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Date & Time: April 7 at 8:00 am - 5:00 pm MDT
Location: University of Providence Great Falls
Sliding Scale (MNA Members only): $95 (For budget constrained organizations, no verification or application needed)
MNA Member: $165
Non Member: $330
Free to All Access Pass holders.
Event Description
Join our annual fundraising summit to connect with peers and experts, learn about the latest in fundraising, and take home tools, resources, and tips to bolster your fundraising in 2026. This event is designed for fundraising and communications staff, or those who wear the development hat. It will be full of opportunities to connect with others, learn from experts 1:1 and in sessions, and hear stories about what is driving fundraising forward in Montana.
Scholarships and Travel Scholarships Available – Applications will be reviewed on March 16th and April 2nd. Apply here: MNA 2026 Training Scholarship Application – Fill out form
Agenda
9:30 – 10:45 AM | Welcome and Keynote | Rooted & Rising: Cultivating a Growth Mindset with Allison Strekal
11:00 – 12:00 PM | Breakouts, 1-on-1 Meetings and Networking
12:00 – 1:00 PM | Lunch
1:00 – 1:45 PM | Breakouts, 1-on-1 Meetings and Networking
2:00 – 3:15 | Breakouts
3:30 – 4:45 | Breakouts
Sessions
2026 Fundraising Summit Sessions
| Time | Title | Speaker | Room | Description |
| 9:30 - 10:45 AM | Welcome and Keynote | Rooted & Rising: Cultivating a Growth Mindset | Allison Strekal | UC Conference Room | What keeps you going when the work gets hard? In this keynote, Allison Strekal draws on her own journey from burnout to renewed energy to explore how a growth mindset can transform the way you lead, fundraise, and show up for your mission. Through practical tools, honest storytelling, and a framework you can use the moment you walk out the door, Rooted & Rising will help you reframe setbacks, reignite your purpose, and sustain the momentum that this work and the people you serve truly deserve. Come ready to reflect, reconnect, and rise. |
| 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | A1: 1:1s with experts, policy makers, and peers | Various | Forum | Interested in sharing your expertise in 1:1 sessions? Sign up to be a 1:1 expert here. |
| A2: Impact Stories | Susan Denson Guy, Emerson; Tyler Amundson, Allies in Aging, Emily Schaff, Allies in Aging | Auditorium | Hear from Montana based fundraisers on how they've innovated in 2025 and 2026. This session will include stories about rethinking events as a fundraising strategy, and how merging has changed fundraising approaches for an organization. | |
| A3: To be announced! | ||||
| 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM | B1: 1:1s with experts, policy makers, and peers PLUS Group conversations on Fundraising, Marketing, and other topics | Various | Forum | Interested in sharing your expertise in 1:1 sessions? Sign up to be a 1:1 expert here. |
| B2: Impact Stories | Kathy Ramirez; Kellie Dold; Brenda Hergott | Auditorium | Hear from Montana based fundraisers on how they've innovated in 2025 and 2026. This session will include stories about using raffles as fundraisers and harnessing social media and social fundraising. | |
| B3: Walk and Talk | Self-guided | University of Providence Grounds | Grab a few new friends and walk the grounds to catch up. | |
| 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM | C1: Breaking Down Donor Advised Funds Part 1 | Rachel Earl, St. Labre Indian School Educational Association | UC Conference Room A | Part One. This session will last the entire afternoon, you can choose to attend either session or both: Learn what a donor advised fund (DAF) is and why donors use them. Gain an understanding of the different charitable sponsors and see examples of DAF policies and practices. |
| C2: From Reluctant to Ready: Training Your Board to Engage in Fundraising | Kari Anderson | UC Conference Room B | Many nonprofit boards believe in the mission but feel uncomfortable when fundraising enters the conversation. The result? Executive directors carrying the full burden of revenue generation while boards remain on the sidelines. This session explores how nonprofit leaders can train, support, and activate their boards to become confident partners in fundraising. We’ll examine the leadership practices, board engagement strategies, and practical tools that help shift fundraising from an individual responsibility to a shared governance role. Participants will leave with concrete approaches for building board confidence, clarifying expectations, and creating meaningful ways for board members to contribute to fundraising success. | |
| C3: Planned Giving Made Practical | Sara Hofer | Auditorium | Simple Tools for the Versatile Fundraising Professional. Planned giving doesn’t require a dedicated department to be effective. This session is designed for Montana fundraisers who wear many hats and need practical, easy-to-implement strategies. We’ll walk through the most common planned gifts—from bequests and beneficiary designations to more complex vehicles like charitable remainder trusts—showing how to identify opportunities, start conversations, and confidently guide donors. Attendees will leave with clear, actionable steps to begin or strengthen a planned giving program without becoming overwhelmed. Finally, we will discuss how to use local resources and involve various professionals to gain buy-in and navigate technical complexity. | |
| C4: 1:1s with experts, policy makers, and peers | Various | Forum | Interested in sharing your expertise in 1:1 sessions? Sign up to be a 1:1 expert here. | |
