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mncn.org
2314 University Ave W., Ste. 20
St. Paul, Minnesota
Ph: 651-642-1904 / 800-289-1904
Fax: 651-642-1517
info@mncn.org
www.mncn.org

Full Conference Schedule

Thursday, October 14
Noon Registration, Nonprofit Resource Room, and Exhibit Hall Open
RiverCentre, St. Paul

Thursday, October 14
1:00-4:30 p.m.
Interactive Workshops
RiverCentre, St. Paul

Choose from ten in-depth skills development workshops.

Building Capacity with Volunteers (Theme-Related)
Most nonprofit organizations use volunteers, but few do so effectively. A recent study found that while 80% of nonprofits use volunteers, only 60% have a staff member working on volunteer coordination. And, more often than not, that person has little formal training in volunteer management and spends less than one-third of their time on volunteer coordination. In this session, participants will explore how their organizations can use volunteers even more effectively to build long-term organizational capacity. Using best practices models for creating an effective volunteer management system, the facilitators will explore why nonprofits use volunteers, why people volunteer, how to create a diverse volunteer pool, the role of the executive director and other staff members in volunteer management, and budgeting and risk management considerations.
Presenters: Terry Straub, Volunteers of America of Minnesota and Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration; and Donna Gillen, Upper Midwest Affiliate of PeaceJam International and Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration.

Developing Database Driven Communities of Change (Theme-Related)
As a nonprofit grows, so does its need to effectively manage the increasing numbers of people who support the organization as volunteers, donors, and advocates. Some nonprofits are using database driven marketing techniques to engage these people in unified online communities of change. These communities can help the organization meet its goals for increased funding, policy change, and stronger community involvement, and thus be a powerful catalyst for organizational transformation. In this workshop, we’ll talk about developing these dynamic communities, including how to reach out to potential supporters, develop an understanding of them, entice them to take beneficial action, and sustain your individual relationships with them in order to maintain the larger community. Participants will also gain an understanding of database driven marketing campaigns and the technologies available for implementing them.
Presenter: Chris Hanson, thedatabank, inc.

Ongoing Advocacy and Organizing Cycles: Strategies for Building Power (Public Policy and Advocacy)
Successful nonprofits build support for their issues and activate their supporters with ongoing cycles of planning, recruiting volunteers, mobilizing constituents, working with allies, and engaging in direct and grassroots lobbying and nonpartisan voter engagement work. This interactive workshop will demonstrate why your nonprofit should build its base of supporters and how it can magnify your organization’s influence in policy arenas. The session facilitators will lead participants through an integrated approach to driving policy change, with a focus on lobbying, organizing, and using the media to advocate for change.
Presenters: Marcia Avner, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; Dan Cramer, Grassroots Solutions; and Sheila Smith, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts.

Reframing the Executive Director and Board Relationship: Getting Beyond the Basics (Board Governance)
Often it can be hard to move the relationship between an executive director and the board of directors beyond the basic inherent conflicts. Yet the most successful executive director and board relationships recognize this friction and use it to create a balanced dynamic tension which moves the whole organization forward. In this workshop, participants will learn about different theories and models of board and executive director relationships, use a series of self-assessments to help them gain insight into their own conflict management and leadership styles, and receive tools and techniques to improve and enhance the relationship between the executive director and the board.
Presenters: Monica Herrera, Wilder Center for Communities; and Jeanne Zimmer, Dispute Resolution Center.

Beyond Diversity Training: Building Multicultural Organizations (Human Resources)
The case for building organizational multicultural competency is well established, but diversity training still focuses on individual awareness of discrimination and inclusiveness issues. Rarely do such programs address systems change. While nonprofits are at the forefront of building diverse work teams and adopting inclusive practices, they are often faced with difficult questions around allocating limited resources. Should they use funds to develop staff and constituent skills or channel them directly to the communities they serve? Balancing these choices is not easy, as both are needed to affect systems change. This workshop will offer proven strategies to address this difficult question and many more, including: How do nonprofits provide services that are culturally sensitive? How should they reach out and build relationships with the changing demographics? How does an organization’s definition of “diversity” impact its services? What changes are necessary to create truly multicultural organizations?
Presenter: Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid, One Ummah Consulting.

