the donating so you can enjoy the event! A thrilling card of more than 10 bouts, live music, auctions, raffles, games, celebrity autographs and more. This year’s objective is to support the amazing “grass roots” efforts working to unite our city. Join Milwaukee in the fight against violence, hate and bullying.

The structure for the conference will involve three portions: Inspire, Explore, Equip. These three segments will be offered both in the morning and again in the afternoon, with separate speakers for those times. Inspire: Each of our speakers will give TED-style talks on themed topics: community, leadership, power, equity, innovation, etc. Explore: Attendees will get to choose between smaller, breakout sessions where plenary speakers provide deeper dives into their plenary talk. Equip: Following each Explore talk, a facilitator will guide a 45-minute session to provide participants with tools to develop strategies to engage the topic in their own workplaces and communities.

Playworks Indiana’s Kickball Tournament is an active employee engagement event that brings teams of 10-15 coworkers together through tournament play of the beloved playground game—kickball. Companies will compete for the championship trophy and the opportunity to bring safe, healthy play to nearly 11,000 children in elementary schools across Central Indiana. The day will consist of tournament play, food, prizes, and adult beverages provided by Sun King Brewing. We will end the day with an awards ceremony. Playworks’ well-trained, enthusiastic professional staff will lead the excitement by bringing the skills and experience necessary to get everyone involved in a fun and inclusive event.