Site Map     Contact Us

 

Member Log-In

Email:
Password:
Not a member of our online
community yet? Click below
and get access to all of our
member resources.
CREATE PASSWORD
FORGOT PASSWORD


Notice to Nonprofits
and Grantseekers.

CSF does not give grants,
provide technical assistance
to nonprofits, or match
funders, and grant-seekers.
For a list of recommended
resources, please
click here

All content @ 2008, Conference
of Southwest Foundation

(Terms of Use)

 

 





      Friday, October 1, 2010

7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.Conference Registration
7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.Breakfast Buffet

Oversight of Foundations by the Attorney General's Office
Session Designer: Dave Copeland

State attorneys general have exercised oversight of some of the largest and most high profile charitable trusts in America, and have done so to ensure that the donor's intent is carried out or to deter self dealing by trustees or employees of such entities. History has shown that, occasionally, things can go terribly wrong in the administration of a charitable trust. Colorado's Supreme Court has confirmed in several cases the broad common law powers of the attorney general, and the state legislature has conferred additional specific powers. Areas of oversight responsibility include hospital transfers and multi-million dollar foundations created thereby, alleged self-dealing by principals, diversion of funds, speculative investment of charitable assets, and maintaining a donor's intent for a bequest when it is impractical or even impossible to do so. These distinguished attorneys general will share their experiences in dealing with these and other difficult situations.
This session will last 50 minutes and is designed to provide 1.0 hours of continuing education credit to Certified Public Accountants.
This course has been approved bythe State Bar of Texas for1 hour of CLE creditand may qualify for CLE hours with other state bar associations.
Click here for information about continuing education credits.


Speakers: Colorado Attorney General John Suthers and Knox Walkup, former Attorney General of Tennessee with Moderator William J. Hybl, Chairman and CEO, El Pomar Foundation, Colorado Springs, CO

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.Concurrent Breakout Sessions


Cities in Crisis: The Drop-Out Problem and Solutions
Session Designers: Jack Alexander, Jennifer Esterline, Charles Milby and Carrie Tynan

It's said that every 26 seconds a student drops out of school. This means that more than 1.2 million students a year—one third of our students overall—are leaving high school without having earned a diploma. National drop-out experts will discuss the national, state and local perspectives of the drop-out crisis, as well as several effective drop-out prevention initiatives that are being implemented in states across the nation.

Speakers: Carmita Vaughan, Chief Strategy Officer, America's Promise Alliance, Washington, DC; Liz Aybar, Executive Director, Margulf Foundation, Denver,Colorado; and Daniel J.Cardinali, President,Communities in Schools, Arlington, VA

Making Sense of Logic
Session Designers: Tanya Beer, Jennifer Esterline, Quynh-Anh T. McMahan

"If you don't know where you're going, you might not get there." So true, Yogi! By developing a logic model, your foundation can find out where you're going and how you will get there. Think of it as a map. It's also a great tool for gauging and refining your grant making processes throughout your journey. And, ultimately, it can help you track social and programmatic impact.

In this trustee/staff joint session we will learn to develop logic models to fit our needs (it's not just for grantees!), and hear about other tools to assess foundation performance that complement the logic model.

Speaker: Peter York, Senior Vice President and Director of Research, TCC Group, Philadelphia, PA

Local Funding Partnerships: Moving a Model from Concept to Best Practice to Replication
Session Designers: Octavio Martinez, Quynh-Anh T. McMahan, Jana Mullins

Since 1988, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Local Funding Partnerships (LFP) matched the resources of a national foundation with local grantmakers to help implement ambitious new initiatives to address community health needs. As LFP approaches its final award cycle, lessons have emerged about the role of funding partnerships in moving a model from concept to best practice to replication. Participants will hear from the LFP national director, a lead local funder and a grantee who collaborated to identify a solution to an intractable problem, attempted an innovative community response, developed an evidence-based practice and moved the program to statewide and now national replication. The focus will be on In SHAPE, a program that works to reverse or improve conditions of poor physical health that can contribute to early death among people with severe mental illness.

