MIE 2023 National Fundraising Conference ​​​​​​​and Directors Conference

Connect to Community
MIE 2023 National Fundraising Conference
and Directors Conference

July 19 - 21, 2023
Chicago, IL
 

View the draft Agenda at a Glance.

MIE 2023 National Fundraising Conference and Directors Conference will be held at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, Illinois on July 19 - 21, 2023.

The Directors Conference will begin first thing in the morning on July 19th, and the Fundraising Conference will begin with a joint plenary session at 1pm on the 19th. The Directors Conference will be held from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm on July 19th. However, there will be content tailored to Executive Directors throughout the remainder of the Fundraising Conference, which will conclude at 4:00 pm on July 21st. Breakfast and an afternoon snack will be provided each day.

This event will empower Executive Directors, Fundraisers, Communications Professionals, Board Members, and others interested in legal aid resource development to "Connect to Community" – networking to connect in-person to the broader legal aid fundraising community, and learning insights and building skills to connect to the client and donor communities central to our work.

Attend Directors Conference session topics such as:

• Leadership in a Changing World,
• Multi-Year Financial Planning,
• Issues in Managing Union Relationships,
• and the ever-popular MIE Roundtable.

Attend Fundraising Conference session topics such as:

• The Art and Science of Major Gift Fundraising
• Tips and Tricks in Donor Prospecting
• Introduction to and Application of Plain Language
• Fundraising Within the Legal Community
• Communications as an Advocacy Strategy
• Building Donor Relationships Across Multiple Offices
• Recruitment and Onboarding of Development Staff
• Working with the Media

Meet the 2023 MIE Directors Conference Plenary Speaker!

Leadership Trends in This Changing World with Allecia Harley, Founder and Principal Consultant, IntuWork

Allecia Harley is a nonprofit advisor, strategist, trainer, and facilitator on leadership and growth. She’s also the CEO and Principal Consultant for IntuWork. Allecia has 20+ years of organizational consulting experience distilled into instantly applicable strategies, behaviors, and skills to lead through change. She honed her approach while actively running her company, serving on non-profit boards, and being an executive coach. Allecia has advised nonprofit, academic, and public benefit organizations on how to prepare for and lead through the constantly changing landscape. Allecia holds a Master's degree from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor's degree from Spelman College. She lives in Chicago with her husband, teenage son, and their dog, Cassius Clay, a boxer. Learn more about IntuWork.

 

Learn from other expert guest presenters:
 

• Susan Kahan, Founder/Principal, Sapphire Fundraising Specialists
• Kimberly Merchant, Senior Director of Advocate Resources and Training, Shriver Center on Poverty Law
• William Myatt, Founding Owner, Major Gift Solutions
• Melanie Sampson, Program Director, Clear Language Lab, Literacy Works
• David J.Tabak, Principal, Tabak Nonprofit Strategies
• Gretchen Upholt, Managing Director, Nonprofit & Grantmaker Advisory, BDO USA

Meet 2023 MIE National Fundraising Conference Plenary Speakers!

Building Buy-In through Authentic Relationship Building with Deb Knupp, Managing Director, GrowthPlay

Deb Knupp is the Founder/Managing Director for GrowthPlay - a consulting firm that helps organizations accelerate revenue through authentic relationship building. With over 450 professional services firm clients and serving more than 50% of the AmLaw 200, Deb and her team have spent the last 20+ years helping firms become exceptional in sales, client, and talent experience. GrowthPlay has also been an active sponsor and volunteer for more than a decade with the Chicago Bar Foundation. Before GrowthPlay, Deb was a Sales and HR executive. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Speech/Organizational Communication and is a passionate wife and mom to three daughters. Learn more about GrowthPlay.


Ethical Client Storytelling and the Legal Profession with Jhmira Alexander, President and Executive Director, Public Narrative

Jhmira Alexander, MPA is a resourceful, solutions oriented visionary and social impact leader highly skilled in diverse stakeholder engagement. She’s an innovative & goal oriented strategist with over 16 years of proven leadership experience training and consulting in the private and public sectors. Jhmira is the president and executive director of Public Narrative, Chicago’s Premier Communications and Media Literacy Resource. She’s a trained journalist committed to improving community health and well-being through media and civic engagement. Under Jhmira's leadership, Public Narrative uses storytelling to implement narrative change strategies addressing harmful narratives related to public safety, health and education. Learn more about Public Narrative.


Fundraising for Innovative Work with Steve Gottlieb, recently retired Executive Director, Atlanta Legal Aid

Steve Gottlieb is the recently retired Executive Director of Atlanta Legal Aid, where he was part of the organization’s first summer student class in 1968. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1969, he received a Reginald Heber Smith fellowship to work at Legal Aid as a new lawyer. In the next five years, he handled a wide range of cases, developing expertise in consumer protection issues, and managed three of Atlanta Legal Aid’s offices. He then managed the Savannah Office of the Georgia Legal Services Program. In 1977, he returned to Atlanta as the Deputy Director of Atlanta Legal Aid. He became its Executive Director three years later in 1980 and is among the longest serving legal aid directors in the country. Steve has weathered at least three major funding storms during his tenure and has overseen a diversification of revenue sources that has permitted Atlanta Legal Aid to continue its core functions in good times and bad. For his leadership, Steve has received numerous state and local awards and has been recognized by the American Bar Association and the National Legal Aid and Defender Program for his work. Learn more about Atlanta Legal Aid.
 

We look forward to seeing you in July! 

Included in the registration fee are continental breakfast, sodas, coffee, and snacks each day. Lunch and dinner will be on your own. Please let us know if you have any specific dietary needs or accessibility accommodations. Conference content will be from 9 am to 5:30 pm, with a continental breakfast at 8 am both days.



Registration Information & Policies
Deadline: Register by June 26, 2023.
Registration is open until June 26 or until we reach our participant limit.

Registration fees are non-refundable. MIE will provide a credit for the full amount of the registration fee, which may be used by any staff at your organization for any future MIE events (trainings, conferences, webinars) or MIE subscription payments. Credits do not expire. An event registration may be transferred to a colleague at the same program at no additional cost. In most cases, registration transfers may be made at any time prior to the start of an event. Please notify MIE of substitutions as soon as possible. If a registration transfer is not practicable, credit will be provided instead. Registrants who do not cancel before the start of an event will not be credited, however, they will receive access to the event materials. 

If you need assistance during the registration process, please contact Erica M. Szuplat, Administrative Assistant, MIE, at emszuplat@mielegalaid.org.  

Photo and Hotel Consent MIE may need to speak to hotel staff regarding room reservations in our block for the training. In addition, we will be taking photographs during the training that may be used in publicity efforts, including future MIE communications, social media, the MIE Journal, or at the MIE website. By registering, you're confirming that you allow MIE to speak with hotel staff regarding your room reservation and understand that your photo may be taken during the training and used for publicity efforts.

Current CDC COVID-19 recommendations can be found here. Please take any steps you deem necessary to protect your health and those around you, and be comfortable in our training environment.



 

Hotel
Palmer House Hilton
17 East Monroe Street 
Chicago, IL 60603 
312-726-7500
Reservation deadline: July 10.