December 25, 2025 | Read Time: 4 minutes
In a moment as chaotic and uncertain as this, our natural instinct as leaders and advocates can be to turn inward, hunker down, and focus only on the needs of our organization and immediate community. With attacks seeming to come from all sides, the nonprofit world can begin to feel like a zero-sum game: whatever resources attained by our peers are resources no longer available to the people we serve. This instinct is understandable and human – but it is wrong. In fact, it is the collective knowledge and power we wield that allows us not only to survive dark times, but emerge stronger and better adapted to the challenges ahead.
Since my early days as a teenager working in the nonprofit sector in New York City, I have witnessed the power of convening – the multiplying effect that is only possible through collaboration. After taking the helm of Independent Sector in 2023, I have prioritized in person gatherings as opportunities to bring together people from every level of the nonprofit and philanthropic world – from student volunteers all the way to nationally-recognized leaders. Getting people of diverse backgrounds and experiences together in a room is how we solve big challenges and achieve world-changing breakthroughs. Convening makes big problems smaller and the impossible possible – and it is at the heart of Independent Sector’s National Summit happening in Atlanta this October 27-29.
Register now to join me in Atlanta for Independent Sector’s National Summit
If you’ve been in the nonprofit world (or virtually any sector of the workforce) for any length of time, you know what to expect from a sector-wide conference: keynotes, fireside chats, and panels led by thought leaders, activists, CEOs, media figures, and policymakers speaking on issues of high importance to our workforce. If that’s what you’re looking for, then Independent Sector’s National Summit will not disappoint you: we have hand-picked leading voices from American civil society to break down complex issues like the role of AI in the charitable sector, the future of diversity, equity and inclusion in the nonprofit workforce, and the increasingly critical role of philanthropy amidst widespread public funding cuts. For my part, I will be setting the scene for the week’s conversations with a deep dive on the state of the nonprofit sector — the challenges we’re facing, and more importantly, how we can work together to overcome them.
But if you’re like me, you don’t come to conferences just to hear other people’s ideas about the work you do – you want an opportunity to share your ideas and be heard by funders, CEOs, and sector leaders that shape the future of our field. You want to share resources, build relationships, and collaborate on new approaches with colleagues. More than any big name speaker, collaboration is the headline act at Independent Sector’s National Summit — and our workshops (view a full list here!) are where you’ll find hands-on demonstrations on ways to use AI to benefit your organization, build Gen Z volunteer engagement, secure and benefit from Google Ad grants, use effective storytelling to grow community impact and diversify funding sources – just to name a few. And between these collaborative sessions, you can find breakout rooms, networking lunches, and state-specific events where you can brainstorm and connect with colleagues old and new.
Since my first convening as President of Independent Sector in 2023, I have been asking our members what they need from sector-wide gatherings like this one – and more importantly, what they can do without. The takeaway from these conversations has been this: participants want to leave with more resources, strategies, and allies to help them tackle their fundraising challenges, build and support their workforce, meet the needs of their community, and navigate an increasingly treacherous political and legal environment. Facing unprecedented funding shortages and political targeting, the charitable sector needs more than inspirational words to survive the years ahead – we need concrete solutions, tested tools, and opportunities to strategize and organize with fellow advocates who’ve walked in our shoes.
Independent Sector’s National Summit 2025 was built with these needs at the forefront. If you join us in Atlanta this October, you should be prepared to be more than a passive observer – you will be asked to share knowledge, give feedback, and contribute your unique talents and skills with peers and allies. This perilous moment calls for us to assemble a brain trust, a chorus of voices from across civil society to respond to unprecedented attacks on the organizations and communities we serve – and I hope that includes you.
Dr. Akilah Watkins is the president and CEO of Independent Sector, the national membership organization representing nonprofits and philanthropic foundations. Prior to her position with Independent Sector, Dr. Watkins served as the president and CEO of the Center for Community Progress, and has held leadership roles with NeighborWorks America, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and the Center for the Study of Social Policy. Dr. Watkins holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and an MA in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Watkins was recently named a 2025 Nonprofit Times Power & Influence Top 50 honoree.