Topics

Your Data Should Work for You: The Scalability of an Evidence-based Approach

Ranya Ahmed, Head of Analytics, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

How can you make data work for you when resources are scarce? How do you support a robust analytics function with external benchmark data? Drawing from her own experience as an analytics function in a team of 1 of 1, to her current position where she oversees a large team, Dr. Ranya Ahmed will speak to how nonprofits can make data work for them at any scale. This practical session will speak to how nonprofits can foster a culture of evidence-based practice and how to further take advantage of available – internal and external – data to empower decision making, planning, and resource allocation. 

How American Humane Turns Farm Audit Data into Better Animal Welfare Decisions

Karthik Devarajan, Chief Technology Officer, American Humane Society

American Humane Society oversees the welfare of over one billion animals, yet much of the insight from farm audits has historically been scattered across individual audit reports. Hear how leadership at AHS is bringing that data together and using AI to identify welfare risks, measure the impact of their standards, and help farms make meaningful improvements to animal care at scale. While this work centers on animal welfare, the strategies are applicable to any nonprofit looking to turn operational data into actionable insights.

Mind the Data Gap: From Data Provider to Data Practitioner—Candid's Internal Journey

Catherine Williams, Chief Data Officer, Candid 

Candid has spent decades building rigorous standards for collecting, cleaning, and organizing data to serve the nonprofit sector. But to truly meet the field's evolving needs, they realized they needed to apply those same standards to their own operations. By improving how they capture and use internal data to understand what resonates with users and what doesn't, they are able to build better products and deliver more relevant information to the organizations that depend on it.

In this session, Candid's Chief Data Officers will share how Candid adapted its external data practices for internal use. Nonprofits looking to better use data for self-evaluation and impact measurement will walk away with a practical framework for building a stronger data foundation and deriving more meaningful insights.

Beyond the AI Hype: Leading AI Adoption Through Alignment and Trust

Vina Morris, Head of Technology and Security, Vera Institute of Justice

Nonprofits are under increasing pressure to adopt AI, but success depends far less on the technology and far more on how leaders guide their organizations through change. AI adoption is not a technology rollout. It is an organizational alignment effort. 

Hear how leadership at Vera Institute of Justice was able to communicate clearly without creating fear, build trust across teams, and educate stakeholders with varying levels of understanding while maintaining momentum in their AI adoption journey. Leading AI adoption as an organizational effort, not just a technical initiative, ensures alignment across teams and sustainable, mission driven outcomes.

Device Management in a Cloud-First Environment

Francis Johnson, Chief Technology Officer, Tech Impact

Managing remote access is a crucial element of a modern IT operation. If your organization supports data access from anywhere, you should be utilizing the functionalities of software like Microsoft’s Intune and Google’s Endpoint Management. Hear how you can improve mobile device management, overhaul security postures, and allow better control over services, security, and applications. Learn how you can streamline the setup of new devices, preload computers using Autopilot, and setup conditional access for more secure sharing.

Changing the World is Wild: Your AI Agents Shouldn't be

Okta for Good

AI agents are unlocking new possibilities for nonprofits, from drafting grant proposals to analyzing program data. But as you connect AI to your most sensitive information, you create new security risks. How do you ensure your AI is a force for good, not a vulnerability?

Just like your general approach to cybersecurity, a strong identity foundation is important for securing AI agents. Learn how to manage your AI agents and tools, ensuring they have only the access they need to be effective, so you can accelerate your mission securely.

Security Is a Team Sport: How IT and Marketing Collaborate to Build a Stronger Nonprofit Security Culture

Dave Nozal, IT Director, & Andrea Sanow, Marketing & Communications Director, Propel Nonprofits

Cybersecurity in nonprofits is often treated as an IT problem — solved with policies, tools, and training that rarely change day‑to‑day behavior.  In this session, nonprofit leaders showcase how to intentionally re‑framed security as a shared organizational responsibility by building a collaborative partnership between IT and Marketing. Attendees will learn how marketing techniques can be applied effectively to cybersecurity awareness efforts, while also uncovering strategies for gaining leadership and staff buy‑in without using fear‑based messaging. 

