Rural Nonprofit Leader Summit
A free 4-day virtual event for rural nonprofit leaders who are ready to fund the work, stop carrying it alone, and keep their teams (and themselves) from burning out.
The work you do matters.
But caring deeply isn't enough to keep your nonprofit going.
You didn't step into nonprofit leadership because you wanted to spend your evenings chasing grant deadlines, wondering how you'll make payroll, or carrying the weight of every difficult decision by yourself.You did it because you believe your community deserves better.
You did it because you believe your community deserves better.
What does each day of the summit look like?
Day 1: Funding Without the Fire Drill
Every nonprofit in your county is fishing from the same small pond.
You've probably built your whole funding strategy alone, because there was no one nearby to ask. The day one presentations give you real strategy from people who've actually solved this problem. You’ll move forward making funding decisions made on purpose, not reactions to whatever's on fire.
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Keegan Albaugh
How a 100% Volunteer-Run Organization Became One of the Nation's Leading Fatherhood Programs
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Sarah Andrews
Growing Your Event Income with a Committee Based Approach
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Sarah Barton
You Were Never Meant To Do This Alone: Build Rural Fundraising That Lasts Beyond Any One Person
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Marcus Cunningham
Fundraising Committees: A Path to Community-Led Resource Development
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Cara Hachten
Build a Smarter Grant Strategy: Finding Best-Fit Grants for Your Rural Nonprofit
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Kel Haney
Intro to The 5-Minute Fundraising Ask
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Christina Martin Kenny
Title TBD
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Patrick Kirby
10 Super Awesome Questions to Unlock Rural Donations
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Rachel Muir
Small Town, Big Year-End Fundraising Results
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Chany Reon Ockert, CFRE
Lessons from Rural Capital Campaigns
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April Thompson
Anatomy of a Year-End Appeal: A Real-World Playbook From a Small-Town, One-Person Development Shop
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Frank Velásquez Jr.
Collective Impact Fundraising™: Community-Led, Collectively Driven
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Alyssa Wright
How to access Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) : The new capital on the scene for rural causes
Day 2: Community & Collaboration
Rural leadership takes a village.
Today's about everything you've been doing solo that was never supposed to be solo. You’ll learn about real peer relationships, board partnerships instead of just board meetings, outside eyes on your strategy, and how to tell your story without guessing whether you got it right.
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Christal M. Cherry
No More Folding Chairs: Building Boardrooms Where Everyone Belongs
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Diana Farias Heinrich
When Everyone Knows Everyone: Why Ethical Storytelling Matters in Close-Knit Communities
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Gwen Frisbie-Fulton
Storytelling as Organizing in Rural Areas
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Vivian Gietz
Why Your Org Still Runs Through You— and How to Change That
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Bre Holmes
Volunteer & Intern Management Made Simple: Your Roadmap to Recruiting, Onboarding & Retaining the Right People
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Jeanette Langston
What Actually Sustains You: Practicing Meaningful Connection as a Rural Nonprofit Leader
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Andrea L. Lowe
Collaborating for Action: Community Connections to Measure Success
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Madeline McGill
Storytelling as Infrastructure: Stop Chasing Reach and Build Local Trust
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Llu Mulvaney-Stanak
Go From Good to Great:
Stop Chasing Everything and Choose What Your Rural Nonprofit Does Best. -

Seán Rose
Leveling the playing field: rural nonprofits deserve nice things, too!
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Wendy van Eyck
4 Questions to Improve any Nonprofit Communication
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Jami Yazdani
Change That Lasts: How Rural Nonprofit Leaders Can Build Buy-In Without Carrying It All
The mythical slow season isn't coming.
Instead of waiting for life to calm down, you'll learn real ways to care for yourself and your team while still showing up for your community. Because your organization needs healthy leadership just as much as it needs funding.
