CEONet

CEONet 2026 Annual Retreat
2026-03-25 - 2026-03-27
Enduring Values and Leadership: Navigating Changing Times
The first community foundation was founded in 1914, and since that time, the world has undergone profound transformations in politics, society, economy, and global influence. As leaders of community foundations, you carry the torch of a legacy that began over 100 years ago. A legacy rooted in equity, sustainability, and the belief that every person in our community deserves a healthy and fulfilling life.
This retreat is designed not just as a pause from your daily responsibilities, but as a space to reflect, reimagine, and reconnect with your peers. Our goal is to create an environment where you can:

Engage in meaningful conversations with people who understand the unique challenges and opportunities of your role.
Collaboratively solve problems, drawing on the wisdom and experience of fellow leaders.
Leave feeling refreshed, energized, and recommitted to the enduring values that guide our work.

March 25-27, 2026
Location: Community Foundation of Broward, 910 East Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale Florida
Hotel: Riverside Hotel, 610 East Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Registration:
Members – Early Bird (through January 31, 2026)/Regular (February 1, 2026): $650/$750
Non-members – Early Bird (through January 31, 2026)/Regular (February 1, 2026): $800/$900

Agenda

Wednesday, March 25, 2026
2:30pm-4:30pm Top 10 Things CEOs Need to Know About Community Suite
Note: This event is optional and open for anyone to attend. Event sponsored by Foundant.
5:00pm-7:00pm Welcome Cocktail Reception
Northern Trust Rooftop Terrace
7:00pm Free Time

Thursday March 26, 2026
9:00am-9:15am – Welcome
9:15am-10:00am – Introductions-Getting to Know Your Colleagues
10:00am-10:15am – Break
10:15am-12:15pm – Engaging Local Governments in Philanthropy
Strong partnerships with local governments can transform philanthropy’s impact. In this session, two community foundation leaders from neighboring Florida counties—Broward and Collier—share how collaboration with local officials has advanced community priorities from both rural and urban perspectives. From art and beautification campaigns, environmental clean up assistance, to housing development and aligning gifts from cities and developers, these initiatives demonstrate the power of listening and leveraging resources. Learn how foundations and governments can work together to navigate permitting, unlock funding, and build trust. Each presentation includes insights from a local government partner, followed by interactive discussion to help you explore strategies for deepening relationships to drive meaningful change in your own community.
Speakers: Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, Community Foundation of Broward, and Eileen Connolly-Keesler, Collier Community Foundation
12:15pm-1:00pm – Lunch
1:15pm-1:45pm – CEO Peer Talks, Round One
Each presenter will have fifteen minutes to share their perspectives on a topic. After thirty minutes of presentations, attendees will choose which topic they want to discuss further with each speaker. The speaker will help facilitate the conversations.
Topic 1: Things I Can Say Now That I’m Retired
The CEO role is often described as the pinnacle of leadership—rewarding, influential, and deeply fulfilling. But behind the title lies a reality that is equally demanding and, at times, isolating. In this candid peer talk, Randy Royster takes you on a reflective journey through the lessons learned, the words left unsaid, and the insights gained from years at the helm. What would he do differently if given the chance? What truths about leadership, resilience, and decision-making often go unspoken?
Speaker: Randy Royster, Albuquerque Community Foundation, retired
Topic 2: Community Relevance and the Changing National Landscape
Philanthropy is evolving at a breakneck speed—are community foundations keeping pace? In the shifting national landscape, can community foundations address the dominance of donor-advised funds (DAFs), and the urgent need to rebalance toward building permanent endowments? Using his paper, Community Foundation Business Model Disruption in the 21st Century, as a jumping off point, Kevin Murphy will discuss the ways in which disruption in financial services, changing donor expectations, and new technologies continue to challenge traditional models of community foundations. How do we redefine growth, rethink relationships, and position community foundations for leadership in a future where adaptability is key?
Speaker: Kevin Murphy, Berks County Community Foundation
1:45pm-2:30pm – CEO Peer Talk Discussion Groups
2:30pm-3:00pm – Break
3:00pm-5:00pm – CEO Wellness
This session begins with one of the most pressing and universal challenges for leaders: stress. While stress management is widely discussed, what’s often missing is an integrated view of health, one that considers how all aspects of your life interact to shape how you experience and respond to stress.
We’ll explore what stress actually is, where and how it shows up in your life, and the subtle ways it affects your body, mind, and decision-making. You’ll learn why unmanaged stress can be harmful over time and discover practical strategies to recognize early warning signs and prevent stress from spiraling out of control.
With your peers, you’ll discuss the ways stress affects your daily work as a community foundation CEO. We’ll cover tools for resilience and help you create a healthier, more balanced approach to everyday challenges through a whole-person perspective.
Speakers: Osher Wellness Center, University of Miami Medical School
5:00pm-6:00pm – Free Time
6:00pm-9:00pm – Sunset Cocktails and Dinner on the Riverside Hotel Rooftop Terrace

