United and Growing: 2023 UWP Statewide Conference
United Way of Pennsylvania will be hosting the 2023 Statewide Conference in Lancaster, PA from April 26th, 2023-April 28th, 2023. Please join us to network and collaborate with United Way staff and volunteers across the state while exploring the rich, vibrant city of Lancaster, PA.
This year’s conference weaves together some of our most requested topics from last year. Join us to learn about the 2023 ALICE Refresh, going over the new data and how your United Way can use it to create compelling narratives in your community. We will also be welcoming a plethora of trauma-informed experts to talk about how our communities experience trauma, the effect of trauma on traditionally marginalized populations, and how we can take care of ourselves as nonprofit staff and volunteers. There will also be great breakout sessions focused on resource development, building a strong team, and great community impact initiatives! Plus plenty of time for networking and collaboration with all your peers from around the state.
About Lancaster
As one of the oldest inland cities in the United States, Lancaster City is rich with history and unique architecture. Established in 1742, the City is home to a diverse population of 60,000 and covers seven square miles. Lancaster City is a bustling small city in the heart of Lancaster County’s famous countryside. Learn more about Lancaster and start getting excited!
2023 Conference Sponsors
Thank you to our wonderful conference sponsors who have made this event possible!
Diamond Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
United and Growing: 2023 UWP Statewide Conference Schedule
8:30am: Registration Opens
Imperial Grande Pre-Function Area
9:00am: Breakfast Buffet Open
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Breakfast includes local breads and muffins, fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits, scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, breakfast potatoes, coffee, hot tea, and juice.
Sponsored by:
9:30am: 2023 ALICE Report Overview
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Kristen Rotz, President of United Way of Pennsylvania and Stephanie Hoopes, United Way of Northern New Jersey
United Way of PA is pleased to present the 2023 ALICE Report Refresh for the state of Pennsylvania. During our morning session, UWP will present the report and the research methods used to build it. United Way of PA members will learn about the ALICE Project’s standardized measures to quantify the actual cost of household essentials for each county in PA, and any differences in the research from prior years. These measures offer a more realistic way to evaluate a household’s ability to afford the basics than the federal poverty level, which is the base of eligibility standards for many forms of public assistance. Q&A will be available after.
11:00am: ALICE County Fact Sheets
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Kristen Rotz, President of United Way of Pennsylvania and Philip Falvo, Public Policy Director at United Way of Pennsylvania
This session will give a high-level overview of the key report talking points and will present the county fact sheets, which includes the household budget for each county. Every United Way will have access to their county fact sheet and be able to leave the conference an expert in how to read the county data.
12:00pm: Lunch Served
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Lunch buffet includes salad, sandwiches, mini-desserts, side dishes, water and soda.
Sponsored by:
1:30pm: ALICE Technology Overview
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Stephanie Hoopes, United Way of Northern New Jersey and United Way of PA Staff
United for ALICE and UWP staff a will go over the ALICE websites, including UnitedForALICE and UWP’s own website, explain updates that have taken place, navigate to where to find resources, and talk about the maps and ability to dig down into different forms of data.
2:45pm: ALICE Program Panel
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Local United Ways will sit on a panel to talk about Community Impact work that is rooted in and inspired by the ALICE Project or that effects the ALICE Population. Questions about the programs can be asked by the audience. Programs presented will address key areas of education, housing stability, and financial stability.
United Way of Chester County – Christopher Saello, President & CEO
Mobile Home Tax Reassessment Program
Pocono Mountains United Way – Sarah Jacobi, Vice President, Community Impact
Landlord Tenant Eviction Mediation Program
Keystone Scholars – Karen Carr, Outreach Specialist
Keystone Scholars
4:00pm: ALICE and Public Policy
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Philip Falvo, Public Policy Director at United Way of Pennsylvania
United Way has been working to advance policy initiatives at the local, state, and federal level to improve our communities by ensuring quality healthcare, education, and access to necessary programs. The ALICE Report shines light on advocacy efforts and can be used by United Ways to enhance efforts in our state. The Public Policy team will present the ALICE advocacy agenda and discuss talking points and facts related to the ALICE Report.
6:00pm: Membership Dinner with the State of the UWP Network Address
Imperial Blue Ballroom
Kristen Rotz, President of United Way of Pennsylvania
Dinner will be served and Kristen Rotz, President of United Way of PA, will give an update on the work completed by UWP in 2022 and so far in 2023. Dinner buffet includes salad, two entrees, three side dishes, two desserts, rolls, coffee, hot tea, and water. There will be a cash bar available.
8:00am: Registration Opens
Imperial Grande Pre-Function Area
8:30am: Breakfast is Served
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Breakfast includes local breads and muffins, fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits, scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, breakfast potatoes, coffee, hot tea, and juice.
