Southeast Regional Conference

 

The next Southeast Regional Conference will take place in 2024. Continue on this page to review information from 2022's conference. 

 

SERC Logo

 

 

FLEX CREDIT INFORMATION

DEADLINE IS MAY 27, 2022

The Southeast Regional Conference was approved by United Way Worldwide for flexible credit use.  All United Ways which are in full compliance with membership requirements and current on dues payments, may receive reimbursements from their flexible credits.  Each SERC participant may use flex credits for up to $550 toward registration costs, up to $500 in travel, and up to $920 in per diem expenses ($230 per day x 4 days).

Each participant (not as a group under one United Way but individually) must complete the digital reimbursement form link by May 27, 2022. Once this deadline has passed, no further reimbursement requests can be accepted. A processing fee of $35 will be applied to the flex credit application.

Please note that it is the responsibility of each requester to obtain internal approval to use flexible credits. They may check with their supervisor or flex credit manager before submitting any reimbursement requests. For more information, click to access account balance or view the flexible credit policy. If you have a question at any time, please contact Ask United Way (United Way Online access required).

 

PHOTOS & POWERPOINTS

CLICK HERE to access workshop PowerPoints. 

CLICK HERE to download official photos from the SERC. To view/download photos from various attendees via DropEvent, visit dropevent.com/UWSERC22 

Dates

April 26-29th, 2022.

Location

The Westin Poinsett Hotel and Courtyard Marriott will host the SERC. Enjoy Greenville’s downtown with eateries, shops and Falls Park on the Reedy just steps away from the hotel. 

Cost

Flex Credits Approved!
•    Up to $550 in registration
•    Up to $500 in travel expense
•    $230/day per diem expense for total of up to $920 per person

A link will be provided AFTER SERC attendance to submit reimbursement requests.  Attendees should obtain internal approval to use flexible credits.  For more information, click to access account balance or view the flexible credit policy. If you have a question at any time, please contact Ask United Way (United Way Online access required).

There is something for everyone at the SERC

  • Keynotes to inform, challenge and inspire.
  • Workshops with strong knowledge exchange, group conversation, and practical application tools/resources.
  • Innovation stations for exposure to proven practices and innovative ideas along with connection for follow-up after the conference.
  • Networking opportunities to catch up/build new relationships with your peers.  

The Southeast Regional Conference has served as the United Way premier regional learning opportunity for more than 60 years. Today it offers high-quality learning at an affordable price for United Way professionals with engaging workshops, inspirational keynote speakers, and innovation stations for exploring successful practices.    

Networking with peers has always been valued in post-conference surveys and you will have many opportunities to connect with other UW staff across the southeast and gather ideas as well as discuss common challenges. With a year of relationship interruption, it will be good to spend time together and refuel our energy tanks for work in 2022 and beyond.

Conference Reach:  Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.  We expect more than 200 in attendance!

 

Keynote Speakers

CLICK HERE to download the SERC app OR scan the QR code below!

SERC App QR

 

Instructions for setting up for SERC App: 

1. Search "United Way SE Regional Conf" in App Store or Google Play

app store

 

2. Create your profile

app profile

 

3. Choose your interests under the "Chat" category

interests

 

TRAINING CONTENT

Make Your United Way a Magnet for Young Donors (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitators: Gary Goscenski and Bryn Bogemann (Perspectives Consulting Group)
  • Description: As United Way’s current donor base begin to age out of the system, many United Ways are left struggling to fill that gap with members of the younger generation. The problem is that many in the younger generation don’t know who your United Way is or what it does. In this session, we will look at the reasons younger donors are choosing other charities to donate to, how you can market your United Way’s work in a way that is appealing to the younger generation, and how to locate the younger generation outside of the workplace. We will also highlight United Ways large and small who are successfully engaging the younger generation.

Best in Class Fundraising Practices - Leveraging Volunteers to Drive Revenue (1 Session)

  • Facilitators: Lexi Savage (Engagement Director, U.S. Southeast Region, United Way Worldwide) and John Martin (Senior VP of Resource Development, UW of Central Alabama)
  • Description: Join John Martin, Senior Vice President of Resource Development from United Way of Central Alabama to learn how to leverage your volunteers to help you stay relevant and engaged with corporate and community donors. Practical application and tools will be shared to scale to any size UW or community!

