Join us for a dynamic virtual session where you'll gain a deeper understanding of how artificial intelligence (AI) can revolutionize your organization's operations. We’ll explore the practical applications of AI in the nonprofit sector, from time-saving tools to innovative strategies for fundraising and grant writing. Learn both the potential and limitations of AI, and leave equipped with practical ways you can use AI right now.

This session is free to the ACAM Network and All-Access Pass Holders.

This session is $35 for all other attendees.

Participants will discover how to use AI tools to:

1)     Understand the Practical Applications of AI in the Nonprofit Sector: Participants will gain insights into how AI can be leveraged to enhance operational efficiency, streamline communication, and support fundraising and grant writing efforts.

2)     Identify the Limitations of AI: Attendees will learn about the potential challenges and limitations of AI to make informed decisions when implementing AI solutions.

3)     Implement AI Tools to Achieve Immediate Results: Participants will leave the session with practical knowledge and actionable strategies on how to use AI tools to save time, find funders, and automate tasks, resulting in immediate benefits for their organizations.

All registrants will receive an exclusive AI Prompts and Resources guide.

About the Speaker

Thank you all for participating in ACAM's Training and Networking Program so far! We would be grateful to have your attendance for a quick focus group. Our goal each year is to serve you, and your input is the most important part of it all. All responses are anonymous, and we encourage you to freely share your thoughts about your experience and about what you hope to see next.

**There will be a raffle at the end where two lucky people will walk away with a prize!**

This interactive session gives attendees the opportunity to use the knowledge gained from the previous training sessions, Understanding Immigration Status and Benefit Eligibility and Resources and Services Available to Greater Houston Immigrant Community. Using hypothetical case studies, attendees practice understanding their clients’ situations and correctly assessing their needs, avoiding incomplete service.

Lunch will be provided.

In Collaboration with

Houston Immigration and Legal Services Collaborative

Learning Objective(s)

Hands-on application of immigration processes using hypothetical case studies 

Target Audience

Interns, new staff, and community organizations will benefit the most from this training.  

Attendance required for Connect for Healthcare Network and Pathways to Citizenship Cohort. 

The ACAM Network thanks HILSC for their commitment and their passion for Immigration and Citizenship and for sharing their extensive knowledge and expertise. Together, we do more to strengthen the network of service providers working to naturalize the 300,000 people eligible for citizenship in Greater Houston.

Please join us for a panel discussion and networking session on wraparound services! We will speak about best practices, implementation, successes and challenges, legal compliance requirements, how to reach and educate those in need about your services, and any other relevant discussion points regarding the topic. The networking goal is that everyone in attendance leaves with new perspectives and tools they can implement into their own programs and increase wraparound services in Greater Houston.

Lunch will be provided.

Thank you all for participating in ACAM's Training and Networking Program so far! We would be grateful to have your attendance for a quick focus group. Our goal each year is to serve you, and your input is the most important part of it all. All responses are anonymous, and we encourage you to freely share your thoughts about your experience and about what you hope to see next.

**There will be a raffle at the end where two lucky people will walk away with a prize!**

Enrolling in benefits can be complicated and may cause unintended consequences. This becomes more apparent with those who lack permanent immigration status. This training provides a better understanding of how to identify what programs they are eligible for and assist these special populations to ensure they receive the services they need in a timely and appropriate manner.

Lunch will be provided.

Learning Objectives

• Learn the eligibility requirement and process to apply for insurance coverage under Affordable Care Act. 

• Learn the eligibility requirement for federal means-tested programs 

• Learn the eligibility requirement for Medicaid and Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP), 

• Learn about Harris Health, eligibility and application process 

Target Audience 

Interns, new staff, and community organizations will benefit the most from this training. Attendance required for Pathways to Citizenship Collaborative. 

About the Presenters

Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative

In 2013, local organizations working with immigrant communities came together to address the lack of legal service capacity in the Houston region. These early meetings eventually became the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative (HILSC or the Collaborative). Collaborative allies include non-profit legal services providers, outreach and advocacy organizations, the business community, law school legal clinics, public agencies, and private foundations.

