Poverty Matters Workshop Session Descriptions

Tuesday, October 27

Welcome Keynote – 8:45a – 10:00a

Details Coming Soon

Workshop Description: 

• Coming Soon

Room – Expo 4, 3a, 3b

Presenter(s) – 

Presentation Slides

Tuesday, October 27

Session 1 – 10:15a – 11:30a

Workshop Title – Navigating External Pressures: Strategies for CAAs to Thrive Amid Federal Shifts

Workshop Description: 

• The nonprofit landscape is evolving under new federal priorities, and community action agencies face increasing challenges. Current trends from the White House administration—such as favoring organizations with lower administrative costs, heightened scrutiny on grant compliance, and potential cuts to federal programs—pose significant risks to sustainability. This session will equip managers and leaders with a clear understanding of these external pressures and their implications. Participants will explore practical strategies to mitigate risks, strengthen organizational resilience, and adapt to thrive as a modern nonprofit. From optimizing operational efficiency to diversifying funding streams and enhancing advocacy efforts, this training provides actionable insights to help agencies remain impactful in a shifting environment.

Room – Spruce

Presenter – Tammy Jelinek, Wipfli, Inc.

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 2 – 10:15a – 11:30a

Workshop Title  – From Division to Dialogue: Advocacy That Builds Bridges.

Workshop Description: 

• With years of relationship management experience in business, Matt has learned that playing the long game has its rewards. In advocacy, the parallel is clear: meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight. It begins with understanding and trust. This session explores how to build purposeful but authentic relationships with local and state government representatives, even with those that cross political divides. He’ll discuss how to approach perceived opponents with empathy, shift mindsets over time, and foster collaboration rooted in shared purpose. Advocacy is not about winning arguments; it’s about building bridges and opening minds—that’s when we get to change more lives.

Room – Sands

Presenter  – Matthew Flowers, Mutual of America

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 3 – 10:15a – 11:30a

Workshop Title – Meet “ALICE”, Our Neighbor Morning Session

Workshop Description:

• Who is “ALICE”? ALICE is your neighbor-the folks waiting on you and cleaning up after you in the service industry–cooking for you and making your favorite latte, childcare providers, cashiers, farm workers, personal care aides, housekeepers, delivery drivers, and on and on. ALICE has to work multiple jobs, going without healthcare and childcare. ALICE often does not have reliable transportation but frequently needs to live in a neighboring town because rent is cheaper there but then the car breaks down and there’s no transit to get to work. In 2023, according to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), 11% of Wisconsin households were financially insecure. Yet this measure failed to account for an additional 24% of households that were also experiencing financial hardship. These households are ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — with income above the FPL, but not enough to afford basic expenses in the county where they live. Between ALICE households and those living in poverty, an estimated 35% of households in Wisconsin were below the ALICE Threshold in 2023 & nearly 40% in Eau Claire County. Households below the Threshold are forced to make impossible choices. You will meet folks living with “ALICE” housing insecurity, our neighbors. Their stories capture the systemic and structural barriers to financial stability. You will learn of local efforts to increase access to housing for this vulnerable demographic. Our core message is, “Without stable shelter, everything else falls apart” ~Mathew Desmond, author of Evicted: Poverty & Profit in the American City

Room – Frontier

Presenter – Dr. Susan Wolfgram, JONAH, Joining Our Neighbors in Advancing Hope, and Amanda Babb, Eau Claire Tenant-Landlord Resource Center , and Mara Langreck, Director Lived Experience Advisory Board (LEAB)

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 4 – 10:15a – 11:30a

Workshop Title – Increasing Your Mission Impact Through Advocacy

Workshop Description:

