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Nonprofits&Innovation

S U R V I V I N G & T H R I V I N G

I N A N A G E O F C H A N G E

The Seventh Annual Axelson Center Symposium for Nonprofit Professionals • May 16–17, 2006

REAL PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR YOUR NONPROFIT

Nonprofit leaders and managers face

a stark choice. They can play a creative and assertive role in designing

their own change—consciously planning to impact their

own organizations and, sometimes, conditions in the

larger environment—or they can be changed by the forces

swirling around them. The middle ground of not changing

is not a viable option; nostalgia for an imagined golden

past is a dangerous distraction. Merely digging in, pulling

the wagons into a circle, and defending the status quo is

surely a high-risk course in these turbulent times.”

Doug Eadie : Changing by Design: A Practical Approach to Leading

Innovation in Nonprofit Organizations

Innovation and Change

“ A complete toolboxfor your nonprofit

Using Technology to Deliver Excellence

Unleashing the New Generation of Volunteers

Making Your Nonprofit Into a High-Performance Workplace

The Latest Trends and Tools in Internet Fundraising

Strategic Human Resource Management and Organizational Design

Moving a Dinosaur – Transforming an Organization from Old to Entrepreneurial

Positioning and Marketing Strategies for Entrepreneurial Nonprofits

Strategies for Unlocking Your Profit Potential

Principles and Best Practices for Implementing Change

Best Practices for Building and Sustaining Relationships Using the Internet

ReBranding: Renew Your Image and Re-Energize Your Organization’s Impact

Using Performance Measurement to Support Innovation

Scenarios and Scenario Thinking

Town Hall Briefing on Nonprofit Accountability and Best Practices

Increasing Organizational Effectiveness Through Innovative Cash Management Practices

Here are just a handful of the real, practical tools you can take back to your organization.

Special Focus: Individual Creativity & Personal Development

Unlocking the Innovative Potential Within

Creating Entrepreneurial Career Success

Making the Most of Your Capabilities and Creativity

For a complete itinerary of the conference, visit www.northpark.edu/axelson/2006.cfm

Many nonprofit organizations today face an unprecedented need for fundamental

change, not because of incompetence or failure but because change is being

forced by the context in which nonprofits operate.

In the face of such fundamental transformation, how should nonprofits

respond? How can struggling nonprofits renew themselves and thrive on

chaos? What are the specific drivers of change which most importantly affect

the nonprofit sector today? What does innovation look like in the nonprofit

context? What does it take to be innovative and nimble? What best practices in

the field of nonprofit innovation might we learn from? These are some of the

questions that will be addressed through Symposium 2006.

FPO PICK UP FROM

PRIOR JOB

Dear Friends of the Axelson Center,

The Axelson Center is pleased to build on the success of the last six years’ symposia and present

the 2006 Symposium “Nonprofits and Innovation: Surviving and Thriving in an Age of Change.”

Nonprofits have been hit with staggering change in recent years, and experts predict even bigger

changes in the future. In fact, the only certainty is change. Organizations that want to succeed

now and in the future need to learn how to successfully adapt in the face of uncertainty as well as

build and sustain an innovative culture—at every level of your organization. This is not an easy task!

But we trust that our 2006 Symposium will provide you with the tools and strategies you need to

successfully navigate these turbulent times.

Our sincere thanks go to all our generous sponsors, without whose support the 2006 Symposium

would not be possible.

The Seeds of Innovation®: an Innovation Boot CampWant to jumpstart innovation in yourself and your organization? We’ll help you get started by describing innovation basics, identifying factors that can help or hinder innovation, and providing helpful tips and tools. The Seeds of Innovation® workshop was developed by Elaine Dundon, MBA and Alex Pattakos, Ph.D. of The Innovation Group. In their own words, during this full day course “you will be asked to challenge your perceptions about the concept of innovation, rethink some of your typical thinking patterns, and stretch yourself into unknown territory. So get ready to plant the Seeds of Innovation®!”

Date and Time: May 16, 2006; 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Instructor: Bill Croasmun, Ph.D., Social Technologies LLC

Change Making 101: How to Build and Sustain Your Nonprofit’s Adaptive and Leadership CapacitiesWhat does a nonprofit need to succeed in todays increasingly competitive and rapidly changing environment, evermore demanding of accountability? This session will help participants learn how to enhance their organizations adaptive and leadership capacities. Participants will complete an organizational assessment and the results will be used to learn how to conduct external and internal needs assessments, evaluate programs, and use the information gleamed from these measures to increase organizational effectiveness. Additionally, participants will learn how to develop and maintain diverse and stable revenue streams and adjust programming in response to funding changes. Finally, participants will learn about what staff leaders can do to strengthen the leadership capabilities of all organizational participants.

Date and Time: May 16, 2006; 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Instructors: Paul Connolly, Senior Vice President, TCC Group; Steve Bumbaugh, Senior Consultant, TCC Group

Innovative Fundraising for Future SuccessIs your organization positioned for fundraising success in the 21st Century? In this highly pragmatic session, participants will be introduced to the latest thinking about fundraising effectiveness. Participants will learn about new fundraising opportunities as well as latest strategies and techniques for building responsive and highly effective fundraising programs that meet contemporary challenges.

Date and Time: May 16, 2006; 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Instructor: Greg Simoncini, Vice President, Midwest Regional Manager, The Alford Group, Inc.

Take your nonprofit to the next level with one of these day-long, intensive skill building workshops.

1OPTION

2OPTION

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May 16th 2006 Sessions

Pre–Conference Institutes

Melissa Morriss-Olson, Ph.D.

Director, The Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management North Park University

Jimmie R. Alford, CFRE

Founder and Chair The Alford Group, Inc.