How to Avoid Fear and Loathing of Fundraising: Writing Development Plans for Small Organizations (Fundraising)
Even for small organizations, investing time and energy into the development of a fundraising plan has many benefits. It can help you decide if your budgeted goal is realistic, assess if your planned expansion is more than you can afford, challenge you to raise more money than you thought you could, and delay or even prevent that mid-year budget panic. In short, with a well-designed development plan, you’ll know if your organization is on target. In this session, you’ll learn the steps involved in creating a strong development plan, including evaluating your organization’s past fundraising performance, using that information to make realistic projections, determining how much fundraising “costs” your organization, and writing a simple but effective plan that draws other staff and board members into the fundraising effort.
Presenters: Flo Golod, Flo Golod and Associates; and Anne Haddad, Haddad Consulting.

Social Marketing: How to Say What Needs to Be Said (Marketing and Communications)
Social marketing sees the audience as people to be served, and in the end, benefits the audience even more than the organization doing the marketing. In a social marketing campaign, strategic messages are developed which motivate people to voluntarily take action or change behavior. Successful social marketing involves recruitment, outreach, and engagement, and needs as its foundation an organization with sustainable programs and issues to promote. In addition to learning about social marketing strategies and trends, participants in this session will begin a first draft of a blueprint for a social marketing campaign, which focuses on objectives, audiences, tone, message development, call to action, and indicators of success.
Presenter: Gerald Jaker, Minnesota Institute of Public Health.

Getting on the Air and into Print (Marketing and Communications)
Nonprofits have messages to present to the world, and media is often the most efficient and effective way to spread those messages. However, getting the media to pay attention to the importance of your nonprofit’s message can be difficult. In this in-depth workshop, we’ll answer key media relations questions, including “What is a media strategy and how do you develop one?” The presenter will lead participants through the elements of media strategy (creating goals, developing stories, identifying audiences, and targeting media outlets), with an emphasis on finding newsworthy stories within your work, and review the local media outlet landscape.
Presenter: Thom Clark, Community Media Workshop.

Living the Nonprofit Brand (Marketing and Communications)
“Brand” is much more than a marketing buzzword – it’s the spirit of your organization. Your brand is the feeling your organization leaves with its stakeholders. It draws its strength from your sense of mission and purpose and yet is affected by every action you take. For nonprofit organizations, cultivating a successful brand is about consistently delivering the value you have promised to create for your participants and successfully communicating that value to your supporters. This workshop will offer techniques to identify, activate, and cultivate your brand, which will ultimately broaden and deepen participation in and support for your organization. This workshop will equip participants with tools to identify the message and voice of their organization’s brand and strategies for fostering a positive brand.
Presenter: Carlo M. Cuesta, Creation In Common.

Interlinking Strategy, Finance, and Business Development for Organizational Growth (Executive Leadership)
Strategic planning, business development, and financial analysis are interrelated challenges. And yet, all too often, they are addressed in separate and unrelated planning and implementation initiatives. In this interactive workshop, participants will engage in a fresh approach for looking at the junctures between strategic planning, business development, and financial analysis and determining actionable future steps. Participants will learn key components of strategic planning, the importance of identifying the costs of strategic initiatives, how to match these costs to available resources, and ways to identify and analyze the gaps between their current strategic, finance, and development plans, which can reveal more opportunities to maximize existing revenue streams and develop new ones.
Presenters: Barbara Clare, Christine Hammes, and Susan Voigt, MAP for Nonprofits.