Growing, Managing & Reporting On Your Endowment (1 Session)

  • Facilitator: David Lopez (Chief Development Officer, Metro United Way)
  • Description: Learn about the internal and external-facing work Metro United Way has done to grow its endowment from less than $2M in ‘17 to more than $20M today. There will be a Q&A and an opportunity to draft your own high-level plan for growing/strengthening your own LUW’s endowment.

Increasing Revenue Despite Declining Workforce Campaigns (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitators: George McCanless (President & CEO, United Way of Central Georgia) and Matt Ryerson (President & CEO, United Way of Greater Knoxville)
  • Description: How do you diversify your revenue sources, create new avenues for funding, seek out support in new ways, and open the door to your United Way to not only survive the national trend of declining workforce campaign dollar and donors, but also THRIVE in a time of change? Come hear two local United Way CEO's in small to mid-sized organizations who have been challenged to think differently about how they pursue support and what the results have taught them.

Grants 101 (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitators: Mark Vanderpool (Grant Consultant - Beaufort, SC) and Mary Graham (President & CEO, United Ways of Tennessee)
  • Description: Grants can generate tremendous outcomes for United Ways that are diversifying their funding and seeking to make bigger impacts in their communities. Come learn about how to find grant opportunities, as well as determine what makes a good fit your organization's priorities. Attendees will learn about typical proposal elements you'll want to have "at-the-ready", what makes a good proposal, and some tips for setting up a successful grant development process and timeline. Mark will also share about the importance of community and partner engagement as a proposal develops, the benefits of collaborations, and how to cultivate long-term relationships with funders.

Best in Class Fundraising - Gated Community Campaigns (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitators: Dale Douthat, CEO (Low Country United Way) and Katie Childs (CEO, United Way of Chatham County)
  • Description: North and South Carolina UW leaders team up to share their campaign success with gated communities. Learn about how they got started, their successful process and great examples that lead to new and increased giving. Dale Douthat, CEO of UW of the Low Country and Katie Childs, CEO of UW of Chatham County will get you started on your way to this innovative revenue builder.

Cultivating & Engaging Corporate Partners (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitators: Michael Kerkorian (Senior Director Corporate Relations, UWW)
  • Description: United Way relies on corporate partners for the vast majority of fundraising. As competition increases for charitable dollars, United Ways must strengthen their corporate relationships and move beyond the traditional workplace campaign. Join us to hear how United Way Worldwide is approaching strengthening its relationships and what resources are available so local United Ways can continue to be the philanthropic partner of choice.

Empowering Staff to be Successful: Driving Major Gift Strategies (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitators: Jennifer Gipp (Director, Major Giving & Tocqueville, UWW) Jessica Hopper (Director of Major Gifts) and Courtney Orazine (Major Gifts Officer, UW of Central Alabama)
  • Description: Your organization's success is powered by your people. The staff, the volunteers and YOU! After all, the goal is bringing in more dollars and more donors - RIGHT? Join us today as we help you leverage the incredible potential that lies within a strong Tocqueville Program by reigniting a back to basics approach. In this workshop-style session participants will first assess their Tocqueville Society's current state and then use tools to help optimize structure and engagement gaining new ideas, strategies and tactics to accomplish greater results.

Best in Class Fundraising: A High Level Look at Revenue Diversification Strategies for Any UW (1 Session)

  • Facilitators: Lexi Savage (Engagement Director, U.S. Southeast Region, UWW) and Graciela Jacoby (COO Heart of Florida United Way)
  • Description: This session will highlight best practices from Heart of Florida United Way in Orlando, Florida. Learn about overall campaign planning, prioritizing and developing strategies for growing key corporate accounts, re-engaging lackluster accounts and generating new business! We will also discuss fee for service volunteerism and how to offer seamless experiences for donors in the workplace and beyond. Data and Growth Mindset will be at the core of all of these strategies.

Diversify Your Revenue Streams: A Mastered Approach to Sustainable Funding That Takes a Community (1 Session)

  • Facilitators: Brett Eckerman, President & CEO (UW of Iredell County) Meagan Flippin (President & CEO, UW of Rutherford & Cannon Counties) Jennifer Gipp (Director Major Giving & Tocqueville, UWW)
  • Description: Join us for a robust discussion on how to develop sustainable funding and diversify revenue channels. A clear priority for our network as noted in the recent survey conducted by UWW, this session will provide practical examples and foundational methods to build and grow planned giving and endowment strategies. Hear from United Way staff and Million Dollar Roundtable donors on the opportunities and challenges we face, as well as the long term success a community can have with the right focus and approach.

