16^th Annual Conference on Sustainability Strategies

Philanthropy & Fundraising in a Changing World:
Voluntary Action for the Common Good

Dec. 4-5, 2008 • Desert Willow Conference Center • Phoenix

Thursday, Dec. 4th

Pre-Conference Workshops*

"Principles of Effectiveness for Nonprofit Organizations: A Self-Assessment Tool" with Patricia Lewis, ACFRE, Senior Professional-in-Residence, ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation
An increasing number of today’s nonprofit leaders are seeking guidance regarding effective practices in nonprofit operation and management. In response to this need, the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation has created the Principles of Effectiveness (PoE) for Nonprofit Organizations. During this initial introduction, a participant will experience the empowering effects of PoE on nonprofit organizations to assess their strengths and weaknesses, and to advance along the continuum of organizational effectiveness.

"Surviving Tough Economic Times as a Small Nonprofit - The Buck Stops Here!" with Nancy Grace, Principal, Graceful Fundraising, LLC, and Margaret Leichtfuss, nonprofit contractor
There is no question that organizations under a $500,000 annual budget are getting hit harder with this economic slowdown that began showing up late last year. Now that everyone is in an all-out economic crisis and some financial experts are saying that a recovery may not come until early 2010, some nonprofits might be lost in the next year or so. This presentation promises to be lively and interactive experience. Learn the very latest facts and figures about the economy and what it means to your organization. Hear about some of the pet peeves and perceptions some of your donors and funders have about your marketing, donor relations, cultivation (or lack thereof) and special event efforts. And, see what your peers from small Valley nonprofits are doing not only to survive, but what they are doing to thrive in the future.

"What Do Foundations Want? Encouraging Grants—for Operations and Beyond" with Al Lyons, Director of Resource Development, Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Nonprofit Leadership at Grand Valley State University
This pre-conference workshop explores how your nonprofit organization can increase its foundation grant income--by better understanding the grantmaking process from the perspective of the foundations. Divided into three sessions, the first session presents current trends in grantmaking, including how foundation decision making processes work and the criteria that govern which organizations are supported and how program projects are evaluated. A second session explores the variations found among the four types of foundations: private, family, community, and corporate, and different strategies to cultivate and successfully approach each type of foundation. Attention is also given to the increase in donor-designated funds at community foundations and how these resources may be utilized by nonprofit organizations. The third session focuses specifically on the challenge of applying to foundations for operational support and how these types of requests might be successfully structured.

*Pre-conference workshops are available for an additional fee and are not included in conference registration.

Opening Plenary

Janice Gow Pettey is an acknowledged authority on the topics of diversity and ethics and has presented to over 50 organizations nationally and internationally. Her award-winning book, Cultivating Diversity in Fundraising, was published in 2001. She is the former CEO of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, which was one of the fastest growing community foundations in California during her tenure. Her lengthy nonprofit career also includes work with the American Red Cross, United Way, YMCA, and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. She serves on the Association of Fund Raising Professionals (AFP) board and is a member of AFP's Ethics Committee. Janice is a graduate of Park University in Missouri. She earned her Masters in Nonprofit Management from Regis University in Colorado.

Workshop Session I - 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

"Arizona Endowment Building Initiative" with Carrie Kinnear, Director
This session, presented by the program’s Director, will describe the intensive 18 month, team-based training on endowment building that is making a difference in improving the financial sustainability of Arizona not-for-profit charitable organizations. Class 3 of the Arizona Endowment Building Initiative will begin in January 2009, and interested charity applicants for Class 4 can use this session to determine whether or not their organization is ready for this intensive program, and how to strengthen their operations now in order to submit a winning application for their inclusion in a future class.

"Five National Trends Every Sustainable Nonprofit Should Know" with Patrick McWhortor, President and CEO, Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits
Nonprofits across the country are facing a dynamic resource and operational environment. The troubled economy, government contraction and new demands from donors all challenge nonprofits to innovate in ways that sustain their missions. The good news is that these nonprofits are experimenting and innovating with new ideas that Arizona nonprofits can use to achieve these goals. Every nonprofit leader should be paying attention to these ideas and considering how they can be implemented in his or her nonprofit. And nonprofit boards should be discussing these trends in their strategy meetings. In this session you will learn about 5 national trends that suggests pathways to success for sustainable nonprofits, including: 1) innovative organizational models that promote long-term sustainability; 2) creative business models to generate unrestricted income; 3) effective strategies for collaboration that reduce competition and promote efficiency; 4) new principles and practices that demonstrate accountability; and 5) growing uses of technology to meet community needs.

