2024 MCN & MCF Joint Annual Conference
Mosaic: Meaningful Collaboration in a Complex World
October 10-11 | Saint Paul RiverCentrE
The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) and Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF) are excited to announce our 2024 Joint Annual Conference, hosted on October 10-11 in Saint Paul!
By bringing back a joint conference for the first time in 12 years, MCN and MCF aim to create two dynamic days of cross-sector reflection, peer networking, honest conversation, and learning. This intentional partnership spotlights the best of Minnesota's charitable sector and showcases over 30-years of collaboration between the state’s nonprofits and philanthropic communities.
At this year's conference, we'll focus on the theme of Mosaic: Meaningful Collaboration in a Complex World.
The layers inherent in a “complex world” are infinite. In our case, we acknowledge the multiplicity of layers in the relationship between funders and nonprofits—layers that when peeled back reveal joy and potential as well as tension and struggle. When we’re aware of and willing to participate in this complexity the work of our sectors represents a mosaic come to life. Our possibility as imaginative, nurturing, and justice-seeking change-makers blooms in full as we embrace symbiosis.
We invited Thomasina Topbear, a self-taught artist, muralist, illustrator, and organizer from the Oglala Lakota and Santee Dakota Nations to interpret the theme through an original design.
Here’s what Thomasina says about how her creation brings Mosaic: Meaningful Collaboration in a Complex World to life:
“I used the flower and pollinator relationship to show meaningful collaboration. The background represents the bigger world using the sunbeams and Dakhota style stars laid out in a Mosaic type style … I also added some bees to help strengthen the idea of working together.”
We invite you to join MCN and MCF to consider individual, organizational, and sector-based actions that can build connections, increase cooperation, and expand our missions' impact across the state. By the end of the event, you will shift the way you think about your role in the sector, build new relationships, and acquire timely tools and skills. Let the cross-pollination begin!
This inspiring and information-rich conference will feature:
50+ breakouts on timely topics with a mixture of skill-building and action-oriented sessions and big-idea, vision-oriented sessions
Peer roundtables over a meal
Two keynote sessions that offer equal parts application and inspiration
Award luncheon featuring the presentation of the 2024 Minnesota Nonprofit Mission Awards
Exhibitor Showcase featuring 70+ resource vendors and prizes
Facilitated networking and wellness and creative activities
Social Hour with food, drink, and prizes
And so much more!
Are you ready to collaborate on a beautiful future? Tweet about it #JOINTAC24.
LISTEN
Cross-Pollination: Interdependence is Our Strength
Thursday, October 10, 12:45 - 2:15 P.M.
Join our opening keynote session as we engage in conversation with Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor, Peggy Flanagan (invited). The Lt. Governor will explore the interconnections that build strength for the charitable sector, across government-nonprofit relations, and for Minnesota’s diverse communities. While it’s easy to focus on the differences that divide, we’ll take time to remember the ways that we can live up to the aspirations of an interdependent Minnesota.
About Our Presenter
Peggy Flanagan (invited) is Minnesota’s 50th Lieutenant Governor, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and currently the country’s highest ranking Native woman elected to executive office. At the center of all her work is making progress for children, working families, communities of color and Indigenous communities, and Minnesotans who have historically been underserved and underrepresented. Previously, the Lt. Governor worked in the nonprofit sector with Wellstone Action and Children’s Defense Fund – Minnesota.
A Conversation on Building Power, Changing Systems, and Creating Abundance
Friday, October 11, 8:45 - 10:15 A.M.
We’ll start our morning with Nick Tilsen, president and CEO, NDN Collective and Repa Mekha, president and CEO, Nexus Community Partners. Nick will share reflections about NDN Collective’s strategies to defend Indigenous people; develop communities; and decolonize minds, communities, and sovereign nations. The lived values of NDN Collective offer a path for us to unlock the promise of all communities. Repa will reflect on his work at the intersection of community building and community development. Repa engages communities of color to achieve equitable, sustainable neighborhood revitalization in the Twin Cities region.
After opening remarks, our facilitator, Leah Lemm, senior editor, MPR News, will guide a conversation with Repa and Nick. Together, they will explore themes of place-based innovations, cross-sector systems change, and intersectional solutions for equitable community development. As peers whose work spans the breadth of the charitable sector, their reflections will expose the hard work ahead and reveal the possibilities when we embrace allies in the work.
About Our Presenters
Nick Tilsen (he/him), president and CEO of NDN Collective, is a citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Nick has over 20 years of experience building place-based innovations that have the ability to inform systems change solutions around climate resiliency, sustainable housing, and equitable community development. He founded NDN Collective to scale these place-based solutions while building needed philanthropic, social impact investment, capacity, and advocacy infrastructure geared towards building the collective power of Indigenous Peoples.
NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. Through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change, they are creating sustainable solutions on Indigenous terms.
Repa Mekha (he/him) serves as president and CEO of Nexus Community Partners. Repa has 30+ years of experience in community-based leadership, community capacity building, asset and wealth building strategies, organizational leadership and development, and systems change work. He is also co-founder of the Twin Cities African American Leadership Forum.
Nexus Community Partners builds engaged and powerful communities of color so that each and every person can flourish in a joyful and abundant life. For this to be possible, Nexus works to usher out the rigged rules, attitudes, and practices that concentrate wealth and power in fewer and whiter hands. And they are ushering in ways of living, working, and making decisions together that nourish communities for this generation and generations to come.
LEARN
50+ Breakout Sessions
This year’s conference will feature expert-driven workshops on topics ranging from fundraising and financial management to human resources to equity and justice. There’s something for your entire team, and you’ll leave St. Paul with tools, knowledge, and connections to advance your work (and your organization’s mission)!
Exhibitor Showcase
Visit with over 70 conference sponsors and exhibitors, each providing expertise, services, and/or products designed to help nonprofits advance their missions. From banking, insurance, and accounting services to leadership development, fundraising consulting, and web design (and everything in between), odds are our resources exhibitors can help.
Interested in becoming a conference sponsor or exhibitor?
CELEBRATE
2024 Minnesota Nonprofit Mission Awards
Friday, October 11 | 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
While you get to know your nonprofit and grantmaking colleagues over lunch, you will be treated to the goosebump-inducing presentation of the Minnesota Nonprofit Mission Awards. These awards emphasize the importance of inspiring nonprofits to the quality of life in Minnesota by recognizing achievements that make a significant impact in the categories of:
Advocacy
Anti-Racism Initiative
Innovation
Join us for cross-pollination across the charitable sector!
We hope you'll join MCN, MCF, and over 1,000 of your charitable sector peers as we come together to explore the pressing issues of the day. We'll tackle questions big and small and celebrate the amazing work being done throughout the region by organizations just like yours.
This year's gathering is the perfect opportunity for professionals from every corner of Minnesota’s robust nonprofit sector to join together, celebrate the sector, learn from one another, and prepare for another year.
Check out the full schedule of the 2024 MCN-MCF Joint Annual Conference. We think you'll find ample opportunities to learn in the company of peers.
What does cross-pollination mean to you? Tweet about it #JOINTAC24
Catalyzer Sponsors
sustainer Sponsors
ALLY Sponsors
Partner Sponsors