Leveraging Resource Allocation & Grantmaking to Advance Equity: Focus on DEI Strategies (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitators: Ayeola Fortune (Interim Senior Vice President, Impact Team UWW) Nalisha Henry (VP of Community Impact, UW of Greenville County)
  • Description: A core part of United Way’s work is fundraising and investing those resources back into the community to create positive change. Join us to learn how your United Way can make your strategic investments explicitly focused on closing gaps in opportunities, access, and resources to close persistent disparities between community residents and build the capacity of community organizations led by people of color. Speakers will reflect on how power dynamics between funders and funded organizations can reinforce and maintain existing inequities. You’ll leave with a better understanding of how to leverage the Framework to strengthen your United Way’s role as a fundraiser and community investor to advance equitable community change.

Collaborations & Mergers: Joining Forces for Greater Impact (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitators: John Emge (Engagement Director, Northeast Region, United Way Worldwide) Leslie Salling (President & CEO, UW of East Tennessee Highlands)
  • Description: Increasingly United Ways are looking at ways to work better together. Collaborations can lead to increased efficiencies, donor engagement, and innovation. Mergers represent the ultimate collaboration. This session will build off the new Mergers Playbook to explore how to determine if a merger is right for their organization as well as the best and leading practices United Ways have employed in designing their mergers.

Authentic Engagement that Informs Strategy & Partnerships (1 Session)

  • Facilitators: Amanda Lawrence (Vice President of Community Impact, Trident United Way)
  • Description: Engaging diverse community and corporate partners authentically to address local and systemic issues is hard work. Hear about the journey, lessons learned, and tools and techniques Trident United Way has used to build bridges and affect change within its networks in education, financial stability and health to support long-term and sustainable systems change.

Approaches to Poverty Reduction: Creating the Conditions for Change (1 Session)

  • Facilitators: Rod Devore (Director 2Gen Initiatives, UW of Greater Nashville), Twana Whitlock (Associate Director Agency Relationships, Driving the Dream) and Shayla Kolkeim (Director, Driving the Dream, UW of the Mid-South)
  • Description: The development of poverty reduction efforts emerge from a deep investment in listening, learning, and organizing for change. Organizations invested in addressing poverty must embrace the complexity of poverty, understand stakeholders and through collaboration foster approaches that adapt to the changing context of their community. The role of a backbone serves to originate solutions, support continuous quality improvements, and act as a policy leader to mobilize partners to pursue the cross-sector collaboration, alignment, and communication to achieve population level change. In this session, the United Way of the Mid-South and the United Way of Greater Nashville will share their approaches to poverty reduction and discuss the unique ways that they affect the backbone role.

Changing Your Allocation Model (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitators: Blakely Roof (President & CEO - UW of Horry County) and Abby Garrison (VP of Community Investments, UW of Greater Chattanooga)
  • Description: Is your United Way considering shifting it's allocations strategy away from the "community chest" or more traditional agency funding model and towards a more modern and collaborative impact approach? Learn from two United Ways that have already done all the hard work to ensure that your United Way can increase its ability to be more flexible and respond to emerging community needs. Join CEO Blakely Roof from Myrtle Beach and VP of Community Investments, Abby Garrison of Chattanooga to hear real examples of lessons learned from the shifts their United Ways recently made. Walk away with concrete examples and all the tools you need to implement this change to make an even greater impact in your community!

Building a Community Through Connections: A Resource Center to Serve Our Most Vulnerable Neighbors (1 Session)

  • Facilitator: Sarah Kowalak (Director of Community Impact, UW of Henderson County)
  • Description: Hear from a collaborative team representing nonprofit, faith, and local government agencies working together to create a resource center for the most vulnerable residents of Henderson County, NC. The Hendersonville Connections Center, once completed, will house satellite offices from over a dozen agencies, all operating in coordination to remove barriers and help restore hope and healing for our neighbors experiencing homelessness, substance abuse, and other complex social challenges. We’ll walk through how the HCC has grown from an idea to a team with over $3million committed for the purchase and renovation of our 10,000 square foot warehouse space, and the lessons we’ve learned – and are STILL learning – along the way.

United Way 101 (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitator: Eric Glaser (Director US Network Engagement and Performance, UWW)
  • Description: Start your United Way journey with the resources and knowledge you need to be successful!  This session will draw from Welcome to United Way - a free 4-hour virtual onboarding session for all United Way staff.  Meet new United Way colleagues and build relationships for support in the future.  This session will include the basics of United Way: our vision and mission, our superpowers and our history.

