Elise Woodworth
President at Woodworth Enterprises LLC
Nonprofits
Education: Virginia Military Institute - Capella University
Washington D.C., DC, USA
Biography
Elise Woodworth is the president of Woodworth Enterprises and dedicated to empowering nonprofits and their boards. Leveraging her background as a former US Air Force Logistics Officer, Elise combines military experience with business acumen to propel organizations toward success. As a best-selling author of "Business Not Battle for Nonprofit Boards," she's transformed numerous nonprofits with her expertise in leadership, governance, and team building.
Elise's impact extends beyond her daily work. Serving on the Virginia Military Institute’s Foundation’s Board of Trustees and volunteering with various organizations, she exemplifies her commitment to service and excellence. Her MBA from Capella University and Bachelor of Science in Biology from VMI underpin her strategic approach to nonprofit management. A dynamic speaker, Elise captivates audiences with insights that ignite tomorrow's leaders while drawing from her experiences as a mother of five and former military spouse. Her speaking engagements offer practical advice, shaped by her diverse interests including homeschooling and bird watching. Join Elise on a journey to unlock your organization's full potential and shape a brighter future.
Elise Woodworth is a seasoned speaker known for talks on leadership development, storytelling for impact, and the social sector. As the President of Woodworth Enterprises LLC, she empowers nonprofit organizations by fostering passionate staff, engaged volunteers, and enthusiastic donors. With a wealth of experience as a former US Air Force Logistics Officer, Elise uniquely blends military discipline with business acumen to inspire her audiences.
Passion
Nonprofit Leadership, Board Relations, Positive Mindset, Innovation
What drives Elise is her unwavering commitment to making a significant impact in the nonprofit sector. She believes in the transformative power of storytelling and is passionate about equipping leaders with the tools they need to engage their communities and create lasting change. Elise cares deeply about fostering environments where future leaders can thrive and make a difference.
Best Story
One of Elise's most memorable speaking experiences took place at a national nonprofit leadership conference, where she delivered a keynote address that inspired attendees to embrace a mindset of 'business not battle.' The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many stating that her insights motivated them to implement new strategies within their organizations and sparked renewed passion for their missions.
Origin Story
Elise's journey began during her service in the US Air Force, where she recognized the importance of effective leadership and collaboration. This experience ignited her passion for helping others grow and succeed, leading her to dedicate her career to supporting nonprofits in overcoming obstacles and achieving their missions.
Example talks
Business Not Battle for Nonprofits and Their Boards
Nonprofits need advocates, who focus their efforts on making decisions, attracting resources, and advancing the mission. Unfortunately, nonprofits often get stuck in battle. Stress, frustration, and prolonged conflict lead passionate people to disengage and disperse. Nonprofits fill important gaps in our society where government leaves off, and industry falls short. Not only that but nonprofits are formed out of passion. They are operated with passion. And they're funded out of passion, for seeing a problem fixed, a gap bridged. Focusing on business, not battle is the answer to creating a successful organization. For a nonprofit to be in business, it needs to get mission focused. From there business grows by gaining organizational awareness, learning to ask thoughtful questions, and by building an active network of advocates. Not only does this bring success to the organization, but it also helps fuel passionate staff and avoid burn out. It helps engage volunteers who are ready to lend a helping hand. And it helps attract enthusiastic confident donors.
During this session, we will…
-Learn the how to identify common battles nonprofits face that hinder success
-Discover easy to implement strategies for creating mission focus
-Learn how to use advocacy for their nonprofit to build momentum
-Walk away with 4 thoughtful questions to ignite positive change
-Jump start change to create a mini culture shift
Speaking Engagements
2025 Thrive! The NCHE Homeschool Conference
Featured Video
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
I generally get paid for speaking but make exceptions
Topics
Best Story
One of Elise's most memorable speaking experiences took place at a national nonprofit leadership conference, where she delivered a keynote address that inspired attendees to embrace a mindset of 'business not battle.' The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many stating that her insights motivated them to implement new strategies within their organizations and sparked renewed passion for their missions.
Origin Story
Elise's journey began during her service in the US Air Force, where she recognized the importance of effective leadership and collaboration. This experience ignited her passion for helping others grow and succeed, leading her to dedicate her career to supporting nonprofits in overcoming obstacles and achieving their missions.
Example talks
Business Not Battle for Nonprofits and Their Boards
Nonprofits need advocates, who focus their efforts on making decisions, attracting resources, and advancing the mission. Unfortunately, nonprofits often get stuck in battle. Stress, frustration, and prolonged conflict lead passionate people to disengage and disperse. Nonprofits fill important gaps in our society where government leaves off, and industry falls short. Not only that but nonprofits are formed out of passion. They are operated with passion. And they're funded out of passion, for seeing a problem fixed, a gap bridged. Focusing on business, not battle is the answer to creating a successful organization. For a nonprofit to be in business, it needs to get mission focused. From there business grows by gaining organizational awareness, learning to ask thoughtful questions, and by building an active network of advocates. Not only does this bring success to the organization, but it also helps fuel passionate staff and avoid burn out. It helps engage volunteers who are ready to lend a helping hand. And it helps attract enthusiastic confident donors.
During this session, we will…
-Learn the how to identify common battles nonprofits face that hinder success
-Discover easy to implement strategies for creating mission focus
-Learn how to use advocacy for their nonprofit to build momentum
-Walk away with 4 thoughtful questions to ignite positive change
-Jump start change to create a mini culture shift