Conference Agenda

7:30 am: Registration opens; continental breakfast.

8:15 am: Roundtable discussions with community leaders.

9:00 am: Welcome; kick-off for Nonprofit Service Month (April 2006). Dale Smith, The Boeing Company.

9:15 am: Keynote Address:

Brian Gallagher, President, United Way of America. Introduced by Jon Fine, President, United Way of King County.

Brian Gallagher will speak on the challenges of today's complicated community issues, issues that cannot be fully addressed by simply raising more money or creating more programs. These subjects require collective action from government, nonprofits, for-profit businesses, media and others to change societal norms around what is acceptable and how we measure success in our communities. Followed by Q&A.

10:00 am: Break: Exhibitors; UW and Seattle University student Poster Sessions.

10:30 am: Concurrent sessions:

1A. “Acting like an Organization but Thinking like a Movement” Neither individual missions nor community goals can reasonably be accomplished by a single agency. It requires building a movement composed of all of your community stakeholders consciously moving ahead. Participate in discussions on the BIG issues: How do you know if it’s a movement? Can movements be managed? How can we maintain the integrity of a movement while it co-evolves? What if everyone wants to be a leader? William Borden, Executive Director, Earth Share of Washington; Linda Nageotte, President and CEO, Food Lifeline; Laura Penn, Managing Director, Intiman Theater. Moderator: Keith McCandless, Social Inventions Group.
= This session will be most interesting to board members, executive directors, and activists committed to addressing complex social issues and systems change.

1B. “Advanced Financial Analysis: Beyond the Balance Sheet” This session will provide participants with tools and techniques to enable them to gain a deeper understanding of the financial issues impacting their organizations. Questions to be explored include: Does the proper accounting for unrestricted and restricted funds create barriers forstrategic performance? Can financial reporting complement the ability of donors/grantors to "follow the money"? What are the critical issues to consider when examining revenue mix? What are the roles of full cost and marginal (differential) costs in managerial decision-making? How can we use the Statement of Cash Flows to enhance our ability to analyze a set of financial statements?
Leslie K. Breitner, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington.
= This session will be especially useful for experienced nonprofit executives,
board finance/audit committee members, and consultants.

1C. “The Performance Challenge in Nonprofit Organizations” Participate in a lively discussion with panelists on the topic of the consequences of the lack of "ownership" in nonprofits, why the absence of ownership leads to performance issues, and what strategies might be employed to resolve the issues. Panelists will include the author of a paper on the topic, Steven Rathgeb Smith, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington; Bruce Brooks, community volunteer; Barbara Parker, Management, Albers School of Business, Seattle University.
= This session will be most interesting for boards, senior staff and consultants concerned about organizational effectiveness.

1D. “What Every Nonprofit Needs to Know about Their Policy Environment” Where do things that will affect Washington NPOs stand in Congress and in Olympia? What issues are still open? What should we here in Washington be doing about them? What trends and developments can be identified now that will affect our work in the near future? Mike Ricchio, Corporations Division Director, Office of the Secretary of State; LaVerne Woods, Attorney, Davis Wright Tremaine, and Co-chair. Legal Framework Work Group, Panel on the Nonprofit Sector; Laura Hitchcock, United Way of King County. Moderator: Putnam Barber, Executive Alliance.
= This session will be most interesting to board members and others who are responsible for governance practices and regulatory compliance of nonprofit organizations.

1E. "Cultural Competence: Beyond Pride and Prejudice” A discussion of challenges and successes along the continuum; come prepared to share yours as well as learn from committed organizations and leaders. Nina Auerbach, CEO, Child Care Resources; Bookda Gheisar, Executive Director, Social Justice Fund; Paola Maranan, Executive Director, Children’s Alliance. Moderator: Truc Than Nguyen, Cultural Competency Training Manager Minority Executive Directors Coalition.
= This session will be of particular interest to nonprofit staff, board, funders, and consultants who value diversity and are open to seeing organizations and systems in new ways.

12 noon: Luncheon:

Presentation of the 2006 Evergreen Awards: Josephine Tamayo Murray, Executive Alliance Board.

Luncheon address: Ruth McCambridge, Editor, The Nonprofit Quarterly. Introduced by Rhonda Simmons, Executive Director, Seattle Jobs Initiative.

1:00 pm: Concurrent sessions:

2A. Follow-up session with Ruth McCambridge

2B. “Notes from Cyberia: Deploying Technology for Better Organizations and Better Communities” Whether you are interested in local opportunities for "virtual volunteering," or in building community on a worldwide scale, information and communication technologies can make all the difference. Leading experts in this informative and interactive session will show you how your organization or community can benefit. Yvonne Harrison, Nonprofit Leadership, Seattle University; Sonora Jha, Journalism, Seattle University. Moderator: Michael Bisesi, Nonprofit Leadership, Seattle University.

2C. “Grassroots: Organizational Model or Stage of Development?” Participate in an interactive conversation exploring issues such as: profiles of grassroots organizations; successful elements of and challenges for long term grass roots organizations; reasons for a group continuing to remain a grassroots entity; governance; the constituency’s influence on the organization; and how consultants and foundations can increase the capacity of grassroots organizations while preserving their integral nature. Jean Colman, Executive Director, Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition; Ngy Hul, Executive Director, Refugee Federation; Ray Schutte, President, P-Patch Trust; Hilary Stern, Executive Director, Casa Latina. Moderator: Lee Harper, Assistant Director, Fremont Public Association.
= This session will be of interest to organizational leaders, board members, consultants and funders who are pursuing the challenges and benefits of ‘grassroots’ as a way of being or operating.

