Missouri CAN 2027 Annual Conference - Call for Proposals

Call for Proposals

Missouri Community Action Network (Missouri CAN) is excited to release this call for proposals for our upcoming Annual Conference: Making Waves, Leading Change Across Missouri!

Proposal submissions are due by November 1, 2026.

About Missouri CAN:
Missouri CAN is a 501(c)(3) state association for Community Action Agencies in Missouri. Our vision is to have a state where all people and communities thrive by advocating for low-income Missourians and the Community Action Network. As part of our mission to support Missouri’s Network of Community Action Agencies, we host an annual training conference to bring new learning and networking opportunities to our network of nonproﬁt Community Action Agencies serving individuals and families with limited resources throughout Missouri.

About the Opportunity:
Missouri CAN seeks workshop presenters for our annual training conference, Tuesday, April 13 to Thursday, April 15, 2027 in Lake of the Ozarks, MO. All sessions will be held on site for in-person attendees. Sessions are 90 minutes in length, and we expect approximately 200 conference attendees.

Presenters at our conferences can connect directly with people delivering services to those living with low incomes and with each agency’s leadership. We encourage connections with our Network which creates opportunities to continue relationships with agencies after the event.

Based on our long history of tapping into our exceptional in-network experts and partners, Missouri CAN invites Missouri CAA professionals to propose training sessions. We welcome proposals from and broader Community Action Network and partners across our State, Region, and National network. We strongly encourage those outside of the Community Action Network to propose impactful sessions for consideration.

Proposal Submissions are due by November 1, 2026.

We are seeking presenters to address a variety of topics organized by five overarching areas of focus:

Advocacy
Strategies for elevating Community Action’s voice; using data to craft compelling and accessible messages; engaging policymakers and legislators; building grassroots support for key initiatives; and other approaches to amplify the impact of Community Action through effective advocacy.

Fiscal, HR, and Internal Management
Innovative tools and practices for strengthening internal operations; effective use of financial systems; workforce policies and procedures that support compliance and efficiency; succession planning and leadership pipelines; and other strategies to enhance the organizational capacity of Community Action Agencies.

Causes and Conditions of Poverty
Exploration of the root causes, current conditions, and evidence-informed strategies to improve how poverty impacts families and communities. Sessions addressing our Network’s five elements of poverty: Economic & Family Security, Education, Food & Nutrition, Health, and Housing and Energy are encouraged. Sessions may focus on analysis, policy, or programmatic strategies to reduce barriers and strengthen outcomes.

Working with Families
Approaches to support families in achieving self-sufficiency and stability; Whole Family/Two-Generation strategies; case management practices; trauma-informed care; and other methods for engaging and empowering families to achieve lasting change.

Working with Staff
Promising practices for recruitment, retention, and staff well-being; leadership development opportunities; onboarding strategies; coaching and mentoring; and methods for supporting a strong and resilient workforce.

Have questions? Reach out to info@communityaction.org!

Interactive Sessions Guidelines:

Missouri CAN conference attendees consistently rate hands on and interactive sessions as the most valuable part of the conference experience. We ask all presenters to design sessions that go beyond lecture only delivery. If possible, strong proposals will incorporate at least one of the following:

• Small group discussion or breakout activities

• Case studies or real-world scenarios attendees can work through

• Q&A sessions, live audience response tools

• Hands-on practice with templates, frameworks, or case studies

• Peer-to-peer sharing or structured networking within the session

Question Title

1. Workshop Title (Required.)

Question Title

2. Workshop Description (300 Words or Less) (Required.)

Question Title

3. Learning Objectives/Takeaways (please be concise): (Required.)

Objective 1:

Objective 2:

Objective 3:

Question Title

4. Intended Audience: select all that apply (Required.)

Board of Directors

CEO/Executive Director

Leadership Teams

Program Managers

Head Start Staff

Direct Service/Frontline workers

Human Resources Professionals

Fiscal Resources Professionals

Question Title

5. Workshops are 90 minutes in length and we highly encourage attendee engagement and interaction. What elements would your workshop include? Check all that apply. (Required.)

Lecture

Visual/Slides

Presentation

Discussion

Small group discussion/activities

Building a plan, policy, or other product within the workshop

Question Title

6. Will you need any of the following items for your workshop? (Required.)

Projector

Laptop/Computer

Clicker

Audio (for videos/clips/etc.)