A Letter fromthe Director

Nonprofits & Innovation : Surviving and Thriving in an Age of Change 3The Seventh Annual Axelson Center Symposium for Nonprofit Professionals

Major sponsorship provided by:

Opening Plenary Planting the Seeds of Innovation®

Presenter: Elaine Dundon Founder and Managing Director / The Innovation Group

We live in a world of hyper-competition, rapid change, and uncertainty. How can organizations, including non-profits, compete? How can individuals maximize their contribution and help their organizations compete? Elaine Dundon shares her unique approach to inspiring innovation in all areas of the organization, including benchmarking data from the Innovation Group’s global database of organizations that have completed The Seeds of Innovation Team and Organizational Assessment. Learn how others have succeeded in developing the environment for innovation as well as how others have developed their own skills in the three key dimensions of innovation: creative thinking, strategic thinking, and transformational thinking.

Keynote Address

Nonprofits and Innovation: A View from the Top

Presenter: Rey Ramsey Chairman and CEO / One Economy Corporation

As Chief Executive Officer of One Economy Corporation and the Chairman of the Board of Habitat for Humanity, Rey Ramsey has vast experience in creating and sustaining organizational innovation. He will share his insights about what it takes to create an innovative spirit at all levels of the organization and why it matters.

Closing Plenary: Panel Discussion

Innovation in Action: How Nonprofits are Responding and Succeeding in the Face of Change

Facilitator: Tom Conger CEO / Social Technologies

Emerging trends in society, technology, and culture will drive change in the nonprofit sector over the next decade. In this presentation and panel discussion futurist Tom Conger will identify half a dozen important drivers of change and their implications for the nonprofit community. Then several senior nonprofit leaders will describe how they and their organizations are already innovating in response to these trends. Expect both a glimpse into the future and some very practical ideas on how to prepare for it.

May 17th Nonprofits and Innovation

2006 Symposium

Established in 1999, The Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University seeks to serve the needs of nonprofit leaders and practitioners through academic programs, on-site training, and specialized programs such as an annual symposium that addresses contemporary issues germane to the nonprofit community. Academic programs in nonprofit management are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as online.

The Axelson Center values the input of the nonprofit community and has established and advisory board comprised of senior-level nonprofit leaders. This board plays a vital role in guiding the Center’s programs and activities.

As a teaching and learning resource for the nonprofit community, the Axelson Center seeks to provide:

• A highly relevant curriculum teaching leading-edge business practices needed to grow a nonprofit’s base of support and stature

• Opportunities to network with and learn from experienced peers and to solve specific problems facing your organization through advice from faculty and classmates

• State-of-the-art knowledge presented by expert faculty with nonprofit management experience

• Systematic training in all aspects of nonprofit management

About the Axelson Centerfor Nonprofit Management at North Park University

About North Park University

Founded in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church, North Park University is located on Chicago’s north side and enrolls nearly 3,000 students from around the country and the world. At North Park, a long standing tradition of excellence is informed by a spirit of innovation, wherein students, faculty, and staff reach out to serve and learn from the dynamic community surrounding the campus. Cultural study centers enrich the life of the campus and connect it to the diverse people of Chicago whose roots extend around the globe. Graduate and special undergraduate programs bring adult, working professionals to the campus on evenings and weekends, enhancing the University’s resources in the liberal arts as well as in specialized areas such as business, the health sciences, music, and education.

Nonprofits & Innovation : Surviving and Thriving in an Age of Change 5The Seventh Annual Axelson Center Symposium for Nonprofit Professionals

v

The Seventh Annual Axelson Center Symposium for Nonprofit Professionals

Program Agenda

Opening Plenary Session: 8:00 – 9:00 amPlanting the Seeds of InnovationSpeaker: Elaine Dundon, Founder and Managing Director, The Innovation Group

Concurrent Tracks 9:10 – 10:05 am

Futuristic Fundraising Practices

What’s New with Internet Fundraising? The Latest Trends, Tools and TechniquesSpeaker: Betsy Harman, Principal, Harman Interactive

Technological Innovation

It All Begins with Strategy: Using the Internet as a Strategic ToolSpeaker: Shirley Sexton, Easter Seals

Alternate Models for Extending Your Reach

Innovation in Volunteer Management: Activating the New Generation of VolunteersSpeakers: Tammy Kelley, Director of People Resources, Willow Creek Community Church;Dawn Nicole Baldwin, Co-founder, Managing Director, Aspire!One

Building the Innovative Organization

Entrepreneurship in Action: SeguinWorks… Cultivating Innovative Ideas into ResultsSpeakers: David Pistrui, Ph.D., Coleman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurship, Industry Professor of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology;John Voit, President & CEO Seguin Services, Inc.;James Haptonstahl, Senior Vice President, Seguin Foundation;Lori Opiela, Vice President, SeguinWorks

Marketing in the Millennium

Whatever Tomorrow Brings: Communicating in the Face of ChangeSpeakers: Richard Melcher, Principal, Melcher+Tucker Consultants;Anne Tucker, Principal, Melcher+Tucker Consultants

Financial Empowerment

Beyond Grants: Innovative Funding Strategies for Breakthrough Ideas Speakers: Deb Popely, President, Popely & Company, Inc.; Rochelle Davis, Founding Executive Director, Healthy Schools Campaign; Michael Burke, Director of Public Affairs, Bounce Network

Innovative Approaches to Remaking Your Organization

Moving a Dinosaur: Transforming an Organization from Old to EntrepreneurialSpeaker: Lisa Gundry, Ph.D., Professor of Management, DePaul University

Accountability and Performance Management

Town Hall Briefing on Nonprofit Accountability and Best PracticesSpeaker: Stasia Zwisler, President and CEO, The Giving Trust

Innovative Tools Scenarios and Scenario ThinkingSpeaker: Bill Croasmun, Ph.D., Social Technologies

Innovation and Personal Growth and Development

The New Career Frontier: Starting or Managing an Entrepreneurial Nonprofit Speaker: Crendalyn McMath, Assistant Professor of Business and Nonprofit Management, North Park University; Principal, Kennedy Taylor Corporation

Leadership and Organizational Transformation

There is a revolution coming; is your organization ready?Speakers: Marcia Lipetz, Ph.D.,President & CEO, Executive Service Corps of Chicago; Meg Herman, Manager of Coaching Practice, Executive Service Corps of Chicago; Toni Smith, Volunteer Consultant, Executive Service Corps of Chicago

Innovative Strategies Prospect ScreeningSpeaker: David Lawson, Senior Vice President of Prospect Relationship Management, Kintera, Inc.