Virtual Volunteering (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitator: Edwin Goutier (Manager, Innovation, UWW)
  • Description: Many United Ways are pursuing a strong digital presence, aspiring to provide donors and advocates year-round virtual experiences. This session will tap into the experiences of early adopters of the “always-on” digital approach and provide special insights for optimizing use of all available engagement channels.

Oh Say Can You See? (Publicity and Communication Skills for Non-Profits) (1 Session)

  • Facilitator: Storyteller Tim Lowry (Summerville, SC)
  • Description: Beginning with the “shot heard ‘round the world” the American Revolution was immediate international news. What a great model for any corporate or non-profit organization! Using concepts from our Founding Fathers, Storyteller Tim Lowry will teach you how to create a social movement to effectively communicate your group’s mission and encourage people to spread the word far and wide. In this fun, interactive workshop Tim will help you identify the ideas, the narrative, the symbols, and the leadership required to grow a non-profit or corporation into a cultural force that is the talk of the town, the pride of the nation, and an international phenomenon!

Data Driven Innovation: Meeting Needs & Increasing Revenue (1 Session)

  • Facilitators: Stephanie Linkous (President and CEO) and Jaynese Waddell (Director of Community Impact), United Way of the Ocoee Region
  • Description: Using data to help drive decision-making is something United Ways talk about often, but what can this look like? Through the ALICE Report as well as other state and local data, the United Way of the Ocoee region (UWOR) has fundamentally changed how funds are invested in our community. This evolution began several years ago when UWOR created the Community Needs Identification Committee with the sole purpose of researching, analysing, and collecting data to determine the most pressing needs of the individuals and families we serve. Thanks for the work of this Committee, UWOR has become an expert on the complex problems impacting our community. This session will lead you through the steps of using data to "move the needle" on your most pressing needs, while also sharing insights around developing internal programming and increasing revenue to maximize community impact.

Building an Active & Engaged Board of Directors (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitator: Jeanne Allen (Board Consultant)
  • Description: Creating a thriving Board of Directors evolves from consistent and intentional focus and action. We'll examine building a board, engaging all board members, and stimulating thoughtful conversation which leads to a better board experience. Explore actions to create an effective board via a 3-phase board building cycle: Strategic Recruitment; Effective Engagement; Intentional Revitalization. This is a highly interactive presentation in which you'll leave inspired and ready to try at least 2 new ideas to build meaningful board engagement.

Advocacy 101 (1 Session)

  • Facilitators: Mary Graham (President & CEO, United Ways of TN) Kevin Middleton (President, UW of Kentucky)
  • Description: What is advocacy vs. public policy, and what can and should my United Way be doing in this space--and to what benefit? We will give you the basic knowledge of how legislatures and state and local policymaking bodies are structured, tips for effective engagement, and tactics for how to utilize this work to elevate your impact and value. Spoiler alert: you're already doing some of this work--let's make it even more powerful!

Transformation? Evolution? REVOLUTION! (1 Session)

  • Facilitator: Jeff Hayward (President and CEO, Heart of Florida United Way)
  • Description: Fast-tracking change, our United Way has tipped many things upside down to become an organization that demonstrates our value to the community. We treat donors as customers, build relationships with the business community by asking “what needs do you have that we can help you solve,” have changed our Board engagement with clear delineation of roles, cut programs and staff positions to focus on a true “growth mindset” and more. Our strategic plan is a one-page actionable document and our shift in the traditional allocations model still measures outcomes and impact. Change has produced a healthy culture where everyone is leading from wherever they sit, not because of their title. Join this session to learn and discuss how your United Way can be part of the revolution toward great purpose and stronger results.

Tell Me About It: Getting Team Members to Take Ownership of Their Actions(1 Session)

  • Facilitator: Nancy Eichstadt (Managing Partner, Leadership Management International)
  • Description: Management is responsible for addressing performance deficiencies, yet many attempts are repetitively unsuccessful. Why? Because management go about addressing the issues the wrong way. Simply telling someone what to do and how to do it isn’t going to offer long-term sustainable improvement. The “Tell Me About It” process is a proven, 5-step process for manager’s to use in getting employees to take ownership of their actions and correcting their own performance issues. This interactive workshop will explore the “Tell Me About It” process and share insights around correctly applying it for long-lasting, sustainable performance results.

