One doesn’t have to look far to see Philadelphia’s nonprofit sector has struggled in recent years.
There were the abrupt closures of Benefits Data Trust and the Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger, two major drivers of SNAP applications in PA, the shocking shuttering of University of the Arts, a 2024 financial crisis and ensuing layoffs at Resources for Human Development — and those are just a few of the headline grabbers.
Every day, nonprofit leaders are fighting to keep doing the hard work of providing education, ensuring people have the food and housing they need, offering all kinds of support despite dwindling government funding and increased need. They’re everyday problem-solvers who lead with empathy to solve the city’s most-pressing problems.
This month, the Fitler Foundation aims to make their work a little easier: On April 13 they’re hosting their inaugural, all-day Fitler Forum, a gathering of the city’s nonprofit leaders to network, share ideas and work with one another to solve the challenges they face. Board members, executive directors, fundraisers and those with dollars to give will convene to imagine a better future for the $48.5 billion sector in Philly. The event will take place at the Fitler Club at 24 S. 24th Street from 7:30am to 6:30pm. Tickets range from $150 to $185.
“It’s a day-long, really rich offering that will give an opportunity for people to share insights that are hard earned and also to share ideas about the way forward,” says Dr. Kimberly McGlonn, vice president of social impact at the Fitler Club and the executive director of The Fitler Foundation, the club’s philanthropic arm.
McGlonn designed the day’s agenda to intentionally address the key challenges nonprofits face: governance, fundraising, succession planning and board-building. Those topics may seem simple and straightforward, but they’re the lifeblood of a nonprofit’s day-to-day operations. If someone isn’t raising money, and planning how to hand-off management to the next generation of changemakers, a nonprofit can’t function.
“Most people who enter the vocation of nonprofit leadership … almost always begin with an innate sense that things are not ordered as they should be, and a desire and a sense of capability that they as an individual could make things better,” says Rev. Bill Golderer, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. Golderer will be giving a talk on governance at the event.
“No one that I’ve ever met was counting on the trials and tribulations of running an organization — being an employer, filing a 990, managing Charity Navigator, trying to maintain services when city contracts aren’t paid on time. Once you get past that first impulse to serve your neighbor, there’s a lot of things that people are dealing with that they weren’t counting on.”
The agenda will give attendees a toolkit for navigating those unexpected challenges, with some of Philadelphia’s premiere nonprofit leaders as a guide. Speakers include Project HOME’s Donna Bullock; Diane Cornman-Levy, executive director of Women’s Way; Jo-Elle Mogerman, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Zoo, and Penn Professor Dr. Howard Stevenson, who will share lessons from his storied nonprofit career in the keynote address.
“There are going to be some really nitty gritty panels about the ins-and-outs of what makes nonprofits run,” says Jennifer Kebea, president of Campus Philly, who will be speaking on a panel on building high-quality boards.
While some major nonprofit leaders in the region will be sharing their “hard-earned wisdom,” McGlonn says she’s been thoughtful to make sure the event is not just the “sage on the stage.” Throughout the day, there are breaks for attendees to spend time in casual conversation, getting to know one another and sharing ideas.
“The hope is that it creates some pathways for them to build partnerships in real time,” McGlonn says.
There’s also a wellness component to the day. Nonprofit leaders and employees — like those in any caring profession — often struggle with burnout. One 2024 survey from the Center for Effective Philanthropy found 76 percent of nonprofit leaders reported staff burnout affected their organization’s ability to do mission-driven work. McGlonn has curated a full wellness program, including chair yoga, intentional breathwork, and conversations about centering wellness, alongside the talks from nonprofit leaders.
“The Fitler Forum seeks to convene the community in a more courageous conversation about the demands of the moment,” McGlonn says.
“The aspiration is that the work of the summit — and the work in tandem of the foundation around wellness for nonprofit leaders — continues to drive a much needed conversation about how people who are the front line deserve to be cared for, and the importance of centering their wellness.”
The forum and its wellness component are part of the Fitler Foundation’s broader efforts to support Philadelphia’s nonprofit leaders. Last year, they launched an Impact Residency for small nonprofit and B-Corp leaders, selecting 10 participants from 150 public nominations and 40 applications. Resident recipients received advice, mentorship, a membership to the Fitler Club and wellness support and will take the stage at the end of the event to share how they’ve learned to prioritize their own wellness.
“We spend so much time thinking about how we can support the region. It was incredibly gratifying just to have an organization like the Fitler [Foundation] say we’re going to invest in your wellness,” says Kebea, who is one of the Impact Residents.
“The day is so thoughtfully planned. There really is something for everybody to come and experience in this space. I think you will leave with your cup filled.”
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