**Schedule subject to change without notice
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FUNGER HALL (1st Floor)
2201 G Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20052
FUNGER HALL (1st Floor)
2201 G Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20052
8:00 am Registration, Breakfast and Networking
ALL DAY--Self Care Room
A self-care room will be set up at the conference for participants to use at their leisure. They can relax, talk with others, participate in activities, and learn more about self-care. The room allows participants to take care of themselves, reduce stress, and explore ways to support mental and physical health. Participants will learn self-care techniques and be encouraged to use these activities to promote wellness and prevent burnout.
KRISTIE ABBS
Asst. Professor Social Work
Slippery Rock University
9:00 am--MAIN STAGE: Sports & Justice
Do sports and justice intersect? Join former FBI agents, Quentin Williams, Founder of Dedication to Community (D2C) and Eduardo Alford, Global Terrorism Consultant as they examine this intersection and the complexities of achieving justice within the context of today's global sports world. Everette Pearsall, Executive Director of the National Alliance of African-American Athletes will share the insight from his experience from the athlete side of the equation.
QUENTIN WILLIAMS
Founder
Dedication to Community
EDUARDO ALFORD
Faculty
Dedication to Community
EVERETTE PEARSALL
Executive Director
National Alliance of
African-American Athletes
9:45 am-MAIN STAGE-
Owners, Teams and Coaches: Leadership from the Top
FIRESIDE CHAT: Building a Culture of Philanthropy
A professional team’s ability to drive impact in its community hinges on the strength of the team ownership group.
Learn how the leadership from the ownership group provides messaging not only to its Foundation and
Community Relations Staff, but also to fans, sponsors and the community at-large.
ROBERT CASTELLINI, JR.
Founder--Athlete's Elevated
Minority Owner--Cincinnati Red
ROLAND WEEDON
Strategic Partner-West Ham United, FC
Founder--Athlete's Elevated
Founder--Essex Mortgage
MODERATOR:
Roy Kessel
Founder
Sports Philanthropy Network
10:15 am--MAIN STAGE:
Stewardship of Major Gifts: Don't Cheat the Process
Finding sustainable revenue streams is hard. Identifying large donors that will support your efforts and scale with your organization is extremely difficult. Learn from some of the most successful in the business as they share successful strategies which have allowed them to build a strong base of support for their organizations. Learn how they demonstrate patience to steward the relationships with large donors in order build successful long-term relationships.
LORI BERTMAN
Philanthropy Consultant
Board of Trustees--College Baseball Foundation
SCOTT PEDERSON
Founder
Positive Athlete
MODERATOR:
Roy Kessel
Founder
Sports Philanthropy Network
11:00 am--MAIN STAGE: Athletes and Coaches
Elite athletes and high-profile coaches receive public attention that can generate enormous fundraising opportunities. They both also have substantial legal, financial and reputation risks that go along with that publicity. Learn how they can navigate the waters and successfully create impact which benefits communities.
BRIAN MACMAHON
Founder
Expert Dojo
MORICE NORRIS
Former NFL Player
Founder--Novarden
JORDAN REED
Founder
Brain Optimization Lab
11:45 am--MAIN STAGE: Brain Health and Mental Health-
Fireside Chat with Leigh Steinberg
Join Leigh Steinberg and other special guests for an in-depth look into the impact that brain health and mental health are having on our sports ecosystem. This dialogue will examine the impact that brain health and mental health have on our athletes in ways that appear to be unrelated to their on-field performance and relationships.
Leigh Steinberg
Roy Kessel
Bruce Parkman
12:30 pm--CLOSING KEYNOTE:
The Business Case for Strategic Philanthropy
Sports clubs and their players have a long history of supporting communities and fans. Philanthropic contributions show clubs giving back and helping those in need. But are we expecting, and getting, enough from philanthropic donations from sports clubs and players? What if clubs are missing out on a golden opportunity to deploy philanthropy strategically in a way that supports vital financial performance metrics, while strengthening the well-being of communities? Steve Rochlin, CEO of IMPACT ROI, will share the groundbreaking findings of his recent Project ROI research on the business case for philanthropy and responsible business behavior. Steve’s research quantifies the financial potential of philanthropy done well. The research identifies best practices that show clubs and companies alike how to get the most out of their philanthropy for the benefit of people and profit.
