Impact, Innovation & AI: The Future of Nonprofits
October 1, 2026 | 8:15 - 10:00 a.m. | Uncommon Schools
Discover how generative AI is opening new possibilities for the nonprofit sector from field experts. During this panel, guests will learn practical ways to harness AI to deepen relationships, craft compelling narratives, and approach organizational challenges with fresh perspective. The discussion will also consider the larger implications of AI, from evolving strategies and workflows to the policies and ethical questions nonprofits must begin to navigate.
Hosted By
Uncommon Schools
100 Church St., 9th Floor, New York, NY 10007
Rate Registration (Closes September 30th at 1pm)
$25 for Young Professional & Student Members
$30 for Members | $40 for Non-Members
Featured Panelists
Sarah Pita is Director of Development at the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY), where she runs a one-person development team. She raised $5.5 million in her first 18 months at CIDNY in grants, appeals, sponsorships, and events, using AI as a daily tool in her workflow. She speaks regularly on practical AI adoption for nonprofit fundraising, including at AFP Greater Philadelphia and the 2025 Women In Development, New York forum, and moderated two roundtables on “AI Changed My Job” at Fundraising Day New York in 2026. Her first brush with AI was in 2012, in the improbable but awesome role of part-time "metaphor analyst," teaching AI to understand figurative language.
Anna Goula is a Manager of Business Development for corporate partnerships at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), where she runs the end-to-end pitch process for new partner prospects contributing to $1.5M in new business revenue. She also serves as an Associate Instructor at Columbia University, working with students across the nonprofit sector. Previously, she worked in nonprofit development consulting at Hudson Ferris. Anna recently completed NYU's "AI for Impact" workshop, focused on applying generative AI to stakeholder engagement, digital storytelling, and organizational strategy. She brings a cross-sector view of how AI is reshaping the nonprofit landscape: from hands-on tool adoption to broader questions of strategy and policy.
Afia Tamanna serves as Director of Development for Institutional Advancement at Lehman College, The City University of New York (CUNY), advancing philanthropic strategy and engagement with alumni, donors, and institutional partners. Afia leads major gift fundraising, donor cultivation and stewardship, scholarships, planned giving, and strategic initiatives that support Lehman’s institutional priorities. Her work also includes managing Lehman’s AI Virtual Giving Officer and leveraging emerging technologies to expand donor engagement and strengthen philanthropic relationships. Prior to Lehman, Afia held development roles at NYC nonprofit organizations including FPWA, Northside Center for Child Development, and Grace Institute, building expertise in fundraising strategy, development operations, and nonprofit advancement. Afia holds a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College and a bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University.
Finance for Fundraisers:
Development Budgets
Part 3
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. | Virtual
Young Professionals & Students: $15
Members: $25 | Non-Members: $35
Registration Closes on Tuesday, September 19h at 4:00 p.m.
A Zoom link will be sent one day prior to the event.
Join our upcoming WID Workshop: Finance for Fundraisers — Development Budgets, a session designed to give you the tools to lead your department's budgeting process from the ground up. Missed Part 1? Register today and receive access to the recording so you can catch up before Part 3.
Led by Joanne Curry, Head of Client Success & Principal at Creative Fundraising Advisors, this session shares practical tips for initiating your development department's budgeting process — from incorporating historical data and determining realistic assumptions, to setting expectations for your fundraising team in the coming fiscal year. You'll leave with a clear framework for building an achievable budget and a strong story to tell finance and leadership about how your team plans to get there.
If budgeting season has ever felt overwhelming or reactive, this workshop will help you approach it with a plan.
Joanne comes to CFA with over 10 years of nonprofit experience in operations management, development, and accounting. Her career began with serving as Director of Operations and Rehearsal Assistant for two contemporary ballet companies in Missouri: Missouri Contemporary Ballet and Owen/Cox Dance Group. There, she managed operations for fundraising and donor management, communications and marketing, and performance and educational outreach programs. She then went on to work as a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor Accountant with Support Kansas City, providing accounting, support services, and training to nonprofits throughout Kansas City.
Joanne served as the Head of Revenue and Interim Head of Development at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, TX. There, she oversaw strategy for earned revenue and development, and was responsible for the database, Membership, Special Events, Visitor Services, and Museum Store. During her time at the McNay, Joanne launched a monthly membership program and developed and implemented a prospect management system.
As CFA’s Head of Client Success & Principal, Joanne leads the Client Success team, ensuring that all aspects of CFA’s client partnerships are grounded in the company’s core values of collaboration, transparency, integrity, creativity, and change.
Joanne provides CFA’s clients with counsel on campaign planning and management, prospect development and strategy, and fundraising programs. She serves as an accountability partner for clients, grounded in her expertise in mentoring development staff and team leadership coaching.
A native of Port Jefferson, New York, Joanne holds a BFA in Ballet Performance and Teaching from the University of Utah. She currently resides in New Jersey with her husband and rescue dog.
Women In Development, New York (WID) accepts refund requests made in writing at least five (5) business days prior to the event. Registration fees are not refundable after this date. Nonrefundable ticket purchases may not be used as credits towards future WID events.
By registering for this Women In Development, New York event, I give consent for my photograph to be taken and possibly used on the organization’s intranet, internet, newsletters, board reports, and other organizational materials as needed. I understand that I am not eligible for compensation for use of my photo and I may not be informed in advance of the specific use of those images.
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.
