Funders Roundtable on Capacity Building

Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. is excited to invite you—and fellow philanthropic partners—to participate in a roundtable conversation about capacity building. We know that there are some great efforts in our region centered on collective capacity building initiatives and/or convening others around capacity building. It is our aim with this gathering to network for fellowship and also learn about your capacity building work to help inform our strategic plans for capacity building at Methodist Healthcare Ministries. By coming together, we hope to deepen our shared understanding of the capacity building landscape in our region and beyond, learn from one another’s approaches, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Proposed discussion questions include:

  • How do funders define capacity building, and how are they currently investing in it (e.g., funding, training, consultant connections)?
  • Is there interest among funders in co-investing in capacity building efforts?
  • How do funders and foundations evaluate capacity building initiatives?

We are happy to share any feedback from this capacity building roundtable and data collected from surveys that will be deployed about this topic.

This gathering is not limited to funders who offer capacity building. If you have an interest in the topic or are exploring how capacity building fits into your funding strategy, you are encouraged to join the conversation.

Two Opportunities to Attend
Participants are welcome to attend either the in-person or virtual session.

📍 In-Person Session

  • When: Thursday, June 11 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Registration information – coming soon!)
  • Where: MHM Corporate Office Boardroom
    4507 Medical Drive, San Antonio, TX
  • Details: Lunch will be provided

💻 Virtual Session

  • When: Thursday, June 11 from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
  • Where: Zoom (link to be provided)

Lunch & Learn: Building Boards That Deliver

Nonprofit boards are deeply committed to mission, yet many struggle with inconsistent engagement, unclear expectations, and uneven fundraising participation. Building Boards That Deliver focuses on the infrastructure, systems, and clarity boards need to perform at a high level. This interactive workshop explores governance roles, accountability tools, and a shared culture of generosity, helping boards move from intention to impact. Designed for board members, executives, and advancement professionals. Lunch is provided. Virtual attendance available.

Strategic Volunteer Engagement: The Missing Link to Scaling Organizational Capacity

If your volunteers disappeared tomorrow, would your organization still thrive? For many organizations, volunteer engagement is considered vital yet is treated like a “nice to have”. This session explores how organizations can build organizational capacity and increase its ROI by strategically threading volunteer engagement throughout its operations.

Presentation Learning Objectives:

  • Gain an understanding of the 12 pillars of strategic Volunteer Engagement
  • Learn how to align Strategic Volunteer Engagement with organizational priorities
  • Understand the benefits of general and skills based volunteers
  • How to use data and outcomes to demonstrate volunteer impact

2026 Education Conference for Philanthropy

Get your ticket for our annual Education Conference for Philanthropy! Whether you are a fundraiser, donor, corporate partner, or board member for a non-profit, this conference provides an opportunity for professional development, helpful takeaways, and networking to become more empowered, no matter the size of your organization or experience.

Tales from My Leadership Jungle

Build leadership skills with empathy, culture, and practical strategies to improve your team and navigate management.

What You’ll Gain From Attending “Tales from My Leadership Jungle.”

  • An understanding of the term Workplace Intelligence vs Emotional Intelligence
  • A usable definition of “leadership” and the leadership qualities of effective leaders and poor leaders
  • Why Empathy is critical and the difference between empathy and sympathy
  • A better understanding of your own leadership examples
  • What “culture” is and the culture I used to create multiple successes
  • Begin the process of determining the culture you want to create or to work in
  • Examples of effective leadership phrases effective leaders base their actions on
  • The keys to effective team meetings
  • How to better understand management’s agenda
  • Ideas on how to hold management accountable
  • How to identify one problem that needs fixing on your current team, with input offered by Doug
  • Several interesting stories from the Leadership Jungle that will illustrate the points above and MORE

Mastering the Message: Presentation & Speaking Essentials

MASTERING THE MESSAGE: PRESENTATION & SPEAKING ESSENTIALS – May 13 & 20, 2026 – Wednesdays 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Learn to communicate with clarity, confidence, and purpose to elevate your leadership presence. Strengthen your ability to connect authentically with others, inspire action, and manage difficult conversations with poise. By mastering key presentation and speaking techniques, you’ll enhance your influence, lead with empathy, and drive meaningful impact in any setting.

Getting Roles Right: A Framework for Strategic Planning Success

Learn how to build a clear, practical strategic plan that aligns your board, staff, and mission around what matters most.

Join us for a focused session on Strategic Planning, where we’ll explore how nonprofits can move beyond day-to-day demands and create a roadmap for sustainable impact. This session, led by Becky Pastner, will cover the essential components of an effective strategic planning process, how to engage key stakeholders, common mistakes organizations make, and practical tools to turn vision into measurable action.

Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your organization’s direction, improve decision-making, and position your mission for long-term success. Connect with fellow nonprofit leaders and walk away with actionable strategies you can put to work right away. Mark your calendar and secure your spot today.

Create a Video Strategy Your Nonprofit Can Afford and Execute

Video consistently outperforms other content formats, generating more shares, stronger engagement, and higher conversion rates. Yet many nonprofits struggle to prioritize it due to limited time and budget. In this free one-hour webinar, you’ll learn how to build a smart, sustainable video strategy that fits your organization’s resources.

Together, we’ll explore:

  • When to film on your phone and when to invest in professional production
  • How to create a culture of storytelling within your team
  • How to use video intentionally to drive donations, participation, and awareness.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to refine your approach, you’ll leave with clear guidance on how to make video work for your mission without overwhelming your staff or draining your budget.

Who should attend?

This session is geared toward nonprofit leaders of all types, from executive directors to development directors to marketing and communications directors.

Texas Volunteer Management Conference 2026

Bridges Beyond Boundaries

This year, we’re focused on bridging silos across sectors, communities, and capabilities to drive stronger collaboration and meaningful impact.
TVMC 2026 will bring together leaders and practitioners who are ready to:

  • Build connections that move ideas into action
  • Learn from diverse perspectives across industries
  • Strengthen the systems that support volunteer engagement

Where connection becomes momentum.
Where boundaries become breakthroughs.

Revisiting Maurice Mitchell’s “Building Resilient Organizations”

Maurice Mitchell’s seminal article “Building Resilient Organizations“—co-published in 2022 by NPQ, The Forge, and Convergence—held up a mirror to the challenging internal management and culture of progressive organizations and offered pointed guidance about what people working at these organizations could do to shift toward resilience and joy. It has been read and referenced by thousands of leaders, consultants, and funders in the three-plus years since.

In this Learn Out Loud session, NPQ welcomes Maurice Mitchell and a panel of experts to revisit the central themes of the piece, including anti-leadership attitudes; anti-institution sentiment; and unanchored care whereby people assume that one’s mental, physical, and spiritual health are the responsibility of the organization or collective space.

The panelists will address these questions:

  • Where have we seen progress in how our organizations function internally?
  • What challenging organizational dynamics have proven more difficult to disrupt?
  • How has the deepening threat of fascism impacted the inner workings of our organizations?
  • Which tools and practices are contributing to greater organizational resilience in today’s hyperchallenging operating context?
  • How can philanthropy best support organizational resilience in our shared fight for a multiracial democracy?

Panelists:

Maurice Mitchell, National Director, Working Families Party
Allison Conyers, Executive Director, EpicWorks
Mistinguette Smith, Principal Consultant, M Smith Consulting LLC
Rebecca Epstein, Principal Consultant, R. Epstein Consulting
Moderated by Jeanne BellProgram Host, Leading Edge (NPQ)

Leadership in Board Service

This event is designed for Board Chairs and Executive Directors (or similar) to attend together to gain valuable skills and insights about board engagement and performance. Tickets are also available for individual attendees.
What will you gain from this event?
  • Gain research-informed and practice-proven board member competencies
  • Explore and advance personal leadership capacity as a board member or nonprofit executive
  • Deepen professional network by interacting with professionals serving as board members and executives at various organizations
Who Should Attend?
  • Executive Directors (or equivalent staff leadership) and Board Chairs/ Presidents of nonprofit organizations
  • Current Board Members of nonprofit and public service organizations,
  • Professionals considering board service
  • Nonprofit CEOs/EDs responsible for leading board development efforts at their organizations

Securing Major Gifts: What’s Working Now

America’s biggest donors gave away $22.4 billion last year, according to the Chronicle’s latest “Philanthropy 50” list of the nation’s top donors. That’s 35 percent more than in 2024, and the largest sum since 2021. Yet even as more dollars are raised, the number of donors continues to fall — and the competition for big gifts is fiercer than ever.  

How can your organization keep major donors close, attract new wealthy supporters, and land large gifts in 2026? 

Join this 75-minute webinar to learn from two leaders at nonprofits with thriving major giving programs: Thomas Moore, executive director of American Friends of the Louvre, and Kathryn Van Sickle, director of parent gifts at Yale University. 

They’ll share key tactics driving major giving at their organizations, including creative events — from galas to intimate dinners — that deepen ties with existing donors and spark interest among prospects. They’ll also offer tips for identifying potential new major donors outside your networks, building authentic connections, and charting the steps that most likely will lead to a big gift.  

