How to Secure Funding for the Conference

1. Seek Support from Community Organizations

Many local businesses and civic groups such as Rotary, Kiwanis, or Lions Clubs actively support non-profits and professional development efforts. These organizations often have funding initiatives aligned with their mission to foster community growth and education. Reach out to those already engaged with your organization or mission.

Tip: Highlight how attending the conference directly benefits your organization and the community. Use key statistics and personal stories to create a compelling narrative.

2. Leverage Personal Stories to Make Your Case

Sharing personal experiences and success stories can make your funding request more impactful. Show potential donors how previous conference attendance has positively influenced your team’s work. For instance:

“Last year, attending the conference transformed our approach to family engagement. One staff member shared how a session on trauma-informed practices reshaped their understanding, resulting in stronger connections with families and better outcomes.”

Including such examples in your proposal helps demonstrate the conference's real-world value and alignment with your organization’s goals.

3. Build a Strong Professional Development Proposal

When drafting your funding request, establish the importance of the conference by tying it to your organization’s mission. Use compelling statements to highlight the relevance of the topics covered. For example:

"Supervised visitation plays a critical role in maintaining family connections and ensuring child safety. By attending the conference, we will gain tools and insights to further these efforts in our community." In 2024, 94% of conference attendees reported that attending the SVN Annual Conference was valuable to their professional development.

Be specific about the skills you’ll develop, the sessions you plan to attend, and the measurable outcomes you aim to achieve.

Here is some language you can use to gain support for your professional development:

Be a Champion for Safer Families

Supporting a professional’s attendance at the Supervised Visitation Network Annual Conference means investing in the safety, well-being, and futures of the children and families who rely on these essential services. Together, we can ensure that every family has access to safe, compassionate, and high-quality supervised visitation experiences.

Rare and Transformative Training Opportunities

Workshops at the conference address topics not commonly covered in other professional development settings, including:

Trauma’s impact on attachment and how to foster secure connections.
Cultural considerations for supporting survivors of color.
The role of supervised visitation in engaging incarcerated or justice-involved parents.
Building a sustainable supervised visitation program that meets the highest standards of care.

Why Back This Opportunity?

Supervised visitation-specific training is rare, yet the need for these services is growing. Backing a professional’s attendance at this event ensures they receive advanced skills and knowledge that can:

Enhance safety and support for children and families during parenting time.
Improve program outcomes with the latest research and practices.
Empower professionals to navigate legal and emotional complexities with confidence.

The Supervised Visitation Network Annual Conference is not just another professional development event—it’s the only conference in the country exclusively dedicated to supervised visitation. This makes it an unparalleled opportunity for professionals in the field to come together, share insights, and gain specialized training that directly impacts families, children, and communities.

What Makes This Conference Unique?

While professional development opportunities abound, few address the nuanced and complex world of supervised visitation. This event stands apart because it:

Focuses Solely on Supervised Visitation: Unlike generalized child welfare or family law conferences, every session, keynote, and workshop is tailored to the challenges and opportunities in supervised visitation.
Bridges Critical Topics: From trauma-informed practices to judicial perspectives and family engagement strategies, the conference explores topics that are often overlooked yet vital to the field.
Showcases Expert-Led Sessions: Attendees gain access to specialized training from nationally recognized experts who bring practical solutions to real-world challenges.
Creates a Supportive Network: It’s the one time each year when supervised visitation professionals can connect with others who understand the unique dynamics of this work.

Your support can make a tangible difference in helping professionals strengthen family connections, improve outcomes for children, and contribute to safer communities.

Utilize this template to create your support letter:

Click Here to Grab A Support Letter Template

Workshop Sessions Include:
Choose to spotlight workshop sessions you are planning to attend and would be most meaningful to potential supporters:

Introduction to Trauma and Resilience for Supervised Visitation Professionals
Naturalistic and Play Activities in Therapeutic Supervision Following Trauma
Non-Profit Support Systems and Supervised Visitation Navigating Compliance and Emotional Challenges in Supervised Visitation:
Practical Solutions for Supervisors and Families
Recognize, Report & Respond Responsibly
Thriving as a Human Being: Tools to Better Connect with Ourselves and Serving Our Communities
HOPE in Supervised Visitation
Empowering Families: Trauma-Informed Support for Families Experiencing Domestic Violence
Growing and Strengthening Your SV Business: Key Strategies for Success in Child Welfare
The Intersection Between Higher Education and Child Welfare - Improving Outcomes For Children
Working with Parents Living with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (ID/D)
A Roadmap for Including Incarcerated Fathers In Supervised Visitation Programs
Preventing Burnout in High Stress Roles
College and Court Collaboration to Promote Child Wellbeing and the Creation of Trauma-Responsive Spaces
Fostering Secure Connections: Understanding Trauma's Impact on Attachment in Child Welfare
Who's Going to Protect Us: Cultural Consideration when Supporting Survivors of Color
When Children Overdose:
Fairfax, VA’s Coordinated Community Response to the Opioid Epidemic from Identification, Education, Prevention, and Treatment
Compassionate Parenting Time Guidelines
Valuing Children's Voice After Separation
Supporting Fathers in the Visitation Process
The Child's Voice - Creating and Implementing a Child Orientation
Engaging Justice-Involved Parents: A Holistic Approach to Supervised Visitation
Understanding Adolescent Brain Development in Teen Dating Violence Cases
Thinking Outside The Box: A Unique Approach to Providing Supervised Visitation