Day 3: Choose Yourself Before Burnout Chooses for You
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Cat Ashton
It's Not You, It's Capitalism: Designing Fundraising Systems That Don't Exhaust People
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Lachandra B. Baker
Running on Empty: Why Relational Infrastructure Fixes What Self-Care Can't
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Stephanie Cooper
You Are Not Your Title: Reclaim Your Identity, Protect Your Time, and Prevent Burnout
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Josh Feldman
BREAKWEEK: How Collective Rest Can End The Burnout Cycle
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Michelle Flores Vryn, CFRE
Inside the SISR Study: A Discussion on Why Nonprofit Turnover Isn't Inevitable
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Kelly McLaughlin
How to Fundraise Without Burning Out
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Olanike A. Mensah
Title TBD
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Aparna Rae
The Only Metric That Matters
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Amy Santee
The Cave, the Ferry, and the Goat Farm: Escape Fantasies, and What To Do With Them
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Loretta Turner
Creating Workplace Cultures of Wellbeing From The Ground Up
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Evan Wildstein
Inside the SISR Study: A Discussion on Why Nonprofit Turnover Isn't Inevitable
Day 4: Let’s Bring it To Life
Our final day of sessions is designed to help you make lasting change happen alongside other rural nonprofit leaders.
These sessions include:
The Generosity Roundtable: Deciding What Stays Human
Panel: Stories, Joy, and Belonging
Closing Session: So Now What? 3 Keys to Making This Week Stick
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Abbey Harlow
So Now What? 3 Keys to Making This Week Stick
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Emoji Nightmare
Panel: Stories, Joy, and Belonging .
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Tim Sarrantonio
The Generosity Roundtable: Deciding What Stays Human
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Lauren Wirt
Panel: Stories, Joy, and Belonging
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Brian Wray
Panel: Stories, Joy, and Belonging
We’ll get you past survival mode and move towards an organization—and a leadership experience—that can thrive.
Join me, and 30+ rural nonprofit experts who've lived this work, for four days built around the reality of leading in a small community.
Whether you're leading a small staff, serving as an executive director, managing programs, or supporting your organization as a volunteer board chair, you'll leave with practical ideas you can put into practice immediately.
What past attendees have had to say:
“ Thank you for fostering this time and space.”
“Thanks so much for creating this space. I can't wait till next week!”
“I want you to know that I was blown away by the people I met and the almost immediate sense of safety that existed in both of the breakout sessions in which I participated.”
“I had a moment of wondering if it was worth joining with only 15 minutes left. I'm glad I did...it's great to experience the caring and sharing of the group you have pulled together.”
“I really appreciate what you have created. I have no idea how the first email from you ended up in my inbox but I’m so glad it did.”
“This literally changed my life!”
Meet Your Host
Hi, I'm Abbey Harlow!
For more than 20 years, I've worked alongside nonprofit leaders as a staff member, then strategic planning consultant, meeting designer, and coach. Through Harlow Nonprofit Consulting and my Rural Roots Roundtable membership, I work with nonprofit leaders from my small town in Vermont, helping organizations navigate leadership, strategy, and the very real challenges of doing meaningful work with limited resources.
I designed this event to bring rural nonprofit leaders together with people who understand your reality and have practical ideas you can actually use. My hope is that you leave with new tools, new relationships, and renewed confidence.
I can't wait to welcome you.
Presented in Partnership with:
What to Expect at the Rural Nonprofit Leader Summit
When and Where
The Rural Nonprofit Leader Summit runs October 20–23, 2026, with a live kickoff call on October 19 to help you connect with fellow attendees and get excited for the week ahead.
The summit is completely virtual, so you can join from wherever you are. Whether you're tuning in from your office, your kitchen table, or between meetings, you'll be able to participate without the time and expense of traveling.
Expert Sessions
Throughout the summit, you'll learn from more than 30 nonprofit leaders who understand the challenges you face every day.
Sessions will cover practical strategies for building sustainable funding, strengthening leadership, preventing burnout, creating meaningful connections, and turning ideas into action.
Your free ticket includes 48-hour access to each day's presentations, so you can watch whenever it works for your schedule.
Your Circle Community
As soon as you register, you'll be invited into our private Circle community.
The moment you register, you're in. I didn't want this to be just a place for announcements. It's where conversations keep going between sessions, where you'll meet other rural nonprofit leaders who understand your work, and where you can connect directly with speakers and other attendees all week.
A lot of nonprofit leaders spend their days feeling like they're the only one facing this. I want you to see that's simply not true.
Bingo
We're playing Summit Bingo all week, with prizes along the way. Watch for your Bingo card inside the Circle community, and jump into the conversation for your shot at winning.
Upgrade to Rural Roots Toolkit
If you know your schedule will be tight, or you just want more time to let everything sink in, you can upgrade to the Rural Roots Toolkit after you register. It includes extended access to every presentation, bonus resources, and extra material to help you keep putting what you learn into practice long after the summit ends.
You'll get all the details on that right after you claim your free ticket.
Contest!