"Giving and Volunteering in Arizona" with Mark Hager, Ph.D., Director of Research, ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation and Associate Professor, ASU School of Community Resources and Development
In the summer of 2007, 1,100 Arizona households responded to a telephone survey of their giving and volunteering over the previous year. In this workshop, the group will discuss the results of the study, including who gives and how much, who volunteers and how often, and why people give and volunteer. The session will also give some attention to some of the limitations of current efforts to study giving and volunteering.

"Next Generation Leadership/Succession Planning" with Larry Smith, Director, Third Millennium Initiative, Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University
The purposes of this workshop are 1) to explore the unique (and common) views, needs, and aspirations of emerging nonprofit leaders and 2) to offer practical advice to nonprofit organizations vis-à-vis leadership transitions. The workshop will begin by examining current and projected demographic data, as well as relevant trends regarding emerging leaders. Then participants will rigorously discuss, dissect, and debate the extent to which such leaders have a different understanding of-–and approach to-–nonprofit work as compared to their more seasoned counterparts. This will segue naturally into a discussion of why and how nonprofit organizations should develop strategic succession plans. The workshop is intended for all who are interested in these topics–without respect to their chronological category!

Workshop Session II - 2:45 to 3:45 p.m.

"Unleashing the Power of Volunteerism: Attracting, keeping, and increasing volunteers for your organization" with Karl Gentles, APR, MBA, Executive Director, Back to School Clothing Drive
Competition is fierce for scarce resources and nonprofit’s may be most at risk of surviving particularly those heavily dependent on volunteers. In these turbulent economic times companies are reassessing how to deploy their people and financial assets in support of local organizations as part of their community affairs and social responsibility strategies. How do you break through, capture, keep and grow the attention of companies and individuals looking to invest their time and resources? This workshop will explore what drives corporate and individual volunteerism and offer up practical ways to get, keep and grow your volunteer base.

"Growing a Dynamic Donor Base - the Key to Long-term Success!" with Clyde Kunz, CFRE, Chief Development Officer, Arizona Theatre Company
Successful nonprofit organizations–-whether start-up or well-established–-know that maintaining a strong base of individual donors is key to their ongoing success. In this session particpants willl look at some of the ways that some organizations have: identified new prospective donors, approached them successfully, and stewarded them in such a way that they became annual supporters. The group will also look at some organization-wide approaches to implementing a “moves management” system that encourages increased donations and higher levels of volunteerism.

"Fundraising in Social Networks" with Justin Perkins, Business Development Manager, Care2
Since the rise of MySpace and Facebook over the last couple of years, nonprofits have been flocking to social networks in hopes of raising money through the exciting new medium. But the jury is still out, and very few groups have struck gold. This session will look at the phenomenon of fundraising in social networks, and look at how a nonprofit might approach social networking as part of its marketing strategy.

"Fundraising--Positive Practices for Tough Times" with Janelle Shiner, CFRE, Senior Development Associate, Sun Health Foundation
Moderated by Janelle Shiner, panelists will discuss the current fund development environment and challenges and opportunities for annual, major and planned giving. After this session, participants should: 1) Understand the impact of recession on contributed income received through annual, major and planned gifts, 2) Realize impact of the recession across several nonprofit sectors and how to support donor behavior through tight times, and 3) Be able to develop relationship building strategies that are key to sustaining support during recession and in preparing for better times ahead.

Masters of Nonprofit Studies Capstone Course Poster Session
4 p.m.

At the conclusion of Workshop Session II, conference attendees are invited to view posters created by Masters of Nonprofit Studies students. While the posters will be displayed all day, at this time each student will be present by his or her poster and available for questions.

