Discussions Convened by Conference Participants
During CONNECTIONS, attendees proposed discussion topics, attended a discussion convened by others, or reserved a table for private meetings.

The CONNECTIONS sessions took place 3:30 - 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 21.

The four sections of CONNECTIONS were:

• Your Space -- an opportunity to organize a discussion or attend sessions convened by other conference participants
• Scheduled Sessions -- conversations planned by conference participants
  
• Workshops -- improving your skills and gaining new perspectives at a high-impact workshop
• Personal Meetings -- reserving time and space for individual or small-group meetings

YOUR SPACE
Your Space gave conference participants the opportunity to organize a discussion or participate in a session convened by fellow conference attendees. Here’s how:

They visited the Connections bulletin board, located in the Atrium Ballroom Foyer, Wednesday, October 20, between 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. and:

• Browsed the proposed topics and signed up for one conversation per time block
  (3:30 - 4:30 p.m. and 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.)
• Or, if they didn't see a discussion they wanted to join, proposed their own by adding it to the bulletin board.

On Thursday, October 21, the bulletin board displayed the room and table assignments for each topic.

NOTE: Space was allocated to topics based on the amount of interest for each -- some were assigned rooms, others were round table conversations.

SCHEDULED SESSIONS
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Sustainable Organizations, Sustainable Communities
A708
Convened and facilitated by Andrea Pinabell, Program Manager, Sustainable Community Development, The Home Depot Foundation
How can we best balance between immediate benefit and long-term sustainability? Nonprofit and philanthropic leaders are faced with this question in many forms. Strategies related to program strategy, revenue generation, grantmaking, environmental concerns, talent management, social equity – just to name a few areas – must strike the optimal balance between near-and long-term results. This discussion forum will explore the trade-offs and imperatives of prioritizing sustainability in its many forms.

Listening/Telling/Creating: The Use of Art as a Form of Public Participation
L506
Convened and facilitated by Liz Lerman, Founding Artistic Director, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange
Telling stories and finding the movement within them promotes skills of active listening, empathy, and problem solving.  Led by choreographer Liz Lerman, this workshop draws on the power of intersecting art forms.

An NGen Challenge: Leading Across Sectors
A601
Convened and facilitated by the 2009 American Express NGen Fellows
Find out what happens when a group of stellar young nonprofit professionals spend six months studying how this new generation of leaders can best work across sectors. The inaugural cohort of American Express NGen Fellows conducted a survey of more than 2,000 NGeners in the nonprofit, government, and private sectors, asking about their perspectives on leadership development, cross-sector collaboration, and how to respond to major challenges facing our communities. This session will explore the findings and generate new ideas for leaders of all ages.

3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
The 30 Million Word Gap Challenge: Making Your Words Count
L503
Convened by The Annie E. Casey Foundation; moderated by Diane Grigsby Jackson, Education Consultant. Speakers: J. Comer Yates, Executive Director,  Atlanta Speech School; Michael Robb, Learning Network Program Manager, Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media; Shana Brodnax, Senior Manager of Early Childhood Programs, Harlem Children’s Zone
Research demonstrates that the early experiences of children have a big impact on their future ability to learn. Nonprofit organizations play a key role in engaging parents and caregivers, child care staff, educators, health care workers and other community connectors to play a critical role in vulnerable children’s earliest learning and development. Approaches to supporting children and families often leave out powerful interventions with families, at the peril of our children’s futures. Speakers will share their strategies and provoke an informed discussion with participants to share best practices and identify new opportunities to draw in parents and caregivers to close the 30 million word gap before kindergarten.

5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Civil Discourse: The Cornerstone to Community
A708
Convened and facilitated by Nan Aaron, President, Alliance for Justice; Drummond Pike, Founder and CEO, Tides; Rob Wilson-Black, Chief Development Officer, Sojourners
In today’s increasingly polarized world, our work is too often threatened by extremists who choose violence over productive dialogue. This lack of civility and thoughtful discourse undermines not only our work, but also our democracy, and progress as a society. As leaders committed to strengthening our communities, we must model constructive civil disagreement. This requires reaching through our religious, cultural, ideological or political differences toward a respectful place of dialogue. During this interactive and informal conversation, we’ll discuss best practices for sustaining a thriving nonprofit and philanthropic sector.

New Developments in Global Civil Society and Philanthropy
L507
Convened and facilitated by Doug Rutzen, President and CEO of the International Center for Not for Profit Law and Gerry Salole, Chief Executive, European Foundation Centre
Connect with colleagues working in the international field to discuss recent developments affecting global civil society and philanthropy. Take this opportunity to network with conference participants working in various parts of the world and learn what’s new beyond your borders.

How Are Social Action Campaigns Creating Social Change?
L504
Convened and facilitated by David Ray, Chief Strategy and Public Policy Officer; Melissa Grober, Director of National Partnerships; Jessica Kirkwood, Vice President of Social Media, Points of Light Institute
How are nonprofits utilizing social action campaigns to raise awareness, shift opinions, and move people to act? Hear lessons learned from the Better, Safer World and ONE campaigns, learn about HandsOn Network’s Get HandsOn Campaign, and share your insights and experience about what’s worked and what hasn’t at your organization.

Charting Impact: A Fundamental Framework
A601
Convened by Independent Sector, facilitated by James Firman, Chair of the IS Advisory Group on Nonprofit Effectiveness and President and CEO, National Council on Aging
Imagine a world in which nonprofits clearly describe how they deliver on long-term goals, where stakeholders align around strategic direction, and where credible information about an organization’s plans and progress leads to enhanced giving, volunteering, and collaboration. Charting Impact, a joint initiative of IS, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, and GuideStar USA, offers a common framework of five fundamental questions about an organization’s impact. Join this working session to contribute to advancing the value of this new initiative for the nonprofit and philanthropic sector.

WORKSHOPS
3:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Register now online to guarantee your place; onsite registration is available at Registration Counters 3 and 4 on the Atrium Level.
Registration fee is $125 for IS members and $150 for nonmembers.

Better Presentations, Stronger Leadership
M103
Facilitator: Bill Hoogterp, expert presentation and media trainer
Great leaders use many tools to inspire change; effective communication is one of the most important. Join celebrated speaking coach Bill Hoogterp for an interactive, entertaining session to strengthen your communication and presentation skills. Learn how the brain processes information and how to “listen to” an audience in ways that dramatically improve presentations. Participants will practice concrete techniques, with feedback through video recordings. Normally offered at a much higher cost, this session is offered as an exclusive opportunity for attendees at the IS Annual Conference.

Networked Nonprofits: Nonprofits in an Age of Social Media
M104
Facilitator: Beth Kanter, author, speaker and social media trainer
Most everyone has dipped their toe into the social media waters over the past few years, taking a peek at Facebook and Twitter to see what the buzz is all about. Using social media tools isn’t very difficult--but using them effectively, particularly for social change, is challenging. Beth Kanter will lead an interactive workshop on the key principles for effective social media strategy that turns traditional organizations into far-reaching and effective Networked Nonprofits.

Structure Lab
M105
Facilitator: Jackie VanderBrug, Managing Director, Criterion Ventures
Structure Lab is an interactive experience in which participants explore how corporate structures and hybrid forms can enable or hinder their efforts.   Founded by Criterion Ventures, Structure Lab is grounded in a perspective that legal structures exist to manage relationships. The system of Structure Lab enables you to navigate new and old organizational forms. Participants gain new tools and perspectives, which enable better choices about financing, governance, growth, market interaction, and exits.

PERSONAL MEETINGS
A707
CONNECTIONS included opportunities for conference participants to reserve time and space for personal meetings.