Speakers: Kenneth Jue, Founder of In SHAPE and former CEO of Monadnock Family Services, Keene, NH, Pauline M. Seitz, Director, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Local Funding Partnerships, Princeton, NJ, Mary Vallier-Kaplan, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Endowment for Health, Concord, NH

The Economic Recovery – Where are we now?
Session Designer: Sheryl Johns

In the aftermath of a major economic disruption, the normal path has been a steep or "V" shaped recovery. What makes this recovery different and what should long term investors expect from the economy and the capital markets? What are the risks associated with economic activity, domestic monetary and fiscal policy, inflation/deflation risks, and the debt challenged events in various parts of the world? This session will address these issues and more.

This session will last 100 minutes and is designed to provide 2.0 hours of continuing education credit to Certified Public Accountants.
This program has been submitted to the CFP Board for 2.0 continuing education credits.
Click here for information about continuing education credit.

Speakers: Michael H. Strauss, Chief Economist and Chief Operating Officer, Commonfund Asset Management Company, Wilton, CT

Follow the Leader

Session Designer: Jeff Pryor

Pro sports has long-term talent development processes – and are deliberate in building connection to a game early in life, reinforcing skills and building aspirations of young players to move up through the ranks. Sports are dedicated to high energy recruitment with a focus upon leadership. Yet the general consensus is that most nonprofits' ability to attract, develop and retain talent is either "disappointing" or "so-so."

Philanthropy needs to help build a robust and diverse talent pool to secure the future of the nonprofit sector. Our nation is poised to take advantage of a unique situation. More people than ever are concerned about the state of the world and are willing to make a difference. Yet, many just don't know how. We need to engage these people, to speak to them with both heart and mind; to offer them a role in community and society. There is a general lack of awareness of the nonprofit/NGO sector, it is enormously under-valued, diversity is under-represented, there are (or soon will be) succession challenges, and there is great frustration with the lack of capacity within the field. The efforts to deal with these challenges are disjointed and few resources are dedicated to solidifying solutions.

This session will be interactive and will use polling technology to stimulate conversations about these challenges. The presenters will recommend both "top down" national, regional and state-based strategies and "bottom up" community-based approaches to building awareness, engaging key players, testing possibilities, capturing data, and taking best practices to scale. Come and build the talent for your favorite team!

Speakers: Jeff Pryor, Ed.D., Executive Director, Anschutz Family Foundation, Denver, CO, Alexandra Mitchell, MPA, President of Pathfinder Solutions, Inc., Louisville, CO and Adeeb Khan, Young Nonprofit Leadership Network, Denver, CO


9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.


9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Documentary Films Shown Continuously

Ask the Attorney
Frequent CSF presenter and professional advisor, Houston-based attorney Ron Webster will be available at the annual conference to meet one-on-one to answer questions about your foundation management issues. For an appointment, sign up at the CSF registration desk upon your arrival at the conference!

10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.Concurrent Breakout Sessions

When Ideas Get Hot, the Hot Start Talking
When you open your mouth, make sure what comes out is spirited dialogue. Get to the point. Just don't make decisions. Act on them. Speaking with candor doesn't mean spying. Share opinions. Share the limelight.

Crucial Conversations Training teaches us how to achieve spirited dialogue at all levels in our organizations. Attend this session to be introduced to a set of tools that builds alignment, agreement, and interpersonal communication.

Speakers: Todd King, Master Trainer, VitalSmarts, Provo, UT

Designer Schools
Session Designers: John Brown, Toni Moreno and Carrie Tynan

Is it time to grade charter schools? Are they serving their purpose? As they say, the choice is yours. Or is it?

This session will deliver a dynamic one-two punch regarding an innovative charter school expansion program and a national evaluation expert's overview and analysis of the movement's success. We'll also learn more about Houston's ambitious charter school expansion initiative led by the KIPP and YES Public Schools programs.

Speakers: Leo Linbeck III, President and CEO of Aquinas, LLC and a chief architect of KIPP Houston's expansion strategy, Houston, TX, and Dr. Patrick J. Wolf, 21st Century Chair in School Choice, Department of Education Reform, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.

Grant the Money and Run
Session Designers: Tanya Beer and Jennifer Esterline

Is it time to ditch the rules that purport to tell us how well we're doing? Or is it time to learn a whole new system of what's important? And who's signing the report card?

