Community Programs

Executive Director and Board President learning session to strengthen relationships, understand roles and responsibilities, and map out their year.

Together the Executive Director and Board President serve as the key leaders in a nonprofit organization corporation. As such, it is critical that they work in tandem to best serve their students, staff, and families.

The is a unique opportunity for nonprofit leadership to intentionally discuss, and delineate roles and responsibilities. Participants will leave the Summit with a clear plan of shared leadership for core functions along with a strategy for communicating that plan to the rest of the board.

Participants will:

• Discuss staff personnel
• Plan for the supervision of and annual review of the Executive Director / CEO
• Outline responsibilities for program development
• Discuss finance and budget
• Map out board meeting responsibilities
• Determine responsibilities for board building
• Examine the Executive Director and Board President relationship
• Determine an accountability and communication plan for the board

Cost: $50

Facilitators

Mitch Isaacs
Executive Director for Shafer Leadership Academy

Mitch Isaacs was named Shafer Leadership Academy’s Executive Director in May 2015. In this role, he works closely with the organization’s board of directors to fulfill the mission of the organization. He is responsible for creating vision, connecting with stakeholders, administering program offerings and leading the organization in meaningful ways.

Mitch has over 20 years of leadership development experience. He graduated from Ball State University in 2002 with a double major in History and Political Science and a minor in Counseling Psychology. Mitch completed his master’s degree in student Affairs and Higher Education at Indiana State University. Mitch returned to Ball State in 2005 and spent the next 10 years as a working professional in Higher Education, including five years as the Director of the Excellence in Leadership program, and Coordinator of the Leadership Studies Minor.

Mitch is an active member of the Muncie, Indiana community with broad nonprofit experience.  He  has served as the president of the board of directors Country Village / Creekwood Neighborhood Association, Muncie Action Plan, and Indiana Leadership Association. He has also served on the boards for Motivate Our Minds, Muncie Rotary and the Muncie Civic Center Authority. Mitch is passionate about youth development, with previous roles as Project Leadership Mentor, a Big Brother with Big Brothers / Big Sisters of Delaware County, and a member of the Burris Laboratory School Advisory Council.

Mitch has provided nonprofit consulting to organizations in Delaware County, Indiana, and beyond!

Jenna Ashby
Relationship and Resource Director for Nonprofit Support Network

Jena Ashby is Nonprofit Support Network’s Relationship and Resource Director. She has extensive nonprofit work and volunteer experience, and a wealth of experience convening diverse groups to build authentic, collaborative relationships.  She is passionate about the Muncie/Delaware County community and connecting people and organizations in meaningful, mutually beneficial ways.

 Jena is a lifelong Muncie resident who earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Ball State University in 2001 and continues to serve on the Department’s Advisory Council. She has also served on the staff of the following nonprofits: A Better Way, Habitat for Humanity, 8twelve Coalition, and Scholar House. Her Board involvement has included Muncie YMCA, Second Harvest Food Bank, Teamwork for Quality Living, and Step Ahead Preschool.

Jena and her husband have two young adult sons and enjoy outdoor activities, including cycling, hiking, and kayaking. They are active in leadership roles within their church.  She brings her skills in organizational management, public speaking, program development, connection/relationship building, and strategic planning to the many roles she is actively engaged in.

Session Description:
In today’s competitive labor market, cultivating a strong and sustainable talent pipeline is essential for nonprofit success. This session, led by professionals from local and state workforce agencies, explores how service learning can be leveraged to address both immediate organizational needs and long-term workforce development goals. Participants will learn how to partner with educational institutions, workforce development boards, and community programs to create meaningful service learning opportunities that not only enhance organizational capacity but also introduce potential future employees to the nonprofit sector. This session will offer real-world examples, practical tools, and insights from workforce professionals who understand how service learning can drive recruitment, retention, and mission alignment.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Define service learning and distinguish it from other volunteer and internship models.
2. Identify key benefits of service learning for nonprofits, students, and community stakeholders.
3. Understand how service learning can be integrated into a broader workforce development strategy.
4. Explore partnership opportunities with educational institutions and workforce agencies.
5. Develop strategies to turn service learners into future staff or long-term volunteers.