May 17, 2006

Nonprofits & Innovation : Surviving and Thriving in an Age of Change 7

Program Agenda May 17, 2006

Concurrent Tracks 10:45 – 11:40 am


A Multi-Channel Integrated Approach to FundraisingSpeaker: Betsy Harman, Principal, Harman Interactive


Better, Faster, Cheaper: Using Technology to Deliver ExcellenceSpeaker: Ingvild Bjornvold, Senior Consultant, Social Solutions


Best Practices for Building and Sustaining Relationships Using the InternetSpeakers: Elizabeth Nielsen, Assistant Director Internet Marketing, Easter Seals National Headquarters; Eve Smith, Internet Marketing Manager, Easter Seals National Headquarters


Strategic HR and Organizational Design as a Competitive IntelligenceSpeaker: Catherine Marsh, Assistant Professor of Management, School of Business and Nonprofit Management, North Park University


The Word of Mouth Revolution: Where is Your Tipping Point?Speaker: Deb Popely, President, Popely & Company, Inc.


Spinning Straw Into Gold: Lessons from the Field Speaker: Ed Barker, Community Wealth Ventures


ReBranding: Renew Your Image and Re-energize Your Organization’s ImpactSpeakers: Dawn Nicole Baldwin, Co-founder, Managing Director, Aspire!One;Roland Jacobs, Co-founder, Managing Director, Aspire!One


Building Strategy Focused Performance Driven Organizations with the Balanced ScorecardSpeaker: David Pistrui, Ph.D., Coleman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurship, Industry Professor of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology

Innovative Tools Scenarios Hands OnSpeaker: Bill Croasmun, Ph.D., Social Technologies


We are not “Prisoners of Our Thoughts”!Speaker: Elaine Dundon, Author, The Seeds of Innovation


Executive Leadership Transition in the Chicago Nonprofit Community: What We Know and Implications for Your OrganizationSpeaker: Suzannah Cowell, Director of Research, Donors Forum of Chicago

Innovative Strategies How to Use Passions of the Affluent to Enhance Your FundraisingSpeaker: Susan Hirschman, Managing Director and Planning Strategist, JPMorgan Asset Management

Networking Break: 10:10 – 10:40 am


Program Agenda

Concurrent Tracks 11:50 – 12:45 pm


Online Fundraising Auctions: New Revenue. . . Better AdvocacySpeaker: Clam Lorenz, Director of Operations, MissionFish!


The Internet as a Growth Engine for Faith-Based OrganizationsSpeakers: Kem Meyer, Communications Director, Granger Community Church;Dawn Nicole Baldwin, Co-founder, Managing Director, Aspire!One


Getting Heard Above the Electronic Din: Strategies for Harnessing the New TechnologySpeaker: Dave Goetz, President, CZ Marketing


Making Your Nonprofit into a High-Performance WorkplaceSpeakers: David Blair, Associate, Winning Workplaces; Diane Stoneman, Director of Programs and Services, Winning Workplaces


Positioning the Entrepreneurial Nonprofit for Marketing Success Speaker: Crendalyn McMath, Assistant Professor of Business and Nonprofit Management, North Park University; Principal, Kennedy Taylor Corporation


Spinning Straw Into Gold: Strategies for Unlocking Your Profit PotentialSpeaker: Ed Barker, Community Wealth Ventures


Change by Design: Principles and Best Practices for Implementing ChangeSpeaker: Catherine Marsh, Assistant Professor of Management, School of Business and Nonprofit Management, North Park University


Using Evaluation to Support InnovationSpeakers: Peter York, Director of Evaluation, TCC Group; Chantell Johnson, Associate Director of Evaluation, TCC Group; Jen Avers, Associate Consultant, TCC Group

Innovative Tools Banking on Success - Increasing Organizational Effectiveness Through Cash Management Speaker: Clare Golla, Nonprofit Market Strategist, ShoreBank


Transitions, Transformations, and CreativitySpeaker: Christine Milostan, Principal, Milostan Creativity


Governance and Leadership: Building Focused Fundamentals Speakers: David Pistrui, Ph.D., Coleman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurship, Industry Professor of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology; Janet Froetscher, President & CEO, United Way of Metro Chicago; John Voit, President & CEO, Seguin Services Inc.; Joseph O. Pedersen, Ed.D., President of the Board, Seguin Services Inc.

