Summit 2026 - United Way of Westchester and Putnam

April 21, 2026
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
The performing arts center at suny purchase college

Tickets to United Way of Westchester and Putnam’s 2026 Nonprofit Leadership Summit

Available Now!

United Way of Westchester and Putnam’s Nonprofit Leadership Summit brings together visionary leaders, practitioners, and changemakers to share insights, forge connections, and explore innovative strategies that will empower your organization to thrive! Together, we will reflect on the critical issues facing our sector, celebrate our shared commitment to mission-driven work, and equip ourselves with the tools and inspiration needed to lead with purpose in the year ahead.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Diane Yentel

President and CEO

National Council of Nonprofits

Ruchika T. Malhotra

Best-Selling Author

The summit will include a Q&A session following each keynote address, breakout sessions, a vendor tabling area, lunch, and networking opportunities. This event is designed to support professional development for nonprofit staff and volunteers across the region.

The first 500 attendees will receive a swag bag which include a copy of Ruchika Malhotra’s book, “Uncompete.”

Tickets are $75 per person or $65 each for groups of five or more.

For ticket information, sponsorships, vendor booths, and the like, please contact Laurie Noel at lnoel@uwwp.org or

914-997-6700 ext 740.

SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE OF MORNING SESSIONS

8:00 a.m. In the Main Concourse, 1st Floor

Arrival, Registration, Coffee and Refreshments

In the Upper Lobby

Vendor Boutique and Networking

9:20 a.m. In the 2nd Floor PepsiCo Theatre

Morning Welcome by Tom Gabriel, CEO of United Way of Westchester and Putnam

Comments by Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins

Presenting Sponsor Comments by Laura Picone, Vice President, Senior Relationship

Manager – Community Banking at TD Bank

Sponsor Comments by Nicolas Polet, Community Engagement Officer at Mother Cabrini

Health Foundation

9:45 a.m. Introduction of Morning Keynote Speaker by Polly Lagana, Executive Director, Volunteer New York!

Fireside Chat featuring Ruchika T. Malhotra, best-selling author

Ends by 10:45 am

11:00 a.m. Morning Breakout Sessions (4 in total)

In the 2nd Floor PepsiCo Theatre

Activating Capital Assets for Mission-Aligned Impact

Featuring Bryan Fryer, Partner at Grassi Advisors

Ilana Arbeit, Vice President Benefits Practice at Hilb Insurance Group

L. Danielle Cylich, Executive Coordinator at Epstein Becker Green

Moderated by Heath Bloch, LCSW, Chief Executive Officer at Ingenuity International, Inc.

Introduction by George Carroll Whipple III, Board of Directors at Epstein Becker Green

In the Green Room

Mission First: Mastering the Art of Strategic Partner Alignment

By Cyndi Snyder, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at Covenant House

In the Organ Room

Donor-Advised Funds: What Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know to Win This $326 Billion Opportunity

By Mitch Stein, Head of Strategy at Chariot

In the Black Theatre

AI-Powered Advocacy: Supercharge your Strategies with GenAI

By Stephan Spilkowitz, Director of Engagement and Culture at WJCS

Ends by Noon

12:00 p.m. In the Main Concourse, 1st Floor

Lunch and Networking

In the Upper Lobby

Vendor Boutique

SCHEDULE OF AFTERNOON SESSIONS

12:45 p.m. Afternoon Breakout Sessions (2 in total)

In the 2nd Floor PepsiCo Theatre

How Nonprofits and Government Can Work Together to Address Federal Funding Cuts and Policy Changes

Featuring Emily Saltzman, Director of Operations, Office of the Westchester County Executive

Michael Orth, Westchester County Commissioner of the Department of Community Mental Health

Ernest McFadden, Executive Director of the Westchester County Youth Bureau

Moderated by Tami Wilson, Chief Operating Officer at Feeding Westchester

In the Black Theatre

Leaning into Remarkable Humans

By Mandy Kelso, Head of Financial Education, TD Bank

1:45 p.m. In the 2nd Floor PepsiCo Theatre

Afternoon Welcome by Tom Gabriel, President & CEO of United Way of Westchester & Putnam