Cost: $25

Facilitator:

Ashley Williams is the Vice President of Talent Development with the Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce in Muncie, Indiana. She completed her undergraduate degree from Ball State University and earned a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration on non-profit leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Prior to joining the Chamber team, Ashley served on the senior leadership team at the Youth Opportunity Center, providing oversight of residential treatment programs. She most recently worked at Eastern Indiana Works, a regional workforce development board, strengthening her understanding of the current and future needs of the local workforce. Ashley has found her current role with the Chamber allows her to blend her passion for empowering young people with her love of aiding in the development of our future workforce.  With more than 20 years of leadership experience, Ashley is a skilled collaborator who takes pride in her ability to build strong partnerships that drive meaningful connections throughout the community.

Outside of work, Ashley values spending time with her family and volunteering for her church ministry. She is an advisory board member for TeenWorks and serves on the Board of Directors for Hillcroft Services.

Cassandra Gillenwater is the Director of Grants at Serve Indiana. In this role she oversees and manages the grant application, review, and funding process for AmeriCorps State and National Funding.

Prior to joining Serve Indiana, Cassandra worked and served in a variety of roles supporting community and youth development programs while working for Youth for Understanding USA and serving two terms as an AmeriCorps member with Public Allies Indianapolis.

Cassandra earned her bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University.

Read a book. Lead with inspiration.

SLA in partnership with Muncie Public Library is offering a unique quarterly gathering, highlighting important take-aways from inspirational leadership books. At each event, facilitators will share key leadership development lessons from leadership-focused books. This is not a book club, rather a guided discussion around the key takeaways from each book.

Prior reading of the book is not required but we encourage participants to share about what they learned and check-out one of the books from Muncie Public Library. All participants attending will be entered in a raffle to win a digital copy of one of the books discussed.

All sessions are FREE and open to the public thanks to our sponsor, eKeeper. Registration is required.

LEARN MORE »

Managing a nonprofit’s mission means managing its money — but nonprofit accounting isn’t just business accounting with different vocabulary. It requires a unique understanding of fund restrictions, program allocations, compliance, and how to tell your financial story to donors, boards, and funders alike.

This 90-minute session will demystify the fundamentals of nonprofit accounting, helping you better understand the structure of nonprofit financial statements, how to track restricted vs. unrestricted funds, and what financial metrics really matter. Whether you’re new to financial oversight or seeking a better grasp of the numbers you report each month, this session will equip you with tools and insights to manage your mission with greater confidence and clarity.

Led by Dr. Ben Angelo, Assistant Professor of Accounting at Ball State University, this interactive session will blend clear explanation, hands-on examples, and practical tools designed for executive directors, board members, and emerging nonprofit leaders alike.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

1. Interpret key nonprofit financial statements (Statement of Financial Position, Statement of Activities, etc.) and understand what they reveal about organizational health.
2. Differentiate between restricted and unrestricted funds, and understand the importance of fund accounting in day-to-day operations and reporting.
3. Apply core budgeting and tracking practices that align with nonprofit compliance, grant requirements, and board expectations.
4. Identify the key financial indicators (e.g., liquidity, revenue mix, overhead ratio) that matter most to funders and boards.
5. Ask better financial questions — as a leader, board member, or partner — to strengthen fiscal transparency and strategy.

Cost: $25

Facilitator:

Ben Angelo, assistant professor of accounting, earned his undergraduate and doctoral degrees from Purdue University. Ben has a unique and diverse professional background. Ben has worked as an auditor specializing in non-profits, he has worked in the treasury department at Purdue University, he has worked as a managerial accountant in the Office of the Provost at Purdue University, and he has performed tax and consulting work in his own practice.

Ben teaches government and non-profit accounting. Ben has previously taught managerial accounting at Purdue University, where he repeatedly won the “Distinguished Teaching” award. Ben incorporates his professional experience into the classroom to provide relevant and practical examples to students.

Ben’s research interests include academic and educational research. Ben is interested in how companies use voluntary disclosures to shape the market’s perception of firm performance. Ben is also interested in writing academic cases that engage students and provide the analytical skills they will need in order to be successful.