Sponsored by:
9:30am: Opening Keynote: Trauma and Community Resilience
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Dr. Georgia Bomgardner, Director of Community Education and Engagement, Shanthi Project
Trauma is a pervasive experience, felt personally or vicariously by so many in our communities. The effects of trauma are deep; but where there is trauma, there is an opportunity for hope, healing, and resilience. This session will discuss the impacts of trauma on our communities and will help participants understand the myriad of ways in which trauma can manifest while also opening the door to understanding the role of hope and resiliency in the healing process. Participants will learn foundational information related to trauma before pivoting to discuss the role of post-traumatic growth and healing as well as concrete ways to care for themselves and others.
10:45am Breakout Sessions
Regional Breakout Workgroup
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Facilitated by Kristen Rotz, President of United Way of Pennsylvania
Participants will split off into groups with their self-identified regions. This is an opportunity to discuss issues and collaborate with other United Ways.
Getting Prepared for Grants
Franklin Room
Kim Amsler, Director of Mission Advancement at United Way of Pennsylvania
Grants are a valuable and important source of funding for community impact programs at many local United Ways and their partner agencies. But how do you prepare to begin applying for grants? Which grants make the most sense for your organization? And how do you demonstrate need in your community? Join us to find out!
Succession Planning Workshop
Sorrell Room
Anne Gingerich, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations
Succession planning lets United Ways respond to strategic changes that create new leadership needs or roles and be prepared for transitions when necessary. This embeds leadership development as a core organizational system, rather than as an ad hoc process, so the organization is ready for inevitable change.
12:00pm: Lunch is Served
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Lunch buffet includes salad, entrees, mini-desserts, side dishes, mini desserts coffee, hot tea, and water.
Sponsored by:
1:00pm: Lunch Keynote: Generational Trauma
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Father Paul Abernathy, CEO of the Neighborhood Resilience Project
Introducing the Neighborhood Resilience Project (NRP), a model PA-based program that Heals, Empowers, Advocates, Teaches, Prevents & Acts, locally! Father Paul will share the story of NRP, a faith-based nonprofit focused on healing transgenerational community trauma and building resilience through their Trauma-Informed Community Development Framework.
2:00pm: Breakout Sessions
Position Breakout Workgroup
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Facilitated by Kim Amsler, Director of Mission Advancement at United Way of Pennsylvania
Local United Way staff and CEOs will break into roundtables dedicated to certain aspects of the UW experience: CEO, Resource Development, Marketing, Community Impact, Leadership Giving, and others as needed. Members will be encouraged to visit other groups if their positions encompass more than one role.
Staffing Your Operation: Structure, Attract, & Retain
Franklin Room
Chad Barger, CRFE, CNP
Join master trainer, Chad Barger, CFRE, for a workshop covering staffing. We’ll explore the various options to staff your organization’s operation including how to best structure a job description. Chad will also provide tips for structuring the position in a way that’s most likely to attract top talent in today’s challenging job market. Finally, we’ll focus on what you can do as a manager to keep your staff happy and serving your organization for the long term. Processes and tools will be shared which will start you down the path to staff success.
Building Equity into Your Organization
Sorrell Room
Dr. Melissa Marks, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg
Building equity into your organization requires both education and deliberate thought about who we are and how we connect with others. Join Dr. Marks to take a look at what equity means in our local communities and what specific actions we can take to ensure we are being mindful of the diversity within our organization and the people we serve.
3:30pm: Breakout Sessions
Strategic Focus on PA 211
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Kristen Rotz, President of United Way of Pennsylvania and Emily Aubele, PA 211 Quality Assurance Director
The PA 211 system is strengthening and adapting while branching out into new work which increases the relevancy and impact to local United Ways in their efforts to measure and address community needs. Learn more about strategic investments to increase access across phone and technology channels, improve customer service and the customer feedback loop, and deepen 211’s ability to gather data about populations served. PA 211 provides a real-time barometer of human needs in communities, and as PA 211 improves its dashboards to share this data, local United Ways will discuss how they have been successful in utilizing 211 data for community impact, planning and/or resource development. We’ll also highlight new partnerships at the state and local level, with information on how these partnerships are funded.
Building a Talent and Leadership Pipeline
Franklin Room
Tom Lowery, Senior Vice President, Network Resilience at United Way Worldwide
In addition to succession planning, how can you ensure a steady and ready pool of talent and leadership to strengthen your United Way now and for the future? In this interactive session, learn strategies and techniques to grow talent from within and attract and retain new leaders from outside. We will discuss recruitment, professional development, employee engagement, and other areas that can help you build a secure and robust talent and leadership pipeline. You’ll also learn about United Way Worldwide’s forthcoming Next-Generation Leaders Initiative.
Legacy Giving
Sorrell Room
Angie Finney, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at United Way of Berks County and Tammy White, President at United Way of Berks County
Legacy Giving? Who has time for that!? Learn how simple conversations with your most loyal, engaged volunteers and donors can lead to legacy gifts. They don’t have to be complicated and you need not be a financial expert. This session will also share how to use a milestone anniversary as a perfect opening to begin these conversations.
