Rooted in Restoration: A Retreat for Black Nonprofit Professionals
About this Event
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The Black Executive Directors Network (BLK ED Network) Presents...Rooted in Restoration: A Retreat for Black Nonprofit Professionals
Leadership asks a lot of us. For Black nonprofit professionals, that responsibility often extends far beyond managing programs, teams, budgets, boards, and organizational goals. Leaders are also responding to the needs of their communities, navigating funding uncertainty, adapting to a changing social and political climate, and carrying the emotional weight that comes with doing work deeply connected to people and purpose.
Over time, that weight adds up.
Rooted in Restoration is a one-day restorative leadership retreat created to give Black nonprofit professionals intentional space to step away from the demands of the day-to-day and reconnect with themselves, their peers, and the practices that make sustainable leadership possible.
On Friday, September 25, 2026, we will gather for a full day centered on restoration, reflection, connection, and leadership.
This retreat recognizes rest as part of sustainable leadership. Participants will be invited to slow down, release some of the pressure they carry, engage in meaningful reflection, and spend time in community with people who understand the realities of nonprofit work.
Throughout the day, participants will move between restorative wellness practices, guided reflection, facilitated conversations, nourishing food, and opportunities for genuine peer connection. There is no expectation to perform, present, or arrive with all the answers.
Come ready to breathe, reflect, connect, and make space for yourself.
What to Expect
Sound Bath & Yoga
Begin the retreat with grounding practices designed to help you settle into the day. Guided movement, breathwork, and sound will create an opportunity to quiet some of the mental noise that comes with constantly being responsible for what comes next. No previous yoga or sound bath experience is required.
Guided Reflection & Journaling
Throughout the retreat, participants will have dedicated opportunities to slow down and reflect. Guided prompts will encourage you to think about your current leadership experience, personal capacity, boundaries, priorities, and the practices that support you outside of your professional responsibilities. These moments are designed for personal reflection rather than performance. You choose what you want to write, process, or share.
Healthy Eating & Cooking Demonstration
Restoration also includes how we care for our bodies. Participants will enjoy a nourishing meal and engage in a practical wellness-focused cooking experience designed to make healthy choices feel realistic and accessible beyond the retreat. The focus will be on practices that can fit into real lives and demanding schedules.
Guest Facilitator Session
A featured facilitator will guide a conversation centered on sustainable leadership and personal well-being. Rather than another traditional professional development session filled with information to take back to the office, this conversation will create room to examine how we lead, what leadership costs us when boundaries disappear, and what practices can help us remain connected to ourselves while serving others. Participants will leave with ideas and tools they can adapt to their own leadership and personal routines.
Peer Connection
Some of the most meaningful conversations happen when leaders have space to speak with people who understand the experience without requiring a lengthy explanation. Rooted in Restoration will create intentional opportunities to connect with other Black nonprofit professionals, exchange perspectives, share experiences, and build relationships beyond organizational titles. This is connection without the pressure of traditional networking.
Community Circle
We will close the retreat together. The community circle will provide space to reflect on the day, identify personal takeaways, set intentions for what comes next, and consider how restoration can continue after leaving the retreat. Participants will also receive self-care bags to take a piece of the experience home with them.
What You'll Leave With
Our goal is for participants to leave Rooted in Restoration feeling lighter, clearer, connected, and supported.
You can expect to leave with practical strategies for protecting your capacity, reflection tools you can continue using, new connections with fellow nonprofit professionals, renewed awareness of your personal boundaries, wellness practices that can be incorporated into everyday life, and space to reconsider what sustainable leadership can look like for you.
Most of all, we want you to leave having experienced a full day in which caring for yourself was part of the agenda.
Registration
BLK ED Network Member: $75
Non-Member: $125
Space is intentionally limited to preserve the intimate, restorative nature of the retreat. Early registration is encouraged.
Presented by BLK ED Network
The Black Executive Directors Network creates opportunities for Black nonprofit leaders to access community, resources, professional development, and relationships that support their leadership. Rooted in Restoration extends that commitment by creating intentional space for the people doing the work to care for themselves, connect with one another, and consider what it takes to lead sustainably.
Rest. Reflect. Reconnect. Lead well.
We look forward to welcoming you to Rooted in Restoration.
Agenda
🕑: 08:00 AM - 09:00 AM
Doors Open & Check-In
Info: Guests arrive, register, and enjoy a light breakfast.
🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Morning Wellness Block
Info: Choose between yoga or a restorative sound bath + meditation to start the day grounded and centered. Mats and space will be provided.
🕑: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Healthy Eating/Cooking Demonstration & Lunch
Info: Learn practical, stress-free ways to prepare nourishing meals while enjoying a live cooking demonstration.
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Networking Lunch
Info: Gather with fellow nonprofit leaders for a shared meal featuring fresh wraps and salads, creating space for conversation and connection.
🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:30 PM
Guided Journaling Session
Info: Take time to reflect on your leadership journey, process insights from the morning sessions, and set personal intentions. Journals and prompts will be available.
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:00 PM
Community Harvest Circle
Info: Come together as a group to share insights, commitments, and takeaways from the day in a supportive, collective space.
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Closing & Care Kits | Departure & Networking
Info: End the retreat with a gratitude practice and receive a curated self-care bag filled with wellness items to continue the restoration journey beyond the day. Take advantage of this final hour to connect with peers, exchange contact information, and build relationships.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00 to USD 135.23
