“People don’t remember frameworks. They remember the moment something finally made sense. That’s what I’m here for.”
Alli McGill has been leading workshops and speaking on dignity, proximity, and community for nearly two decades—before trauma-informed care was a curriculum and before “with, not for” was a hashtag. She has led sessions and participated in panel discussions at Emory University, Howard University, American University, and Mercer University, alongside speaking at churches, nonprofits, and conferences across the country. (And yes, she’s been invited back to most of them).
She opens every workshop with a story about mispronouncing words. It works every time.
Alli is available for workshops, keynotes, panels, and faith community speaking engagements. To inquire about availability and fees, please use the contact form.
Workshop Offerings
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Choosing Proximity: Those in the Margins
Most of us keep a comfortable distance from people whose lives look different from ours—and we’ve built entire systems to help us do it efficiently. This workshop challenges that distance. Drawing on nearly 25 years of community work, Alli guides participants through the philosophy, the practice, and the discomfort of choosing proximity over charity across lines of socioeconomic difference.
Designed for: Nonprofits, corporations, healthcare organizations, faith communities, civic groups, and universities.
Available as: A faith-based or an adapted civic workshop.
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Choosing Proximity: The Unhoused
A practical, relational workshop for organizations and individuals doing direct outreach with people experiencing homelessness. This is not a policy discussion—it’s a ground-level examination of how we show up, what we get wrong, and what it actually looks like to serve with rather than for. Alli has been teaching this material since 2007. The field has mostly caught up.
Designed for: Nonprofits, faith communities, social work programs, and outreach teams.
Available as: A faith-based or an adapted civic workshop.
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Forgiving, Not Excusing
There is a difference between forgiving someone and excusing what they did. Most of us have never been taught that distinction—and it costs us. This faith-based workshop explores forgiveness as a practice of liberation rather than a gift to the person who hurt you.
Designed for: Churches, retreats, and women’s groups.
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Neighboring
What does it mean to actually be a neighbor—not just to live next door to someone, but to know them, show up for them, and let them show up for you? This sermon and workshop draws on Alli’s decade of active neighboring on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and the ancient question that started it all: Who is my neighbor?
Available as: A faith-based sermon or an adapted civic workshop.
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Engaging and Retaining Volunteers
Most organizations lose volunteers by needing too much from them. Our organization kept volunteers for 10, 15, even 18 years—and it wasn’t by accident. This workshop shares the framework behind that retention: protect people’s time, respect their lives, and maintain operational excellence before you expand. (Originally developed and taught in 2012; significantly updated since).
Designed for: Nonprofits, churches, civic organizations, and anyone who depends on volunteer teams.
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Emotional Intelligence in the Nonprofit Industrial Complex
(Coming January 2027)
The nonprofit sector asks people to care deeply, work hard, and burn bright—and then acts surprised when they burn out. This workshop is for people working inside nonprofit organizations, those considering entering the field, and the funders who shape it. Honest, practical, and occasionally uncomfortable, it delivers hard-won frameworks based on 25 years of field experience.
Designed for: Nonprofit staff, organizational leadership, funders, and those entering the sector.