Message to Impact: Strengthening Your Public Speaking as a Nonprofit Leader

Nonprofit leaders are often called upon to speak in high‑stakes situations—with boards, funders, staff, and community partners—where confidence and clarity matter. This interactive half‑day workshop helps leaders strengthen their public speaking skills in a practical, supportive setting. Participants will learn how to establish credibility quickly, structure presentations around what audiences are truly listening for, and use body language to reinforce key messages. The session will highlight common presentation traps, and support participants in leaving a clear, confident, and lasting impression when speaking on behalf of their organizations.

Limited to six participants. Participants should be prepared to practice delivering short presentations and receiving feedback.

Expert Faculty

Marion Thomson Howell, Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada

As an Executive in Residence for Capacity Canada Marion developed online governance training for board directors based on gamification theory. As a facilitator she leads a workshop for Executive Assistants who support boards, is a co-facilitator for the series, Emerging Governance Strategies, and is part of the team of facilitators at Boot Camp delivering the workshop: Board Evaluation of the CEO.

Marion has extensive experience in not-for-profit governance both as a board member and consultant. She has been an elected school board trustee and served on boards in the post-secondary and health sectors. In recent years her attention has focused on the needs of the most vulnerable populations in our communities. She is a founding member of the Board of Directors for A Better Tent City, an organization that provides safe shelter and support for those who are experiencing homelessness, and is Vice Chair of the Board for Parents for Community Living, an organization that provides group living, supported independent living, employment and day supports for children, youth and adults in the Waterloo Region.

More broadly, Marion’s work with not-for-profit boards ranges from workshops on governance in general and what directors need to be aware of to be effective stewards of their organizations to work that targets each organization’s specific needs such as updating policies, ensuring effective monitoring of the organization’s work and building relationships among board members.