The Collaborative plays a critical role convening, coordinating, and communicating in the legal services community. Through our work, more immigrants are receiving low-cost, high-quality legal services for immigration issues in Houston. Our work has become even more urgent in the last few years, as the policy environment in which we work becomes increasingly hostile to immigrants. We have seen a dramatic increase in the demand for immigration legal services and education & outreach efforts in Houston’s diverse immigrant communities.

Ephipany Community Health Outreach Services (ECHOS)

In 2001, in response to the dramatic change in southwest Houston’s demographics the parishioners of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany established Epiphany Community Health Outreach Services (ECHOS). To this day, ECHOS remains a ministry of the church and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. ECHOS became a non-profit corporation in 2001. The doors opened to provide health and social services to the growing population of immigrants and refugees living in the area surrounding the Church. ECHOS Benefits Application Assistance Program provides on-site help to families who are unable to access affordable health care and who do not have medical insurance coverage. Staff assists them with completing and submitting applications for healthcare and social services.

Clients are not simply “handed” applications for services but are assisted in completing their application with staff checking the accuracy of their supporting documentation. New applicants receive a follow-up phone call to confirm program acceptance or to provide additional guidance when needed.

Boat People SOS (BPSOS)

Boat People SOS (BPSOS) - Houston is a non-profit social and legal services provider whose purpose is to empower, organize, and equip immigrant communities in their pursuit of liberty and dignity. Our branch provides education, information, and direct assistance to immigrant and refugee families on potential health and legal issues prevalent in the immigrant communities. BPSOS services range from health awareness prevention programs, legal services for low-income families and victims of violence and crime, ESL, citizenship, and digital literacy classes, senior services programs to encourage community engagement, advocacy, and volunteerism.

The process of acquiring U.S. citizenship for immigrants can be daunting and complex. In this session, we will explore the civics examination and conduct a mock citizenship interview, share information about the spectrum of services available to support clients through the citizenship application process, and the importance for case managers to follow up with clients after the citizenship interview to identify issues that help improve service for future clients.

Lunch will be provided.

Learning Objective

Learn what happens after the citizenship application has been submitted and how to best support the client. 

Target Audience 

Interns, new staff, and community organizations will benefit the most from this training. Attendance required for Pathways to Citizenship Collaborative. 

The Pathways to Citizenship Collaborative is made possible due to the generosity provided by The Houston Endowment. The ACAM Network is so grateful for the opportunity to carry out this vital work!

About the Presenters

Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative

In 2013, local organizations working with immigrant communities came together to address the lack of legal service capacity in the Houston region. These early meetings eventually became the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative (HILSC or the Collaborative). Collaborative allies include non-profit legal services providers, outreach and advocacy organizations, the business community, law school legal clinics, public agencies, and private foundations.

The Collaborative plays a critical role convening, coordinating, and communicating in the legal services community. Through our work, more immigrants are receiving low-cost, high-quality legal services for immigration issues in Houston. Our work has become even more urgent in the last few years, as the policy environment in which we work becomes increasingly hostile to immigrants. We have seen a dramatic increase in the demand for immigration legal services and education & outreach efforts in Houston’s diverse immigrant communities.

NALEO Educational Fund

NALEO Educational Fund is the nation’s leading 501(c) (3) non-profit, non-partisan organization that facilitates full Latino participation in the American political process, from citizenship to public service. Founded in 1981, NALEO Educational Fund achieves its mission through integrated strategies that include increasing the effectiveness of Latino policymakers, mobilizing the Latino community to engage in civic life and promoting policies that advance Latino political engagement. NALEO Educational Fund provides national leadership on key issues that affect Latino participation in our political process, including immigration and naturalization, voting rights, election reform, the Census and the appointment of qualified Latinos to top executive and judicial positions.

National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA)

NPNA's mission is to advance an immigrant equity and inclusion agenda at the state, local and federal level through policy, advocacy and service programs that create vast opportunities for immigrant and refugee communities to achieve full civic, social and economic justice. We achieve our mission through these 5 pillars of impact. The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of 70 of the nation's largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across 40 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant equity and inclusion policies, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation.

