In a year of funding cuts, policy whiplash, and delayed decisions, “networking” isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s a risk management strategy. Your relationships are the fastest, most reliable way to surface new funders, partners, talent, and intel; intentionally cultivating them can mean the difference between opening and closing doors.

In this session, Melissa Reitkopp reframes networking as a core part of mission sustainability from both an organizational perspective (e.g., revenue diversification) and an individual one (e.g., professional resilience). We’ll talk about where opportunities actually come from, the risk of putting too many eggs in one basket, and how to build a targeted outreach plan.

Participants will walk away understanding:

• Why and how to build their networks
• The power of LinkedIn to identify and communicate with other professionals
• How to use tools to track network-building over time (not just when a grant falls through)

Topic: Nurture Your Network: Purposeful Connections to Weather Uncertainty
Speaker: Melissa Reitkopp | Career Coach, Talent Acquisition Expert, and Author of “MAD Skills: Make CRAZY Good Career Choices!”