Candelen has been on a 4-year journey to bring a doula/parent education program into existence. It began with an idea between two colleagues, each with their own birth experiences that was then researched and amplified by analyzing the devastating rates of infant and maternal mortality and morbidity. The idea was supported by the leadership of the organization and grew over 3 years into a funded pilot Prenatal and Postpartum program.

Our workshop will demonstrate how Candelen moved from a dream to a reality, and the lessons learned along the way. We will share the approach we took, the philosophy we needed to have, the landscape analysis we completed, how we utilized public data, the stakeholders we engaged with, the leveraging of external expertise, the importance of a theory of change, and how we leaned into the lived experiences of those in the community.

We will also cover the strategies we used to raise funds to launch the pilot, and how we plan to use the pilot phase to inform our program delivery as well as the impact for those we serve. Attendees will each receive a booklet called a ‘Launch Plan’ that includes specific prompts that follow the steps in Candelen’s journey. As the presenters walk through each step in their journey, attendees will use the Launch Plan booklet to identify their dream project, begin identifying data sets that need to be analyzed, stakeholders to engage, etc.

Key Takeaways:

• Inspire individuals/organizations to move innovative ideas into action.
• Identify data sources, components of a landscape analysis and key informants that inform decision making
• Leave with a ‘Launch Plan’ that provides 2-3 tangible steps on how to make attendees’ ideas come into existence.

Meet Our Speakers: Kavita Bernstein and Ruth Ray, Candelen

Kavita Bernstein, Candelen

Kavita currently serves as the VP of Programs and Impact at Candelen, supporting numerous programs across the state in the area of early childhood. Before being in her role, Kavita worked at First Things First, overseeing early childhood preventive strategies and contracts. Her strong foundation in serving children and families was rooted in 14 years working in community mental health.

Ruth Ray, Candelen

Ruth Ray brings over 18 years of experience in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) field, with a background that spans direct service in classrooms, coaching child care programs, and leading teams through quality improvement initiatives. She has spent more than five years in management roles, including as a Program Director and Supervisor, overseeing large contracts, budgets, and program implementation. Ruth is passionate about supporting children and families through innovative program development, parent education, and strong community partnerships. She holds a Master’s degree in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Northern Arizona University.

Is your board prepared to have hard and important conversations that will enable them to make good decisions for your organization? These turbulent times highlight the need for board members to be ready to step up and support your organization in unprecedented ways. 

This session will outline how boards can ready themselves by building trust, developing deeper knowledge and understanding about your work, and practicing meaningful, strategic conversations. You’ll leave this session with practical tools to develop your board’s ability to rise to challenges facing your organization, today and tomorrow.

Cost:

Members: $0

Prospective Members: $30

• In many cases membership may be less the cost of a few workshops, and provide a lot more benefits to you and your organization, please contact Member Services for more information and potentially check out this event at no cost - membership@azimpactforgood.org.

Meet Our Speaker: Jenny Carrillo of Alexander|Carrillo Consulting

When it comes to fund development, non-profit governance, and strategic planning, Jenny Carrillo is a wellspring of insight, knowledge, and enthusiasm. With over 30 years of non-profit experience, there is perhaps no one more capable at getting right to the core issues, assessing strengths and limitations, identifying challenges and opportunities, and integrating everything into a coherent—and do-able!— plan. Clients value her integrity, forthrightness and fervent support. And with that silver-bullet combination so prized in the non-profit world—a keen intellect and a big heart—Jenny offers solid and perceptive advice to help her clients grow, perform and exceed their expectations.

Jenny is Partner and Principal Consultant in the Tucson-based firm Alexander|Carrillo Consulting with co-founder Laura Alexander.  Since 2010, Jenny, Laura, and their team of consultants have worked with over 350 nonprofit organizations throughout Arizona and the region, helping them to “Do Good. Better.”  The firm’s primary services include strategic planning, board development, fund development planning, capital campaigns, and training and facilitation.

Jenny earned her Master of Arts degree in Philanthropy & Development, the professional credential of Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE), the BoardSource designation as a Certified Governance Consultant, and is a NonProfit Lifecycles Consultant.  In 2006, Jenny was recognized as Outstanding Fundraising Professional presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Southern Arizona Chapter.

What if the key to unlocking your organization’s untapped potential is hiding in plain sight? Join us for this dynamic discussion where we break down the invisible language barrier to reveal how bilingual marketing and outreach efforts can open doors to deeper community engagement, increased funding opportunities, and long-term growth.

Come discover simple and effective strategies for creating culturally relevant bilingual content that elevates your organization’s brand, advances your mission, and has lasting impacts on the communities you serve.