| 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM | D1: Breaking Down Donor Advised Funds Part 2 | Rachel Earl, St. Labre Indian School Educational Association | UC Conference Room A | Part Two. This session will last the entire afternoon, you can choose to attend either one or both: Building on the basics in the first session, this session will dive into how to process DAF grants when your organization receives them and how to cultivate, steward and thank your DAF donors. We'll go through live examples of DAF grants and how to market for them your fundraising program. |
| D2: Turning Loyal Supporters into Major Gift Prospects | Kari Anderson | UC Conference Room B | Mid-level donors are often hiding in plain sight within your donor file—and they may be your next major donors. This session explores how to identify, engage, and cultivate mid-level supporters through meaningful stewardship and relationship-building. Participants will learn practical strategies to strengthen donor loyalty, increase giving, and create a stronger pipeline for major gifts. | |
| D3: Leverage AI for Grantwriting | Melissa Dunning, Code Girls United | Auditorium | Grant writing can be a time consuming task. Learn how to leverage AI to improve the efficiency and quality of your grant strategies. The session begins with an introduction to NotebookLM's core concepts, such as Sources, Notebooks, and Notes, explaining how the tool synthesizes and summarizes uploaded documents. Participants then explore how to use these tools for grant writing tasks. The workshop concludes with a hands-on practice session and provides sample prompts for both event planners and grant writers to maximize their efficiency using the AI assistant. | |
| D4: 1:1s with experts, policy makers, and peers | Various | Forum | Sign up link to be shared soon for those interested in meeting with experts 1:1 |
Speakers
2026 Fundraising Summit Speakers
| Session | Speaker | Bio | |
| Welcome and Keynote | Rooted & Rising: Cultivating a Growth Mindset | Allison Strekal |
 |
Allison Strekal, CFRE, MBA, is a nonprofit development leader and fundraising educator based in Missoula, Montana. As Chief Development Officer at Mountain Home Montana, she leads major donor strategy, campaign planning, and donor-centered communications. Known for translating complex ideas into practical tools, Allison helps fundraising professionals use technology, including AI, to work more efficiently without losing the human relationships at the heart of philanthropy. She is an active leader within the Association of Fundraising Professionals, serving as President-Elect of AFP Montana and on both the AFP Global Emerging Leaders Committee and the AFP Global Women's Initiative Committee. Outside of work, she loves to travel and is always in the middle of learning something new. |
| Breaking Down Donor Advised Funds | Rachel Earl, St. Labre Indian School Educational Association |
 |
Rachel Earl, CFRE, is the Chief Development Officer at St. Labre Indian School. In this role, she oversees all fundraising channels—including direct response, mid-level, major and planned giving, and grant management— which serves over 550 Native American children, their families and communities across three campuses in southeastern Montana. Rachel is a frequent presenter at events such as the Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference, and webinars hosted by Fidelity Charitable, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and the Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association (DMFA). She also chairs the Christian Development Council Advisory Board for The NonProfit Alliance (TNPA). Rachel advocates for bold thinking to achieve desired results and consistently seeks new ideas and methods in fundraising. |
| From Reluctant to Ready: Training Your Board to Engage in Fundraising and Turning Loyal Supporters into Major Gift Prospects | Kari Anderson |
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Nonprofit wrangler. Board border collie. Professional people herder. Some of the titles nonprofit maven Kari Anderson wears running Incite! Consulting, a boutique coaching and consulting practice. What's her niche? Building nonprofits up. From the inside out. What’s her superpower? Kari is a recovering nonprofit executive. During her 20+ years in the field, she served seven nonprofits in Washington and Colorado in various leadership roles. A seasoned board member, she has served on boards in seven states focused on health, athletics and education. Having served as both staff and board, she’s got the scoop on what it takes to run a healthy, vibrant and visionary business, all while having some serious fun! A Montana native, Kari is based in Coeur d’Alene, ID and Jackson, WY. She brings the office and toolkit to her client, and works with nonprofits to support people, increase revenues and rethink strategies to move missions forward. |
| Leverage AI for Grantwriting | Melissa Dunning, Code Girls United |
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Melissa has served as the Fund Development Director for Code Girls United for the past three years, where she leads the organization’s fundraising and outreach efforts. In this role, she manages grant writing, donor development, events, and marketing initiatives that support the growth of Code Girls United’s programs across Montana. Over the past year, Melissa has also integrated AI tools into her fund development work, using them to strengthen research, streamline communications, and support more effective storytelling and grant development for the organization’s mission. Melissa brings a diverse professional background in both education and nonprofit leadership. A certified English educator, she began her career teaching in the state of Georgia and later at Rosslyn Academy International School in Nairobi, Kenya. She then transitioned into the nonprofit sector, holding managerial and development roles with organizations including City Year Denver and Boys & Girls Clubs, where she focused on youth programs, community engagement, and development strategy. |