Friday, March 27, 2026
8:00am-8:45am – Breakfast, CEONet Update
8:45am-9:15am – CEO Peer Talks, Round Two
Topic 1: Negotiating What CEOs Need
As a CEO, you’re a master negotiator—advocating for your staff, donors, and mission every day. But when it comes to setting expectations, navigating board dynamics, and ensuring your evaluation and benefits reflect the value you bring, the conversation often feels uncomfortable—or doesn’t happen at all. This session breaks new ground by tackling a topic rarely discussed in our sector: how to strategically negotiate with your board for what you need to lead effectively and sustainably.
Speaker: Stuart Comstock-Gay, Delaware Community Foundation
Topic 2: Approaching a New Generation of Donors-Finding and Engaging With Them
How do you inspire emerging leaders, empower youth, and engage diverse donors to shape the future of philanthropy? Walker Sanders will share some strategies he has employed to cultivate the next generation of donors and donors from different parts of the community with different interests —those who will sustain and grow the community foundation for decades to come. Drawing on several initiatives and “strategic endowments”, the Future Fund, Women to Women Endowment, Public Art Endowment, Black Investments in Greensboro (BIG) Equity Fund and the Teen Grantmaking Council, he illustrates what works, what hasn’t and what challenges exist in sustaining. These programs demonstrate that engaging younger generations and diverse donors isn’t just about fundraising—it’s about creating meaningful experiences, shared purpose, and a sense of ownership in shaping a stronger future.
Speaker: Walker Sanders. Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro
9:15am-10:00am – CEO Peer Talk Discussion Groups
10:00am-10:15am – Break
10:15am-11:00am – Hot Topics Discussion
11:00am – Wrap Up and Farewell

2026 Retreat Planning Committee
Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, Co-Chair, Community Foundation of Broward
Dan Templin, Co-Chair, DeKalb County Community Foundation
Bret Bicoy, Door County Community Foundation
Michelle Foster, Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation
Winter Kinne, Community Foundation of the Ozarks
Marlene Spalten, Community Foundation Tampa Bay
Diane Miller, CEONet

CEONet Webinar: Top 10 Trends: Creative Strategies for Donor Prospecting and Contacting Professionals Advisors
2026-02-11 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
This presentation is designed to bring you up to speed on top trends impacting the work of community foundations nationwide, drawn from Embolden’s work with more than 280 community foundations across the country. You’ll learn practical strategies to address these trends. Discover what’s rising to the surface in best practices for donor stewardship, community impact, and message clarity—and especially timely insights for engaging professional advisors in a shifting tax and legal landscape.
Speaker:

Laura McKnight, Founder, Embolden

Kelli Cavey, Partner, Embolden

The webinar is free for CEONet members. Non-members may attend the webinar for $49.
NOTE: All CEONet events are strictly for CEO and Executive Director attendees only

CEONet Webinar: Donor Misbehavior
2025-10-29 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
When generosity meets creativity, things can get complicated. The ever-popular Robin Ferriby will unpack the increasingly complex ways donors are using their Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). From pushing the boundaries of IRS regulations to walking the fine line between influence and impropriety, this session dives into real-world scenarios that challenge what’s legal, ethical, and allowable. Robin will cover the following topics:

What donors can and cannot do with their DAFs

How to spot red flags before they become legal headaches

Strategies for protecting your organization while maintaining donor relationships

Bring your questions and curiosity. If you have a specific question you’d like to ask before the webinar, please send your questions to ceonet@communitygiving.org
Speaker:

Robin Ferriby, Senior Counsel, Clark Hill, PLC

The webinar is free for CEONet members. Non-members may attend the webinar for $49.
NOTE: All CEONet events are strictly for CEO and Executive Director attendees only

