2019 COVA Conference
This full day conference has an assortment of topics to help build volunteer programs and engage self-care while fulfilling the organization’s mission.
Date: Tuesday, September 17th
Time: 9:00am-4:00pm
Location: Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, 5601 North Allen Rd SE, Mableton, GA 30126
Conference Schedule & Topics:
8:30am-9:00am: Registration/Continental Breakfast
9:00am-10:00am: Keynote
Keynote Speaker, Ciji Townsend
As nonprofit professionals, we tend to focus on doing good in the community rather than focusing on our own self-care. Hear from our keynote speaker Ciji Townsend about understanding the need to be healthy while balancing philanthropic responsibilities at work.
About Ciji:
Ciji is genuine and authentic on her everyday journey to live balanced not busy and provide practical solutions to find balance and ultimately shift from crazy busy to confident calm.
This space could be used to house some fancy smancy bio that lists all of Ciji’s “incredible” accomplishments, but it would better to set the stage for the real story behind Balanced Not Busy.
Ciji has been intrigued by the word “busy” since she was six years old. Surrounded by working parents and grandparents, everyone seemed to be really really busy…ALL of the time. Ciji was initiated into her family’s secret society of busy people when she turned 13. Her over programmed social calendar, full schedule and ridiculous amount of commitments from school sports to the youth and government club was some official rites of passage.Ciji remained in the secret society and committed to the condition of being busy in high school, college and for many years post-graduation. Until one day a light bulb went off and she no longer wanted to respond to “how are you?” with the overused response, “I’m so busy.”
Her life as a balanced person has certainly not limited her from identifying and pursuing each one of her passions. Professionally, she has worked as an Account Manager for Dyalect Marketing, Marketing Manager for Red Bull North America and currently in Corporate Public Relations at Cox Communications.
Outside of her 9-5, she works 5-9 and sometimes even later to serve in the Atlanta community. She is President Emeritus of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals, she is a member of the LEAD Atlanta 2013 class, a New Leaders Council Louisiana 2015 Fellow and a participate in the Leadership Buckhead class of 2017. She is a recent graduate of the Leadership Georgia Class of 2018 and a member of the Junior League of Atlanta, she will chair the 2020 Shamrock N’ Roll road race.
How does she do it all? In three words, Ciji is balanced not busy. By living an intentional life, Ciji focuses on prioritizing her time and doing the things that matter most, that she is passionate about, that fulfill her life. Rather than focusing on a work life balance, she lives life and avoids sacrificing her joy by glorifying “busyness.”
10:00am-10:30am: Ice Breaker
10:30am-12:15pm: Breakout Sessions
(all registrants will attend both discussions. Each topic is 45 minutes long)
Logic Modeling & Development presented by Claire Arnold, United Way
A logic model is a graphic depiction (road map) that presents the shared relationships among organizational resources, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impact for your specific program. Hear from Claire Arnold about how it can help in meeting an organization's mission, vision, goals; establishing partnerships; and even its relativity to funding and accountability.
Risk Management presented by Kemba Keen, Easterseals North Georgia, Inc.
Kemba Keen had a passion for working in the non-profit sector long before it became her career. A seasoned gem in the development arena, she has orchestrated more than 300 donor-related events. Keen joined the development world in 2003 and acquired a robust institutional-fundraising background. She has excellent relationship building skills and a level of confidence and enthusiasm that make her a natural leader.
Working with budgets ranging from $500 to $1 million, she has a clear understanding of the components that go into expanding financial resources and diversifying an organization’s donors’ base.
Keen joined Easterseals North GA. in 2019, specializing in Special Events and Corporate Volunteer engagement. Keen works closely with volunteers, donors, and key stakeholders within the organization to ensure all fundraising goals are practical and monitors trends in the community to make certain strategies are relevant.
Over the years, Keen has been fortunate to play an intricate part in risk management and other fundamentals with events, like the 2011 Inaugural 5K event at the Winship Cancer Institute to Emory Healthcare’s Annual Gala, as well as Educational conferences hosted by the Dali Lama. Keen has managed fundraising activities that have included foreign dignitaries, former U.S. presidents and some of the top physicians in the world-all with the common goal of building change.
12:15pm-1:00 PM: Lunch & Awards Ceremony
(catered lunch included in ticket price)
1:00pm-2:00pm: Agency Connections
Connect with agencies that can assist your organization with volunteer recruitment including United Way, Pebble Tossers, and Kennesaw State University.
2:15pm-4:00pm: Breakout Sessions
(all registrants will attend both discussions. Each topic is 45 minutes long)
Beyond the Partnership: Collaboration for the 'ASK' presented by Sandy Johnson
As an independent consultant with a focus on nonprofit organizational management, Sandy brings experience in fund development, operations, programs, community outreach and more, assisting with organizational matters and community dialogue.
Talent to Treasure: Volunteers to Donors presented by Courtney Parsons, Kate's Club
Learn about Kate's Club Ambassador program that leverages their most engaged, active, and dedicated supporters to further their mission. Ambassadors serve in leadership roles that fit their individual interests and skills by leading special event sub-committees, lead special projects, or other activity while also contributing financially to the organization. Find out how to lift volunteers and supporters to their full potential in this breakout session.