Steve Rochlin
1:00 pm SPW 2026 Closing
Passing The Gavel for SPW2027
Join us for this special annoucement for our host venues for 2027 and beyond!
Roy Kessel
DUQUES HALL
(2nd and 3rd Floors)
2201 G Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20052
2:00 pm Funders Forum (For Funders Only--By Invitation Only)
Creating a More Powerful Funding Environment
Join this elite group of funders who will work together in this safe space, where othr funders will collaborate to examine some of the challenging issues and decisions they face in terms of funding organizations. Meet with other funders who are determining how to best engage their grantees and determine the impact ROI of work being done in their section and their community.
Funder Focused Roundtable
Lisa Anne Thompsono Taylor
Join us for an exclusive, FUNDERS ONLY roundtable designed to tackle the pressing need for consolidation, rigor, and measurable impact within the sports philanthropy sector. Led by nonprofit governance expert Lisa Anne Thompson Taylor, Founding Partner of Board Veritas, this candid session explores how foundations, family offices, and wealth managers can leverage their influence to reduce program duplication and demand higher quality metrics from nonprofits. Moving away from traditional presentations, the discussion will be driven by catalytic questions in a secure, peer-to-peer setting free from the usual pressures of grantee solicitations. Attendees will gain actionable strategies for collaborative investing, ensuring their funding drives sustainable change and maximizes community impact ROI
2:00 pm Sports Philanthropy Workshops and Roundtables
CURRENT TOPICS: MORE TOPICS MAY BE ADDED
ROUNDTABLE:
Concussions and Brain Health
Leigh Steinberg
Nick
Lowery
Bruce
Parkman
Join in the conversation about concussions and brain health.
ROUNDTABLE:
Adaptive Sports
Lisa
Golden
Marc
Burkom
Shaina
Sugar
Join leaders in adaptive sports as they lead the discussion in how to more proactively engage communities to provide resources for adaptive sports.
ROUNDTABLE:
Maximizing Event Impact: Revenue, Branding and Community
Diana
Horsford
Jared
Marquette
Morgan
Price
How do we leverage the power of sporting events for good. Event impact has many meanings. Learn how to increase revenue, amplify branding and change communities through the power of sports.
WORKSHOP:
Best IT Practices
Traci Leffner
A nonprofit-focused session on IT best practices and compliance will highlight how mission‑driven organizations can strengthen their technical foundations while meeting regulatory and compliance expectations. We will cover practical strategies for secure data management, responsible access controls, documentation standards, and risk mitigation, all tailored to resource‑constrained environments. The session will also emphasize building sustainable processes—like routine audits, policy updates, and staff training—that help nonprofits stay compliant without sacrificing agility or impact.
WORKSHOP:
Maybe I'm Just Pretending to Be Me:
Imposter Syndrome for Executives
Elizabeth
Finlayson
In this workshop, Elizabeth Finlayson of Missionful guides leaders through the internal patterns fueling self-doubt. Participants will identify their personal saboteurs and learn science-based techniques to interrupt these thought patterns — clearing the mental barriers that hold executives back from showing up at their best.
WORKSHOP:
The Playbook for Impact: Mastering Stakehold Diplomacy and Long-Grant Strategies
Tiffany McCullough
Move far beyond the traditional lecture in this immersive, interactive strategy lab. Designed specifically for leaders across athlete foundations, community sports nonprofits, and larger sports organizations, this session delivers a repeatable playbook to navigate complex partnerships and align philanthropic platforms with powerful grant strategies.
Using Tiffany McCullough’s proven “Diplomacy Blueprint,” participants will draft their own custom impact strategies. You will also receive real-time, expert feedback directly from Tiffany to refine your approach, ensuring you walk away with a ready-to-execute blueprint before the conference concludes.
WORKSHOP:
Simple Mental Health
Adam
Nemer
Mental Health is a critical element to the success of every organization and every sports team. How does your organization train its people to recognize the symptoms and administer mental health first aid?
WORKSHOP:
GIVE-DEX
Neil
Schwartz
Learn how your organization can leverage the GIVE-DEX to create more engagement with your fans. These strategies help your organization understand the power which data has to sharpen your efforts.