Friday, Dec. 5th

Opening Plenary

"What Makes Great Nonprofits Great?" with Heather McLeod Grant

Now more than ever, nonprofit leaders need to know how to maximize their social impact—and get more return on their donors’ investments. This session draws upon the recent best-selling book Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits (Fall ’07) by Heather McLeod Grant (presenter) and Leslie Crutchfield. The authors spent four years surveying thousands of nonprofit leaders and studying in-depth 12 high-impact organizations. What they learned surprised them: success isn’t just about “nonprofit management,” but about working outside your four walls to create larger systemic change. This session will provide an overview of each of the six practices, and explain how they can be valuable tools for increasing your impact.

Heather is this month's featured speaker for the Civil Rights Forum
and her appearance is co-sponsored by

Heather McLeod Grant is a published author, speaker, advisor and consultant to high-impact organizations. She is the co-author of Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits, which was named a Top Ten Book of 2007 by the Economist. Additionally, she serves as an advisor to the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and to leading nonprofits and foundations. She holds an MBA from Stanford University and an AB from Harvard University.

Facilitated Panel Discussion

Moderated by Dr. Robert F. Ashcraft, Director, ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, and Associate Professor, ASU School of Community Resources and Development
Currently scheduled panel members:

• Jacky Alling, Vice President of Programs, Arizona Community Foundation
• Raul Yzaguirre, Presidential Professor of Practice in Community Development and Civil Rights, Arizona State University
• Representative from the National Council of La Raza

Workshop Session III - 10:45 to 11:45 a.m.

"The Board's Role in Resource Development" with Bob Duea, Professional-in-Residence, ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation
By strengthening the knowledge and skills of individual board members and whole boards alike, this contributes to the strengthening of the nonprofit sector and the organizations which comprise it. This workshop is an expansion of the Resource Development module of the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation’s Effective, Motivated Board Governance Training. Participants will explore the diverse income streams of nonprofits along with a board member becoming a fundraising leader.

"Is Social Entrepreneurship in the Future of Your Nonprofit?" with Al Lyons, Director of Resource Development, Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Nonprofit Leadership at Grand Valley State University
This workshop looks at the realities behind the current trends variously called “creative capitalism,” “social entrepreneurship,” or “philanthrocapitalism”--quite simply, applying business oriented approaches to meeting social needs. It specifically presents the advantages, the considerations--and potential threats--that this approach might have for nonprofit organizations seeking to increase their available financial resources. The workshop explores a variety of approaches that can help your nonprofit access additional sources of revenue, and presents criteria for determining if these approaches are appropriate for your organization to consider.

"Using E-mail to Engage Activists and Cultivate Donors" with Justin Perkins, Business Development Manager, Care2
Most online fundraising for nonprofits is driven through e-mail. It’s very difficult to compete for Web site traffic when most people are shopping, searching for news or using the internet for entertainment. E-mail allows nonprofits to reach people where they are, control the timing of their messaging, segment their user base, and predict results. This session will discuss ways that major nonprofit groups, and Care2.com, the largest community of adults interested in nonprofit causes, use e-mail to cultivate their user base for fundraising, volunteering and advocacy.

"How to Run a Profitable Special Event" with Connie Phillips, Executive Director, Sojourner Center, and Linda Volhein, Executive Director, Florence Crittendon
Description coming soon!

Luncheon Keynote

“The Current State of the Arizona Economy: Nonprofits Can Leverage Business Agility Concepts to Thrive in Difficult Economic Times” with John Hovis, Ph.D., CEO, Enterprise Integrated Solutions, LLC, and Faculty Associate, W.P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University

How does the nonprofit organization not only survive the current economic climate, but also thrive in this time? It is not a secret; the US economy is in a full recession. So what does this mean for the nonprofit economy? In this session, Dr. Hovis will breakdown what is at the root of the recession and draw the direct and indirect impact linkages for nonprofits, and then reflect strategically on elements for achieving agility and maximizing success. Additionally, he will specifically address steps nonprofit leaders must take to sustain execution over the next two years to emerge not only intact, but better than ever.

Closing Panel

"The Economic Impact on the Arizona Nonprofit Sector" moderated by Brian Spicker, Senior Vice President of Community Impact, Valley of the Sun United Way
Panel members:

• Amy Gibbons, President and Executive Director, Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix
• Mark Hager, Ph.D., Director of Research, ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, and Associate Professor, ASU School of Community Resources and Development
• Rob Leslie, CPA, Director, Nonprofit Services Division, Mutual of Omaha Bank