Thursday, October 14
5:00-7:30 p.m. Opening Reception and 2004 Nonprofit Mission Awards and Nonprofit Excellence Award Presentation
St. Paul Travelers Jackson Room

Join us for light hors d’ouevres and drinks in the Jackson Room at St. Paul Travelers Corporate Headquarters in St. Paul. During a short presentation starting at 6 p.m., we’ll honor the winners of the 2004 Nonprofit Mission Awards in the categories of Nonprofit Advocacy, Nonprofit Innovation, Anti-Racism Initiative, and Responsive Philanthropy as well the winner of the Nonprofit Excellence Award, sponsored by Marquette Financial Companies. The awards ceremony will be videotaped for broadcast on TPT’s Minnesota Channel. The first broadcast of the Nonprofit Mission Awards will be Sunday, November 28, 2004, at 9 p.m. on the Minnesota Channel, TPT 17, Twin Cities Public Television. This reception and awards presentation is made possible in part by Mutual of America and St. Paul Travelers.

Friday, October 15
7:30 a.m. Registration, Nonprofit Resource Room, and Exhibit Hall Open
RiverCentre, St. Paul

Friday, October 15
7:45 - 8:45 a.m. Early Morning Breakout Sessions
RiverCentre, St. Paul

Enjoy a continental breakfast with your colleagues while learning more about a range of important issues and special opportunities by participating in one of several early morning sessions, including: The Bush Leadership Fellows Program, Neighborhood Leadership In Action, and Managing a Construction or Renovation Project.

Friday, October 15
9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Welcome and Opening Plenary: New Strategies for Engaging Communities
RiverCentre, St. Paul

The nature of participation is changing. As Minnesota evolves to meet new challenges and opportunities – from refugee resettlement to the pervasiveness of the Internet and from Sarbanes-Oxley issues to less reliable funding – nonprofits are also adapting. During the opening plenary, four nonprofit leaders with distinct approaches to energizing and involving Minnesotans will reveal what they have discovered about how to best to respond to and interact with people in these new times. They’ll also invite you to share your thoughts during this interactive plenary panel and group discussion.
Panelists: Marcia Avner, Public Policy Director, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; Toni Carter, Chair, Saint Paul Board of Education and Founder, ARTS-Us; Jennifer Godinez, Executive Director, La Escuelita; and Jim Hoolihan, President/CEO, Blandin Foundation.
Moderator: Sean Kershaw, President, Citizens League.


Friday, October 15
10:30 - 11:00 a.m. Networking Break

RiverCentre, St. Paul

Grab some coffee, visit the Exhibit Hall, and stop by the Nonprofit Resource Room.

Friday, October 15
11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Morning Breakout Sessions
RiverCentre, St. Paul

Choose from nine different breakout sessions offered in multiple formats including panel discussions, group discussions, and formal presentations.

Engaged Campuses, Engaged Communities: Connecting to Advance Mission and Programs (Theme-Related)
Colleges and universities are tremendous community resources, but nonprofits are often frustrated when they attempt to advance their missions and programs by engaging campuses as partners. In this session, the panelists – who collectively offer both campus and community perspectives – will share their experiences in forming successful partnerships and address questions like, “How do you determine if a campus partnership is desirable for your nonprofit? How do you best connect with local campuses?” Hear about successful campus-community partnerships involving service learning, research projects, land use and purchasing agreements, and workforce development efforts.
Presenters: John Hamerlinck, Minnesota Campus Compact; Judy Lykins, The Jeremiah Program; Katie Peacock, Career and Community Learning Center at the University of Minnesota; and Julie Plaut, Minnesota Campus Compact.

Community Engagement: Turning Philosophy into Practice (Theme Related)
Using multiple approaches to the question of how to engage individuals (based on the work of Paolo Frere, John McKnight and Robert Putnam), this session will present how one nonprofit organization, Casa de Esperanza, used the concept of “responding to the lived realities of the community served” to redesign its work – a useful method for any organization. Casa de Esperanza used active dialogue to identify the essential community resources to be engaged and then mobilized the congregations, family members, and friends of the Latinas served by the organization. The presenter, Casa de Esperanza’s Executive Director, will use her organization’s process as an example to demonstrate the elements, steps, and practices of this approach to community engagement.
Presenter: Lupe Serrano, Casa de Esperanza.