3:00 pm Sports Philanthropy Workshops and Roundtables
CURRENT TOPICS: MORE MAY BE ADDED
Roundtable: Youth Sports and Rising Costs
Workshop: Developing a Strategic Plan
ROUNDTABLE:
College Sports
and NIL
Reggie Grant
Trae Smith
NIL rules change every few months. Join two elite leaders in the NIL space as they examine how NIL impacts the business of sports, philanthropy and long-term viability of the college sports structure.
ROUNDTABLE:
Sports Parents: Dads and Moms
Jamesetta Cleveland
Parents have a strong impact on the way their children handle their lives. Parents influence both the short term growth as well as the long-term perspective. Join other sports parents to discuss the best ways to build a blueprint for success.
ROUNDTABLE:
Sustainability
Lisa
Golden
Isabella
Mitchell
Ashley
Gladney
Sustainability impacts so many aspects of the sports world. From stadiums to arenas to food and beverage services, take a look behind the scenes and join sustainability leaders who are working hard to use sports to lead the charge.
ATUL PRASHAR
DIGIT MURPHY
WORKSHOP:
FROM ATHLETE TO OWNER:
Building Wealth, Influence and Impact Beyond the Game
Athletes spend years developing the discipline, resilience, leadership, and competitive mindset required to succeed at the highest levels. Yet many never receive formal education on ownership, investing, entrepreneurship, personal brand development, or long-term wealth creation. In this interactive workshop, sports executive and leadership advocate Digit Murphy joins venture capital educator, investor, and entrepreneur Atul Prashar to explore how athletes can leverage the skills and influence gained through sports to create opportunities far beyond their playing careers.
Participants will learn practical frameworks for building a personal brand, understanding ownership and investing, evaluating entrepreneurial opportunities, developing strategic networks, and creating meaningful community impact. Aligned with the Sports Philanthropy Network’s mission of building stronger, healthier, and more inclusive communities through sports, this session will provide athletes, coaches, executives, and emerging leaders with actionable tools to transform their platform into long-term influence, financial empowerment, and lasting social impact.
WORKSHOP:
Daniel Freeman
Reach, Revenue and Relationships
Every institution is managing three currencies simultaneously — Reach, Revenue, and Relationships — but most leaders are only tracking one. This half-day workshop gives senior leaders and leadership teams a structured diagnostic to see all three clearly, identify where their organization has quietly drifted out of alignment, and build a concrete plan to rebalance it.
Through a guided self-assessment, a calendar-and-budget audit, and sector-specific case examples, participants move from abstract awareness to a written 90-day plan targeting their weakest currency. Particularly powerful for leadership teams preparing for a campaign, strategic planning cycle, or presidential/CDO transition, where misalignment in one R often surfaces as a crisis in another.
WORKSHOP:
Antomius Wise
Four Pillars of Strategic Philanthropy
Join Special Agent Antomius Wise as he examines the Four Pillars of Strategic Philanthropy. Creating lasting impact requires more than charitable intent. It requires education, governance, structure and a clear understanding of how public policy supports community-focused activity. You will move through the steps of (1) Education; (2) Compliance; (3) Stewardship; (4) Nonprofit Status; and (5) Long Term Impact.
The Four Pillars of Strategic Philanthropy will be examined:
- Education;
- Governance;
- Implementation; and
- Long-Term Planning.
Workshop:
Trance4mation Games
Leslie
Robinson
Beyond the Game™: Healing Conversations for Athletes, Teams & Leaders
Join Trance4mation Games Founder & CEO Leslie Robinson for an interactive, deeply engaging workshop experience featuring the Beyond the Game™ Athlete Well-being Dialogue Experience – a powerful conversation-based tool designed to strengthen connection, emotional wellness, trust, leadership, and authentic communication among athletes, coaches, students, and sports professionals.
In a culture where athletes are often taught to “push through” emotions, many struggle silently with pressure, identity, isolation, transition, anxiety, performance expectations, and life beyond competition. This workshop creates a rare and meaningful space where participants can move beyond surface-level interaction and engage in real conversations that build understanding, resilience, empathy, and team unity.
Through guided small-group experiences utilizing the Beyond the Game™ cards, participants will explore themes such as identity beyond performance, mental health, leadership, vulnerability, purpose, resilience, relationships, and life after sports. The experience is designed to be interactive, energizing, reflective, and immediately applicable within schools, universities, athletic departments, community programs, and professional sports environments.