Leading a United Way During Times of Change (1 Session)

  • Facilitators: Matt Marshall (CEO, United Way of W. Tennessee) and Meghan Barp (CEO, United Way of Greenville County) with Facilitator Eric Glaser (Director US Network Engagement and Performance, UWW)
  • Description: Most UWs are in the midst of one or more transformational change initiatives including becoming a racial equity champion, strengthening their digital engagement efforts, and framing and unbundling their impact agenda into a set of compelling investment opportunities. Successful intensive change efforts such as these demand a crystal clear vision for success, empowerment of and effective communications with staff and board and alignment of functions and workflow. In this session two United Way leaders will explore successes and challenges they faced as they navigated the lifecycle of change at their United Way.

Practice Equity Daily (2 Sessions)

  • Facilitators: Geniro Dingle (Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, UWW) Shaunae Motley (President and CEO of United Way of Southwest Georgia)
  • Description: As you integrate a focus on race, equity and inclusion, you’ll need to build individual and organizational capacity so you can move the work forward together productively and sustainably. In this session we will explore the five ways to help you build your organizational capacity and the capacity of individuals in your organizational system.

Solutions for Your Largest Marketing Challenges (1 Session)

  • Facilitators: Gary Goscenski and Bryn Bogemann  (Perspectives Consulting Group)
  • Description: Join us for an honest conversation about the common marketing challenges facing United Ways today that will never be solved by marketing alone. We will dissect why it is difficult for people to understand what United Ways do, investigate why it is impossible to create a simple United Way message, and uncover why United Ways often have a severely limited marketing budget. We will look at strategies your United Way can use to address these challenges and you will be inspired by examples from United Ways both large and small.

30-45 conversations on specific topic with examples of implementation and discussion on challenges and successes. Contact information shared for follow-up following the conference.

Affinity Group Best Practices (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Kate Malewich (Director of Volunteer Engagement, UW of Greenville County)
  • Description: Increase your annual giving revenue by building a personal relationship with donors and prospective donors through programing, social and hands on volunteer experiences that encourage them to deepen their understanding of community issues.

Business Development Success (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Jennifer Crabtree (Corporate Giving Manager) and Alex Burnside (Corporate Giving Director, UW of Greenville County)
  • Description: Learn about how to convert new business prospects into engaged revenue generating partners. Strategies include prospect prioritization, cultivation and stewardship.

Grassroots Community Engagement - "Greenville Dreams" (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Channing Banks, Corporate Giving Director and Nalisha Henry, VP of Community Impact, UW of Greenville County
  • Description: This initiative connects neighborhood leaders with resources and information to build their leadership skills and social capital to better support their local communities.

Volunteer Engagement (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Hope Collins, Corporate Giving Director, UW of Greenville County
  • Description: Learn about volunteer engagement strategies by aligning your work to the company Corporate Social Responsibility to increase impact in the community and generate new revenue for your organization.

VITA Best Practices (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Craig Shoemaker, Director or Financial Stability and Tiffany Bannister, VITA Program Coordinator, UW of Greenville County
  • Description: Learn how the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program helps community members obtain all eligible deductions and how keeping more of their hard earned money supports financial stability.

First 5 Steps to Build Race/Equity Champions (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Geniro Dingle, Director Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, UWW and Matt Marshall, CEO, United Way of W. Tennessee
  • Description: This session will be a discussion of the five ways to help you build your organizational capacity and the capacity of individuals in your United Way to focus on race, equity and inclusion.

Afterschool Network (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Mary Graham, President and CEO, United Ways of Tennessee
  • Description: Come learn about the power of collective action locally, regionally and/or at the state level in developing networks to ensure more equity, obtain grants, pass legislation, improve government relations, and achieve outcomes in reading, substance abuse prevention, STEM, service, career exploration, and catching kids up academically from the pandemic. Leave with free resources you can "steal" and replicate back home.

Third Party Processors & Corporate Partners (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Michael Kerkorian, Senior Director, Corporate Relations, UWW
  • Description: When United Ways focus on highlighting the accomplishments of their partner agencies, your donors are often confused as to what your United Way does and why they should give to your United Way. In this session we will discuss how you can start to put your United Way front and center in your own marketing. We will show you the dos and don’ts for presenting your United Way’s impact and share inspirational examples of United Ways of all sizes who are effectively marketing their impact.

Board Meetings that Engage (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Jeanne Allen, Board Consultant
  • Description: Ideas and strategies for creating board meetings that both build the Board AND lead to stronger outcomes. What does "connect before content" mean and how can your board apply that? Focus is on both virtual and in-person meetings.