This discussion will explore changing what we measure; specifically, de-emphasizing outputs and unattainable/unachievable social impact, and emphasizing the measurement of achievable outcomes and the qualities of the intervention. With these shifts, funders and their partner organizations/grantees can finally learn what works, with whom, and under what conditions.

This session will last 100 minutes and is designed to provide 2.0 hours of continuing education credit to Certified Public Accountants.

Speaker: Peter York, Senior Vice President and Director of Research, TCC Group, Philadelphia, PA

Health Care Reform: The Promise & Potential for Philanthropy
Session Designers: Octavio Martinez, Quynh-Anh T. McMahan, and Jana Mullins

The enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act brings dramatic change to health and health care in the United States. But passage of the law is only the beginning of a long journey ahead as we engage in implementation.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation's largest philanthropy devoted entirely to health and health care, has worked for more than a generation to enact policies designed to secure stable and affordable coverage for all Americans. In this session, an RWJF expert will clarify key components of this monumental development in health care.

Join the dialogue, as we explore the opportunities and challenges that come with this landmark legislation, and as we identify how foundations can continue to improve, enhance, and further transform our health care system into an equitable system for all.

Speaker: Andrew D. Hyman, J.D., Team Director & Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, NJ

Managing and Governing a Family Foundation
Session Designer: John Brown

What's required to run a family foundation? Who's the boss who takes care of business as usual and what happens when a family member steps in and cracks the whip?

Accomplishing tasks together as a family requires resolving issues of power, governance, grantmaking and succession. This session will deal with some of the successful systems and processes used to address and overcome such challenges.

This session will last 100 minutes and is designed to provide 2.0 hours of continuing education credit to Certified Public Accountants.
This course has beenapproved bythe State Bar of Texas for 2.0 hours of CLE credit and may qualify for CLE hours with other state bar associations.
Click here for information about continuing education credit.

Speaker: Curtis Meadows, Of Counsel, Thompson & Knight, L.L.P., Dallas, TX

12:00 - 1:30 p.m.Annual Meeting,
Luncheon Plenary: Andy Goodman

Storytelling: The First Big Thing

Long before there was Facebook. Long before we were Twittering until our thumbs were numb, there was the art of storytelling. It just so happens that storytelling remains the single most powerful communication tool. Just ask Andy Goodman, who is an author, speaker and consultant in the field of public interest communications. In Storytelling: The First Big Thing, Andy will tackle specific ways your organization can use stories to advance your mission.

Speaker: Andrew J. Goodman, speaker, consultant and author of Storytelling as Best Practice,Why Bad Ads Happen to Good Causes and Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes, Los Angeles, CA

1:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Motivating Those ABC's
Session Designers: Liz Eickman, Toni Moreno and Terese Stevenson

Foundations have many opportunities to invest dollars in worthy initiatives, so why invest in early childhood education? There are many opportunities in this area for foundations to consider but it can be a steep learning curve to assure you are getting it right.

So we're going to get right to the point: how does national policy, opportunities and trends shape early childhood education and how do Foundations use this to benefit their funding decisions. Learn about best practice examples that demonstrate how private-sector support is leveraging public dollars on behalf of young children.

Speakers: Steff Clothier, National Conference of State Legislators, Denver, CO, Letty Bass, Chambers Family Fund, Denver, CO, Charlotte M. Brantley, President and CEO, Clayton Early Learning, Denver, CO and Susan Steele, Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation, Denver, CO.

Communications 2.0 Bootcamp
Session Designer: Josie Burke

Is that a 2.0, 2.5, a 5.0 or Information That Lives on a Cloud? If your answer is "I don't know what it does, but it sure is shiny," this workshop is for you. We're calling it Boot Camp, and it gets down to the most current technology and how foundations use it.

Be warned: by the time you learn all the names of the latest multi-media and web-based tools and how to use them, something new will have taken their place. However, some information is better than no information at all, and we all have to start some place.

Some of us are already knowledgeable in tech talk and there's a good chance that these are the people who have small children at home. So just how do kids learn technology so quickly? Easy. They don't have to read all these fancy words. They just turn the computer on and start clicking away. Remember, the next time you hear someone who talks about learning "cutting edge" technology, walk away. It's already so yesterday.