Innovative Strategies Innovative Strategies for Building Effective Web sites Speakers: Nicholas Gracilla, Principal, Neoteric Design; Jamey Lundblad, Director of Communication Strategies, Good Studio

May 17, 2006


Program Agenda May 17, 2006

1:00 – 2:30 pm Luncheon

Awards Ceremony

Keynote Address - Nonprofits and Innovation: A View from the Top Speaker: Rey Ramsey, Chairman and CEO, One Economy Corporation

2:45 – 4:15 pm Closing Plenary Session - Innovation in Action: How Nonprofits are Responding and Succeeding in the Face of Change

Speakers:

Tom Conger, CEO Social Technologies

Susan Lloyd, Ph.D., Director of Evaluation, Human and Community Development, The MacArthur Foundation

Richard Jones, Ph.D., President and CEO, Metropolitan Family Services

Thomas C. Vanden Berk, MBA, President & Executive Director, Uhlich Children’s Advantage Network

Vince Allocco, Ph.D., President and CEO, El Valor

Eileen Sweeney, Director of Corporate and Foundation Philanthropic Relations, Motorola Foundation

Wesley Lindahl, Ph.D., Director School of Business and Nonprofit Management, North Park University


Opening Plenary Session: 8:00 – 9:00 AM

Planting the Seeds of InnovationPresenter: Elaine Dundon, MBA, Founder and Managing Director, The Innovation Group

We live in a world of hyper-competition, rapid change, and uncertainty. How can organizations, including non-profits, compete? How can individuals maximize their contribution and help their organizations compete? Elaine Dundon shares her unique approach to inspiring innovation in all areas of the organization, including benchmarking data from the Innovation Group’s global database of organizations that have completed The Seeds of Innovation Team and Organizational Assessment. Learn how others have succeeded in developing the environment for innovation as well as how others have developed their own skills in the three key dimensions of innovation: creative thinking, strategic thinking, and transformational thinking.

Break-Out Session 1: 9:10 – 10:05 AM

What’s New with Internet Fundraising? The Latest Trends, Tools and TechniquesPresenter: Betsy Harman, Principal, Harman Interactive

While online donations still represent a fairly small piece of the revenue pie for most organizations, the Internet is becoming an increasingly important revenue stream and donors expect to be able to give online. How quickly is online fundraising growing? What does the new breed of online donor look like? What are successful nonprofits doing online to increase revenue and build lasting relationships with donors? In this session, you’ll learn about the latest trends, tools, and techniques for harnessing the power of the Internet. You’ll also hear an inspiring success story or two.

It All Begins With Strategy: Using the Internet as a Strategic ToolShirley Sexton, Easter Seals

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re going to end up nowhere. The biggest mistake an organization can make is to dive in to an Internet technology investment before taking the time to create a strategic plan. Hear from a colleague at a peer organization as to why the most important factor – and the hardest factor – in a successful Internet plan isn’t the technology, it’s the people. Learn how this federated organization used a strategic planning process involving all major stakeholders to move from disconnected and inconsistent static Web sites to a fully integrated CRM network of over 120 Web sites.

Innovation in Volunteer Management: Activating the New Generation of VolunteersTammy Kelley, Director of People Resources for Willow Creek Community Church; Dawn Nicole Baldwin,Co-founder, Managing Director, Aspire!One

Willow Creek Community Church embarked on a plan two years ago to activate thousands more volunteers and is now managing over 12,000 volunteers. Many of the techniques used by Willow can be applied by other nonprofits, ranging from ways of introducing new volunteers to serving opportunities to the creative use of the Internet. Tammy Kelley, who oversaw Willow Creek’s initiative, will present a framework for Attracting, Connecting, Training and Sustaining volunteers. Dawn Baldwin of Aspire!One will demonstrate how the Internet can help nonprofits activate more volunteers.

Session Descriptions Session Descriptions


Entrepreneurship in Action: SeguinWorks . . . Cultivating Innovative Ideas into Results John Voit, President & CEO Seguin Services Inc.; James Haptonstahl, Senior Vice President of Seguin Foundation; Lori Opiela, Vice President SeguinWorks; David Pistrui, Ph.D. Coleman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurship, Industry Professor of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology

In 2001, Seguin Services Inc. created SEGUINWORKS (SW) as a small, entrepreneurial business venture to provide meaningful employment to people with developmental disabilities. Currently SW has three successful business ventures that provide employment for hard-to-employ, developmentally disabled adults. The business units are: Auto Marketplace & Auto Detailing, Gift Corner Retail Store, and Lawn Maintenance and Snow Removal. A new SW Garden Center business unit is under development.

SW represents an excellent case study of how one Chicago land nonprofit fosters an entrepreneurial mind set that is effectively communicated and translated into well defined objectives that produce results. This session will present a series of actual examples and techniques that depict and demonstrate innovative actions which can be employed to reshape business models. This includes the following:

• Defining and Fostering an Entrepreneurial Mind set for Growth and Learning • Driving the Development of New Business Models • Demonstrating Essential Business Development Tools • Profiling the Critical Success Factors for Social Entrepreneurship

Whatever Tomorrow Brings: Communicating in the Face of ChangeRichard Melcher, Principal, Melcher+Tucker Consultants; Anne Tucker, Principal, Melcher+Tucker Consultants

What’s new in not-for-profit marketing and communications? This session will cover a range of topics, including:

What are the most effective methods of getting your message out?

• How to utilize new technologies to spread the word more quickly and efficiently. • How to make sense of the myriad of distribution channels available today and how to evaluate

which ones are right for you. • How to craft messages around new challenges and opportunities on issues ranging from funding

to competition to expansion. • How to prepare your entire team, from management to board members, to be ambassadors for

your mission.

Beyond Grants: Innovative Funding Strategies for Breakthrough Ideas Deb Popely, President, Popely & Company, Inc.; Rochelle Davis, Founding Executive Director, Healthy Schools Campaign; Michael Burke, Director of Public Affairs, Bounce Network

New ideas often require innovative funding strategies. This session will explore how nonprofits are successfully employing new funding models such as corporate co-branding and public-private partnerships underwrite breakthrough ideas. A panel of experts consisting of nonprofits and funders will discuss the advantages and pitfall of these approaches based on their personal experiences.


