Feature article, Leadership Council for Nonprofits, 10/9/2025

One Day. Two Featured Speakers. Ten Workshops. 25 Years of Impact.

Elizabeth Benson

Executive Director, Leadership Council for Nonprofits

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 for 2025, now expanded to a full day. In its 25^th year, the annual conference will offer more speakers, more opportunities to learn from peers, and more networking.

In challenging times, how do we hold true to our missions and take care of our teams and ourselves? These questions informed the 2025 conference theme “Mission: Possible - Resilience, Connection, and Courage in Uncertain Times.”

Today’s nonprofit leaders face uncharted territory: shifting funding landscapes, burnout, and rising public skepticism. Together, featured speakers Suzanne Smith and Patrice Borders will equip you with the mindset and tools to meet these challenges with clarity and confidence.

In “Nonprofit 2.0: Navigating the Road Ahead,” Suzanne invites you to step back from the daily grind to reimagine what’s possible for your mission and your organization’s future. Then, in “Lead with Emotional Intelligence, Live with Intention,” Patrice shows how to harness emotional intelligence, helping you respond with purpose, lead with empathy, and sustain your energy for the journey ahead.

Together, these sessions offer a roadmap for thriving in uncertain times—combining strategic vision with emotional insight to help you lead boldly, adapt wisely, and stay connected to what matters most. In addition, 10+ workshops in the morning and afternoon will offer a variety of tools and perspectives for your work.

We invite you to bring your staff or board members join us at the bigger and better Securing the Future, which is generously supported by Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Barnes Dennig, Interact for Health, Forvis Mazars, and Huntington Insurance, along with many more. Conference registration includes breakfast, lunch, and happy hour – be sure to get your tickets soon!