Volunteers are one of the most valuable assets to non-profit organizations, and it is crucial to have a strategy that motivates people to give their time and talent. From building strong relationships to making them feel important and valued through public recognition, there are a variety of ways to establish a committed volunteer base. We will discuss best practices in creating an experience that grows the enthusiasm and dedication of your volunteers.

*Free event for ACAM network partners and 2024 ACAM All-Access Pass holders.

This event is $35 for all other attendees*

About the Speaker

Erica Bryant

Erica Bryant is celebrating her third anniversary at Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM), where she plays a pivotal role as the Program and Community Resource Coordinator. Her responsibilities include overseeing program volunteers and serving as the point of contact for NAM across various committees. Erica’s commitment to the Houston community is evident through her efforts in community relations, particularly in coordinating volunteers and leveraging her comprehensive understanding of local non-profit organizations.

Her involvement extends to board service at several organizations, including the YMCA Ella branch. Erica’s leadership skills were further honed by completing the CenterPoint Energy Emerging Leaders Institute ~ Cohort III, hosted by the Texas A&M University Center for Executive Development at Mays Business School, in June 2024.

An East Texas native, Erica’s career began with the State of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, where she worked as a Fish Technician for five years. She then transitioned to Domino’s Pizza Inc. in Ann Arbor, Michigan, taking on the role of Corporate Coordinator for the Texas Region, which marked the start of her community engagement. For the next twenty years, Erica has been associated with the United Way of Greater Houston as a Community Relations Coordinator.   She continues actively participating in community outreach programs. Erica’s personal life is marked by her 34-year love & marriage to her high school sweetheart, John, who passed away from brain cancer in 2017. Together, they raised two children, Ejalyn and Ceajae, who are now adults.

Applying for citizenship is a complex process. This session details how to apply, what documentation is needed, understanding the N-400, how to cover costs, and how to answer client questions. Clients should walk away with clear expectations of their responsibilities before starting the Naturalization process.

Lunch will be provided.

The Pathways to Citizenship Collaborative is made possible due to the generosity provided by The Houston Endowment. The ACAM Network is so grateful for the opportunity to carry out this vital work!

Learning Objective

Outlining the citizenship application process in an understandable yet detailed way for clients. 

Target Audience

Interns, new staff, and community organizations will benefit the most from this training. Attendance required for Pathways to Citizenship Collaborative. 

About the Presenters

Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative

In 2013, local organizations working with immigrant communities came together to address the lack of legal service capacity in the Houston region.  These early meetings eventually became the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative (HILSC or the Collaborative). Collaborative allies include non-profit legal services providers, outreach and advocacy organizations, the business community, law school legal clinics, public agencies, and private foundations.

The Collaborative plays a critical role convening, coordinating, and communicating in the legal services community. Through our work, more immigrants are receiving low-cost, high-quality legal services for immigration issues in Houston. Our work has become even more urgent in the last few years, as the policy environment in which we work becomes increasingly hostile to immigrants. We have seen a dramatic increase in the demand for immigration legal services and education & outreach efforts in Houston’s diverse immigrant communities.

The ACAM Network thanks HILSC for their commitment and their passion for Immigration and Citizenship and for sharing their extensive knowledge and expertise. Together, we do more to strengthen the network of service providers working to naturalize the 300,000 people eligible for citizenship in Greater Houston.

Telling your organization’s story to funders is an art and science. This interactive session will cover best practices in persuasive writing and strategies to more clearly communicate your fundraising needs to institutional and even individual donors.

About the Speaker

Mary Claire Waltham

Mary Claire’s positivity, warmth and heart for mission is only matched by her relentless commitment to help her clients achieve their goals. Since joining Dini Spheris in 2014, Mary Claire has served nearly 100 nonprofits throughout Texas and across the country. She is a seasoned consultant, successfully helping clients grow their annual, capital and major gift fundraising, executing strategic planning processes that have transformed institutions, and managing campaigns with goals ranging from $1 million to $250 million.

As a coach and counselor, Mary Claire focuses first on building a strong, confident team of volunteers and staff. Her goal is always to maximize her client’s strengths, to build the right, tailored strategy for every setting, and to create an enduring partnership based in trust. Nothing brings her more joy than walking hand in hand with organizations in the midst of transformation, boldly facing challenges and celebrations.

