On Tuesday, April 21, United Way of Westchester and Putnam welcomed 525 nonprofit professionals and community members to the Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase for the 2026 Nonprofit Leadership Summit, themed Innovation and Intelligence in Nonprofit Leadership.
Since its founding in 2003, the Summit has welcomed more than 16,000 participants and engaged over 1,000 nonprofit organizations. This year was no exception, bringing together purpose-driven leaders from across the region for a full day of learning, connection, and inspiration.
Ruchika T. Malhotra
Best-selling author Ruchika T. Malhotra challenged attendees to reject what she described as the myth of competition and reframe how they define success. Her message, that when we let go of competition, we create space for something far more powerful, resonated deeply with an audience navigating today’s funding constraints and sector-wide challenges.
“When we operate from an abundance mindset, we reclaim the agency that says, ‘actually, no, we can do better and we will do better.'”
As a special treat, the first 500 attendees received a complimentary copy of Malhotra’s latest book, Uncompete: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success.
Diane Yentel
Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, delivered a timely keynote on the state of policy surrounding the nonprofit sector, speaking to the central and essential role nonprofits play in bridging communities and the institutions meant to serve them. Her candid message, that the nonprofit sector is at a pivotal moment facing challenges unlike any in its history, sparked a lively Q&A with attendees eager to engage on the current state of affairs.
“As nonprofits, we differ from each other. Our missions and approaches aren’t the same. The issues and communities that we serve are distinct, but what connects us all is that nonprofits fill gaps that government and the private sector can’t.”
A Full Day of Learning and Connection
In addition to the keynotes, the Summit featured breakout sessions with local thought leaders covering topics from AI and strategic partnerships to operational efficiencies, as well as a vendor exhibition with 60+ businesses, lunch, and networking opportunities.
“We are grateful to Diane and Ruchika for showing us another path forward and reminding us that we are not alone in this fight,” said Tom Gabriel, President and CEO of United Way of Westchester and Putnam. “For 24 years, the Summit has been one of our United Way’s cornerstone capacity-building programs, and this year was a powerful reminder of why. Providing this low-cost professional development opportunity for the purpose-driven organizations of our community helps strengthen the sector and fosters the innovation and collaboration we all need to embrace to be successful.”
Thank You to Our Sponsors
The 2026 Nonprofit Leadership Summit was made possible by the generous support of TD Bank, Con Edison, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, Westchester County Economic Development, Hilb Group, Grassi, the Whipple Foundations, The Arc Westchester Foundation, Association of Development Officers, Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle, Child Care Council of Westchester, Inc., Feeding Westchester, Lifting Up Westchester, Nonprofit Westchester, Pace University, Pro Bono Partnership, SUNY Westchester Community College, SPARC, Inc., Westchester Institute for Human Development, Westchester Library System, Westhab, and Wegmans.