Peer Networking Event - CEO Connects: Changing Our Language, Not Our Values
2025-07-15 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
In every survey, 100% of respondents identify peer networking as the greatest need for community foundation leaders. CEO Connects, a new member-only program provides time for small group discussion. The quarterly calls will be based on a specific topic where presenters will set the stage for 15 minutes, followed by 30-35 minutes of small group peer discussion, and a final 10 minutes of reconnecting.
Our attendees at the recent CEONet Retreat in Minneapolis experienced 4 terrific peer-led presentations and discussions. Shelly O’Quinn of Innovia Foundation will repeat her timely presentation and discussion on how language used to describe the work of the foundation can be modified to appeal to a wider range of perspectives. While the underlying work and principles remain the same, how we talk about the work can invite broader and deeper conversations. Shelly will share her presentation for the first 15 minutes of the call. All participants will go into breakout rooms for peer discussion and then we’ll reconvene for sharing in the larger group. Please note that to allow for open and candid discussion these calls are not recorded.
This is a CEONet members-only event and it will not be recorded. If you’d like to become a member to gain access to this and other members-only benefits, click here.

CEONet Webinar : "Marketing Community Foundations to Professional Advisors"
2025-06-26 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Professional advisors are an incredibly valuable audience for community foundations. Yet many professional advisors are unaware of the unique value we offer to support their work or have misperceptions about our services. A new effort by the Community Foundation Awareness Initiative aims to address these barriers through a new marketing and advertising campaign. Working in partnership with nearly 40 community foundations, they are building on the success of the “Make More Possible” national branding effort to develop a campaign that targets this elusive audience. During this session, we’ll offer a sneak preview of the campaign and offer insights from focus groups of professional advisors from communities across the U.S.
Speakers:

Peter Panepento, Managing Partner, Turn Two Communications, Inc.
CFAI Community Foundation Partner

Registration is free and limited to community foundation CEOs and Executive Directors.

CEONet 2025 Annual Retreat: Building Bridges
2025-06-09 13:00 - 2025-06-10 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Hilton Minneapolis, 1001 S Marquette Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States
Join your CEO and ED colleagues for a one-and-a-half-day Retreat for inspiration, discussion, networking and sharing focused on issues of importance to all community foundation leaders. The theme of this year’s retreat is “Building Bridges” which we will explore and discuss how community foundations across the U.S. and Canada build bridges through collaboration, community impact and stakeholder engagement. This CEONet Retreat offers a unique combination of experiences in which to connect with peers.
Starting at 1:00pm on Monday June 9, we will spend the afternoon on one of two site tours curated and led by our two local community foundation CEO hosts, R.T. Rybak of the Minneapolis Foundation and Dr. Eric Jolly of the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation. The Twin Cities provide a unique backdrop for the ongoing work to heal, restore, and reimagine the areas around George Floyd Square and the Indigenous lands near the Mississippi River. The efforts are a model for creating new opportunities for inclusive community development. At the conclusion of the tour, attendees will relax at a welcome cocktail party. On Tuesday, June 10, we will meet in a traditional meeting space to talk about community foundation leadership. Our agenda will focus on sharing information from colleagues in conventional formats with an emphasis on small group discussions. Anticipate a rich and interactive Retreat with your fellow leaders.

Registration Details
CEONet Annual Retreat is a pre-conference session to Council on Foundation’s Leading Locally 2025 and will be held in the same location. The links below will guide you to register on Council on Foundation’s website.
As a partner, CEONet members receive a discounted rate to Leading Locally. CEONet members who are not members of the Council on Foundations can take advantage of the Council member price of $1,199 until February 28, an $800 discount. Please refer to the CEONet Newsletter for instructions and passcodes that will provide you with the discounted rate.
CEONet members and nonmembers are invited to attend the CEONet Annual Retreat. Between now and February 28, the early registration rate is $400 for members and $500 for nonmembers. After February 28, the cost will rise to $500 and $600.

TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE

All registration is administered by the Council on Foundations. To register for Leading Locally 2025 and the CEONet Annual Retreat, visit the Leading Locally 2025 Registration Page and click “Register Now.” Follow the instructions provided to you in the CEONet Newsletter/CEONet Emails. If you need assistance, please contact Diane Miller using this web form.

