Building Constellations, Not Stars: Networked Leadership and Nonprofit Collaboration

It’s hard to take an entire day out of our busy schedules, but sometimes that’s exactly what we need. Spending a day with your peers might just be the antidote to uncertainty, the chance to build more connections and more resources as we lead through change.

Securing the Future, the region’s premier nonprofit conference, returns on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at the Cintas Center. Now in its 26^th year, the full-day conference is dedicated to building the strategic, leadership, and resource development skills of the board, staff, and donors of the region’s nonprofits.

This year’s theme, “Building Constellations, Not Stars: Networked Leadership and Nonprofit Collaboration,” reflects a simple truth: no organization shines alone. Today’s nonprofit leaders face disruption on many fronts, from shifting funding to new technology to rising demands on our teams. We are at our brightest when we share and connect our strengths, and light the way for one another. It’s an idea close to our hearts at BEAM, where three organizations came together so that we could shine a spotlight on the nonprofits we serve.

No one is better suited to lead this conversation than keynote speaker Jane Wei-Skillern, Ph.D., an internationally recognized pioneer in network leadership and nonprofit collaboration with more than two decades of research, teaching, and fieldwork experience. Senior Fellow at the Center for Social Sector Leadership at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, Jane will show how nonprofits can achieve greater impact by looking beyond their own organizations and building the networks that drive lasting change.

Workshops offer practical tools and fresh perspectives. Stephanie Schuckman of 1N5 explores psychological safety at work, Anne Wallace of Coaching for Change looks at building the human capacity AI can’t replace, Tara Noland of Ignite Philanthropy shares how to mobilize volunteer leadership for fundraising, and J. Michael Durnil of Cooper Coleman makes the case that “Your Board Isn’t Broken - It’s Governing the Wrong Organization.”

Other sessions cover aligning strategy, funding, and innovation, planning for fundraising growth, mindful leadership, operationalizing mission through technology, practicing curiosity, and turning strategy into service.

We invite you to bring your staff or board members to join us at Securing the Future, generously supported by Barnes Dennig, General Electric Credit Union, Forvis Mazars, Movers & Makers, LARaterman Associates, Excelsior Accounting Services, Greater Cincinnati Nonprofit News, and more. Registration (including breakfast, lunch, and happy hour) is $150 for Leadership Council and OneSource members and $200 for all others, and CEU and CFRE credits are available. Get your tickets by Oct. 12 – we look forward to building constellations with you on October 20!