| Planned Giving 101 | Sara Hofer |
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Sara Hofer, J.D. is the Chief Planned Giving Officer at Yellowstone Foundation. She is a graduate of The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and holds a law degree from the University of Wyoming. She is currently pursuing her Certified Financial Planner® certification. Sara has a strong background in nonprofit work, with experience at Parents, Let’s Unite for Kids (PLUK), Make-A-Wish Montana, and the American Cancer Society. Sara also serves on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals—Montana Chapter. As part of her role as Chief Planned Giving Officer at Yellowstone Foundation, Sara specializes in charitable planned giving. She provides planned gift analysis and proposals for donors and their advisors and supports other nonprofits by offering technical analysis, drafting of gift instruments, training, seminars, and public outreach. Passionate about personal growth, Sara is a facilitator and coach for “Transformation Groups” at her church, where she supports small group leaders. In her spare time, she helps manage her daughter’s softball team and enjoys running, playing the piano, and reading. She and her husband own a cattle ranch north of Billings, where their three children are active in sports, church, and the family rodeo business. |
| A Series Impact Stories: Merging Efforts, Maximizing Relationships | Emily Schaff |
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Emily Schaff is a nonprofit marketing and development professional based in Billings, Montana, currently serving as Marketing & Development Manager for Allies in Aging, following her role of Development Coordinator at Big Sky Senior Services. With a background in senior services and nonprofit volunteerism, she brings a relationship-driven approach to her work and is passionate about creating meaningful opportunities for people to engage and give back. Emily also serves on Billings NextGEN's leadership team, the young professionals group of the Billings Chamber of Commerce, and is an ambassador for the Chamber. |
| A Series Impact Stories: Merging Efforts, Maximizing Relationships | Tyler Amundson |
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Tyler Amundson is a nonprofit executive and community leader based in Billings, Montana, serving as Director of Mission & Development for Allies in Aging. He leads fundraising, donor engagement, marketing, advocacy, and strategic partnerships to strengthen services that help older adults and caregivers remain independent and connected to their communities. Previously the Executive Director of Big Sky Senior Services and an ordained United Methodist pastor, Tyler brings a background in community leadership and nonprofit strategy focused on building systems of care that support aging well. |
| A Series Impact Stories: It's Not You, It's ROI (Breaking up with past) | Susan Denson-Guy |
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Susan Denson-Guy is an arts leader with more than four decades of experience advancing arts and culture across universities, state agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Since 2013, she has served as Executive Director of the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture, a complex, multi-revenue-stream nonprofit. During her tenure, she has grown the organization’s annual budget from $635,000 to $1.65 million while overseeing a dynamic operation that includes more than 700 annual events, 250,000 visitors, 58 arts and culture tenants, and 235 arts education programs serving all ages. Her leadership has strengthened the Emerson’s financial sustainability and expanded its role as a thriving arts, cultural and community hub. |
| B Series Impact Stories: Social-Driven Philanthropy and Giving Days | Kathy Ramirez | Kathy Ramirez is the Senior Director of Major and Planned Gifts at Carroll College. During her 22 plus years in fundraising and advancement she has developed and implemented strategies to cultivate, engage and strengthen relationships with donors for lifelong giving. Her planned giving experience includes legacy estate planning, annuities, CRUTs, QCDs, gifts of property, insurance policies and documenting estate intentions. She has experience with creating multi-year comprehensive campaigns as well as project specific campaigns, grants, donor advised funds, endowments and family and corporate foundations.Kathy strives to match donor passions with funding needs of the College in meaningful ways that have the greatest impact. | |
| B Series Impact Stories: Social-Driven Philanthropy and Giving Days | Kellie Dold | Kellie Dold brings more than 16 years of advancement experience to her role as Senior Director of Development at Carroll College, where she leads with both strategy and heart. She oversees annual giving, marketing, donor stewardship, leadership giving societies, fundraising events, and student philanthropy education, always focused on building meaningful, lasting connections between the college and its supporters. Kellie is known for her professionalism, creativity, enthusiasm, and positive energy that elevates both her team and the initiatives she leads. A standout example of her impact is Carroll’s recent Saints Giving Day, engaging more than 1,100 donors and raising over $400,000 in 24 hours. At her core, Kellie is a relationship builder and storyteller who believes philanthropy is about connection, purpose, and the power to make a lasting difference. | |
| B Series Impact Stories: Raffles as Fundraisers | Brenda Hergott |
Thank you to Opportunity Bank for sponsoring this event!
Interested in sponsoring?
We have opportunities available to support this event and share your work with our attendees. Contact srogala@mtnonprofit.org for more information.
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