Moving a Dinosaur: Transforming an Organization from Old to EntrepreneurialLisa Gundry, Ph.D., Professor of Management, DePaul University

Many of the conventional ways organizations use to identify and respond to opportunities and serve their constituents are no longer effective, and, not surprisingly, they no longer lead to unexpected solutions. Organizations need to adopt an entrepreneurial mind set that can support their initiatives and stimulate growth. In this session, participants will learn to unlock their own innovative skills by applying new approaches that will help their organizations become more entrepreneurial and achieve breakthrough thinking and performance. In this session, participants will:

• Learn how to avoid the five innovation mistakes that often prevent organizations from reaching truly innovative ideas and solutions.

• Learn ways to build an entrepreneurial organization that embraces risk-taking and change. • Utilize a strategic visioning tool to help your department or organization think more innovatively.

Town Hall Briefing on Nonprofit Accountability and Best PracticesStasia Zwisler, President and CEO, The Giving Trust

The Chicago metropolitan region is evolving into a highly diverse and rapidly growing area. Dynamic forces of growth, class, race, sprawl, immigration, and globalization are blending together and colliding with each other to create new communities and restructure old ones. Nonprofit organizations are critical and essential partners with government and the private sector in managing this growth and strengthening the civic infrastructure.

A facilitated, lively panel discussion of innovative thinkers and practitioners from the donor, nonprofit, and funding arenas will discuss nonprofit effectiveness and accountability within this regional context. Board members, nonprofit staff, consultants, volunteers, and others will come away from this session with fresh perspectives on why nonprofit sustainability and excellence is essential to building a more equitable and sustainable future for residents in the rapidly changing Chicago metropolitan region and an enhanced understanding of the implications and resources available to nonprofit organizations interested in this timely topic.

Scenarios and Scenario Thinking Bill Croasmun, Ph.D., Social Technologies

We often speak of the future, what will happen in the next 5, 10 or more years. In fact, the future may play out in more that one possible way. Scenarios are those images of possible futures. The goal of scenario thinking is to help people and organizations understand at a gut level how existing and emerging forces can cause the future to unfold in multiple directions—which they can then prepare for. Scenarios are widely used in business, government, military, and other organizations for a variety of missions. They are powerful tools for thinking rigorously and strategically about the future. Scenarios are also very useful in the present, to raise aspirations, challenge assumptions, and spark innovation. This workshop will provide a basic introduction to scenarios and scenario thinking.

The New Career Frontier: Starting or Managing an Entrepreneurial Nonprofit Crendalyn McMath, Assistant Professor of Business and Nonprofit Management, North Park University; Principal, Kennedy Taylor Corporation

With the growth of social enterprises and entrepreneurial nonprofits, there is an increasing need for



individuals who can successfully manage these unique enterprises. This session focuses on the “drivers behind the wheels” of these organizations. The session explores

• Examination of the risks, rewards and realities of starting an entrepreneurial nonprofit • Assessment of personal potential for leading or managing an entrepreneurial nonprofit. • Application of current skill set to entrepreneurial nonprofits.

There’s a revolution coming; is your organization ready?Marcia Lipetz, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Service Corps of Chicago; Meg Herman, Manager of Coaching Practice, Executive Service Corps of Chicago; Toni Smith, Volunteer Consultant, Executive Service Corps of Chicago

Nonprofits, like other organizations will see a huge exodus of executives (up to 70%!) as Baby Boomers retire, starting now and for the next 15 years. And research shows that only one in five ED’s, when they leave, will take another ED position. Is your organization ready to lose its leader? Does it have a transition plan -- a strategic plan to deal with losing its leaders? A board able to manage this transition? Do you see such a change as an opportunity... or a disaster for your organization? Learn how to embrace these coming changes as a pivotal and positive time for renewal, capacity building and increased effectiveness for yourself and your organization through well structured and managed transition experiences.

Prospect ScreeningDavid Lawson, Senior Vice President of Prospect Relationship Management, Kintera, Inc.

Prospect screening has become very important to the nonprofit community. Your hunt for hidden donors isn’t always for the person involved in the glitz and glamour of society – you might find a millionaire next door. With a powerful prospect screening service, you can work the top tier of your donor list and uncover hidden gems – often worth millions of dollars in donations. This session will show you how today’s emerging technology can help organizations find, segment, and communicate with their top prospects. Best practices and case studies will also be presented.

Breakout Session 2: 10:45 – 11:40 AM

A Multi-Channel Integrated Approach to Fundraising Betsy Harman, Principal, Harman Interactive

Research shows nonprofit web sites often prompt donors to take further action, but that action isn’t always taken online. Using consistent messaging and integrating your approach across various media can dramatically increase your success. We’ll discuss using e-mail to provide lift for direct mail, using the web to cultivate and steward donors, and using targeted and segmented e-mail in strategic ways to engage and retain supporters both online and offline.

Better, Faster, Cheaper: Using Technology to Deliver ExcellenceIngvild Bjornvold, Senior Consultant, Social Solutions

These days, most organizations can find affordable software to track their service delivery and outcomes. The time is past when a useful database had to be custom-made by experts at outrageous price. Working better, faster and cheaper – becoming more effective - with the help of technology is within reach for

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all organizations, but it takes more than technology itself. Through a case study, this session explores strategies for integrating evaluation into an organization’s daily operations and taking full advantage of its potential. The case study looks at how tracking results and service delivery within an outcome framework helped the organization document their successes, identify their challenges and continuously move toward excellence

Best Practices for Building and Sustaining Relationships Using the InternetElizabeth Nielsen, Assistant Director Internet Marketing, Easter Seals National Headquarters; Eve Smith, Internet Marketing Manager, Easter Seals National Headquarters

Learn how Easter Seals, a national nonprofit that provides services to people with disabilities, revamped its Internet strategy to engage new prospects and increase funds raised online. Through examples and case studies, we’ll show how integrated messaging, targeted appeals and improved data management helped drive up our constituent base from 500 to over 200,000 subscribers. Take home practical tips and tactics you can use to build lasting relationships with your own constituents using the Internet.

