Bernice Sanders Smoot, Trainer/Presenter, Principal, Saint Wall Street 

Since 1998, under the banner of SAINT WALL STREET, Bernice Sanders Smoot has assisted the growth and sustainability of grassroots programs serving at the frontlines of human need. Unlike development trainers that teach 400-year-old fundraising techniques, she shares how to engage value-raising and thereby demonstrate the return on investment today’s investors in nonprofit social services demand. Her exclusive approach, Program Return on Invest-ment (PROI), facilitates increasing and diversifying funding for grassroots programs within their current budget.

Ms. Smoot’s PROI trainings have been featured across America by sponsors that include: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Family Assistance, the US Department of Labor’s Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives, Pepperdine University, Regent University, and Servant Christian Community Foundation. All have received a 99% Excellent rating from attendees.

Ms. Smoot also has helped start-up organizations secure six- and seven-figure funding. By greatest example is HomeFree-USA, a social enterprise that’s now more than 15 years old, has a multi-million-dollar budget, and 91 affiliate locations across the U.S.

Prior to assisting nonprofit development, Ms. Smoot served the marketing and public-relations interests of several businesses and DC government. As a corporate-marketing executive, she developed for National Loan Servicenter an innovative customer communications strategy that increased timely mortgage payments from low-income HUD clients by a record 37%.

Accomplishments as a business-marketing consultant range from achieving record sales on QVC for a Maryland inventor, to researching and producing for Perot Systems a market forecast that accurately predicted the future of home-buying in America. On staff for the DC Mayor’s Office of Communica-tions, Ms. Smoot wrote and edited agency reports, constituency publications, and other “branding” communications for mayors Marion Barry and Sharon Pratt Kelly. She also has been a frequent radio guest on local stations, addressing faith-based and minority community development.

Ms. Smoot currently provides PROI development consulting, training and technical assistance for federal grantees through ICF/Macro International; PROI training and technical assistance for the National Fatherhood Initiative’s Certification College and several other intermediary organizations; ghost-writing for author, Dr. Jeffery Johnson, founder of the National Partnership for Community Leadership; and nonprofit development support for Jobs Partner-ship Greater Washington’s faith-based jobs and reentry training programs.

Click here for more information on this exciting new tool you will be trained on!

Leadership Institute

The Leadership Institute’s mission is to increase the number and effectiveness of conservative activists and leaders in the public policy process. To accomplish this mission, the Institute identifies, recruits, trains, and places conservatives in government, politics, and the media.

Founded in 1979 by its president, Morton C. Blackwell, the Leadership Institute (LI) teaches conservatives the nuts and bolts of how to succeed in the public policy process.

The Institute strives to produce a new generation of public policy leaders unwavering in their commitment to free enterprise, limited government, strong national defense, and traditional values. Institute graduates are equipped with practical skills and professional training to implement sound principles through effective public policy.

Carrie Abbott, President, Legacy Institute

Carrie is the President of the Legacy Institute and oversees all research and development of Legacy curriculum and resources. With 20 years of teaching, Carrie is considered by her colleagues as one of the best communicators and innovators on the topic of relationships and human sexuality. Carrie is the author of the Sexual Integrity Program, used in Pregnancy Resource Centers nationwide; worked with a leading Abstinence program for 13 years; authored and is featured in several video series and is the lead developer of Authentic Sexuality Education, a relationship curriculum for grades K-12.

Leslee Unruh, President and Founder, National Abstinence Clearinghouse

Leslee Unruh is the Founder and President of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse, a resource center that distributes information on sexual abstinence and provides training to educators and parents.  The NAC has provided services to individuals spanning all 53 states and territories of the United States in addition to groups in 105 countries. 

Leslee is the author of numerous abstinence resources including a book entitled Abstinence 101 and has spoken across the United States to thousands of teens. She has also produced video and radio presentations and has appeared on C-Pact: Oprah Winfrey Show; FOX News’ DaySide with Linda Vester; MSNBC’s Donahue Show; Focus on the Family radio program; Janet Parshall’s America Live; To the Point; Trinity Broadcasting Network; Hannity and Colmes; MSNBC; MTV; and Fox News. She has been recognized in such publications as Associated Press, USA Today, TIME Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine, New York Times, The Washington Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Herald, and The Washington Post.

Leslee has been invited to the White House on numerous occasions and has advised administrations on sound adolescent health policy. She is recognized by the national and international media as an expert on teen abstinence and relationship education. Leslee is the founder of the Alpha Center that serves as a support center to pregnant girls and women. Leslee is married to Dr. Allen Unruh. They have 5 children and 13 grandchildren.