I'm dedicated to helping you lead well without doing it alone, and making that as easy as possible. To help, you'll hear about my membership, the Rural Roots Roundtable, here and there throughout the summit.
On the final day, one lucky (and engaged) attendee will be selected to win a yearlong membership, with instant access to intimate and frank discussions, office hours, and the template library, to make leading well feel (dare we say?) EASY.
You're Ready to Lead with More Support, More Confidence, and More Sustainability
It's time to stop…
Believing you have to figure everything out on your own.
Reacting to every urgent funding opportunity
Carrying every hard decision by yourself
Waiting for the perfect moment to make things feel more manageable.
Have Questions? We've Got Answers.
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If you're a rural nonprofit leader who wants practical strategies, meaningful connection, and sustainable ways to lead your organization, this was built for you.
Whether you’re an executive director, department director, staff of one, or board chair, you'll find sessions built around the reality of leading in a rural community: funding, leadership, burnout, and the relationships that make this work sustainable.
If you've ever thought, “I love this work, but I wish I had more people in my corner,” you'll feel right at home here.
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October 20–23, 2026, with a live kickoff call on October 19 to help you connect with other attendees before the conference begins. As soon as you register, you'll also get access to our private Circle community, so you can start meeting fellow nonprofit leaders before the first session even starts.
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I know nonprofit leadership doesn't stop just because a conference is happening. That's why most sessions are pre-recorded and released on a daily schedule, while a few community gatherings and special events happen live throughout the week.
Your free ticket includes 48-hour access to each day's presentations, so you can watch around your schedule. If you know you'll need more time, you can upgrade to the All-Access Pass for extended access after the conference ends.
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24 hours per presentation, starting when it's released. Want to revisit sessions, go at your own pace, or come back to your favorites later in the year? Upgrade to the All-Access Pass after registering for extended access, plus extra resources and bonuses.
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It’s a mix! Most presentations are pre-recorded so you can enjoy high-quality sessions without worrying about technology issues. Throughout the week, we'll also gather for live events, community conversations, and opportunities to connect with speakers and fellow attendees inside our Circle community.
You'll get the best of both worlds: thoughtfully prepared educational content and meaningful real-time connection.
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No. When you register, you'll be added to my email list, so I can send you daily session links, updates, and anything important about the event. You'll keep hearing from me after the conference too, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Some speakers may offer free resources during the conference. If you want one, you can share your email directly with that speaker. Otherwise, I won't share your information with anyone.
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Yes. Every session has closed captions. I want this event to be accessible to everyone who needs to be here. If there's anything else you need to fully participate, tell me. I'd love to make it work.
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Go ahead and register. Most questions get answered during the conference itself, and inside the Circle community, where you can connect with me and other attendees right away.
If you need to reach me before you register, email me at abbey.drake.harlow@gmail.com. Happy to help.
“I needed this type of connection with like-minded nonprofit leaders.”
“It was so, so lovely."
“Thank you for your innovative design and your kind way of building community.”
What if leading your nonprofit felt like a communal effort?
How would it feel to...
Talk with people who understand your work without needing you to explain your (*gestures*) whole situation first.
Build a funding strategy that feels intentional instead of reactive.
Learn practical ways to protect yourself and your team from burnout.
Stop carrying every hard decision alone.
Reconnect with why you chose this work in the first place.
Leave feeling hopeful, supported, and energized for what's next.
That's exactly what you'll experience at the Rural Nonprofit Leader Summit.
Imagine having people in your corner who immediately understand the reality of rural nonprofit leadership.
Imagine replacing constant firefighting with thoughtful decisions.
Imagine walking away with practical tools you can use right away instead of another notebook full of ideas you'll never have time to implement.
You Don't Have to Lead Alone.
Every day, rural nonprofit leaders make impossible decisions with remarkable courage.
You stretch budgets.
You solve problems.
You care deeply for your communities.
And too often, you do it without the support, funding, and connection you deserve.
The Rural Nonprofit Leader Summit was created to change that.
Join me for four days of practical ideas, honest conversations, and a community of people who understand exactly what this work asks of you.
Leave with fundraising strategies you can use, tools to protect yourself and your team from burnout, and relationships that remind you you're not carrying this alone anymore.
Most importantly, leave believing that your organization, and you, can thrive.
This is your opportunity to move forward with practical strategies, meaningful relationships, and renewed energy for the work you care about most.
Join me for four days of learning, encouragement, and connection with people who understand.