Community Rooted Organizations Leaders Retreat (Battle Creek)

Date: Friday, December 5, 2025
Location: Battle Creek Area Association of Realtors - 7100 Tower Rd., Battle Creek, MI 49014 (Large Conference Room)
Time: (9:30 am arrival) 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
We will provide light refreshements and lunch that will allow attendees to continue networking and sharing their experiences in an informal setting. But please be sure to bring anything you need to be comfortable throughout the day.)
Cost: Free
PLEASE REGISTER BELOW

The Community Rooted Organizations Leaders Retreat in Battle Creek is hosted for the Nonprofit Leaders in our two-year capacity building program at Nonprofit Network. During this half day retreat, we will hold space of empowerment, connection, and strategic leadership. The event will gather individuals dedicated to fostering equity, community relationship building, and collective liberation, establishing a supportive network that promotes shared goals.

This is an invitation only event that is asking organizational leaders to bring themselves and one other team member to the retreat. This could be a board member, another key volunteer or stakeholder, or a staff member. We have designed the retreat this way to ensure whole organizational growth by including our cohort’s organizational community to learn with us. This retreat is graciously hosted by Nonprofit Network and supported by W.K.Kellogg Foundation. 

We'd love to celebrate you! In the registration form is a chance to submit at least one thing you are proud of this year and a picture or two from your work and activities in the past year. Or, you can email [email protected]  with your updates and pictures with brief descriptions and Anne and Tracey will compile them.

If you need any help with registration you can email Anne or Tracey and they will be happy to assist you!

 REGISTER for FREE HERE

  Facilitators:

Ella Hephzibah, CNP

Ella is a Capacity Building Consultant with Nonprofit Network and a passionate advocate for strong, thriving BIPOC communities. Ella brings experience from the nonprofit world, small business ownership, and even leading international teams—giving her a deep understanding of what helps people and organizations grow. She is a member of the Black Excellence Planning Team, a proud certified nonprofit professional (CNP), and someone who creates welcoming spaces where authenticity, dignity, and big dreams are encouraged. Ella’s all about helping communities build strength, confidence, long-lasting impact and someone who shows up with heart in everything she does.

Dr. Crystallee Crain (she/her) 

An interdisciplinary public health scholar and human rights activist, Dr. Crain has a robust academic background in sociology, political science, and psychology. She specializes in addressing institutional inequalities while supporting community healing and advocacy. As a capacity building consultant for Nonprofit Network and the founder of Prevention at the Intersections, she focuses on community-centered projects aimed at preventing future harm within systems and organizations. Her contributions to literature and capacity-building efforts highlight her dedication to fostering social change and empowerment within communities. Crystallee was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Michigan Nonprofit Association.

Anne de Irala, CNP (audio reference) 

Anne is a board governance facilitator, Bridges Out of Poverty Certified Trainer and true “professional connector.” Anne has spent her career bringing people and resources together, making sure community members have what they need to thrive. With a background in communications and experience across health care, education, and community organizations, she brings both heart and skill to every space she enters. Anne is deeply rooted in service, actively giving her time to local boards and committees, and recently earned her Certified Nonprofit Professional credential to further strengthen her impact.

Please Note: Nonprofit Network may record, video or photograph public events. Recordings, videos and photos are used solely for the promotional purposes of Nonprofit Network. Nonprofit Network will regard as confidential all non-public information obtained during the course of its professional assignments. Information given in a public setting has no expectation of confidentiality.