How Today’s Demographic Trends Impact Tomorrow’s Fundraising (Fundraising)
Minnesota and the U.S. are experiencing growing demographic diversity. In this session, we’ll examine changes in major demographic factors – including race, ethnicity, education, gender, and employment – and how these factors will transform giving. We’ll also discuss what nonprofits must do in their fundraising programs to tap into the increasing charitable resources that will become available to them in the future.
Presenter: James V. Toscano, Park Nicollet Institute.

Leveraging Technology Investments (Finance and Management)
How does an organization make sure it is spending its limited technology dollars in the most effective way? And, rather than spending for technology with budgets that rise and fall, how can organizations adjust their strategies so spending is more manageable and consistent on a year-to-year basis? In this session, we’ll address these questions and more while also sharing current technology trends. The presenter will discuss the best timing for technology investments, factors that can impact technology purchase decisions, and a set of criteria to use when making a technology investment.
Presenter: Paul Finley, Eide Bailly.

Sweating the Small – and Not So Small – Stuff (Finance and Management)
More and more nonprofits are solving their budget woes by sweating their small and not-so-small expense line items. In this session, the presenters will provide practical tips and tactics for reducing expenses that can be put to immediate use. They will share a step-by-step process for identifying areas for possible cost reductions and then pursuing these cost-cutting opportunities. Non-personnel and personnel costs will be covered, including new opportunities to reduce the price of employee benefits through HSA (Health Savings Account) and HRA (Health Reimbursement Arrangement) plans and other vehicles.
Presenters: Audrey Brick, Cost Management Solutions; and Peg Hill, Schwarz Williams Companies.

What’s Next for Government Regulation of Nonprofits? (Board Governance)
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee’s recent proposals to increase regulation of nonprofits range from a ban on boards larger than 15 members to a requirement that boards approve the compensation of all management positions. Inspired in part by the corporate reforms in the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation as well as publicized abuses by nonprofits and foundations in Massachusetts, Texas, and California, Congress is currently considering dozens of new requirements, certifications, and fees. In this session, panelists will review these proposals and the rationales behind them as well as possible regulatory changes at the state level and evidence of increasing IRS enforcement at the national level.
Presenters: Eve Borenstein, Borenstein and McVeigh Law Office; David Brown, KDV; and Jon Pratt, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.

Veni, Vidi, Videotape (Marketing and Communications)
Have viewed your organization’s videos lately? Chances are most feature executives with long sideburns or a feathered hairdo. Video as a communications and fundraising tool fell out of favor but now is back in a big way. Why? Because we’ve learned video can be highly effective at educating and mobilizing stakeholders, and many nonprofits have web sites that can broadcast video. Now that the medium is back so are the pitfalls – spending big bucks to watch your staff spout jargon while they imitate deer caught in headlights. Yet, it doesn’t have to be that way. Our panel of video veterans will help you achieve a high quality product on a nonprofit budget. You’ll learn how to create meaningful video that meets your organization’s objectives, reaches your audiences, and achieves a high level of technical quality without draining your budget.
Presenters: Bob Davidson, Hey Man Productions; Irene Silber, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation; and Ken Stone, University of Minnesota.

Five Key Questions on Executive Compensation (Executive Leadership)
Nonprofit organizations struggle to keep compensation for their executive directors competitive and yet accountable, and thus need current information to do so. Using a new analysis of the salaries and benefits paid to 740 Minnesota nonprofit executive directors and CEOs, this session will answer five key questions: (1) What are the major trends in nonprofit executive compensation in Minnesota? (2) What are the legal obligations of the board in setting compensation? (3) How do nonprofits keep internal pay structures in balance? (4) How do Minnesota organizations make their executive compensation decisions? and (5) Insert your burning question here.
Presenters: Amy Brynolfson, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; and Doug Franchot, Franchot & Associates.

18 Days ‘til Election Day: What We Can Do (Public Policy and Advocacy)
How do nonprofits get the leaders they and their communities need? Through nonpartisan voter mobilization, focusing on effective GOTV (Get Out the Vote) strategies. In this fast-paced workshop, participants will learn how their organizations can join other nonprofits in existing nonpartisan GOTV drives. We’ll discuss doing door-to-door, face-to-face contact with potential voters, sharing “how to” information on absentee balloting and Election Day registration, and other ways to increase voter turn out. Nonpartisan voter mobilization activities are a critical component of nonprofit advocacy now and the future. Join in this effort for 2004 and beyond!
Presenters: Toni Carter, ARTS-US and Saint Paul Public Schools Board of Directors; and Dan Cramer, Grassroots Solutions.