Pathways from Poverty (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Jeremy Price, Director of Financial Stability, UW of Pickens County
  • Description: In an effort to achieve their financial stability goal of ensuring that 3,000 families and individuals will find a pathway out of poverty by 2030, United Way of Pickens County established the Pathways program. Pathways is a 6-18 month intensive, one-on-one financial coaching program designed to equip hardworking, low-income individuals and families with the skills, assistance, knowledge, and resources necessary to achieve freedom over their finances. Let’s talk about how to create a program from scratch that includes planning, research and the piloting period.

Stratus LIVE (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Brandon Fix, Business Development Manager, Stratus LIVE
  • Description: United Ways today must continue to expect the unexpected. The constant shifts in the fundraising environment require that the United Way network diversify their fundraising revenue beyond workplace giving. In this innovation station, we will discuss five ways to cultivate your donor base outside the workplace. We will also demonstrate how to leverage StratusLIVE Ignite as a digital engagement tool to serve ALL donors - no matter their workplace.

Upic Solutions (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Don Bayne, Vice President Partner Success, Upic Solutions
  • Description: Hear from Upic Solutions United Way partners on how they use our shared services and products to help innovate at their United Way.

Marking the Milestone: Strategies for Leveraging Our Centennial (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Dan Leroy, President and CEO, United Way of Asheville & Buncombe County
  • Description: As the oldest United Way in North Carolina, United Way of Asheville & Buncombe County has spent much of the last year celebrating our centennial journey - despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our celebration strategy was built on a three-pronged approach that included multifaceted initiatives aimed at community engagement, story-telling and resource development. At this station, UWABC staff will be on hand to share resources, collateral, best practices and lessons learned.

Building Coordinated Care Networks (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Liz Walsh, SC State Director and Rosa Pitts, Mississippi State Director with Unite Us
  • Description: Unite Us is a technology company that builds coordinate care networks of health and social service providers. Partnering with United Ways to increase funding, improve community outcomes and help communities transform their ability to work together and measure impact at scale. With Unite Us, partners across sectors send and receive secure electronic referrals, track every person's individual journey, and report outcomes across a full range of services in a centralized, cohesive and collaborative ecosystem. Together we build authentic, lasting partnerships with local organizations to ensure our networks have a solid foundation, launch successfully and continue to grow and thrive.

Ready to Assess? Options for Completing This Year's Membership Requirement (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Danielle Baker, Manager of Membership Accountability, UWW
  • Description: Every 3 years, all United Ways must complete a volunteer-led self-assessment of their financial management governance and community impact work. Many United Ways put assessments on hold over the last two years, so it's time to consider your options and get your questions answered. UWW will provide information about the requirement as well as the Modern United Way Self-Assessment, a tool designed specifically for this purpose.

Give Pulse (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Raul Escobar and Nathan Broad, Community Engagement Outreach Coordinators, GivePulse
  • Description: Join for a discussion of best practices on community engagement. Learn how GivePulse can simplify your volunteer and event management processes while enhancing your reach and bringing new supporters to your organization. And see how other United Ways are leveraging the GivePulse platform as a one stop shop for advertising and coordinating needs throughout their network of community partners.

Turning Participants Into Dollars (1 Session)

  • Leadership: Allison Rhodes, Relationship Manager, United Way of Central Carolinas
  • Description: Learn how United Way of Central Carolinas used data from their 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge to identify new donors and enhance connections to existing donors. The result? New and scalable solicitation efforts and increases in RUM giving for scalable value. using the data to dig deep into connections, donors and an increase in dollars. Digging deeper connects donors and dollars.

Open Conversation on How Your UW is Rebounding from COVID-19 Impact (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Laura Marx, President and CEO, United Way of North Carolina
  • Description: Join your colleagues to talk about the challenges your UW has faced as you rebound from the impacts of COVID-19. Share any successful practices that might help others for moving forward.

Strategic Partnerships & Advocacy (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Naomi Lett, President and CEO, United Way Association of South Carolina
  • Description: This session will walk you through identifying potential partners for your advocacy efforts. Learn how to cultivate and utilize strategic partnerships to expand your advocacy capacity and reach.

House KNOX (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Yolanda Grant, Director of Housing Systems and Michael Sears, Housing Navigator, UW of Greater Knoxville
  • Description: Come learn about HouseKnox, an innovative housing initiative that supports property managers who work with housing agencies, enabling them to become eligible for special benefits that support at-risk populations. Leave with tools do replicate efforts to produce outcomes and raise your United Way's value proposition with donors and other financial resources.

