On May 27, nearly 60 nonprofit professionals from 25 organizations—including program directors and human resources, development, and operations leaders—made time to gather, connect, and build their professional networks with a dash of minor league baseball at PNC Field in Moosic. The represented organizations ranged from small, grassroots nonprofits with a single team member to large institutions employing hundreds, yet all embody a shared commitment to improving the health and well-being of people throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Before the first pitch, attendees gathered in a private space overlooking the ballpark. Danielle Breslin, Moses Taylor Foundation’s President and CEO, offered brief remarks. She emphasized the Foundation’s continued commitment to listening, connecting, and acting on grantee feedback wherever possible. Breslin shared, “We read every grant report and appreciate the comments and honest insights you share. The idea to gather current grantees for an event like this was not ours. It was yours. Please take advantage of today to really connect, and, hopefully, extend some newfound relationships beyond the ballpark.”
Following a round-robin of introductions, attendees made their way back to the patio and into four breakout groups. Questions from the participants—covering topics from fundraising and sustainability to partnerships and talent retention—were used to kick-start lively peer-driven conversations.
One group brainstormed ways to identify “rising stars,” retain talent, and foster leadership within its younger team members. Another was deep into a discussion about fundraising tactics—everything from implementing the right customer relationship management software, email platforms, and social media tools to their development team’s recommendation to manually place stamps on envelopes and handwrite donor addresses in blue ink. Participants were also able to easily engage with the Foundation’s team and one another on a wide range of topics. A cameo appearance from Champ, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders’ furry, blue mascot, helped keep the mood light.
Broader issues affecting the nonprofit sector, such as sustainability, state and federal funding trends, organizational growth, and strategic planning naturally emerged as recurring themes. Participants openly shared their perspectives on everything from implementing new policies to experiences working with specific external consultants—the kind of candid, off-the-cuff conversations that do not always fit into a typical, busy workday.
“Every time we host small grantee cohorts and learning events, we hear feedback about how excited they were to make new connections with each other. It really underscores how valuable peer networking opportunities can be,” said Lisa Savero, Senior Program Officer at Moses Taylor Foundation. “We had been trying to figure out how to facilitate more connections and wanted to steer away from anything that felt too formal or structured. A mid-day baseball game, loosely guided discussion, and some time together outside seemed to make a lot of sense.”
After the buffet lunch, the small groups dispersed. Individuals leaned into side conversations and exchanged contact information. The majority stayed to catch a few innings of the RailRiders game before heading out to finish the workday.
“It was nice to connect with fellow nonprofit colleagues in a more relaxed environment. Having the opportunity to network was a good reminder that we should strengthen our network with each other more often,” added Betsy Ardizoni, Maternal and Family Health Services’ Senior Director of Brand and Development.
While the Foundation has supported more than 175 organizations over the past decade, attendance at this event was intentionally limited to current grantee partners. Based on recommendations from each nonprofit’s CEO or executive director, the Foundation invited one program leader (direct service or implementation-focused) and one operations leader (finance, human resources, data, or support) per organization. Post-event, the Foundation followed up to share attendees’ contact information and photos. Feedback received from a brief survey will help shape future grantee gatherings.
“If the connections made today lead to future collaborations, resource sharing, or someone simply not feeling alone in this type of community-focused nonprofit work, I’d consider the event a success,” shared Breslin.
Savero added, “I’m so pleased with how it all came together. People were chatting, smiling, moving around the patio—just honestly engaging with each other. We simply created a space for people to come together and they were ready to do the rest.”