This session is for the seasoned professional, the executive director without a staff and everyone in-between.

Speakers: Rob Simon, Founder, President and CEO BurstMarketing, Denver, CO,and Josie Burke, Director of Communications, El Pomar Foundation, Colorado Springs, CO

Teen Pregnancy: Causes, Remedies and Solutions
Session Designers: Liz Eickman, Terese Stevenson and Jack Alexander

Following ten years of a steady decline in the U.S. teen pregnancy rate 2005 marked a reversal of that trend. What is going on and what does this mean for the country our states and our communities!

This session will review the current teen pregnancy situation in the U.S. including recent trends. We will learn why this continues to be an urgent issue and explore approaches to reducing teen pregnancy, including the role of parents, social norms and values, media influences, health services, and schools.

Speaker: Sarah Brown, CEO, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, Washington, DC

Micro Goes Macro: Innovation & Grassroots Networks as Tools for Impact
Session Designers: Frieda Arth andQuynh-Anh T. McMahan

Talk about a growth industry. Micro-organizations are the new black. They zero in on the core of a problem, get the job done by cutting out the middleman and working directly with the people.

That's why they work. They're lean and they're swift. While large, traditional institutions are pondering the issues and dealing with red tape, these networks are already out in the field. Let's take the story of Fonkoze, the largest microfinance team in Haiti. When the island nation was struck by a magnitude 7 earthquake on January 12th, Fonkoze was able to marshal immediate help and money, against all odds. It already had people on the ground, ready to help, while a good portion of the world was still trying to find Haiti on a map.

Here's a chance for you to burrow into grassroots networks and see them in action. Possibility is knocking on your door. Go ahead. Answer it.

Speaker: Leigh Carter, Executive Director and CEO, Fonkoze USA, Washington, DC

Enterprise Risk Management: There's something going on here.
Session Designer: Mary Jane Rynd

Today's unprecedented challenges require management and boards to increase awareness of risks and to reinforce risk oversight activities. Recent years have seen a torrent of new developments in the governance of nonprofit institutions and the management of their endowments. In this session we will have a panel discussion to review risks that face foundations and focuses on best practices within the context of investment committee governance. We will also discuss the key risks many endowments face in today's challenging economic environment -- lack of liquidity, depletion of purchasing power and shortfall in expected returns, all of which could impair an institution's ability to grant money as planned.

This session will last 100 minutes and is designed to provide 2.0 hours of continuing education credit to Certified Public Accountants.
This course has beenapproved bythe State Bar of Texas for 2.0hours of CLE creditand may qualify for CLE hours with other state bar associations.
This program has been submitted to the CFP Board for 2.0 continuing education credits.
Click here for information about continuing education credit.

Speakers: Ann B. Spence, Managing Director, and Heather Gelchion, Senior Investment Consultant, both of Cambridge Associates, Boston, MA, and MaryJane Rynd, Executive Vice President and CFO, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, Phoenix, AZ

3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.Concurrent Breakout Sessions

All Of Life Is A Stage

Session Designers: Liz Eickman, Terese Stevenson and Jack Alexander

It's not just teens: 18-24 year olds are in a fog too, especially when it comes to pregnancy.

The issue of teen and unintended pregnancy does not rest just with young teens. Why is the older teen and 20-somethings becoming a concern? What are they thinking, what do they believe and how does this new life stage similar and different to our understanding of teen pregnancy?

This session will make the case that young adults in this life stage merit our attention and present some stunning national data on unmarried older teens and 20-something's.

Speaker: Sarah Brown, CEO, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, Washington, DC

Thinking Outside the Toolbox? Forget the Box - Just Think
Session Designer: Ellis Carter

Don't get stuck wondering if you're thinking inside or outside of the box. The whole idea is claustrophobic. Forget the box. Just think.

The problem with these proverbial toolboxes is they're limiting. Is your foundation: big? small? public or private? Doesn't matter. We're all grabbing for the same brass ring. Be a chance taker. Give yourself the edge. Do it better. Get fresh. Get positive.