• The widespread absence of advocacy in the nonprofit sector — especially among service providing nonprofits –is not fully explained by the lack of training, tools, success stories, and local, regional and national advocacy networks. These have existed for decades. One of the big reasons for the widespread absence of advocacy is that deep conversations about advocacy, especially in boardrooms, never happen. Why is this so and how can this change. This session provides some answers. Now is the time to start the conversation. Advocacy is one of the most effective tools nonprofits and foundations can use to advance their mission and serve their communities. The term “advocacy” includes broader advocacy efforts, legislative lobbying and non-partisan, election-related activities. And the combination of advocacy and direct services can dramatically increase the mission impact of any nonprofit. Advocacy is all about your organization’s work and what it will take to advance it. Session Topics: *What is advocacy and why do nonprofits need to engage in such advocacy efforts? *What the law allows tax exempt nonprofits to do *Barriers to nonprofit engaging in advocacy and how to overcome them *Beginning the conversation about advocacy with your board *Specific roles that board and staff members can play *Examples of service provider nonprofits that have made the decision to engage in advocacy *Overview of organizations and proven resources that can help Key Takeaways: *Leave with a toolkit of activities, tools, practices, and case studies for exploring where advocacy fits in their nonprofit, making decisions regarding advocacy, and taking first steps to building internal organizational capacity to engage in advocacy. *Discover natural entry points for advocacy that already exist in nonprofits *Learn about ways to engage in advocacy without adding to staffing and budget

Room – Evergreen

Presenter – Frank Martinelli, The Center for Public Skills Training

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 5 – 10:15a – 11:30a

Workshop Title  – Transportation: Every Ride Leads to Independence.

Workshop Description:

• Transportation can be a steppingstone to a person overcoming poverty. 41 million people live in poverty in the United States. More than half do not own a car. This session will talk about how you as an agency can offer free/affordable transportation by thinking outside the box. Applying for grants to help pay for copays, so that riders can take those steps needed to better themselves. It is not just a ride it’s their future; it’s their independence. Reliable and safe transportation helps riders get to places to look for jobs, housing, medical services, education and food. These are the basic human needs that we all deserve.

Room – Stonefield

Presenter  –Bobbi Hegna, New Freedom Transportation

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 6 – 2:15p – 3:30p

Workshop Title – Integrated Pathways to Stability: Food, Housing, and Health for Families

Workshop Description:

• This workshop will highlight UMOS’ Community Pathways Program and its family-centered approach to addressing critical community needs in food security, housing stability (including rental, mortgage, and property tax assistance), and access to behavioral and physical health services. Grounded in a holistic service delivery model, the presentation will demonstrate how integrated supports can stabilize families and promote long-term self-sufficiency. Participants will learn how to design and implement coordinated service systems that respond to real-time community needs, leverage cross-sector collaboration, and maximize diverse funding streams. The session will also showcase innovative strategies such as expanded food pantry operations, mobile and pop-up distribution models, and a “no wrong door” approach to service delivery. Attendees can expect practical tools and takeaways, including strategies for building a family-centered service framework, aligning programs within a continuum of care model, strengthening community responsiveness, and incorporating participant success stories to drive program improvement and support sustainable funding efforts.

Room – Spruce

Presenter  – Marjorie Rivera-Torres, UMOS, Inc.

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 7 – 2:15p – 3:30p

Workshop Title  – Preparing to Be Monitored: Turning Compliance into Confidence

Workshop Description:

• Monitoring reviews don’t have to feel reactive or disruptive. This session helps agencies shift from last-minute preparation to a proactive, confident approach to monitoring readiness. Designed for board members, executive leaders, and senior staff, the session focuses telling your organization’s compliance story.

Room – Sands

Presenter – Tammy Jelinek, Wipfli, Inc

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 8 – 2:15p – 3:30p

Workshop Title – Strengthening the Workforce Through Education 

Workshop Description:

• Participants will explore common monitoring pressure points, expectations around documentation and decision-making, and strategies for aligning policies, practices, and staff roles before a review occurs. The session emphasizes preparation as an ongoing organizational habit, not a one-time event. Attendees will leave with practical insights to reduce stress, improve coordination, and approach monitoring as an opportunity for learning and continuous improvement—not fear.

