14th Annual Northwest PA Nonprofit Day Conference

Since it was founded in 2001, The Nonprofit Partnership has worked to enhance the community in Northwest Pennsylvania, and a big part of their ongoing education is Nonprofit Day. The annual event is the second-largest of its kind in the Keystone State and will be held Tuesday, Oct. 14 at the Bayfront Convention Center to help educate people in the area about the ongoing shift in the nonprofit world and what can be done to improve the region.

"With the changes in the economy, we're going to have to find new ways to provide the basic services – to feed the hungry, house the homeless, educate our kids, and keep a clean environment," says Michael Brand, the director of leadership and education at The Nonprofit Partnership. "We're going to have to unleash a lot more of the native talent, and Erie has a lot of native talent."

According to Brand, the Conference is a way for participants to educate themselves about how business models continue to evolve along with the changing economy and other outside factors. With that in mind, The Nonprofit Partnership created a lineup of speakers to present their cases and educate, including Lunchtime Keynote Speaker Brandon Chrostowski, the founder of the Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute, a nonprofit social enterprise that takes formerly incarcerated adults and gives them a foundation in the hospitality industry.

"What caught my eye about [Brandon] was his passion and how he took that passion and turned it into a way to address a critical social issue," Brand says. "Brandon's skill is in the restaurant business, but he's using that as a gateway to address a critical human need with a group of people that not a lot of society wants to deal with. It's an incredible story."

To hear Chrostowski's keynote speech, as well as plenty of other presentations and workshops, head to the Bayfront Convention Center for the 14th Annual Nonprofit Day to see just how nonprofits can continue to evolve and aid Northwest Pennsylvania. 

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14 // 1 Sassafras Pier // thenonprofitpartnership.org.