Sponsor Comments by Ellen Bloom, Director, Community Affairs, NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital and Westchester Behavioral Health

Sponsor Comments by Michael Pinto, Corporate Affairs Manager, Con Edison

2:05 p.m. Introduction of Afternoon Keynote Speaker by Jan Fisher, Executive Director, Nonprofit Westchester

Afternoon Keynote by Diane Yentel, President and CEO, National Council of Nonprofits

3:00 p.m. Summit Closes

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Mission First: Mastering the Art of Strategic Partner Alignment

Join the VP of Strategic Partnerships at Covenant House NY for an insightful session on bridging the gap between nonprofit mission and external engagement. This presentation explores how deep mission alignment fuels philanthropic giving and drives sustained partner commitment. Attendees will learn to distinguish the most effective event types for corporate versus community volunteers and how to pitch them with precision. The session provides a step-by-step framework for securing internal stakeholder alignment before presenting concepts to the public. Discover techniques to strategically redirect partner requests while eliciting genuine buy-in, ensuring every collaboration serves your organization’s core goals and maximizes long-term impact.

Cyndi Snyder

VP of Strategic Partnerships

Covenant House NY

Stephan Spilkowitz

Director of Engagement and Culture

Westchester Jewish Community Services

AI Powered Advocacy: Supercharge your Strategies with GenAI

Politics and policy move quickly, creating urgent advocacy demands for nonprofits administering programs like Medicaid and SNAP. While managing complex operations and leadership responsibilities, these organizations must advocate in timely, targeted, and effective ways, often with shrinking resources. This workshop explores practical, concrete strategies for using Generative AI to rapidly strengthen advocacy research, engage elected officials, and scale mass communication efforts. Through a live demonstration, participants will learn how AI-powered tools can increase capacity, save time, and reduce costs, and will leave with actionable resources to apply AI-powered advocacy tailored to their organization’s needs and priorities.

Donor-Advised Funds: What Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know to Win this $326 Billion Opportunity

Donor-Advised Funds are surging in popularity throughout the US; the number of accounts has increased by 9x in the past decade. DAFs have a significant impact on fundraising and development operations; an average DAF gift is 20x larger than a non-DAF gift, and donors give 96% more on average when they start using their DAF. Despite all this, only 42% of nonprofits actively incorporate DAFs in their materials and strategy. In this session, hear about key insights and nuances about the DAF market, as well as strategies for how nonprofits can capitalize on this increasingly important opportunity in the most effective way.

Mitch Stein

Head of Strategy

Chariot

Mandy Kelso

Head of Financial Education

TD Bank

Leaning into Remarkable Humans

Learn Best practices and resources available to get the most out of your teams and board members. Get a sneak peak at TD’s new professional development soft skills series and learn how you can leverage it with your teams to drive more efficiency, communication, and network building. Learn about TD’s new Financial Education Nonprofit Best Practices, a new resource for nonprofit board members to orient them to the nonprofit landscape and true power of the financial statement in driving impact and mitigating risk.

- Board Training — Financial Best Practices for nonprofits
- Employee Soft-skills training
- Presentation skills — Best Practices for Presenting
- Building your Brand
- Time Management Skills
- Best Practices for Soft Skills Development
- Best Practices for Networking
- Best Practices for Interviews

How Nonprofits and Government Can Work Together to Address Federal Funding Cuts and Policy Changes

Discuss how government agencies and nonprofits can work together to lessen the impact of federal funding cuts and policy changes.

Emily Saltzman

Director of Operations

Office of the Westchester

County Executive

Michael Orth

Westchester County Commissioner

Department of Community

Mental Health

Ernest McFadden

Executive Director

Westchester County

Youth Bureau

Moderated by Tami Wilson

Chief Operating Officer

Feeding Westchester

Activating Capital Assets for Mission-Aligned Impact

This panel discussion will explore how using existing infrastructure and capital assets can be aligned to support learning, partnership, and long-term sustainability goals while protecting core service delivery.