6:00pm: Networking Mixer at Decades
Decades
438 North Queen Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
Join United Way of PA in celebrating our network! We have rented out Decades from 6pm-9pm. Decades is a six-lane boutique bowling alley, retro arcade, and events venue with a full service restaurant and bar. Within walking distance of the hotel, Decades evokes nostalgia with class in a 90 year old 15,000 square foot gymnasium filled with amusement and cocktails. We will be serving appetizers, salad, entrees, sides, and desserts for our attendees, along with offering a cash bar for attendees! Attendees will be able to use all six lanes at their convenience, have free bowling shoe rental, and unlimited tokens for all guests for the arcade games!
8:30am: Breakfast is Served
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Breakfast includes local breads and muffins, fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits, scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, breakfast potatoes, coffee, hot tea, and juice.
Sponsored by:
9:00am: Opening Keynote: Changemaking
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Aaron Proietti, Founder/Author of Today’s Innovator
It’s not enough to be adaptable when faced with pressures. The world today requires that we respond rapidly, and demands that we become more than change managers. In this talk, Aaron reveals successful strategies for becoming an impactful agent of change in our lives, our organizations, and our communities. Through stories and real-world case studies, he teaches key concepts, explores bad habits, and shares useful frameworks to unlock the potential in all of us to drive meaningful change.
10:15am: Closing Keynote: Burnout and Fatigue
Imperial Grande Ballroom
Marcy Witherspoon, Social Worker and Consultant
Although serving children & families can be exhilarating and fulfilling, it can also be overwhelming and exhausting. Hearing people’s trauma narratives on a daily basis takes its toll on the provider and on the involved systems. In this final session, I will discuss the concepts of secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout, and provide brain and body-based ways to address them, in order for us to continue providing the trauma-informed care that each member of our community deserves and is entitled to receive.
11:30: Conference End, join us for an informal closing event at Lancaster Central Market!
Lancaster Central Market
23 North Market Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
Lancaster Central Market is the oldest, continuously running public farmers’ market in the country. More than 60 local vendors call the beautiful 1889 Market House home three days each week, when it opens its doors to welcome the surrounding community. A step inside is sure to highlight all that Lancaster County has to offer. A walk through its aisles will find an abundance of produce from the deeply nutrient-rich soils native to the local landscape; an array of prepared foods representing the proud cultural diversity of the county; and locally sourced meat, poultry, cheeses, and more. Join us in taking in this centerpiece of Lancaster city before we leave!
Registration
Early registration for the conference will be open on February 1st, 2023. Please check back then! Early registration closes March 31st, and then final registration closes April 12th.
Full Conference Registration
- Includes all conference sessions Wednesday-Friday
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner provided during the conference
- Ticket to Decades Networking Mixer Thursday April 27th.
Registration Pricing
- Member Pricing
- Early: $350.00/person
- Late: $450.00/person
- Non-member Pricing
- Early: $450.00
- Late: $550.00
One Day Conference Registration
- Includes all conference sessions on Wednesday or Thursday (not available on Friday)
- Breakfast and Lunch provided during the conference
Registration Pricing
- Member Pricing
- Early: $175.00/person
- Late: $225.00/person
- Non-member Pricing
- Early: $225.00
- Late: $275.00
Decades Networking Mixer
- Ticket to Decades Networking Mixer Thursday April 27th.
Registration Pricing
- Member Pricing
- Early: $75.00/person
- Late: $100.00/person
- Non-member Pricing
- Early: $100.00
- Late: $125.00
Flex Credits
This event has been approved by United Way Worldwide for flexible credit use. That means each U.S. attendee may receive flexible credits reimbursement from their flexible credit balance for up to $400 for registration, up to $500 for travel, and up to $600 for per diem (food/lodging).
To request reimbursement, please complete the following digital reimbursement form by May 28, 2023. Once this deadline has passed, no further reimbursement requests can be accepted. A processing fee of $35 will be applied to each flex credit submission.
Please note that it is the responsibility of each requester to obtain internal approval to use flexible credits. They may check with their supervisor or flexible credit manager before submitting any reimbursement requests. For more information, click to access account balance or view the Flexible Credit Policy. If you have a question at any time, please contact Ask United Way (United Way Online access required).
Hotel Information
Attendees at the conference can stay at the Holiday Inn Lancaster for a special rate of $139/night. This rate includes complementary parking at the Duke Street Parking Garage adjacent to the hotel. Rooms must be booked by March 27th, 2023. Check in is at 3:00pm, check out is at 11:00am.
To reserve your room at the discounted rate, please use the Online Booking Page set up for United Way of Pennsylvania or call the hotel at (717) 394-0900 and ask for the front desk. Mention that the block name is “United Way of Pennsylvania” and the group block code is “UWP”.