Dr. Heather Carpenter, executive director of LSUS’s Institute for Nonprofit Administration and Research, says that about two percent of nonprofit organizations’ budgets are spent on professional development.
With the rapid rate of change in the nonprofit environment, INAR is offering deep dives on the most pressing topics of the day in a Sept. 10 conference in the LSUS Ballroom.
Nonprofits are invited to attend the 2026 North Louisiana Nonprofit Impact Conference, which is hosted by INAR in conjunction with the Louisiana Alliance for Nonprofits.
“Nonprofits are often so focused on the work they do that they don’t pause to do professional development, which builds the capacity of individuals and organizations,” Carpenter said. “Not everyone can take the time to work toward certificates or full degrees, but this conference is a minimal investment that exposes leaders and professionals to a host of issues and topics.
“We’re passionate about our mission of disseminating knowledge and information so nonprofits locally, regionally and across the state can run more effectively.”
For more information about the conference agenda and pricing, visit the conference registration page.
Carpenter is one of four individual speakers and part of a nonprofit panel that will address topics like nonprofit leadership, financial stability, crisis communication and disaster preparedness.
Carpenter is specifically focused on reinventing nonprofit leadership and what organizations need to know to function in today’s environment.
“Many managers were promoted into their roles because they were good at their jobs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have the knowledge or experience to manage,” Carpenter said. “We’ll talk about different leadership and management theories with the goal of leaders identifying which types of managers they are and if they like that style.
“My overall research is aimed at increasing retention and reducing turnover, and building more effective managers is one way of doing that.”
Artificial intelligence is touching every sector. Emily Davis (Emily Davis Consulting), a regular on the national nonprofit speaking circuit, will discuss governance in today’s age.
Nonprofit organizations are facing ever increasing financial instability with growing inflation and uncertain federal grant funding. Dr. Jessica Watts (The Dallas Foundation) will lay the foundation of building financial stability.
Organizations of all types will encounter a crisis, and clear communication to the appropriate audiences will be key as the crisis unfolds. John Edwards of Louisiana-based SignalPoint Strategies discusses best practices for crisis communication.
The conference concludes with a panel consisting of local nonprofit leaders who will break down disaster preparedness and how different sectors collaborate during those disasters.
Visit the INAR webpage for more information about the institute, its services to nonprofits and its workshop and academic course offerings.