Connect. Collaborate. Catalyze. 2026

Connect. Collaborate. Catalyze. 2026
Advancing Organizational Sustainability:
Using Data to Drive Nonprofit Impact

Tuesday, October 27, 2026
1:00 - 4:30 pm CST

Impact House
200 W. Madison Street, Chicago IL

Register here now! Last year’s event sold out.

Nonprofit Staff or Board Members:
Free - RSVP requested by 10/12/26

ACN Member:
Early Bird – $35.00
Registration after 9/30/26 - $45.00

ACN Non-Member:
Early Bird - $45.00
Registration after 9/30/26 - $55.00

In today’s rapidly changing environment, nonprofits are under increased pressure to deliver impact with fewer resources and more uncertainty.

Join us at ACN’s annual symposium as we unpack how to use data for strategic decision-making, fundraising, and effective resource allocation. As we explore how to sustain nonprofit impact in a changing landscape, you will:

• Hear current expectations from nonprofit funders,
• Learn proven strategies from consultants, and
• Connect with your peers across the nonprofit sector.

You won’t want to miss this opportunity for knowledge-sharing as we collaboratively prepare the nonprofit sector for long-term sustainability.

Agenda

1:00 - 1:30 pm: Registration & Networking

1:30 - 1:45 pm: Welcome

1:45 - 2:45 pm: Panel Discussion: How Data and Decisions Intersect - The Funders’ Perspective

Our exploration of data-driven nonprofit impact begins with the funders’ perspective. How do funders use data for decision-making? Where and when does it intersect with their strategy? Hear observations, examples and guiding principles to inform your plans and processes.

Panelists:

Niharika Hanglem, Program Director - Entrepreneurs,
The Richard L. Duchossois Foundation

Niharika Hanglem has spent more than 16 years working at the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and social impact, building stronger systems that help entrepreneurs, small businesses,
and communities thrive. A systems thinker by nature, she believes that entrepreneurial success is shaped not only by the determination of individual founders, but also by the strength of the ecosystems surrounding them. Her work focuses on connecting capital, talent, networks, and institutions to create more equitable and resilient pathways for innovation and economic opportunity.

Lora York, Director of Programs, Chicago Foundation for Women

Lora York joined the Chicago Foundation for Women in October 2012 and currently serves as Director of Programs. In this capacity, she provides strategic leadership for the foundation’s program team and oversees its grantmaking initiatives, collective giving approaches, grantee capacity-building efforts, and leadership development programs. Lora leads the design of a strategic grantmaking framework informed by the priorities of community-based organizations and the needs articulated by the communities they serve. This approach supports direct services and urgent needs while advancing the long-term systems change necessary to address underlying inequities.

2:45 - 3:00 pm: Networking Break

3:00 - 4:00 pm: Breakout Discussions

The breakout discussions will focus on leveraging data for:

• Fundraising
• Strategic planning and/or financial sustainability
• Programmatic capacity building
• Improving employee morale, limiting burnout, and workplace culture
• Marketing and communications
  
  Small group discussions will be facilitated by issue area experts.

4:15 - 4:30 pm: Closing

4:30 - 5:30pm: Networking Reception

Register early! Last year’s event sold out.

Not an ACN member? Learn more about ACN membership and become a member today.

Accessibility Commitment
ACN is committed to making our programs and events accessible. We hold our in-person events in wheelchair-accessible spaces and are happy to make other reasonable accommodations upon request. Please contact us to request dietary accommodations, large print materials, sign language interpretation, captioning, or other needed accommodations. We appreciate at least two weeks advance notice if possible. Please contact execdirector@ACNConsult.org to request accommodations.

Become a Sponsor
Build Connections Across Chicago's Social Impact Community

Each October, we convene consultants, foundation leaders, philanthropic advisors, nonprofit executives and other changemakers to exchange ideas, strengthen relationships and explore solutions to the challenges facing the social sector.

Your support strengthens programming, expands opportunities for collaboration and helps advance the nonprofit sector throughout the year—positioning your organization alongside one of the region's most connected professional communities.

Your partnership extends well beyond the program itself, through event-day visibility and pre- and post- event recognition via ACN’s website, email list, and LinkedIn.

Learn more about sponsorship opportunities.

To secure your sponsorship or discuss aligning your brand with Connect. Collaborate. Catalyze. contact either:

Tweed Thornton, Partnerships Committee Chair, tweed@fourstar.live

Jennifer Heffernan, ACN Association Manager, execdirector@acnconsult.org