Room – Frontier

Presenter  – Jody Jack-Tranberg, Couleecap Inc

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 9 – 2:15p – 3:30p

Workshop Title – Everyone Deserves Access to Justice: Legal Tune Up Too & Community Collaboration

Workshop Description:

• LIFT disrupts structural discrimination devastating formerly incarcerated, BIPOC, and low-income communities. By democratizing access to legal information and removing barriers to employment, housing, and financial stability, LIFT directly confronts the structural inequities that have excluded BIPOC and low-income communities from financial institutions and economic opportunity. Our LegalTuneUp tool serves those trapped in cycles of poverty caused by legal barriers that prevent economic stability Participants can take away ideas on how to implement “legal health checks” at their own organizations and how to get involved in our Legal Navigators program that specifically recruits frontline workers serving low-income families, enabling trusted community members to guide neighbors through legal resolution processes. This model builds trust with communities rightfully distrustful of legal systems due to historical racism and exclusion.

Room – Evergreen

Presenter  – Erica Nelson, LIFT Wisconsin

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 10 – 2:15p – 3:30p

Workshop Title – Shifting Provider-Client Dependency To Client Empowerment

Workshop Description:

• Supporting individuals and families experiencing poverty is meaningful and often challenging work. Helping clients take ownership of their circumstances can be difficult and over time, this can contribute to frustration, stress and burnout for those in helping roles. This interactive workshop provides practical strategies to shift from dependency to empowerment, allowing clients to take greater responsibility while maintaining a supportive, respectful relationship. Participants will be introduced to the Five Foundation Blocks of Empowerment and learn how to use effective, reflective questions to encourage independence, build confidence and foster interdependence. By strengthening these skills, professionals can improve client engagement, reduce emotional strain and create more sustainable, impactful outcomes in their work.

Room – Stonefield

Presenter  – Dolores Kokinos, The Empowerment Principles

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 11 – 2:15p – 3:30p

Workshop Title  – The Mission Aligned Data Driven Approach to Organizational Excellence

Workshop Description:

• The Mission Aligned, Data Driven Approach was designed to help organizations integrate well established business processes, such as Lean, Six Sigma, Data Driven Decision Making, PMP, and Hoshin Kanri into the ROMA Cycle. Participants will explore how organizations define success, identify gaps between purpose and practice, and use meaningful data to strengthen decision-making and community impact.

Room – Harvest

Presenter – Terry “Shawn” Howell – SA Howell LLC

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 12 – 3:45p – 5p

Workshop Title – Addressing Homelessness and Poverty for Domestic Violence Survivors Through Housing First

Workshop Description:

• The threat of homelessness for domestic violence (DV) survivors remains a serious issue that demands a holistic response. Survivors need access to financial resources, safety planning, and affordable housing to achieve long-term stability for themselves and their families. However, traditional support systems, such as shelters, are often unable to provide the long-term assistance needed by DV survivors including access to continuous stable housing and flexible financial assistance. In response to these gaps, the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) implemented Wisconsin’s Domestic Violence Housing First (WI-DVHF) Pilot Program. Adapted from Housing First philosophy, the WI-DVHF program is designed to help survivors find and maintain safe and stable housing and relies on three key pillars: mobile advocacy, flexible financial assistance, and trauma-informed care. Across Wisconsin, nine DV service providers participated in the WI-DVHF pilot and were provided funding from the American Rescue Plan for the provision of direct client support as well as indirect services. To assess the impact of the pilot program, a comprehensive evaluation was designed by a research team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Denver. The evaluation involved a mixed-methods, longitudinal evaluation of all nine DV sites participating in the pilot program. Preliminary findings from this evaluation indicate that the DVHF model is associated with a number of positive outcomes for survivors. For example, DVHF recipients demonstrated reduced exposure to violence, reduced posttraumatic stress symptoms, and increased housing stability for them and their children. Additionally, program recipient’s reported greater school attendance among their children. This workshop will examine the WI-DVHF pilot program as a case study in trauma-informed, housing-focused intervention for DV survivors. Topics will include an overview of the DVHF model and its three core pillars, findings from the longitudinal mixed-methods evaluation, and implications for program design and policy. Participants can expect to leave with a conceptual understanding of the DVHF framework and its distinguishing features relative to conventional shelter-based models, familiarity with key evaluation outcomes across domains of housing stability, safety, and family wellbeing, and practical insights into the role of flexible financial assistance and trauma-informed care in supporting DV survivors at risk of homelessness. The workshop further aims to facilitate dialogue among policymakers, advocates, and researchers on strategies for scaling and sustaining housing-first approaches within DV service systems.