Strategic HR and Organizational Design as a Competitive IntelligenceCatherine Marsh, Assistant Professor of Management, School of Business and Nonprofit Management, North Park University

Peter Drucker states, “Knowledge is different from all other kinds of resources. It constantly makes itself obsolete, with the result that today’s advanced knowledge is tomorrow’s ignorance.” In today’s competitive global marketplace companies must leverage the knowledge and expertise of their employees, for knowledge capital, even more than financial capital is now being touted as the only major raw material of most businesses today. Organizations that will survive and thrive in the future will do so due to their acknowledgement of one simple reality - their success rests entirely upon people.

While the recruitment and retention of skilled knowledge workers is essential, if synergy does not develop in such a way as to release an expanded capacity to create the new, HR will not have played the critical role that is making it an indispensable strategic business function. In this session, Catherine Marsh will discuss reorganization as something much greater than a cost cutting necessity. She will share the critical success factors involved in launching learning organizations that continually develop new knowledge and keep ignorance, as stated by Drucker, at bay.

The Word of Mouth Revolution: Where is Your Tipping Point?Deborah Popely, President, Popely & Company, Inc.

Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most credible and cost-effective ways to spread a nonprofit’s message and mobilize supporters, and nonprofits are exploring new ways to harness its power to set their organization apart from the competition. Using recent local and national examples from successful word-of-mouth marketing campaigns, the session will highlight how nonprofits can achieve a “tipping point” for their cause -- a breakthrough level of awareness -- by building community connections and inspiring “brand evangelism” among supporters.

Spinning Straw Into Gold: Lessons from the FieldEd Barker, Senior Consultant, Community Wealth Ventures

In this two-part session, Ed Barker of Community Wealth Ventures will provide an overview of the field of social enterprise and discuss the steps to developing a social enterprise strategy. In the first



session, participants will review examples of leading social enterprises, trends in the marketplace, and identification of the key risks to pursuing social enterprise. Participants will also have the opportunity to identify potential assets that their organization might use to develop social enterprise opportunities.

ReBranding: Renew Your Image and Re-energize Your Organization’s ImpactDawn Nicole Baldwin, Co-founder, Managing Director, Aspire!One; Roland Jacobs, Co-founder, Managing Director, Aspire!One

Most nonprofits have not realized the potential power of their brand. In this session, branding experts will teach you practical ways to reach your audience with greater impact. Hear case studies of how a renewed focus on branding has helped nonprofits better cast their vision and reach new levels of growth. Learn how to define your organization’s brand and sharpen the focus of your marketing activities to accelerate progress against the mission.

Building Strategy Focused Performance Driven Organizations with the Balanced Scorecard David Pistrui, Ph.D. Coleman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurship, Industry Professor of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology

Today nonprofit organizations are confronted with dramatic changes including more informed stakeholders and donors who are demanding more accountability and measurable results. One tool that has proven effective in helping nonprofits meet these demands and challenges is the Balanced Scorecard (BSC). The BSC is a performance management and measurement system that integrates both financial and non-financial measures.

The BSC helps translate and align strategic vision into operational terms through the balancing of performance metrics across four different perspectives: Financial, Customer, Internal Process, and Growth & Learning. This session will focus on an introduction and overview of BSC concepts as well as the presentation of the Acumen Scorecard Framework which has been designed and successfully implemented by nonprofit organizations.

Those who attend can expect to benefit from a combination of practical and theoretical frameworks to advance their knowledge in the following areas:

• Building Balanced Scorecard Fundamentals • Developing the Balanced Scorecard • Using the Balanced Scorecard • Creating Strategy Focused Organizations

Scenarios Hands OnBill Croasmun, Ph.D., Social Technologies

Scenarios are images of possible futures. The goal of scenarios is to help people and organizations understand at a gut level how existing and emerging forces can cause the future to unfold in multiple directions—which they can then prepare for. Scenarios are especially useful in provoking conversations about aspirations and values. Participants in this workshop will get some practical, hands-on experience in developing and reacting to scenarios. Attendance at the “Scenarios and Scenario Thinking” workshop is prerequisite to participation in “Scenarios Hands On”.


We are not “Prisoners of Our Thoughts”!Elaine Dundon, Founder and Managing Director, The Innovation Group

We work in a highly competitive world where old habits and uncertainty may block our innovative thinking potential and that of our co-workers. Elaine Dundon shares her insight into how we can overcome these blocks and prepare for the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead. Building on the key lessons from The Seeds of Innovation as well as the new book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, Elaine will focus on learning to unlearn “the way it’s done around here”, becoming more open-minded, and tapping into the deeper meaning in our work and everyday lives. With a connection to this deeper meaning, we can all become more engaged, more energized, and of course, ensure that we are not “prisoners of our thoughts”!

Executive Leadership Transition in the Chicago Nonprofit Community: What We Know and Implications for Your OrganizationSuzannah Cowell, Director of Research, Donors Forum of Chicago

Discover what the Donors Forum of Chicago research indicates regarding the leadership transition in the Chicago nonprofit community.

How to Use Passions of the Affluent to Enhance Your Fundraising Susan Hirschman, Managing Director and Planning Strategist, JPMorgan Asset Management

It is no secret that non-profit organizations are facing increased responsibilities while coping with reduced and less stable funding. How can you better connect with possible donors and gain their financial support? Facts and experience speak volumes, and Susan Hirshman shares JPMorgan’s findings from its commissioned research on the culture of wealth in America today and decades of experience with wealthy clients, as well as her own personal stories as a leader in community partnership, to give you an actionable program designed to put the “raise” back in fundraising.

