WID Connect: Conversations That Count
Thursday, October 22, 2026 | 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Robin Hood
826 Broadway 9th Floor, New York, NY 10003
Registration Fees
Member: $45 | Non-Member: $55
Young Professional & Students: $35
Join Women In Development New York for a structured networking event focused on building authentic connections and community. This October, we're digging into the conversations shaping our field right now — from preparing for the greatest wealth transfer in history, to fundraising under new pressures around free expression, to making the case for the arts when budgets and attention are stretched thin.
Connect with fellow WID members, share experiences, and gain fresh perspectives to navigate today's evolving nonprofit landscape—together. Ready to be part of the conversation?
You will have the opportunity to participate in two engaging roundtable discussions led by a facilitator, including…
The Handoff: Preparing Donors, Heirs, and Ourselves
Trillions of dollars are expected to change hands over the next two decades as wealth passes to younger generations. This table explores what that means for fundraisers: How do we build relationships with next-gen donors and heirs? How do we steward multigenerational family giving without losing the original donor's intent? What does it take to be ready when that transfer happens on our watch?
The Quiet Part Out Loud: Fundraising When Words Are Risky
As political and cultural pressures increasingly shape what organizations can say — and who they can serve — fundraisers are being asked to navigate new constraints around messaging, mission, and public voice. This conversation digs into how development professionals are adapting their language, donor conversations, and public communications while staying true to their organization's mission.
Culture Under Pressure: Funding the Arts in Crisis
When budgets tighten and urgent needs dominate the headlines, arts and culture organizations often find themselves fighting for relevance and dollars. This table is a space for arts fundraisers to share strategies for articulating why the arts matter, even (especially) when the world feels like it's on fire.
Proving It: Impact, Perception, and the Story We Tell Donors
As public trust in institutions wavers and donors increasingly want to see that their gifts matter, fundraisers are under growing pressure to demonstrate impact in real time. This table explores the gap between what our organizations actually do and how donors perceive that work: How do we communicate impact honestly without oversimplifying complex outcomes? How do we handle donor skepticism or the perception that nonprofits are inefficient or opaque? And how do we tell a compelling story without overpromising results we can't guarantee?
Love the One You’re With: The Value of Donor Stewardship
The most sustainable path to increased giving is not always finding new donors: it is deepening relationships with the donors you already have. This discussion will explore the importance of donor stewardship as a strategic and meaningful practice that keeps supporters connected to an organization’s mission over time. By “loving the one you’re with,” organizations can shift from transactional fundraising to relationship-centered engagement. This conversation will examine how intentional stewardship fosters long-term partnerships, enhances donor retention, and ultimately creates a stronger culture of philanthropy.
Redefining Relationship Labor: The Warmth Tax in Major Gifts
Major Gift Officers often find themselves balancing the art of relationship-building with the challenge of navigating complex interpersonal dynamics. This can mean having their professional expertise subtly underestimated, managing over-familiar or personal behavior from donors, or feeling an unspoken expectation to provide "relational glue" that keeps partnerships warm and productive. By naming these dynamics openly, fundraisers can share strategies for setting respectful limits, reinforcing professional authority, and ensuring that relationship labor is recognized, valued, and equally shared with their organizations.
Please select two roundtables that you would like to participate in. We will make every effort to accommodate your choices. Priority will be given to early registrants.
To ensure participants have an opportunity to learn and ask questions SPACE WILL BE LIMITED.
For security reasons, tickets are not transferable, and onsite registration
will not be available.