This session will look at a sample of possibilities and provide practical advice on how to apply a variety of tools in your own setting-- from creative grantmaking approaches to community leadership techniques to supporting the next wave of innovation. And come prepared to share your experiences outside the "toolbox" in this interactive discussion!

This session will last 100 minutes and is designed to provide 2.0 hours of continuing education credit to Certified Public Accountants.
This course has been approved by the State Bar of Texas for 2.0 hours of CLE credit and may qualify for CLE hours with other state bar associations.
Click here for information about continuing education credit.

Speakers: Jeffrey M. Glebocki, Founder and Principal, Strategy + Action Consulting, Tucson, AZ, Michele Lord, Executive Director, Public Interest Projects, New York, NY, and Cathy Robbins, Vice President, El Pomar Foundation, Colorado Springs, CO

Don't Fence Me In: Land Conservation in the Southwest
Session Designers: Adrianna Cuellar Rojas and Michael Meadows

Land fragmentation and urban sprawl. New energy development and scarce water supplies. These are just a few reasons it is increasingly difficult to "ride though the wide open country that we love." Conservation efforts have resulted in the permanent protection of biodiverse areas and wildlife habitats. Yet much remains to be done, and philanthropic support is needed more than ever. This session explores strategies and emerging approaches in advancing land conservation and leveraging resources for continued success.

Speakers: Mike Chrisman, Director, Southwest Partnership Office, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, San Francisco, CA, Don J. McGrath, Board Member, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Emeryville, CA, and Tim Sullivan, Acting State Director, The Nature Conservancy, Boulder, CO

Working Without a Net
Session Designers: Quynh-Anh T. McMahan, Michelle Monse, Cynthia Yung

The working poor have worked without a safety net for too long. It's time to invest in rebuilding the net. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) may be just the ticket. This federal income tax credit for low to moderate income working individuals and families has been shown to "lift" working families out of poverty. But each year millions of eligible workers miss out on this tax credit and free tax filing assistance.

Let's be the change makers who mend these nets by partnering with local and state nonprofits and the public sector to preserve and expand the EITC in our communities.

This session will last 100 minutes and is designed to provide 2.0 hours of continuing education credit to Certified Public Accountants.

Speakers: Diane DiGiacomo, APR, Communications Director, The Piton Foundation, Denver, CO, Rich Jones, Director of Policy and Research, The Bell Policy Center, Denver, CO, and Walter Moreau, Executive Director, Foundation Communities, Austin, TX

Project Streamline
Session Designers: Jennifer Esterline, David Gies and Toni Moreno

Does your foundation and/or your grantees ever feel overwhelmed by burdensome application and reporting processes? Social and technological changes offer tremendous opportunity for foundations to streamline their grantmaking efforts and for applicants to communicate their objectives and results.

Using information from Project Streamline and examples from Colorado and Texas, this interactive session will highlight ways foundations can collaborate to create new processes or improve existing application, monitoring, and reporting processes for their grantees.

Speakers: Sharon A. Knight, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Colorado Nonprofit Association, Denver, CO, Erin Binford, Program Officer, Temple Buell Foundation, Denver, CO, and Jennifer Esterline, Executive Director, KDK-Harman Foundation, Austin, TX

Dinner on your own
8:00 p.m.Dessert and a Movie

Movie: The Farm: 10 Down
Session Designer: Adrianna Cuellar Rojas

Join us after dinner for dessert and a viewing of the documentary The Farm: 10 Down. This National Geographic Channel film goes back inside the maximum security Angola Prison in Louisiana 10 years after the Academy-nominated, multiple-Emmy winning documentary, "The Farm," to learn the fate of the surviving characters, and of 5,200 men—95% of whom will die there—whose quest for meaning and longing for redemption sustain them in one of America's darkest corners.

Speakers: Mara Batlin, Producer, The Farm: 10 Down, Dallas, Texas and Ashanti Witherspoon, pastor, author, film maker and former inmate, Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

Back to Annual Conference Event Page




 

Conference of Southwest Foundations
624 North Good-Latimer Expressway, Suite 100 • Dallas, TX 75204
214.740.1787 • Fax: 214.740.1790