To register for the CEONet Annual Retreat Only, contact Diane Miller by completing this form.

Recommended Hotels – Coming Soon!

CEONet Webinar: Gifts of Complex Assets
2025-03-20 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Community foundations are increasingly presented with gifts of real estate, privately held businesses, and other non-cash assets. While these gifts can provide transformational support, they also come with legal, financial, and operational complexities. Join us for an insightful webinar to explore best practices for evaluating and managing complex asset donations. Real life examples will be presented along with recommendations for evaluating whether a gift may or may not be right for your foundation.
Key Topics:

What due diligence should be conducted before accepting a gift?
How can a foundation mitigate risks associated with real estate or business ownership?
When is it appropriate to decline a gift?
What legal and tax considerations must be addressed?
How can a foundation effectively communicate policies to donors?

Speaker:

Robin Ferriby, Senior Counsel, Clark Hill, PLC

The webinar is free for CEONet members. Non-members may attend the webinar for $49.
NOTE: All CEONet events are strictly for CEO and Executive Director attendees only

Peer Networking Event - CEO Connects
2025-02-18 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
In every survey, 100% of respondents identify peer networking as the greatest need for community foundation leaders. CEO Connects, a new member-only program provides time for small group discussion. The quarterly calls will be based on a specific topic where presenters will set the stage for 15 minutes, followed by 30-35 minutes of small group peer discussion, and a final 10 minutes of reconnecting.
Increasingly, boards have asked the community foundation to get more involved in advocacy work. Join your CEONet member peers for conversation to discuss their approaches and what is being asked of them. The call will start with two CEOS sharing examples of successful advocacy work at the local and state levels. Participants will go into breakout rooms for small group discussions with peers for 30 minutes followed by a quick wrap up.
This is a CEONet members-only event and it will not be recorded. If you’d like to become a member to gain access to this and other members-only benefits, click here.

CEONet Webinar : "Community Foundation Awareness Campaign Update"
2024-12-11 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
This spring, we presented a webinar detailing information on a new community foundation brand awareness campaign. Now, we’re ready to share the early results of this effort, which now includes more than 40 community foundations and features local and national ads that are running in markets across the U.S. The campaign, developed and designed by the Community Foundation Awareness Initiative, includes community foundations of all sizes — from small to large, rural to urban, and everything in between. During this session, you’ll hear from some community foundations about their experiences, successes, and challenges and you’ll get an early look at data and learn how they will soon be expanding it to include other target groups (hint: professional advisors).
Registration is free and open to any community foundation CEO or Executive Director.

Peer Networking Event - CEO Connects
2024-10-22 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
In every survey, 100% of respondents identify peer networking as the greatest need for community foundation leaders. CEO Connects, a new member-only program provides time for small group discussion. The quarterly calls will be based on a specific topic where presenters will set the stage for 15 minutes, followed by 30-35 minutes of small group peer discussion, and a final 10 minutes of reconnecting.
In October we will hold our first meeting with the topic of “Foundation Growth.” Two CEOs—Shelly O’Quinn, CEO of Innovia Foundation and Marlene Spalten, President and CEO of the Community Foundation Tampa Bay—will share their unique stories to set the stage. Afterward, all attendees will go into breakout rooms for deeper peer discussion.
This is a CEONet members-only event and it will not be recorded. If you’d like to become a member to gain access to this and other members-only benefits, click here.

CEONet Webinar: A.I. and Fundraising
2024-10-02 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
We’ve all heard about how A.I. can improve the efficiency of our workflow and operations. How can you use A.I. in your community foundation’s fundraising efforts? Join our webinar led by fundraising expert Josh Hirsch, where you’ll discover cutting-edge strategies to revolutionize your fundraising efforts using AI. Topics to be covered in this webinar:

AI-Enhanced Campaign Design
Personalize Donor Engagement
Donor Retention Strategies
Social Media and Digital Fundraising

Moderator:

Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, President and CEO, Community Foundation of Broward

Speaker:

Josh Hirsch, M.S., Senior Strategist for Soukup Strategic Solutions and on faculty for The Fund Raising School at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

The webinar is free for CEONet members. Non-members may attend the webinar for $49.
NOTE: All CEONet events are strictly for CEO and Executive Director attendees only
