Building Leadership Clarity at TNPA’s Leadership Summit 2026 

Ann Hollingsworth, VP of Government Affairs

The Nonprofit Alliance

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The team at The Nonprofit Alliance (TNPA) is thrilled to be in San Antonio, Texas, this week with more than 170 senior leaders from across the nonprofit sector. Against the backdrop of the beautiful Riverwalk, TNPA’s Leadership Summit 2026 has brought together a remarkable group of changemakers for an intensive, action-oriented experience designed to strengthen leaders, their teams, and the broader sector.

This Summit is intentionally designed as a working gathering — a place where experienced nonprofit executives can step away from the urgency of daily demands and focus on the deeper leadership work required in this moment. Over three powerful days, participants are engaging with peers to build the clarity, influence, trust, and collective momentum needed to navigate one of the most complex periods in nonprofit history.

The nonprofit sector’s challenges — from sustainability and workforce pressures to public trust, new technology frontiers, and policy uncertainty — cannot be solved in isolation. They require collaboration among leaders who bring different vantage points, resources, and forms of influence to the table.

Many attendees hold philanthropy-focused roles across development, finance, operations, marketing, data strategy, and organizational leadership. Their expertise adds important depth to the conversations taking place here. Fundraising is deeply connected to trust, communications, technology, ethics, and organizational culture — and those themes are woven throughout the Summit experience.

TNPA’s President and CEO, Shannon McCracken, opened the Summit yesterday by framing the agenda and setting the tone for the work ahead. Her remarks emphasized the importance of leadership that is both grounded and adaptive — leadership that can hold steady amid uncertainty while remaining open to new ideas, new partnerships, and new ways of working.

Our first session, led by Alicia Lifrak, Founder and CEO of Dragonfly Collective Agency, and Allison Porter, President and Owner of Avalon Consulting, invited participants to formally document their core values, definitions of success, and non-negotiable principles for operating under pressure. A leader must articulate what they stand for before they are in the middle of a crisis, ethical dilemma, or high-stakes decision. When pressure mounts, leaders often have to move quickly.

The conversations at the Summit reflect that complexity. Throughout the first afternoon, attendees engaged not only in structured sessions but also in candid peer-to-peer dialogue about the issues most occupying their minds.

Day One of our Summit closed with TNPA’s reception on the beautiful Riverwalk here in San Antonio, followed by additional networking receptions. These informal moments are an essential part of the Summit experience. They create space for leaders to compare notes, test ideas, brainstorm solutions, and build relationships that may continue long after the event concludes. On a personal note, I loved seeing familiar faces and also meeting those that are here for the first time.

During these conversations, I had the opportunity to discuss TNPA’s work on data privacy, ethical AI engagement, nonprofit protection issues, and the upcoming midterm elections, while also hearing directly from attendees about the areas shaping their organizations’ strategic priorities. And we, of course, also talked about our own lives, from family updates to exciting upcoming travel to new restaurant recommendations.

The Leadership Summit is ultimately about more than professional development. It is about equipping senior leaders to return to their organizations with renewed clarity, stronger peer connections, and practical tools for leading through uncertainty. It is about recognizing that leadership is both personal and collective. It begins with knowing one’s own values and principles, then expands into the shared commitments that allow teams and sectors to move forward together.

Here in San Antonio, that work is already underway and a huge thanks to our generous sponsors, our incredible planning committee, and our speakers and facilitators for all of their support. TNPA is proud to convene this extraordinary community of nonprofit industry leaders as they strengthen themselves, their teams, and the sector we all serve. We look forward to two more exciting days ahead!