Rather than relying solely on technical controls or compliance-driven training, you can leverage marketing expertise — to influence how staff understand and practice security in their daily work.  IT can provide the risk context and technical guardrails while Marketing helps translate those risks into language that resonates, changes habits, and improves engagement at your nonprofit. 

Navigating the New Threat Landscape - Nonprofit Cyber Trends and How To Prepare

Tech Impact 

Most nonprofits need to worry about phishing and brute-force attacks, but some need to worry about much more. Join a discussion about the current threat landscape and the challenges and vulnerabilities nonprofits specifically need to be aware of. This session will not only educate, but cut through the fear-mongering. 

Fractional by Design: Scaling Data Strategy for Nonprofit Impact

Esther Obanero, Director of Healthcare Informatics, Compliance, Quality Management, Data and IT, Bridging Access to Care

Nonprofit organizations face increasing pressure to demonstrate outcomes, meet complex reporting requirements, and make data-informed decisions. Yet, for many nonprofits, building and sustaining an in-house data team is financially challenging, creating a gap between the need for data and the capacity to leverage it effectively.

Learn how a community-based behavioral health organization leveraged a fractional data analyst model to establish data governance practices, develop a centralized data warehouse, improve data quality, and strengthen compliance and reporting capabilities. You'll also hear practical tips for creating a data foundation for more informed decision-making and organizational performance. 

Designing Nonprofit Programs for People, Powered by Technology

Keely O'Sullivan Kurtz, Programs Director, & Gene Moses, Director of Technology & Program Strategy, Nonprofit Leadership Alliance

Technology is an essential tool in building effective nonprofit programs today. However, meeting the needs of the people (clients, volunteers, community members, and staff) involved is key. This presentation will focus on how to balance human touch and technology in designing, implementing, and continually enhancing nonprofit programs.

We will discuss how the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance was able to effectively move from in-person to virtual and remote delivery of programs by building programs that meet participants where they are, involving stakeholders throughout the program design process, creating opportunities for participant feedback (including beta testing), and responding quickly to problems while seeking solutions that advance program goals and organization sustainability. 

AI Without the Eye‑Roll: Training Approaches for Tech‑Tired Teams

Olivia Larkins, Training Specialist, Ballad Health

Improve technology rollouts by equipping tech-tired teams with practical training strategies. Rather than focusing on features or hype, it offers a people-first framework for introducing new tools and concepts in ways that reduce anxiety, deliver quick wins, and build confidence through repetition, not overload. Through real world examples, participants will learn how to train staff on new technology safely, set clear boundaries, and use language and pacing that increase trust and adoption. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use techniques they can apply to their next rollout to minimize resistance and maximize engagement.

Digital and Brand Strategy 1-on-1 Expert Office Hours

Marcus Iannozzi, Chief Digital Officer, Tech Impact 

Book a twenty minute 1-on-1 session with Marcus to learn more about establishing or evolving your brand strategy, crafting a cohesive message through your digital presence, and implementing unique tools for impactful website integrations. As our CDO, he can help you develop a digital campaign or strategy, better understand your website needs, and evaluate your success using user behavior and engagement metrics. 

AI for Impact: Evidence on How Nonprofits Are Using AI in Program Delivery

Sarah Kelley, Director of Outcomes AI, Project Evident

Most nonprofit AI adoption stays in the back office, focusing on fundraising, communications, and administration, but a growing cohort of early movers is taking AI to the frontlines of program delivery with measurable results. This session presents findings from Project Evident's Tech-Enabled Scaling for Impact research, a Siegel Family Endowment-funded study analyzing how 128 nonprofit organizations across 12 sectors and six continents are using AI directly in their programs.

Contrary to the generative AI hype, the research reveals that nonprofits are reaching first for tools that help them understand their data and connect with the people they serve, deploying them in the program areas that have always been hardest to scale: the ones that are most personal and relational. With 71% of practitioners citing uncertainty about how to use AI as their top barrier, this research offers tech leaders a concrete reference point: real organizations, real tools, real outcomes, and a roadmap for what responsible, high-impact AI adoption in programs can look like. Join this session to uncover which tools are proving most valuable in direct service contexts, and how to make the case internally for moving AI beyond administrative workflows into mission-critical work.