2026 Collaborative Conference: Rooting Deeper, Rising Together
Thursday, 9/24, 10 AM-6 PM  •  Friday, 9/25, 8 AM-2 PM  •  State College, PA

Exactly four weeks from today, the following speakers will bring our 2026 Collaborative Conference theme - Rooting Deeper, Rising Together - to life.

Meet the voices of #RisingTogether26, including:

• A fireside chat on nonprofits' civic role with Diane Yentel (President & CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits), Maddy Gitomer (Senior Counsel at Democracy Forward), and PANO's own Executive Director, Anne Gingerich.
• A powerful future-focused closing keynote from Dr. Hasshan Batts, about intentionally building the conditions needed for collective thriving.
• 12 Working Sessions, 12 Learning Sessions, and 6 Workplace Culture "Mini-Clinics" - Read on for more about this year's workshops and the people behind them.

SESSIONS

This year's sessions are designed to support not just learning but action, both in their content and in how they’re delivered. All Learning and Working Sessions will be rooted in the following tracks:

• Collaboration & Partnerships
  Session Spotlight: Rooted in History, Rising through Partnership: Adaptive Reuse as Community Development (Cortney Marengo, Jaybird Foundation) | Learning Session, Friday, 9/25 
• Evolving Technology
  Session Spotlight: Refuse the Options: Co-Designing the AI Infrastructure Our Sector Needs (Remy Reya, Compass Pro Bono + Kara Wentworth, PhD, The Nonprofit Center) | Working Session, Friday, 9/25 
• Fundraising & Financial Sustainability
  Session Spotlight: Going Beyond the Budget - Building Organizational Readiness for Uncertain Times (Dayna Shaw Sear, Smart Grant Solutions & Sear Growth Solutions) | Working Session, Friday, 9/25 
• Nimble Communications
  Session Spotlight: Listening the Rural Way: Turning Small-Town Voices into Big Ideas (Dr. Andrea Lowe, Social Impact Studio Consulting) | Working Session, Friday, 9/25 
• Leadership & Governance
  Session Spotlight: Accidental Project Managers: Practical Tools for Leading Complex Work (Jessica Pulliam Petrunak, Inglis) | Learning Session, Thursday, 9/24 
• Strategy, Planning, & Organizational Resilience
  Session Spotlight: From Survival to Strategic Growth: 10 Key Lessons Learned Transforming a Nonprofit (Jessica Chappell, Safe Harbor of Chester County) | Learning Session, Thursday, 9/24 

Plus, on Thursday, 9/24, we'll host 6 Workplace Culture Mini Clinics.

• Mini-Clinic Spotlight: Beyond Tolerance: Building Belonging (Cat Cook + Ian Hill, CentreLGBT+)

TICKET & OVERNIGHT STAY FEES

Tickets include lunch and light hors d'oeuvres on Thursday, 9/24, and breakfast and lunch on Friday, 9/25. For those staying overnight on Wednesday, 9/23, and/or Thursday, 9/24, a room block has been reserved at The Penn Stater at a discounted rate of $149/night (plus tax). While the room block deadline has passed, The Penn Stater will continue to honor the discounted rate as long as rooms are available. Book online here or mention code PANO26A over the phone at 814-863-5000.

With the generous support of our many sponsors, we continue to be able to offer much lower pricing than would’ve been possible for an event like this in the past. PANO Members enjoy 43% off regular rates! 

Even still, we recognize that many factors continue to impact individuals, organizations, and our budgets differently, and we don’t want fees to be a barrier to attendance. Contact us for information about scholarships, made possible by our fabulous Equity & Access Sponsors.

Individual Tickets

Team Tickets (Full Conference Only) - For 4+ from the Same Organization

Thank You, Sponsors!

Special thanks to our sponsors for being an integral part of the root system that supports all nonprofits in every corner of the Commonwealth. So many companies have already invested in our collective rising that we are nearly sold out of sponsorship packages! Please reach out to PANO's Executive Director, Anne Gingerich, to discuss any remaining opportunities.