Amazon Business (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Juan Ramirez, Nonprofit Senior Customer Advisor & Alex Corley, Customer Advisor Non-profit - Amazon Business
  • Description: Join United Way’s dedicated Amazon Business advisors for a Q&A centered on implementing new features specifically designed for nonprofits.  New and Existing Amazon Business account holders will have an opportunity to sign up for a complimentary 12 month spending analysis allowing them to evaluate their spending over the last 12 months across all product categories include IT, Office Products,  Books, Grocery, and Home Goods.

1,000,000 Words a Year: Improving Reading Engagement Through the Midlands Reading Consortium (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Jabari Bodrick, PhD., Director of Education and Resiliency, UW of the Midlands
  • Description: The Midlands Reading Consortium (MRC) is a volunteer tutoring initiative aimed at improving reading engagement for elementary students, Pre-K to 2nd Grade, in school districts across five of South Carolina’s counties. Richland, Lexington, Newberry, Fairfield and Orangeburg. For almost 15 years, MRC has addressed low reading proficiency in elementary schools by supplementing and enhancing shared reading experiences between volunteers and striving readers. During this innovation station discussion, attendees will learn how MRC is planned, facilitated, assessed, and sustained.

QGiv (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Jacqueline Inskeep, Event Manager, Qgiv
  • Description: Qgiv is an online fundraising platform empowering over 13,000 nonprofit fundraisers to raise money for their causes. Through online giving and event registration forms, text fundraising, peer-to-peer fundraisers, and auction events, fundraisers can provide a more personalized giving experience for donors while keeping costs low. Stop by to learn more!

Alice Case Management (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Naomi Asher, Executive Director, United Way of Anderson County
  • Description: Comprehensive case management and support helps move our ALICE families from striving to make it to thriving. By using partnership with local churches and all volunteers, this is a low cost and value add program.

LEAD UNITED (4 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Amanda Sito, Strategic Volunteer Engagement Director, Trident United Way
  • Description: Lead United, a comprehensive community leadership and nonprofit board development program, leverages partnerships to build nonprofit capacity in our Tri-County service area. More than just a professional development opportunity, this program has helped Trident United Way strengthen relationships with its local Chamber of Commerce, community and corporate partners to grow a pool of qualified, diverse board members, while also generating revenue for our organization. Join us in discussing how the art of "give and take" through partnerships can truly blossom into meaningful impact of your community and United Way

S.E.R.V.E - Students Engaged in Rewarding Volunteer Experiences (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Jennifer Wackerhagen, President and CEO, UW of Blount County
  • Description: SERVE, which stands for Students Engaged in Rewarding Volunteer Experiences, is a partnership between Coulter Grove Intermediate School, Montgomery Ridge Intermediate School and United Way of Blount County. This partnership enables several hundred students to get out into the community while completing service projects at numerous non-profit organizations. Learn how this project simultaneously encourages community service and local philanthropy.

Andar (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Eric Crammond, Director of Business Development, Andar
  • Description: Conversation will focus on how to increase campaign, recover lost campaigns and donors through the use of data modeling.

Accepting Cryptocurrency (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Edwin Goutier, Manager, Innovation, UWW
  • Description: Do conversations about Bitcoin and NFTs make your eyes glaze over? Join this session to learn the basics of crypto philanthropy and understand supports available to your United Way to tap into this fast growing donation method among Gen Z and Millennials.

Stop Sharing Your Partner's Stories: Share YOUR Impact (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Gary Goscenski and Bryn Bogemann, Perspectives Consulting Group
  • Description: When United Ways focus on highlighting the accomplishments of their partner agencies, your donors are often confused as to what your United Way does and why they should give to your United Way. In this session we will discuss how you can start to put your United Way front and center in your own marketing. We will show you the dos and don’ts for presenting your United Way’s impact and share inspirational examples of United Ways of all sizes who are effectively marketing their impact.

Campaign Automation (1 Session)

  • Leadership: Allison Rhodes, Relationship Manager, United Way of Central Carolinas
  • Description: Having to do more with less these days? Learn how looking at lower dollar (but no less important) workplace campaigns differently can result in increased engagement and revenue. Automating certain segments of workplace campaigns lets staff focus on high value tasks. What is automation? Attend and find out!