Join Susan’s workshop to learn the Passions of the Affluent to get connected and stay connected to donors.

Breakout Session 3: 11:50 – 12:45 PM

Online Fundraising Auctions: New Revenue. . . Better AdvocacyClam Lorenz, Director of Operations, MissionFish

Nonprofits are using eBay to raise lots of money in a whole new way: $86,000 for a one-of-a-kind collectible, $6,100 for lunch with a board member, $400 for a postcard, and more! Find out how they’re doing it, and how you too can fundraise in The World’s Online Marketplace® through eBay Giving Works, the dedicated program for charitable listings on eBay.

The Internet as a Growth Engine for Faith-Based Organizations Kem Meyer, Communications Director, Granger Community Church; Dawn Nicole Baldwin, Co-founder, Managing Director, Aspire!One

The Internet can have a central role in the communications strategy for churches and ministries. This workshop will show how your website can help you reach more people, connect them into the faith community, and create a favorable guest experience. Hear the Top 10 Website Myths, learn how to accomplish more even with a small budget, and how to integrate the website into your overall


communications plan. This session is team-taught by Kem Meyer, communications director from Granger Community Church and Dawn Nicole Baldwin, co-founder and managing director of Aspire!One. Kem has made the church website a strategic tool that has helped support the churches amazing growth and will walk you through hands-on applications. Dawn Nicole will highlight best practices from her experience consulting with churches around the country, as well as a behind-the-scenes look of how Granger’s website was architected.

Getting Heard Above the Electronic Din: Strategies for Harnessing New Technology Dave Goetz, President, CZ Marketing

Email, instant messaging, web conferencing, blogs, and more! So many new ways of communicating—and yet they’ve paradoxically made it harder for professionals to get their messages across effectively. What’s more, it can be very confusing to know which tool to use when and for which audience. As the number of virtual communication methods continues to expand—have you started your video blog yet?—it is important to know how, when, and why to use these tools as well as what’s coming next. In this session, participants will learn from a leading communications expert about how to embrace these tools, how and when to use them to get their messages across to reach new audiences, and what’s next in technology that will change the way we communicate with each other.

Making Your Nonprofit into a High-Performance WorkplaceDavid Blair, Associate, Winning Workplaces; Diane Stoneman, Director of Programs and Services, Winning Workplaces

Research demonstrates that organizations that are considered superior places to work have significantly higher rates of employee motivation, loyalty, and performance than do organizations that are not viewed as good places to work. High-performance workplaces create settings in which innovation can be achieved because employees are highly motivated; they are willing to take risks because they will not be punished for making mistakes; and teamwork encourages best thinking in solving problems.

In this presentation, consultants from Winning Workplaces, a national consulting and training firm, will show you how you can enhance your organization’s programmatic results by becoming a high-performance workplace. In this presentation, you will learn:

• The relationship between workplace culture, employee productivity, and programmatic results; • Several specific ways in which being a superior place to work leads to increased performance

and growth; • The six essential characteristics of high-performance workplaces; and • Specific strategies that you can use to create a higher-performing workplace in your nonprofit

organization.

Positioning the Entrepreneurial Nonprofit for Marketing Success Crendalyn McMath, Assistant Professor of Business and Nonprofit Management, North Park University; Principal, Kennedy Taylor Corporation

As traditional funding sources are continuing to decline, many nonprofit organizations are turning to entrepreneurialism. This seminar explores methods for positioning entrepreneurial nonprofits for greater success. During this session participants will learn the fundamentals of:

• Creating a positioning strategy that leads to a greater competitive advantage, and • Developing guerilla marketing strategies to increase their customer base and generate more revenue


Spinning Straw Into Gold: Strategies for Unlocking Your Profit PotentialEd Barker, Senior Consultant, Community Wealth Ventures

In this two-part session, Ed Barker of Community Wealth Ventures will provide an overview of the field of social enterprise and discuss the steps to developing a social enterprise strategy. In this second session, participants will learn how to evaluate social enterprise opportunities through a market and internal feasibility assessment.

Change by Design: Principles and Best Practices for Implementing ChangeCatherine Marsh, Assistant Professor of Management, School of Business and Nonprofit Management, North Park University

This fun and informative session will have you out of your seats as you examine principles of change and how best to enliven your organization in preparation for change. The four phases of transitional change will be presented, but this session is not going to bore you with technologies such as PERT and GANTT Charts. Rather, the fundamentals of transformational change will be emphasized and the focus will be on change of mindset, change of behavior and change of culture. Catherine Marsh will have you nodding your heads in agreement as you experience first hand some new technologies for change.

Using Evaluation to Support InnovationJennifer Avers, Evaluation Consultant, TCC Group; Chantell Johnson, Associate Director of Evaluation, TCC Group; Peter York, Vice President and Director of Evaluation, TCC Group

Have you ever considered the work of your organization as an experiment? Have you ever wished that your organization was more explicit about when and how it was being innovative? This session will explore a few conceptual models related to innovation by delving into how data and evaluation can serve as critical tools for both developing and testing new services and products. More specifically, this session will discuss how evaluation can be used as a tool to plan your organization’s innovation; frame your organization’s innovation for funders; and measure the results of your innovation for learning, program improvement and evidence of results. In addition, it will highlight the key components of a successful evaluation model as well as the challenges to implementation. The session will include interaction with the audience through question and answers.