Friday, October 15
12:30 - 1:15 p.m. Hosted Lunch Conversations

RiverCentre, St. Paul

Enjoy an informal lunch conversation with your colleagues, or choose from a variety of topics for a table conversation. Visit the conference Web site at www.mncn.org/conference for a growing list of confirmed table topics and hosts.

Friday, October 15
1:15 - 2:00 p.m. The Nonprofit Sector as Bulwark of Democracy: Bulding Meaningful Participation
RiverCentre, St. Paul

Keynote Address by Pablo Eisenberg with Response from Emmett Carson
After lunch, we’ll hear from Pablo Eisenberg, Senior Fellow at the Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership, Georgetown University, on “The Nonprofit Sector as Bulwark of Democracy: Building Meaningful Participation.” Speaking from his experience as longtime director of the Center for Community Change and co-chair of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, Eisenberg will share his vision of how nonprofits and foundations should organize their work to ensure that new leadership is developed, business and government are held to account, and organizations welcome and encourage participation.
The response to Eisenberg’s comments will begin with Minnesota’s own Emmett Carson, President and CEO of The Minneapolis Foundation and the new chairperson of the national Council on Foundations, before the discussion opens to comments and questions from the audience.

Friday, October 15
2:15 - 3:30 p.m. Afternoon Breakout Sessions
RiverCentre, St. Paul

Choose from nine more valuable breakout sessions.

Engaged Communities Engage Youth: Thinking Strategically about Youth Involvement in Your Organization (Theme-Related)
Today, some nonprofits are trying to involve youth as volunteers, staff members, and even board members. However, most view youth involvement programmatically and not strategically. In this session, participants will learn about the benefits of involving youth more strategically in their organizations, hear about current research on what motivates youth to get engaged, assess their organization’s readiness for youth involvement, and examine a full spectrum of roles that youth can play in nonprofits. Participants will also learn how to plan, implement, and evaluate a youth involvement strategy for an organization.
Presenters: Dale Blyth, Minnesota Commission on Out of School Time and Center for 4-H Youth Development at the University of Minnesota Extension Service; and Joy Des Marais, Des Marais and Associates.

Strategic Planning with Community Involvement (Theme-Related)
When nonprofits tackle strategic planning, they usually do not include community involvement in the process. However, developing your strategic plan with the community’s help often results in a greater likelihood of achieving the plan. In this session, we’ll review the strategic planning process, identify ways to involve community members in the process, and discuss methodologies for gathering information from external sources to learn more about organizational threats and opportunities. We’ll also cover how to measure your implementation success by gathering feedback from the community using methods including the balanced scorecard approach.
Presenters: Mark Langseth, Minnesota Campus Compact; and Reid Zimmerman, Hazelden Foundation.

Changing Expectations for Nonprofit and Foundation Accountability (Fundraising)
Everyone wants the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors to be open, honest, accountable, and effective, but what does this mean in the current climate? High-profile lapses in organizational judgment have increased the interest and attention of the media and state and federal regulators – and within the sector itself. During this session, two national nonprofit and philanthropic leaders will discuss what nonprofits and foundations should do to maintain and strengthen the public’s trust.
Panelists: Emmett Carson, The Minneapolis Foundation; and Pablo Eisenberg, Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership at Georgetown University. Moderator: Jon Pratt, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.

Recruiting and Retaining Today’s Volunteers (Human Resources)
With changing lifestyles and many other personal and professional demands pulling at the traditional volunteer workforce, recruiting and retaining quality volunteers can seem harder than ever before. Yet, recent research shows that certain demographic groups have a strong desire to volunteer – a majority of seniors are interested in volunteering, most large businesses have programs to help employees find volunteer opportunities, and many young people actively seek out organizations with which they can volunteer. Hear from a panel experienced in tapping into senior, corporate, and student volunteers to learn how your organization can also be successful in recruiting and retaining volunteers in today’s hectic times.
Panelists: Matthew Nelson, American Express; Julie Plaut, Minnesota Campus Compact; and Terry Straub, Volunteers of America of Minnesota. Moderator: Diane Brady, Volunteer Resource Center.