Plus, you’ll get detailed guidance on how to prepare for donor meetings and make the most of them, including how to recognize when a supporter may be ready to give — and what to say when they are. 

You’ll learn: 

  • Tips for creating events that appeal to major donors and inspire generous gifts 
  • How to approach conversations with wealthy supporters — and what to avoid 
  • Ways to find and get to know prospects, even without a personal connection 

3CMA Regional Conference

In an era of rapid change and heightened scrutiny, government communicators are called to do more than deliver messages. We are called to manage brands, tell our community’s story, and strengthen the foundation of public trust.

Join us in Decatur, GA on May 28 for the 3CMA Regional Conference, Playing the Long Game: Strategy, Trust & Public Engagement. Together, we’ll step back from the day-to-day demands and focus on the strategic work that drives lasting impact.

Whether you’re a seasoned communicator or early in your career, this conference will offer fresh perspectives, practical insights, and valuable peer connections to help you think bigger, plan smarter, and engage more meaningfully with your community.

Getting your Board and Team Ready for Succession Planning

Learn how to proactively plan for leadership transitions to ensure continuity, stability, and long-term success for your nonprofit.

Join us on May 12 for a focused session on Succession Planning, where we’ll explore why succession planning is a core governance responsibility—not a contingency plan. This session, led by Katha Kissman, will cover key roles boards play in leadership continuity, common risks of being unprepared, and practical steps organizations can take to plan for both expected and unexpected transitions.

Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your organization’s resilience, reduce risk, and prepare for the future with confidence. Connect with fellow nonprofit leaders and walk away with clear, actionable next steps. Mark your calendar and secure your spot today.

Creating a High Performing Board Culture

Learn how to build a collaborative board culture that strengthens trust, improves meeting dynamics, and enhances your board’s impact.

Join us on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 12:30 PM Central for Creating a High Performing Board Culture, led by Jim Schwarz. This session will explore the key elements of effective board culture, practical strategies to foster trust and collaboration, and tools you can use to run more productive, strategic board meetings.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain actionable insights, connect with fellow nonprofit leaders, and enhance your board’s effectiveness. Mark your calendar and secure your spot today!

Table of Excellence

Join a collaborative space for nonprofit leaders to share challenges, exchange ideas, and build a supportive network. Through thoughtful conversation and peer connection, we’ll explore best practices and principles rooted in the Standards for Excellence. Gain new perspectives, strengthen your leadership, and grow alongside others committed to ethical, effective, and impactful nonprofit work.

PitchMasters

PitchMasters is a collaborative learning series designed for anyone who wants to sharpen their message and confidently share their work. Whether you’re pitching to funders, partners, customers, or your community, this space helps you refine your story and deliver it with clarity and impact.

Strategies for Building Resilient Funding Futures for RGV Nonprofits

In an evolving funding landscape, nonprofit organizations in the Rio Grande Valley are finding new ways to grow stronger, more sustainable, and mission-focused. This presentation explores practical, forward-thinking strategies to help nonprofits diversify revenue streams, strengthen organizational capacity, and build long-term financial resilience.

Participants will gain insights into identifying new funding opportunities, fostering meaningful donor relationships, leveraging partnerships, and aligning funding strategies with community impact. Designed for nonprofit leaders, staff, and board members, this session offers actionable tools and real-world approaches to support stability, adaptability, and continued growth in the Rio Grande Valley.

Rural Nonprofit Networking Group Workshop: Fundamentals of Fundraising

The Fundamentals of Fundraising will explore how organizations can move beyond donor fatigue and build a more sustainable path for giving. Participants will learn strategies for identifying and engaging new donors in smaller communities, telling compelling stories that inspire support, and building relationships that lead to larger gifts over time.

About the speaker

The session will be led by Jaime Freidrichs, a nonprofit fundraising expert with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations build confident teams, clear strategies, and practical systems that increase giving. Jaime works with nonprofits across the country and also serves as a Faculty Associate for the Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University.

Leading Self, Teams, and Organizations Workshop

Embark on a personal growth and leadership development journey that will transform how you lead. Effective leadership starts with gaining a deep understanding of oneself and then utilizing that knowledge to mobilize and engage others in tackling challenging tasks and fostering positive changes in the workplace. This workshop equips you with the necessary tools to comprehend your leadership style and effectively engage your peers and team members to achieve success, focusing on the fundamental elements of leadership: leading yourself, leading teams, and leading organizations.

This workshop is approved for 24 SHRM recertification PDUs.