We’ll also cover the surprising risks and rewards of AI translation tools, allowing you to confidently navigate the digital landscape without falling into common (and costly) pitfalls—which very few people are talking about.

Key Takeaways:

• Is Bilingual Marketing Right for Me? – Arizona’s Hispanic population makes up a significant part of our state yet remains unserved or underserved in almost every market. You’ll gain eye-opening insights about the trends and needs of this growing demographic as well as its powerful economic influence. We’ll do a quick interactive exercise to help you determine if bilingual marketing is the right fit for your organization.
• Build Stronger Connections, Have Greater Impact – Leverage your bilingual marketing and outreach efforts in ways that boost credibility, foster trust, and align with your DEI initiatives—without breaking the bank. 
• Lost in Translation? – Get pro tips on creating accurate, culturally relevant content in Spanish that feels authentic to your audience and maintains your true voice and messaging. Learn the common mistakes to avoid that can unintentionally damage your nonprofit’s credibility and drive people away. 
• Pros & Cons of AI – Hear the inside scoop on popular programs like Google Translate and ChatGPT from a certified professional translator who shares the best uses for these powerful tools—and reveals the hidden risks that might make you stop and think twice. Also, learn why relying on bilingual staff or volunteers isn’t always the best alternative.

If you’re an Arizona nonprofit or business leader looking to expand your reach and amplify your impact, don’t miss this opportunity to unlock a whole new world of possibilities!

Cost:

Members: $0

Prospective Members: $30

• *In many cases membership may be less the cost of a few workshops, and provide a lot more benefits to you and your organization, please contact Member Services for more information and potentially check out this event at no cost - membership@azimpactforgood.org.

Meet Our Speaker: Morgan Lange, Founder & CEO of Azuli Language Solutions 

Morgan Lange is the founder & CEO of Azuli Language Solutions, a leading translation and interpretation agency in Arizona established in 2018. Morgan is a certified English-Spanish translator and Tier-1 legal interpreter accredited by the Arizona Supreme Court, and has been studying and speaking Spanish for over 30 years. She holds degrees in Translation & Interpretation Studies, Spanish, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Pima Community College and the University of Arizona. She is also a graduate of the Team, Management & Leadership Program at Landmark Worldwide and is the founding president of the International Language Power Team, a network of 25 language agencies around the world who support each other via global collaborations.

Morgan’s deep passion for nonprofits has shaped her path and career, leading her across the U.S. and Mexico to work with multiple environmental groups, a Latino-empowerment organization, an animal shelter, a wellness center, a community radio station, and a voter advocacy group, among others. Initially set on a career in environmental sciences, her years living in Yucatan, Mexico inspired a shift toward language services, where she now specializes in legal, scientific, and technical translation and interpretation. Fun fact: her most useless (but entertaining) skill is writing backwards in cursive.

Great missions require great data. But how do you ensure the data you're collecting truly reflects the needs, experiences, and impact of your organization? Whether it’s understanding how clients engage with your services, assessing the experiences of your volunteers, or evaluating what’s working (or not) in your operations, gathering actionable feedback is key. 

In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn how exemplar nonprofit leaders leverage feedback data to drive fundraising success, inform strategic decisions, and advance equity goals. We’ll share proven strategies and lessons from the field, covering essential topics like survey design, effective data collection techniques, ensuring confidentiality, reporting and visualization, and fostering organizational change. 

About Listen4Good: Listen4Good partners with organizations to build strong, sustainable feedback loops that amplify community voices. Through 1:1 coaching, group learning opportunities, and an innovative web application, Listen4Good has empowered over 1000 organizations since 2016 to gather, analyze, and act on community feedback to enhance their impact. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Gain a deeper understanding of what makes a feedback loop effective and high-quality. 
• Learn key best practices for designing and implementing meaningful feedback loops. 
• Explore real-world examples of how organizations are using feedback data to increase impact, inspire action, and foster equity. 

By the end of this session, participants will have the knowledge and tools to design and implement high-quality feedback loops, empowering their organizations to gather actionable data, enhance decision-making, and drive meaningful, equitable impact.

Cost:

Members: $0

Prospective Members: $30

• *In many cases membership may be less the cost of a few workshops, and provide a lot more benefits to you and your organization, please contact Member Services for more information and potentially check out this event at no cost - membership@azimpactforgood.org.

Meet our Speakers:

Heidi Elneil, Senior Coordinator of Partner Services, Listen4Good

Heidi Elneil is the Senior Coordinator of Partner Services at Listen4Good and, in that role, is the first thought partner that nonprofits have in assessing and strengthening their feedback processes. Before coming to Listen4Good she was the "youth person" for organizations around California - helping develop youth programming and leadership opportunities. She spent years focusing on strengths-based leadership and organizational development and is a certified LEGO Serious Play facilitator.