Banking on Success - Increasing Organizational Effectiveness Through Cash Management Clare Golla, Nonprofit Market Strategist, ShoreBank

Throughout the nonprofit sector, much attention is focused on raising funds, and for good reason. But when was the last time your organization took a close look at the types of bank accounts, cash management tools and products it uses once the funds are in the door? In an increasingly competitive and complex marketplace, nonprofit organizations are seeking new ways to earn income while maximizing efficiency, and to reduce risk while maximizing security. Basic cash management principals, tools and products can make a significant difference on your bottom line, regardless of the size and complexity of your organization—it’s just a matter of figuring out the best fit.



Transitions, Transformations, and CreativityChristine Milostan, Principal Milostan Creativity

Experiencing personal or organizational change? We all experience a variety of transitions on life’s journey. These changes can cause chaotic responses and reactions as we leave the past and look forward the future. Join artist and creativity coach, Christine Milostan as she explores the stages of change and the process of transitions. Using fun, experiential activities, participants will learn creative strategies to reduce stress and perceive change as a transforming gateway to gaining strength, wisdom and enjoying new life paths.

Governance and Leadership: Building Focused Fundamentals David Pistrui, Ph.D. Coleman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurship, Industry Professor of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology; Janet P. Froetscher, President & CEO, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago; John Voit, President & CEO, Seguin Services Inc.; Joseph O. Pedersen, Ed.D., President of the Board

Governance is a relatively new topic in the field of management theory and practice. Many participants in the management process are put to the test when asked what the term really means. Governance can be defined as a system of structures, processes, and activities used to monitor, direct and control a company or organization. Governance includes such areas as interactions between senior management, boards of directors, and other community stakeholder’s needs and interests.

In today’s dynamic and fast changing business environment there is a call for more formal and transparent governance. Senior management and boards are under greater scrutiny and are being held accountable for results. This session will highlight key principles of effective governance in conceptual and applied terms. Participants will benefit from the insights and best practice examples presented by a panel of leading experts. Areas to be highlighted include:

• Defining and understanding the importance of governance activities • Reviewing best practices and critical success factors • Identifying opportunities, areas and actions to improve governance effectiveness • Profiling examples of effective governance by a panel of leading experts

Innovative Strategies for Building Effective Web sitesNicholas Gracilla, Principal, Neoteric Design; Jamey Lundblad, Director of Communication Strategies, Good Studio

Is your website working hard or hardly working? Five years or so ago, a static site was perfectly acceptable; it provided basic information about your organization’s mission, programs, and services and served as a sort of online brochure. And, too often, it was frozen in time, updated infrequently, and usually disconnected from the day-to-day affairs of an organization.

Today, we demand much more of our online experiences. We want to interact, explore, research, and be engaged.

In this session, participants will learn how a nonprofit can create a more effective, more innovative website presence, breathing new life into its brand and engaging its constituents in new and exciting ways.


Luncheon Keynote Address: 1:00 – 2:30 PM

Nonprofits and Innovation: A View from the TopRey Ramsey, Chairman and CEO, One Economy Corporation

As Chief Executive Officer of One Economy Corporation and the Chairman of the Board of Habitat for Humanity, Rey Ramsey has vast experience in creating and sustaining organizational innovation. He will share his insights about what it takes to create an innovative spirit at all levels of the organization and why it matters.

Closing Plenary Session: 2:45 – 4:15 PM

Innovation in Action: How Nonprofits are Responding and Succeeding in the Face of ChangeTom Conger, CEO Social Technologies; Susan Lloyd, Ph.D., Director of Evaluation, Human and Community Development, The MacArthur Foundation; Richard Jones, Ph.D., President and CEO, Metropolitan Family Services; Thomas C. Vanden Berk, MBA, President & Executive Director, Uhlich Children’s Advantage Network, Vince Allocco, Ph.D., President and CEO, El Valor; Eileen Sweeney, Director of Corporate and Foundation Philanthropic Relations, Motorola Foundation; Wesley E. Lindahl, Ph.D, Director of the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University

Emerging trends in society, technology, and culture will drive change in the nonprofit sector over the next decade. In this presentation and panel discussion futurist Tom Conger will identify half a dozen important drivers of change and their implications for the nonprofit community. Then several senior nonprofit leaders will describe how they and their organizations are already innovating in response to these trends. Expect both a glimpse into the future and some very practical ideas on how to prepare for it.


Session Descriptions

To Learn More or Register Online Visit: www.northpark.edu/axelson/2006.cfm

Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Title _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Organization _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Street Address ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City _______________________________________________________________ State ________________________________ Zip _________________________________________

Phone ______________________________________________________________ Fax ___________________________________________________________________________________

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Registration Options

Early Bird Symposium and Pre-Conference Institute . . . . . . . $275

Symposium and Pre-Conference Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $325

Early Bird Symposium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $125

Symposium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175

To receive the early bird discount, registration must be postmarked, faxed, completed online, or emailed before March 1, 2006.

Pre-Conference Options (Please select one option)

Option 1 : The Seeds of Innovation®

Option 2 : Change Making 101

Option 3 : Innovative Fundraising for Future Success

Vegetarian Meal Option

I Would Like a Vegetarian Meal

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Please complete form, make checks payable to North Park University, and return to:

Attn: Kris Maldre North Park University, Box 4 3225 West Foster Avenue Chicago, IL 60625–4895

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Register online

Visit: www.northpark.edu/axelson/2006.cfm

Questions or Concerns?

For further information, contact Kris Maldre at (877) 678-4438 or (773) 244-5747 or [email protected]. You can also visit our web site at www.northpark.edu/axelson/2006.cfm.

Register Now!

The symposium fee includes lunch, refreshments, and program materials, including access to the online symposium proceedings. We regret that we are unable to process registration refunds for any reason after May 1, 2006.

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nonprofits innovation - acumen dynamics · 2015-08-21 · nonprofits &innovation s u r v i v i...

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