Flipchart paper and markers

Other (please specify)

Question Title

7. Please rank your preferred presentation date/time from best to worst. We will do our best to honor selections based on availability. (Required.)

Question Title

8. How many total presenters (including Primary Presenter)? (Required.)

Question Title

9. Primary Presenter Contact Information: (Required.)

Name

Organization

Job Title

Address

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Email Address

Phone Number

Question Title

10. Primary Presenter's Brief Biography (include any certiﬁcations such as CCAP, ROMA certiﬁcation, CPA, etc.) Please keep the biography under 200 words. (Required.)

Question Title

11. Primary Presenter Head Shot (Required.)

Question Title

12. If applicable, please provide the name, title, organization, email address and brief bio of this co-presenter.

Presenter 2 Name

Presenter 2 Title

Presenter 2 Organization

Presenter 2 Email

Presenter 2 Brief Bio

Question Title

13. Presenter 2 Head Shot

Question Title

14. If applicable, please provide the name, title, organization, email address and brief bio of this co-presenter.

Presenter 3 Name

Presenter 3 Title

Presenter 3 Organization

Presenter 3 Email

Presenter 3 Brief Bio

Question Title

15. Presenter 3 Head Shot

Thank you for submitting a workshop proposal!

All submissions will be reviewed by Missouri CAN and Annual Conference Committee. Due to event space, a limited number of presentations will be selected. You will be contacted either way. If your proposal is selected for the 2027 Annual Conference, additional information may be required to ensure a smooth participation experience.

Submission of this proposal implies acknowledgement that Missouri CAN may photograph, videotape, and/or audiotape attendees and materials throughout the conference. The productions of such may be freely disseminated for purposes including, but not limited to outreach, education, dissemination eﬀorts and commercial purposes.

We appreciate your proposal and look forward to speaking with you soon!

Missouri CAN 2027 Annual Conference - Call for Proposals

Call for Proposals

Question Title

* 1. Workshop Title (Required.)

Question Title

* 2. Workshop Description (300 Words or Less) (Required.)

Question Title

* 3. Learning Objectives/Takeaways (please be concise): (Required.)

Question Title

* 4. Intended Audience: select all that apply (Required.)

Question Title

* 5. Workshops are 90 minutes in length and we highly encourage attendee engagement and interaction. What elements would your workshop include? Check all that apply. (Required.)

Question Title

* 6. Will you need any of the following items for your workshop? (Required.)

Question Title

* 7. Please rank your preferred presentation date/time from best to worst. We will do our best to honor selections based on availability. (Required.)

Question Title

* 8. How many total presenters (including Primary Presenter)? (Required.)

Question Title

* 9. Primary Presenter Contact Information: (Required.)

Question Title

* 10. Primary Presenter's Brief Biography (include any certiﬁcations such as CCAP, ROMA certiﬁcation, CPA, etc.) Please keep the biography under 200 words. (Required.)

Question Title

* 11. Primary Presenter Head Shot (Required.)

Question Title

* 12. If applicable, please provide the name, title, organization, email address and brief bio of this co-presenter.

Question Title

* 13. Presenter 2 Head Shot

Question Title

* 14. If applicable, please provide the name, title, organization, email address and brief bio of this co-presenter.

Question Title

* 15. Presenter 3 Head Shot

1. Workshop Title (Required.)

2. Workshop Description (300 Words or Less) (Required.)

3. Learning Objectives/Takeaways (please be concise): (Required.)

4. Intended Audience: select all that apply (Required.)

5. Workshops are 90 minutes in length and we highly encourage attendee engagement and interaction. What elements would your workshop include? Check all that apply. (Required.)

6. Will you need any of the following items for your workshop? (Required.)

7. Please rank your preferred presentation date/time from best to worst. We will do our best to honor selections based on availability. (Required.)

8. How many total presenters (including Primary Presenter)? (Required.)

9. Primary Presenter Contact Information: (Required.)

10. Primary Presenter's Brief Biography (include any certiﬁcations such as CCAP, ROMA certiﬁcation, CPA, etc.) Please keep the biography under 200 words. (Required.)

11. Primary Presenter Head Shot (Required.)

12. If applicable, please provide the name, title, organization, email address and brief bio of this co-presenter.

13. Presenter 2 Head Shot

14. If applicable, please provide the name, title, organization, email address and brief bio of this co-presenter.

15. Presenter 3 Head Shot