Sachi Takahashi-Rial, Director of Partner Services, Listen4Good

Sachi Takahashi-Rial, the Director of Partner Services at Listen4Good,  is a nonprofit leader working at the intersection of community engagement and impact measurement. In her role at L4G, she champions the role of constituent input in not only continuous quality improvement, but also in building trust with community. A dynamic presenter who uses humor and data, she has presented at such conferences as the Carnegie Summit on Improvement in Education, the School Superintendents Association (AASA) National Conference on Education, and the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s annual conference for foundation leaders.

Earlier in her career, Sachi worked in education at the school, district, and state level, and for organizations ranging from a tech startup to a state department of education.

This session will provide an overview of best practices in communications, social media and PR and how to create compelling content. The focus will be on best communicating an organization’s day-to-day work to fulfill its mission, but also will focus on how to break bad news to audiences in an uncertain political and economic environment while using these challenges as an opportunity. 

Key takeaways: 

• Best practices in content creation for multiple platforms 
• How to segment audiences and craft specific messages 
• Maximizing the use of visuals in communications 
• Challenge/crisis communications and how to address change 
• Turning change into opportunity from a messaging standpoint Speaker 

Cost:

Members: $0

Prospective Members: $30

• In many cases membership may be less the cost of a few workshops, and provide a lot more benefits to you and your organization, please contact Member Services for more information and potentially check out this event at no cost - membership@azimpactforgood.org.

Meet Our Speaker: Tom Evans of Lumen Strategies

Tom Evans is a well-known veteran in public relations, marketing, advertising and public affairs in Arizona. Evans, who has almost three decades of experience in the Arizona marketplace in public relations, marketing and communications, serves the Lumen Strategies base of corporate and nonprofit clients as well as bolstering its creative and design capabilities.

He is a seasoned professional who has worked with hundreds of clients over the course of his career, ranging from small businesses to nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies. He previously served as Partner-Public Relations and Event Strategies at ON Advertising in Phoenix, where he oversaw the communications strategies for a broad spectrum of corporate and nonprofit clients. Before going to ON Advertising, Tom was Principal of his own consulting firm, Evans Communications, which served some of Arizona’s most high-profile public and private sector organizations. 

Tom’s diverse skill set ensures the firm can provide everything from copy writing to graphic design to web site development to video production services, as well as overseeing the creation of high-end creative events and communications tools — and his experience in branding and managing campaigns ensures that the right message is delivered to the appropriate audiences. Tom has also served as a faculty associate at the Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Education Sponsors

Generosity doesn’t end when Arizona Gives Day is over! The event can be a great kickoff to your other fundraising campaigns. In this final training, we’ll delve into strategies for retaining your Arizona Gives Day donors through smart stewardship and cultivation as well as data-informed strategies.

Highlights: 

• Metrics to pay attention to during Arizona Gives Day 
• The importance of celebrating your work and audience during Arizona Gives Day and afterwards 
• Post-giving day cultivation strategies to sustain your fundraising

This session will be hosted by GiveMN, a seasoned leader in giving day management and consulting. As the driving force behind their own successful giving day, GiveMN brings unparalleled expertise and insights to help you maximize your AZ Gives Day experience.

Meet our Speaker:

Courtney Backen, GiveMN

Courtney Backen (she/her) is the Senior Director of Community Impact at GiveMN, the host of one of the country's first and largest nonprofit giving days, Give to the Max Day (GTMD). As the GTMD project lead, she oversees giving day strategy development and implementation with a specialized focus on capacity building and training for nonprofits and schools. In 2024, Courtney completed the thirteenth giving day of her career and believes that giving days help to shine a light on all nonprofits and are opportunities for celebration and creativity in fundraising.

Unlock the power of storytelling to inspire, engage, and motivate. In this dynamic two-part masterclass, nonprofit leaders will explore how to craft stories that connect with audiences and effectively communicate their mission.

The first part is a 60-minute live virtual session, where participants will learn essential storytelling foundations, including key story structures, types, and visual storytelling strategies. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Understand why storytelling is a powerful tool for influence and engagement 
• Learn key story types and structures that resonate with diverse audiences 
• Discover visual storytelling strategies to enhance your message 
• Develop and refine a personal or organizational story to build connection and drive action 

Join us for this engaging masterclass and walk away with a clear, compelling story to elevate your organization’s impact and communicate with confidence!

Cost:

Members: $0

Prospective Members: $25

• *In many cases membership may be less the cost of a few workshops, and provide a lot more benefits to you and your organization, please contact Member Services for more information and potentially check out this event at no cost - membership@azimpactforgood.org.