2D. “Curious Boards: A Guide for the Perplexed” Every standard litany of the legal responsibilities of nonprofit boards includes the duties of care, loyalty, and obedience. It could be argued, however, that no duty is more important than what corporate governance expert Nell Minow has referred to as the "duty of curiosity." Indeed, according to the authors of Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards, "Behind every scandal or organizational collapse is a board (often one with distinguished members) asleep at the switch." Discussion with a panel of veteran board survivors will highlight key strategies – including the cultivation of “healthy dissent” – boards can adopt to meet and exceed their core roles. Gordon Hamilton, Executive Director, PONCHO; Ruben Rivera-Jackman, King County Housing Authority; Tamara J. Watts, Preston Gates & Ellis and chair, Fremont Public Assocaition. Moderator: Putnam Barber, Executive Alliance.
= This session will be most interesting to board members and consultants who work to improve board practices.

2E. “The Leadership of Letting Go: Succession Planning” As Baby Boomers edge into their 50’s and 60’s many recent studies affirm that executive leadership transitions will be an increasingly common aspect of organizational life in the next several years. There will likely be a gap between those who are leaving and the new talent available to replace them. The sector as a whole as just begun to anticipate the shift of this older leadership in its directors, boards, and staff members. In this session, you learn more about an overarching framework for thinking about executive transitions, preparing for transition with succession planning, and being intentional about the organization's leadership needs.   Erin Hemmings, Social Venture Partners, and Amanda Madorno, Roam Consulting. 
= This session will be especially useful for board members and seasoned executive directors. 

2:15 pm: Break: Exhibits open; Student Poster Sessions

2:30 pm: Concurrent Sessions:

3A. “Innovation Unleashed in the Nonprofit Sector” In a lively practice-as-you-learn session, we will explore a variety of powerful approaches to innovation in the nonprofit sector. An innovation is a valuable new idea, practice or technology that you want to spread to others. Come to this session with an innovation-in-mind or -in-progress. We will apply elements of Positive Deviance, Rapid Prototyping and Social Network Mapping to the design and spread of your innovation. Keith McCandless, Social Invention Group. 
= Change agents, innovators, and leaders who sponsor innovative change may benefit from participation.

3B. “Partnering with Consultants to Move Your Organization Forward” Consultants can help nonprofits in a variety of ways … from website design to strategic planning and everything in between. When is it appropriate (and cost-effective) for an organization to hire a consultant? How do you find and hire the right consultant? What can you do to ensure an effective partnership? What are the pitfalls and benefits? Alaric Bien, Chinese Information Service Center; Laura Pierce, Laura Pierce Consulting; Wendy Watanabe, Watanabe Consultation.
= This session will be most interesting for nonprofit senior staff and board members who may be in the position to hire consultants, especially those with limited or bad past experience with consultants.

3C. “Expanding the Role and Vision of the Nonprofit Leader” This session is based on the assumption that the nonprofit sector has a significant role to play in the broader community and that our leaders represent a generally untapped resource for community problem solving, visioning and planning. Explore the ‘how’s’ of making a difference beyond your organization and address issues such as changing your job description, opening doors for others, challenges to grass-roots organizations. Stella Chao, Executive Director, International District Housing Alliance; Steve Daschle, Executive Director, SW Youth and Family Services; Ben Moore, Managing Director, Seattle Repertory Theatre; Rita Ryder, President of Strategic Initiatives, YWCA of King and Snohomish Counties. Moderator: Robbie Rohr, Executive Alliance. 
= This session will be most useful for board members, executive directors, other natural leaders and funders committed to exploring leadership outside the silos of our own agencies, fields or sectors.

3D. “Local and National Trends in Philanthropy” Carol Lewis, CEO of Philanthropy Northwest, will present the “Northwest Giving Profile,” an in-depth analysis of recent grant-making in Washington State. Steven Rathgeb Smith, Professor and Associate Dean of the Evans School of Public Affairs, will report on recent research on major movements in the field of philanthropy.
= This session will be of particular interest to individuals interested in the changing role of foundations and foundation grant giving in the Pacific Northwest.

3E. “For Generation X and Y’ers – Stepping into the Leadership Void” How do younger leaders with a more contemporary frame of reference experience the nonprofit sector? What does the next generation need to take the lead? Join this panel of executive directors under 40 to hear about their experiences leading nonprofits from issues of credibility to work/life balance, to approaches to leadership. Steve Dubiel, EarthCorps; Petrina Fischer, Communities in Schools; Laura Retzler, Nonprofit Recruitment Services; Remy Trupin, Washington State Budget and Policy Center.
= This session should be useful for people under 40 who are considering becoming executive directors, sector professionals interested in executive transitions.

3:45 pm: Break: Exhibits open.

4:00 pm: Closing Plenary:

Michael Lipsky, Senior Program Director for Public Works: the Demos Center for the Public Sector.  Introduced by Robbie Rohr, Executive Director, Executive Alliance.

Demos' purpose is to help build a society where America can achieve its highest democratic ideals. In his remarks, Michael Lipsky will focus on the importance of developing and more effectively communicating a vision of government that empowers citizens, engenders respect for public service, and restores an understanding of the importance of government's protective and supportive capacities. He will also explore the role, motivation and untapped power of nonprofit leaders to advance a valued and respected public sector.

4:45 pm: Nonprofits Year in Review – Revisit the outstanding events and consider the major trends of 2005; look ahead to what 2006 has in store for Washington’s nonprofits. Linda Nageotte, Chair, Executive Alliance.

5:00 pm: Conference ends.