Tightening Controls: How to Protect Your Organization from Financial Crimes (Finance and Management)
Nonprofits can be particularly vulnerable to embezzlement and related crimes because they often have less sophisticated financial controls and accounting procedures. This session, developed by experienced white-collar prosecutors in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, will provide information on how to protect your organization against financial crimes. We’ll focus on ways to avoid being a victim, procedures to safeguard your organization’s finances, and steps to take if you suspect your organization is a victim of embezzlement or a related crime.
Presenters: Amy Klobuchar, Hennepin County Attorney; and Pat Diamond, Special Litigation Division, Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Getting Boards Involved in Advocacy (Board Governance)
Board members are uniquely positioned to be effective and influential advocates for their organizations. Their voices are often heard when others are ignored. In this session, we’ll draw from the lessons outlined in the new book, Nonprofit Board Member’s Guide to Lobbying and Advocacy, to talk about how board members can use their power and privilege to move an organization’s work forward. Board and staff members alike will benefit from the tips and tactics shared by the presenters as well as from their examples of how board and staff collaboration in shaping and advancing advocacy can lead to legislative success and long-term capacity for effective advocacy.
Presenters: Marcia Avner, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; and Mai Thor, Disability Law Center.

Digital Outreach: Using the Internet for Community Building (Marketing and Communications)
For many nonprofits, using the Internet to enhance community-building efforts provides a cost-effective way for them to reach beyond their current spheres of influence. Virtual community building can help turn casual visitors into loyal constituents by making them feel welcomed, included, and engaged. This session will provide a starting point for participants to recognize the elements and understand the benefits of successful Internet communities, become mindfully innovative in their use of technology for outreach, and learn how to apply tools and techniques (including forums, newsgroups, blogs, and viral marketing) to establish Internet communities for their organizations.
Presenters: Lynnette Shaw and Amy Wilder, Social Ventures Consulting.

Keeping the Fire Without Burning Out (Executive Leadership)
Nonprofit leaders are often so busy working that they miss the opportunity to think about why that work is important or how they might do it differently. A dedication to self-renewal through reflection and exploration can help leaders keep the fire without burning out. This session will provide attendees an opportunity to understand the principles and practices important for self-renewal, the relevance of core values to effective leadership, and why leadership itself can be an obstacle to the process of individual and organizational renewal. This session will benefit participants who are committed to community service values, strive for purposeful leadership, and are seeking ways to nurture and sustain their energy, vitality, and creativity.
Presenter: Ronnie Brooks, The James P. Shannon Leadership Institute, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.

Dedicated Funding for Government Services: Pros and Cons (Public Policy and Advocacy)
Is funding government services through dedicated sources of revenue a sound practice in a democracy – or does it limit participation by taking decisions out of legislators’ hands? In an era of budget deficits, funding cuts, and the “no new taxes” pledge, some advocates and policymakers are looking for ways to secure resources for services. In the 2004 session, legislators debated whether or not to dedicate a portion of the sales tax for conservation and environmental protection. During the debate, dedicated funding for the arts was added. Using this example as a starting point, panelists and session participants will actively discuss the pros and cons of using dedicated sources to fund government programs.
Panelists: Dee Long, Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy; Nan Madden, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; and Steve Morse, University of Minnesota. Moderator: Ron Kroese, Minnesota Environmental Partnership.

Friday, October 15
3:30 p.m. Closing Reception
RiverCentre, St. Paul

 


MCN 18th Annual Conference
October 14-15, 2004
RiverCentre
175 West Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, Minnesota www.rivercentre.org


Questions?
For questions about the conference, please contact:
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits at 651-642-1904, 800-289-1904 or info@mncn.org.

Conference Sponsors