UWWP Celebrates Its 20th Annual Nonprofit Leadership Summit

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The United Way of Westchester and Putnam kicks off its 2022 Nonprofit Leadership Summit with a full schedule and exciting sessions.

The United Way of Westchester and Putnam will be adding a brand-new online component to its already jam-packed schedule for the 2022 Nonprofit Leadership Summit. This addition will take the form of four virtual sessions to be held between March 22 and March 24, preceding the summit itself – which is scheduled for Friday, March 25. These sessions will include panels, presentations, and workshops that aim to educate and strengthen nonprofit organizations.

The Summit, UWWP’s core capacity-building program, has been a means to facilitate “professional excellence in the purpose-driven organizations of Westchester and Putnam Counties” for quite some time. In fact, 2022 marks The Summit’s 20th anniversary. This year’s Summit’s theme is Collaboration and Innovation for Community Building – which is at the very heart of the Summit’s structure, with there being a focus on TED-styled talks aimed at local leaders, and collaborative activities meant to engage participants.

The first of these informative virtual sessions took place on Tuesday, March 22 between 1-2 p.m. The session aimed to inform the participants how partnering or collaborating with local colleges and universities can aid nonprofit organizations in furthering their missions. Pace University (Pleasantville), Marist College (Poughkeepsie), Fordham University (Bronx), and Mercy College (Dobbs Ferry) all participated in this event. Representatives from these colleges serve as panelists for the event, while Joanne Dunne (Executive Director, Youth Shelter of Westchester) acts as a moderator.

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The following day sees another panel discussion kickoff from 1-2 p.m. on the topic of Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Throughout the Work of an Organization.  The discussion will be held by members of The YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester, an organization that aims to eliminate racism; empower women; and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. The panel of YWCA directors: Kristin Pinkerton (Senior Director of Programs), Wanda Smith (Director of Special Programs and Operational Support), and Lesley Mazzotta (Youth Leadership Director) will discuss how this mission impacts their delivery of both social and recreational services. It will be moderated by Maria Dautruche, Westchester Center for Racial Equality Director.

On Thursday, March 24 between 9-10:30 a.m., there will be a workshop entitled: The Form 990: A Financial Document and Marketing Tool. This session will be hosted by Nonprofit Westchester and will cover Form 990, a document used by the IRS to gather information about an organization’s compliance with tax laws and regulations. The workshop aims to assist 501(c)(3) organizations in understanding Form 990, allowing them to showcase the charitable work they do without running afoul of tax laws or accidentally falling into non-compliance with tax regulations. Melissa Modelson, a CPA and the Senior Manager of PKF O’Connor Davies, will be the sole presenter for this workshop. It will be moderated by Jan Fisher, the Executive Director of Nonprofit Westchester.


The sessions will conclude on March 24 between 12:30-1:30 p.m. with a live Q&A discussion on Board Governance Questions. Here, members of the Pro Bono Partnership, a nonprofit legal service that provides free business and transactional legal assistance to other nonprofit organizations in the tristate area, will answer questions from participants about ways to strengthen or demystify bylaws, strategies to resolve board governance issues, and methods to overall strengthen the board itself. This session will be presented by Maurice Segall, Esq. (Program Director), and Judy Siegel, Esq. (Senior Staff Attorney) – both of which have extensive experience working with nonprofits.

This is not the UWWP’s first rodeo when it comes to holding virtual events. Last year’s Summit, which was held during the height of COVID, was exclusively virtual; despite this, it garnered 2,000 unique visitors from 418 cities and 20 countries. This need for remote attendance partly inspired this year’s shift to a hybrid platform. These new pre-summit sessions are open to all ticketholders (both those coming in-person, and those attending remotely). Virtual attendants of the actual Summit on March 25 will be able to livestream the keynote speakers as well.


This year’s Summit will be held in the Goldstein Fitness Center at Pace University in Pleasantville. The in-person events will feature three keynote speakers, networking, an area for vendor expos, activities, and six TED-styled talks. Tickets include breakfast, lunch, and a cocktail reception that runs from 4-5 p.m. Attendants should be aware that COVID-19 protocols will be in effect. The Summit is underwritten in part by TD Bank and is sponsored by Con Edison and Pace University. Tickets, sponsorships, and vendor tables are available online.

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