C06 Thursday, 11am-12:30pm

Collaborating for Capacity: Lessons from Nonprofit Technology Assistance Providers Serving Communities of Color

Jennifer Werdell, NPower (National)
Andy Wolber, NPower Michigan

Nonprofits, like people, have their own ways of working. A capacity building organization that successfully engages with the nonprofit community as a whole understands that different organizations have different preferences and different ways of doing business. This session looks at one example of this–technology assistance for organizations that serve communities of color–and discusses what broader lessons can be learned. This session will include a review of research with organizations serving communities of color in five cities across the country, a discussion of some projects being undertaken to address barriers to technology adoption, and a conversation about continuing to explore ways to collaborate more broadly with organizations serving communities of color.

Track: Technology

Collaborating for Concerted Action on Critical Social Issues – A Case Study and Dialogue

Marianne Hughes, Interaction Institute for Social Change

Multi-stakeholder initiatives that create the ongoing capacity to think, plan and act together create powerful engines for policy and social impact that go well beyond accomplishing the mission of individual organizations.  This session will explore the Peace and Security Initiative, that brought together think tanks, activists, funders and policy-makers concerned with arms control and security issues from across the country to create a shared vision and ongoing network for a secure and peaceful future. The session will include tools used, lessons learned and strategies for applying "new science theory" (network, chaos, complexity, quantum physics) to creating diverse, connected organizations and dense networks that generate the momentum needed to reach tipping points for social change.

Track: Advocacy and Social Change

Daring to Lead: Deepening Our Understanding of Nonprofit Executives

Jeanne Bell, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
Rick Moyers, Meyer Foundation

Building on the success of the report "Daring to Lead," that summarized the results of a national survey of nonprofit executives in 2001, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and the Meyer Foundation conducted a follow-up survey in 2005. The survey results provide new insight on the factors that contribute to executive burnout and turnover.  The session will explore how capacity builders and grantmakers can better support current executives and develop the next generation of nonprofit leaders.

Track: Leadership and Governance

Dumping Robert's Rules, Let's Focus on Participatory Decision Making

Monica Herrera, Community Consulting Group, LLC

The session will focus on the conditions and steps needed to facilitate group processes in developing cooperative decision making tools and techniques.  The session will also distinguish between traditional hierarchical decision making models and more participatory models, and will identify the conditions and step-by-step process to implementing participatory decision making in nonprofit organizations. 

Track: Leadership and Governance

Enhance Your Power: Leadership Development for Nonprofit Leaders Working in Underserved Urban Communities

Rachael Coleman-Gibson, Fair Chance
Amanda Marshall, Fair Chance

Urban communities face many challenges, and it is essential to address the leadership development needs of community-based nonprofits working to create change in such communities. This session will address strategies to strengthen nonprofit leadership in underserved urban communities, including focus on board development, peer networks, time management and transition planning.  Presenters will provide an overview of leadership models, and ways to strengthen leadership, and will facilitate discussion on case studies that incorporate the leadership concepts discussed.

Track: Leadership and Governance

Financial Investments in Capacity Building: 360-Degree Community Dialogues

Thomas E. Backer, Human Interaction Research Institute
Florence Green, California Association of Nonprofits

Using results from an exploratory national research study of foundation investments in capacity building, this session presents a "360-degree dialogue" process communities can use to talk candidly about making best use of scarce resources for funding capacity building.  Such a process can encourage funders to make more resources available, by offering opportunities for collaborative grantmaking, leveraging, strategic planning, evaluation, and honest dialogue about return on investment - using whatever metrics are available.

Track: Financial Management and Fundraising

Seeds of Change: Capacity Building Work with & amongst Distinctive Social Identities

Diane J. Johnson, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
Steve Lew, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services

Over the past several years, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services has designed and implemented several innovative projects that focus specifically on enhancing the capacity of individuals and/or community-based organizations of color, women leaders and various social identity groups.  This highly interactive session will focus on sharing CompassPoint’s learning on the process of executing dynamic and effective capacity building work.

Track: Cultural Competency

Social Service and Social Change: Building Organizational and Individual Capacity

Frances Kunreuther, Building Movement Project
Linda Campbell, Building Movement Project

This interactive session is geared to capacity builders who are interested in how nonprofit services groups can integrate social change values and activities into their work.  Presenting concepts and concrete examples from a new publication, "Social Service and Social Change: A Process Guide," the presenters will talk about issues such as working with staff members, building constituents/client involvement, and implementing new strategies.  Participants in the session will be invited to contribute their own experiences on the benefits and challenges of this type of work.

Track: Advocacy and Social Change

The Source: 12 Principles of Governance that Power Exceptional Boards

Susan Meier, BoardSource

The Source Seminar is based on learning from BoardSource's recent reference tool, "The Source: Twelve Principles of Governance that Power Exceptional Boards."  The seminar will outline the characteristics of exceptional nonprofit boards and recommend principles and practices to move boards from competent but passive stewards to thoughtful and engaged leaders.

Track: Leadership and Governance

Two Case Studies of MSO Business Models

Jan Masaoka, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
Dianne J. Russell, Institute for Conservation Leadership

CompassPoint and the Institute for Conservation Leadership (ICL) are two successful MSOs with many similarities as well as differences.  Both combine earned and contributed income, and deliver their work largely through staff, but they are wildly different in identified constituencies, revenue development structures, and business strategies.  The two executive directors will share their business models and answer questions.

Track: Capacity Building Models and Strategies