In a time when the work of nonprofit and community service-oriented groups has become more important than ever, the annual Princeton Community Works conference carries on — in a virtual format.
The three-day event for volunteers, board members, and nonprofit professionals takes place online from Monday, January 25, through Wednesday, January 27. In addition to a keynote address each day features a range of workshops designed to help individuals meet the needs of nonprofit organizations. Participants can choose to attend up to eight of the conference’s 32 scheduled workshops.
The cost for the conference has been reduced to $10 per person. Registration is required at www.princetoncommunityworks.org.
“Nonprofits are truly the lifelines for so many people struggling this year through the pandemic. Nonprofits also where challenged significantly the past year. To honor and celebrate the people who have served all of us so well, we decided to have this year’s fee be only $10. That’s about $1 per workshop,” says Marge Smith, who started Princeton Community Works more than 20 years ago.
“We see the Princeton Community Works conference as a way of serving a huge variety of people, so that everyone can participate. Everyone deserves the training and the absolute top-quality presentations that this conference is going to offer. It’s our way of thanking everyone in the nonprofit world for all their valued and essential work.”
The keynote address, which kicks off the conference on Monday at 5:30 p.m., will be delivered by Reverend Dr. Darrell L. Armstrong, the pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton since 2000.
In addition to his work with the church, which serves more than 600 families in the greater Trenton area, Armstrong has a background in social policy work and entrepreneurship. He earned his bachelor’s degree in public policy analysis from Stanford University in 1993 before earning his master of divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary and an educational specialist degree from The College of New Jersey in marriage and family therapy/counseling.
From 2006 to 2009 he served as director of the Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships for the state Department of Children & Families, and he is the founder of the Institute for Clergy Training, which partners with multi-sector agencies on a variety of topics related to leadership, child, and social welfare.
The theme for the broader Community Works conference this year is “Stronger Together: Resilient. Resourceful. Re-imagined.”
Many of the workshops this year revolve around adjusting to a virtual format for activities that typically occur in person. Topics include “Virtual Fundraising Events: How and Where to Start,” “Improving Virtual Programs: Reaching Audiences,” and “Social Media 101 the Basics: How to Build Your Online Community.”
Other sessions focus on solid advice for nonprofits regardless of the ongoing pandemic, including strategic planning, tax and budgeting issues, and donor development.
“During the pandemic, people have been isolated, we have all been invisible with what we are doing to help others. So people really need a place where every single person will get a voice and have a chance to be heard,” Smith says. “And, we also need to be able to celebrate and listen to the creative ways people have dealt with COVID and continue to make their missions a reality.”
Full workshop descriptions, speaker biographies, and registration information can be found at www.princetoncommunityworks.org.
