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

CEONet Webinar: Top 10 Trends: Creative Strategies for Donor Prospecting and Contacting Professionals Advisors
2026-02-11 15:00 - 16:00 | 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 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