Mary Claire holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago and a Nonprofit Finance Certificate from Rice University. She is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals - Greater Houston Chapter and regularly presents at conferences throughout the United States. Mary Claire also deeply enjoys mentoring the next generation of sector leaders as a lead instructor with the University of Houston Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. She serves on the Board of the Endowment Fund of St. Stephen’s Episcopal, Houston and previously served on the Board of Trustees of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. Mary Claire is most proud to be the mother of Baby Malcolm and spends every moment she can chasing after her son and his best friend, Hercules the Cat.

Today as we rely more and more on the internet, people can buy a products and services with the tap of a finger or the click of a button. With the huge popularity of online shopping, online retail stores have high chance of success. In this is discussion led by Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, one of the top worldwide retail influencers, we will learn how to optimize online sales, drive traffic to your website, and generate more revenue than before!

*Free event for ACAM network partners and 2024 ACAM All-Access Pass holders.

This event is $35 for all other attendees*

About the Speaker

Nicole Leinbach

Nicole Leinbach is the Founder of RetailMinded.com, the Independent Retailer & Sellers Conference and the STIMULATE: A Wellness Trade Show.

With a core concentration on independent retailers, small businesses, community, and how the various touchpoints of commerce influence modern merchants, Leinbach is a frequent guest and contributor to various media outlets that have included The Today Show, Forbes, Entreprenuer.com and countless B2B publications. Additionally, Leinbach has supported American Express’s Small Business Saturday as a Spokesperson and is the Author of the book “Retail 101: The Guide to Managing and Marketing Your Retail Business” from McGraw-Hill. 

In 2022, Leinbach was recognized as one of Women Wear Daily’s “25 Most Inspiring Women in Retail” and has been on the list of the world’s most influential retail leaders from Rethink Retail since 2015. In 2023, Leinbach was recognized by American Eagle on a billboard in retail for being a Global Change Maker with her work in retail. 

She’s a mom of 4, 3 dogs and also a Professor at Columbia College where she teaches Retail Marketing. Leinbach proudly describes herself as a “retail geek”.

U.S. citizenship is often the destination of the immigration journey for many. In Greater Houston, an estimated 360,000 Lawful Permanent Residents are eligible to apply for citizenship. This session will discuss the pathways to U.S. citizenship, eligibility requirements, available waivers for a Lawful Permanent Resident to acquire citizenship and the benefits such status provides.  

Learning Objective(s) 

Assess client’s eligibility for citizenship and communicate with them about the process of seeking citizenship and the benefits such status provides.  

Target Audience 

Interns, new staff, and community organizations will benefit the most from this training. Attendance required for Pathways to Citizenship Collaborative. 

Lunch will be provided upon arrival. 

This training answers the question, “what do I do if I have an issue, but I’m not eligible for anything because of my status?” Attendees will learn the latest “public charge” rule and how it impacts immigrants’ eligibility for means-tested programs, and what services immigrants can receive regardless of status, publicly funded alternatives, and how to direct clients to those services. Through working on a hypothetical case, participants will identify the service available to mixed-immigrant-status family and how to advocate to help them secure these services. 

The U.S. immigration system is complex and can be difficult to understand. At this session, experienced immigration attorneys will provide a high-level explanation of the limited pathways that allow someone to obtain permanent immigration status. The speakers will also discuss the demographic make-up of the immigrant population in Greater Houston. Through an interactive exercise, participants will apply the knowledge to find possible pathway to permanent immigration status for the hypothetical family.

Lunch will be provided.

Learning Objective(s)

1. Understanding the basic framework of the U.S. immigration system. 

2. Get an overview of the make-up of the immigrant population in Greater Houston. 

3. Using a hypothetical to explore pathways to permanent immigration system. 

Target Audience

Interns, new staff, case managers, and community organizations will get a deeper knowledge about the intersection of immigration status and access to benefits and services from this training.  

Attendance required for Connect for Healthcare Network and Pathways to Citizenship Cohort. 