Meet Our Speaker: Ashley Bright, The Message Fixer

Ashley Bright is The Message Fixer. 

Clients hire him to bring clarity, boldness, and impact to their communication. 

Drawing on his experience as a Creative Director who presented to companies like Apple, Target, and AT&T, he leverages storytelling and empathy to break through resistance and challenge the status quo. 

Organizations such as United Way, Social Venture Partners, Arizona State University, TED Conferences, HonorHealth, and the American Advertising Federation rely on his IMPACT Speaking Method to transform communication, build influence, and drive meaningful change. 

Ashley has delivered impactful talks at Sanford Institute of Philanthropy, DisruptHR, Kimberly-Clark Global Leadership Summit, Phoenix Startup Week, and WeWork, inspiring audiences to elevate their communication and leadership skills. 

Did you know that your audience can be some of your most powerful fundraisers? Arizona Gives Day provides a great opportunity to ask your audience to get their friends and family involved in your mission! Using the peer-to-peer fundraising tools on AZGives.org, we’ll help you think through a strategy to turn your current supporters from donors to fundraisers and advocates.

Highlights: 

• Using the peer-to-peer fundraising tools on Mightycause 
• How to use peer-to-peer strategies during AZ Gives Day 
• How to equip your audience to advocate on your behalf, including examples of successful peer-to-peer campaigns

This session will be hosted by GiveMN, a seasoned leader in giving day management and consulting. As the driving force behind their own successful giving day, GiveMN brings unparalleled expertise and insights to help you maximize your AZ Gives Day experience.

Meet our Speaker:

Courtney Backen, GiveMN

Courtney Backen (she/her) is the Senior Director of Community Impact at GiveMN, the host of one of the country's first and largest nonprofit giving days, Give to the Max Day (GTMD). As the GTMD project lead, she oversees giving day strategy development and implementation with a specialized focus on capacity building and training for nonprofits and schools. In 2024, Courtney completed the thirteenth giving day of her career and believes that giving days help to shine a light on all nonprofits and are opportunities for celebration and creativity in fundraising.

In the second installment of AZ Impact for Good’s training series to help you prepare for Arizona Gives Day, we’ll walk through the new giving day platform available to you this year! From basic features like the organization page to more advanced tools like retention reports, you won’t want to miss this tactical training to help you leverage AZGives.org!

Highlights: 

• Walkthrough of the “must have” Mightycause features (organization page, campaign pages, goal setting, etc.) 
• How to amplify your story and call-to-action on your organization page 
• Making data-driven decisions using Mightycause’s reporting features 

This session will be hosted by GiveMN, a seasoned leader in giving day management and consulting. As the driving force behind their own successful giving day, GiveMN brings unparalleled expertise and insights to help you maximize your Arizona Gives Day experience.

Meet our Speaker:

Courtney Backen, GiveMN

Courtney Backen (she/her) is the Senior Director of Community Impact at GiveMN, the host of one of the country's first and largest nonprofit giving days, Give to the Max Day (GTMD). As the GTMD project lead, she oversees giving day strategy development and implementation with a specialized focus on capacity building and training for nonprofits and schools. In 2024, Courtney completed the thirteenth giving day of her career and believes that giving days help to shine a light on all nonprofits and are opportunities for celebration and creativity in fundraising.

Join our team for a fundraising kickoff session where we’ll help you get off to a great start for your Arizona Gives Day campaign. Together, we’ll walk through the unique opportunities Arizona Gives Day provides for your organization, crafting a story and call-to-action that will move donors to action, and how to build out a fundraising plan that will set you up for success. 

Highlights: 

• Why Arizona Gives Day matters and how it differs from other fundraising campaigns or events 
• How to “cut through the noise” and stand out during the giving day by leveraging your organization’s unique story 
• Building an Arizona Gives Day fundraising plan that’s right-sized for your organization

This session will be hosted by GiveMN, a seasoned leader in giving day management and consulting. As the driving force behind their own successful giving day, GiveMN brings unparalleled expertise and insights to help you maximize your AZ Gives Day experience.

Meet our Speaker:

Courtney Backen, GiveMN

Courtney Backen (she/her) is the Senior Director of Community Impact at GiveMN, the host of one of the country's first and largest nonprofit giving days, Give to the Max Day (GTMD). As the GTMD project lead, she oversees giving day strategy development and implementation with a specialized focus on capacity building and training for nonprofits and schools. In 2024, Courtney completed the thirteenth giving day of her career and believes that giving days help to shine a light on all nonprofits and are opportunities for celebration and creativity in fundraising.