WID & Staffing Boutique Presents
Fundraising Basics for Charter Schools
and Emerging Institutions
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 | 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Paramount Club
1301 6th Avenue
New York, NY 10019
Young Professional & Student - $20
Member Rate - $30 | Non-Member - $40
Registration Closes November 9 at 4:00 p.m.
Join us for a morning of networking and an engaging discussion on development best practices for charter schools and emerging nonprofits. Whether you’re launching your organization’s first fundraising effort or strengthening an established program, you’ll gain practical strategies to deepen donor engagement, build organizational capacity, and support long-term financial sustainability.
We’ll explore key challenges facing growing organizations, from donor retention and staffing to developing achievable fundraising plans that engage leadership and the board. Come connect with peers, share experiences, and leave with actionable ideas to strengthen your fundraising strategy.
We hope you’ll join the conversation!
Breakfast will be served. Space is limited.
Read About Our Moderator and Panelists
Dana Scurlock (Event Moderator), Managing Director of Staffing, Staffing Boutique is a veteran recruitment specialist with over 18 years of experience placing the right people in the right jobs.
She has worked with clients of varying sizes and made placements at every level of recruitment from frontline workers to executive searches.
This extensive knowledge, strong relationships, and industry know-how specific to the nonprofit sector makes Dana an invaluable member of Staffing Boutique’s leadership team.
She earned her BA in English Literature & Theatre from The Ohio State University.
Julie Wolpov, Head of Development, Uncommon Schools, is bringing nearly two decades of executive experience in nonprofit fundraising and strategic growth. Her career spans leadership roles across education, youth development, workforce development, and community organizations, including leadership positions Foundation for Jewish Camp, and JCC Manhattan, as well as nearly eight years leading principal gifts and regional philanthropy at Year Up. Julie specializes in major gift strategy, donor stewardship, and building sustainable, relationship-driven funding models that scale mission driven impact.
Maria Griffin, Founder and Principal, Griffin Associated is committed to raising $1 billion for causes and leaders that change people’s lives.
She is the Founder and Principal of Griffin Associated, a consulting practice that helps nonprofits achieve transformational fundraising results. Through strategy, coaching, and hands-on partnership, Maria works with mission-driven leaders and organizations to strengthen fundraising, build organizational confidence, and turn ambitious goals into results. Her approach combines fundraising expertise with leadership development and organizational strategy—and is grounded in a commitment to moving clients beyond recommendations to meaningful execution and impact.
Previously, Maria served as Chief Advancement Officer of DREAM (formerly Harlem RBI), where she led a 15-person advancement team responsible for raising approximately $20 million annually. In this role, she helped transform DREAM’s approach to fundraising, aligning board engagement, major gifts strategy, institutional giving, and campaign execution to support the organization’s continued growth.
Prior to DREAM, Maria was a Vice President at CCS Fundraising, a global fundraising and strategic consulting firm. She led fundraising planning studies, campaign strategy, and development initiatives for local, national, and international organizations, including George Soros’ Open Society University Network, UNICEF, KIPP Foundation, and the Fund for Public Health in New York City. Within the firm, Maria also served as Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Client Services and oversaw the pilot of CCS’s pro bono consulting program.
Maria began her career in the classroom with Teach For America and later worked at Leadership for Educational Equity, where she coached more than 30 current and former educators running for local office across the country. Her work focused on fundraising, communications, endorsements, and campaign strategy. She also served as Communications Director and a senior strategist for civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson’s campaign for Mayor of Baltimore, managing fundraising and communications and helping execute major-donor events that significantly expanded the campaign’s resources.
Maria is a Board member of the Fund of Public Health in NYC and former member of the Board of Directors of Emerge New York, an organization that prepares women to run for elected office.
Raised in San Diego, California, and shaped by her years in Nashville, Tennessee, Maria is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and now calls Brooklyn home. She is a fan of Broadway musicals, Serena Williams, and discovering live music around New York City.
Amy Gazley, Founder, ARG Fundraising Consultants is an accomplished fundraising professional with over 23 years of experience dedicated to advancing mission-driven non-profits. As the founder of ARG Fundraising Consultants, she leverages her deep expertise in major gifts, corporate partnerships, capital campaigns, and strategic development to help organizations and schools secure the resources needed to thrive.
Since 2019, Amy has applied her fundraising expertise to support the Rosalyn Yalow Charter School in its mission to close the student achievement gap for elementary and now middle school students in the South Bronx. Her efforts contributed to the vital funding required for growing and sustaining the school’s resource-intensive model, which includes a low 8:1 student-teacher ratio and specialized response-to-intervention programs for English language learners and special needs students. This sustainable funding enables the delivery of a rigorous curriculum which incorporates Singapore Math, chess, violin, chorus, art, and fencing to help Yalow students consistently outperform city and state averages.
Thank you to our Program Sponsor
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SAVE THE DATE
WID Virtual Career Fair
Join WID to learn about exciting opportunities in the Development field. Attendees will be able to connect and network with recruiters and hiring managers.
Thursday, December 10, 2026
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
FREE for WID Member | $25 for Non-Members
Attendee Registration Closes on December 9th at 2:00 p.m.
LOOKING FOR A JOB?
Join us at WID's Virtual Career Fair to learn about opportunities listed in WID’s exclusive Job Bank. Register Today to chat with the individuals who are filling those positions.
LOOKING TO FILL A POSITION?
List your position in the Job Bank and share information about your organization and the open position with the WID audience. Then, host a Zoom room to speak directly with potential candidates about the position.
Participation as a site requires that at least one showcased position be posted on the WID Job Bank.