Capacity Conference 2019
An affordable conference for nonprofits that focuses on actionable content.
May 27, 2019 • Vancouver, BC
DO GOOD BETTER
Capacity-building shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Capacity is a one day conference designed to empower small to medium sized non-profits and charities to do good better.
Capacity building stands at the core of this conference leaving attendees ready to adapt and thrive in this fast-changing non-profit world.
SPONSORED BY
Affordable learning
A full day capacity-building conference for under $50.
Downtown Vancouver
Held at UBC Robson Square, the conference will be easily accessible from across the Lower Mainland.
Industry experts
Learn from seasoned nonprofit professionals and pick up new skills.
Full speaker roster to be announced in the coming weeks.
2019 Speakers and Topics
BEGINNER SESSION
Finding Corporate Partnerships
The workshop will challenge the non-profit/charity to ask what is our purpose, what do we need, what value do we bring to the table and how can we engage and win over long-term partners with similar values. The framework will emerge throughout the workshop providing a plan on how best to approach and engage with potential partners.
Christina Labarca, Co-Founder, Giving Well
Assess what you really need
How to build out your ideal wish list based on what you need.
Differentiate between partners and sponsors
Highlighting the key differences between these two important relationships.
Identify the right corporate partners
Defining parameters that will help you land your next (or first) partnership.
INTERMEDIATE SESSION
Establishing Corporate Partnerships
In a follow up to the beginner session, the Giving Well team looks at the next steps of corporate partnerships.The framework will emerge throughout the workshop providing a plan on how best to approach and engage with potential partners, and eventually close the deal.
Sharon Davis, Co-Founder, Giving Well
Identifying the right corporate partner
Learn how to explore corporate partnerships effectively.
The art of (closing) the deal
Learn practical steps to close the deal and earn the partnership for your nonprofit.
Creating a giving calendar
Tangible steps to creating a giving calendar to outline funding.
PLENARY SESSION
Solving the Problem of Data Accessibility
Knowing how and when to target your donors, and in what ways, can either be a shot in the dark, or a costly and time-consuming endeavour. Learning which campaigns work well, and why, can be the work of a full-time research consultant.What if there was a tool that did this thinking for you, and was able to guide your decisions? Discover the future of predictive modelling made specifically for non-profits.
Nejeed Kassam, Founder & CEO, Keela
Lee Sutton, Software Engineer and Analytics Researcher, Keela
Understand how to make data-driven decisions
Take a look at the types of decisions that nonprofits can make with data.
Comparison of the work that has been done in the past
A deep dive into the way nonprofits have made data-driven decisions in different scenarios.
Sneak peek into new nonprofit tech that will help your data
A hands-on preview of what the future of nonprofit technology looks like for everyone.
BEGINNER SESSION
How to Create High Converting Landing Pages (and Donation Pages)
The world of digital marketing and online fundraising are more similar than you’d think. In this session, John will be teaching best practices for optimizing your landing pages, and how that relates to better conversions and ultimately, more donations for your organization.
John Chan, CEO, 2x Conversion Design
How to diagnose problems on your website
How to use data to identify the major problems on your website.
How to understand donor and visitor intent
Learn how to use qualitative and quantitative data to better understand your audience.
How to redesign key pages to optimize for high conversions
What to look out for and what to change in order to get the best conversions.
INTERMEDIATE SESSION
How to Improve your Donation Page Based on 416 Experiments, 204 Nonprofits, and 152 Charities
The ‘best’ donation pages in the nonprofit world convert visitors to a donation page at about 17%. That means 83% of the people who specifically visit a donation page are leaving. And perhaps never coming back. NextAfter has conducted over 400 donation page experiments over the past 5 years trying to decode what factors and elements influence the likelihood that someone will donate and discovered there are three different types of donation pages. If you’re brave enough, you can even submit your page to be looked at and optimized on stage.
Brady Josephson, Vice President of Innovation & Optimization, NextAfter
Understand donation page components
Attendees will understand key messaging components of a donation page.
How to improve your own donation pages
Attendees will learn how to update, optimize, and improve donation pages based on proven elements.
How to measure, test and track donation pages
Attendees will get some key metrics to help measure, test and track their donations.
PLENARY SESSION
Acting Through the Lens of your Donors
Thanking and recognizing your donors, sharing impact and offering great engagement opportunities is only the first step towards becoming truly donor-centric. Taking a page from the private sector’s approach to customer-centricity, learn the key components required to embed donor-centricity into your organization at a systems, culture and process level to ultimately earn more revenue and create the change your organization’s striving for.
Jennifer Marshall, Director of Donor Experience, United Way of Lower Mainland
Learn about donor-centricity
Learn strategies that the private sector have been using forever.
How to embed donor-centricity in your culture
Walk away with strategies that will help your entire organization think with a donor lens.
How donor-centricity leads to more revenue
Understand how having a donor lens will ultimately lead to more revenue and capacity for your organization.
PLENARY SESSION
Take it offline: Building meaningful connection with your donors in the digital era
Digital marketing. Conversion tracking. Email lists. Drip campaigns. Automation. When everyone has gone digital, what’s the next way to set your organization apart? In this session, we’ll explore the opportunities your charity has at its fingertips to engage donors and build meaningful connections with them offline. You’ll walk away equipped to host tours, events and in person experiences that deepen relationships with your donors, all while making a strong impact on your organization’s retention rate and bottom line.
Christiane Sim, CFRE, Associate, Fawkes + Holly
Strengthen donor relationships
The facts and figures behind “meaningful connection” and how vital cultivation is to a successful second-gift strategy and a high retention rate.
Tactics to bring your donors closer to your mission
Tips, tricks and tried-and-tested strategies that will bring your donors closer to the heart of your mission
Case studies
Two local case studies will demonstrate the effectiveness of “using what you already have” to build meaningful connection with your donors, keep them for the long-term, and raise more money
UBC Robson Square
Build Capacity in the City
Capacity Conference will be held in the heart of the Robson Square complex – a site in downtown Vancouver designed by internationally renowned architect Arthur Erickson. This civic complex is home to the Law Courts, government offices and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Robson Square is at the epicentre of Vancouver’s social, cultural and business districts.
GETTING HERE
Directions and Access
UBC Robson Square is conveniently located on Robson Street by the Vancouver Art Gallery, and within walking distance of three SkyTrain stations.
Address
00 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC, V6Z 3B7
Public Transit
UBC Robson Square is a short walk from the Burrard, Granville, and City Centre SkyTrain stations.
Driving & Parking
To access the WestPark lot for 800 Robson Street (Lot 189), head south on Howe Street to the corner at Nelson Street. The parking lot entrance will be on your right, just before Nelson. Note that Howe is a one-way street.
Sponsors
GETTING HERE
EXHIBITORS
FAQs
Got a question? We’re here to help.
When and where is the conference going to be held?
The conference is happening on Monday, May 27, 2019 from 8:30AM to 5PM. We will be convening at UBC Robson Square – in the heart of downtown Vancouver.
Who will the presentations be catered to?
Our focus for this year’s conference is to curate content that is actionable. With that in mind, we have split our break-out sessions into two skill levels: beginner and intermediate. You can choose the skill level that is right for you.
When will the full speaker roster be announced?
The full roster has just been released! Scroll up to learn more about the speakers.
Will there be food?
Absolutely! We will have a light breakfast as well as a lunch provided for you. Vegetarian options will also be made available All of those meals are included in the price of your (very affordable) ticket!
What does Keela have to do with Capacity Conference?
Keela is hosting Capacity Conference as part of our mission to strengthen the sector. It’s not a sales pitch. It’s a place to bring together the sector, and strengthen our community.