This training is curated in partnership with the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative.

From news about major events to the most mundane posts, every day we rely on Social Media to stay connected with each other. As brands use social media more and more, it's important to stay ahead of the game and capitalize on what works. Back again are April Lykos and Karina Patman of The Guild Shop discussing how they earned thousands of followers, collaborated with local influencers, increased their sales over the course of the year and how you can too!

Your volunteers reflect the diversity of your community as everyone has different strengths, talents, and interests. Having an effective assessment process increases the chance for potential volunteers to excel in their roles and earn a genuine sense of fulfillment. We will discuss best practices of evaluating and understanding your volunteers and how to focus the enthusiasm they have for your cause to suit your organization's needs.

*Free event for ACAM network partners and 2024 ACAM All-Access Pass holders.
This event is $35 for all other attendees*

Cinnamon Baldwin

As a lover of education and the development of young people, Cinnamon created her career within educational institutions. She received her Master's Degree in Natural Resource Management and also served for many years as a Grade School Administrator. Now she is able to combine her passions as the Community Engagement & Volunteer Manager for the Hermann Park Conservancy. From the 21,000 volunteers hours it takes to maintain the park to Job Shadowing Program, Cinnamon continues to grow and develop way for nature-conscious Houstonians to give back.

An A+ proposal budget provides an honest, complete, and clear picture of the total value of everything it takes to do your work successfully. It also stands as an invaluable management and evaluation tool when it comes to running your grant-funded program. How can you craft this type of budget? That’s the question we’ll explore! Join ACAM for this two-part event with longtime grant professional and grant maker Maryn Boess, founder and chief magic-maker at GrantsMagic U!

*Free event for ACAM network partners and 2024 ACAM All-Access Pass holders. This event is $35 for all other attendees*

Part 1: Ahead of the training meeting, registrants will receive a link to in the GrantsMagic U video course, “Budget-Building for Grantwriters: The ‘Total-Value’ Framework for Crafting an A+ Project Budget – Every Time!” (You and your team can watch the video course any time you like, on your own schedule.)

Part 2: At our live Zoom meeting on May 30, Maryn will put on her Grantmaker’s Hat to tackle the questions that came up for you during the video course – and host a robust discussion about your own right-now challenges and concerns in navigating GrantsWorld successfully.

Be prepared for plenty of aha’s, hmm’s, surprises, and inspirations!

In this five-star video-based training, you will:

• learn and practice how to take a "total value” approach to budget-building, so you can clearly and compellingly show the value of everything it takes to do your work successfully;

•  work with a real-life scenario to go through each of the six major budget categories, looking at the key issues and challenges you can expect to run into in each one;

•  have the chance to whip out your calculator and try your own hand at thinking through some of the situations in a real-life scenario;

•  get a behind-the-scenes view of how grant makers evaluate your proposal budget and what your budget tells them about your organization; and

• clear away the confusion around the value of volunteer time, accounting for “match,” handling administrative/indirect costs, and other perennially perplexing budget issues.

•  BONUS: You’ll be introduced to GrantsMagic U’s exclusive powerful planning tool to help you craft a budget that is comprehensive, realistic, and bullet-proof—and that will work for you, your organization, and your grantmaking partners.

• Most importantly, you’ll walk away understanding how to break the “starvation cycle” that plagues many nonprofit organizations so you no longer understate the cost and value of your mission-critical work.

This training session will provide a brief intro into how Motivational Interviewing (MI) was developed and how it conceptualizes the role of a helper. We will discuss how tuning into client language can help guide your conversations, cover some common pitfalls when practicing MI, and focus primarily on the client-centered skill of reflective listening, offering exercises for practice and skill-building. Jordan Press, LCSW, a Clinical Housing Case Manager at SEARCH Homeless Services will be leading this training.

Jordan Press, LCSW, is a Clinical Housing Case Manager at SEARCH Homeless Services. She has been practicing Motivational Interviewing (MI) for 15 years, starting in Los Angeles’ Skid Row and becoming a trainer in the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) in 2016. She provides MI trainings, coaching, and skill-building groups, and seeks to help new learners bring their own voice and intuition into their MI practice.