Position Your United Way for the Future (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Gary Goscenski and Bryn Bogemann, Perspectives Consulting Group
  • Description: Don’t wait another day to position your United Way to stay ahead of the curve! We’ll show you how to overcome the challenges you are facing today by redirecting the purpose of your United Way. You will learn all about the Issue Focus Model for United Ways and how it will allow you to grow and diversify your revenue, measurably change lives in your community, simplify your message, and increase understanding of your work. You’ll be inspired by examples from issue focused United Ways of all sizes that are relevant and sustainable now and for the future.

Position Your United Way for the Future (2 Sessions)

  • Leadership: Gary Goscenski and Bryn Bogemann, Perspectives Consulting Group
  • Description: Don’t wait another day to position your United Way to stay ahead of the curve! We’ll show you how to overcome the challenges you are facing today by redirecting the purpose of your United Way. You will learn all about the Issue Focus Model for United Ways and how it will allow you to grow and diversify your revenue, measurably change lives in your community, simplify your message, and increase understanding of your work. You’ll be inspired by examples from issue focused United Ways of all sizes that are relevant and sustainable now and for the future.

We are excited to announce that Angela Williams will join the Southeast Regional Conference to hold conversations with United Way Executive Directors. 2 time slots will be allotted for these conversations with a maximum of 40 participants at each time slot - 4/28 3:30-4pm and 4:15-4:45pm. 

CONFERENCE TIMELINE

3:00-5:00PM           SERC Kickoff (Gold Ballroom) 

5:00PM                   Reception

 

7:30-8:15AM           Breakfast and Morning Brief

8:30-9:00AM           Innovation Stations - 1

9:15-10:45AM         Workshops Sessions - 1

10:45-11:00AM       Break

11:00-12:30PM       Workshop Sessions - 2

12:30-1:20PM         Lunch and Networking

1:30-2:45PM           Keynote (Deanna Singh)

2:45-3:00PM           Break

3:00-4:30PM           Workshops Sessions - 3

                                 Dinner on Your Own

7:30-8:25AM           Breakfast and Morning Brief

8:30-10:00AM         Workshops Sessions - 4

10:00-10:15AM       Break

10:15-11:45AM       Keynote - (Ted Ma)

11:45-12:45PM       Lunch and Networking

1:00-2:30PM           Workshop Sessions - 5

2:30-2:45PM           Break

2:45-3:15PM           Innovation Stations - 2

3:30-5:00PM           Workshop Sessions - 6 

3:30-4:00PM           CPO Conversation with Angela Williams (30 max attendance) Innovation Stations - 3  

4:15-4:45PM           CPO Conversation with Angela Williams (30 max attendance) Innovation Stations - 4

                                 Dinner on Your Own

8:00-8:55AM           Breakfast and Morning Brief

9:00-10:00AM         Keynote (Angela Williams, UWW President)

10:00-10:45AM       Let's celebrate! (And closing remarks)
                                  United Way Anniversaries
                                  Winners of Conference Contests (more to come)
                                  Celebrating the successes of local UWs in our Southeast Region
                                  Dolly Parton Legacy Award

10:45AM                 Grab and Go "Break Items"

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The Southeast Regional Conference will be held in Greenville, South Carolina from Tuesday, April 26 to Friday, April 29, 2022. 

As of March 10th, registration is closed. Contact Anita Barker to placed on a wait list (abarker@unitedwaync.org). 

Early bird registration of $550 is available through March 15, 2022. Full registration after March 15 will cost $580.

Pay via credit card through the registraion site or “pay offline” via check.  

Please make checks payable to:
United Way of North Carolina
1130 Kildaire Farm Road
Cary, NC  27511
*Mark: SERC Registration

The SERC will be held at:
Westin Poinsett Hotel
120 South Main Street
Greenville, SC  29601

Rooms are fully booked at the Westin Poinsett Hotel. A new room block has opened at the Courtyard Marriott – just ½ block from the conference hub hotel. CLICK HERE to book your room. 

Flex credits are approved!
•    Up to $550 in registration
•    Up to $500 in travel expense
•    $230/day per diem expense for total of up to $920 per person

A link will be provided AFTER SERC attendance to submit reimbursement requests.  Attendees should obtain internal approval to use flexible credits.  For more information, click to access account balance or view the flexible credit policy. If you have a question at any time, please contact Ask United Way (United Way Online access required).

Cancellations emailed by Friday, April 8, 2022 will be honored with a refund, less a $75.00 administrative fee. Cancellations received after April 8 will not be refunded, however you may arrange for a substitute to attend in your place.

The SERC team continues to monitor COVID impact and will keep registrants informed if any major change occurs.  Unless the state of South Carolina or CDC initiates a "no large gathering" mandate, the conference will occur.