Room – Spruce

Presenter  – Mariel Barnes, UW-Madison, La Follette School of Public Affairs, Tricia Fancher, Wisconsin Rapids Family Center, and Kate Walsh, UW-Madison, La Follette School of Public Affairs

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 13 – 3:45p – 5p

Workshop Title – Guiding Justice-Impacted Individuals Towards Opportunity and Community 

Workshop Description:

• Project Proven (Western Technical College’s Re-Entry Services) is a comprehensive support and transition program dedicated to helping individuals currently or formerly incarcerated successfully reintegrate into their communities. The program partners with local jails in La Crosse, Monroe, Trempealeau, and Jackson Counties to deliver educational services (such as GED/HSED), career readiness training, employment assistance, and life-skills development. Through offerings like Wellness Club, Job Club, Leadership Group, Tech Club, and community recreation initiatives, Project Proven fosters personal growth, builds professional competency, and strengthens support networks. By bridging incarceration to opportunity, Project Proven aims to reduce recidivism, empower justice-impacted individuals, and facilitate sustained success in education, employment, and community life.

Room – Sands

Presenter  – Colin Walsh, Western Technical College, Mac Kiel, Western Technical College, Jason Mather, Western Technical College, and Jackie Morris, Western Technical College

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 14 – 3:45p – 5p

Workshop Title: Poverty Informed Practice: 10 Actions to Try Now!

Workshop Description:

• The workshop s based on my 2024 book Poverty Informed Practice in Education: 10 Actions to Try Now! Participants will learn about poverty as a structural problem vs a character flaw and will learn real tools to do their work more effectively. The session will be interactive and develop initial work plans from strategies in the book

Room – Frontier

Presenter  – Chad Dull, Poverty Informed Practice LLC

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 15 – 3:45p – 5p

Workshop Title- Childcare Incubator Program

Workshop Description:

• ADVOCAP’s Childcare Incubator Program is a dynamic initiative designed to address the critical shortage of quality childcare in our communities while empowering aspiring childcare providers to launch and sustain successful businesses. Through a comprehensive support model, the program offers participants access to business development training, licensing guidance, mentorship, and startup resources tailored to the unique needs of early childhood care. The incubator not only helps individuals navigate the complex regulatory landscape of childcare but also fosters entrepreneurial growth by connecting them with financial assistance, marketing tools, and peer networks. By removing barriers to entry and promoting high standards of care, ADVOCAP is cultivating a new generation of childcare professionals who are equipped to meet local demand and contribute to economic stability. This program is a cornerstone of ADVOCAP’s broader mission to reduce poverty and strengthen families. It reflects our commitment to innovative, community-driven solutions that create lasting impact for children, parents, and providers alike.

Room – Evergreen

Presenter  – Tanya Marcoe, ADVOCAP, Inc. tanya.marcoe@advocap.org, and Kathy Doyle, ADVOCAP, Inc. – kathy.doyle@advocap.org

Presentation – Coming Soon

Session 16 – 3:45p – 5p

Workshop Title- AI – No Longer a Future Concept

Workshop Description:

• AI isn’t a tool; it’s a mindset As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the business landscape; it is imperative that organizations proactively equip their talent to operate successfully in this new era. Grounded in behavioral science and essential leadership skills, the experience blends strategic mindset shifts with practical application. NOTE – with the two hours, it will include a behavioral assessment. If the session is one hour, that will not be included.

Room – Stonefield

Presenter  – Brian Gaumont, Wipfli

Presentation – Coming Soon