HowToBringTheGivingConferenceToMyCommunity

ISSUE: How to bring the giving conference to my community

CONVENER(S): DougGermann

PARTICIPANTS: KathleenTomshack, BrandonPenzenik, LoraineMartin?, SallyProuty

SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION, KEY POINTS, CONCLUSIONS, ACTIONS:

Same invitation as this conference--I have the OK of Michael Herman to use it.

Wider distribution of the invitations--

• Ethnic--NAAACP--Jewish--University--Feminism professor--"Advocates" group--time donors--Hispanic (Jose)--Japanese--American Indians--Youth--homeless

Wider theme?

• Imagine South Bend?
• Work to be done?
• Different giving outlets

How invite?

• F2F
• e-mail
• phone
• flyers
• church leaders
• local newspapers

Structure

• More structure?
• Free discussion +?
• Led discussion?
• Are we looking for solutions (an expert)
  • or sharing ideas (all are experts)
  • or learning the basics?
• What is our focus?

What is our hope for "Walk-away-withs?"

• Action

• Giving beyond checkbook--service
• Physical
• Talents
• What can happen here?
  • Organize something?
  • New something?
• Corporation for National and Community Service ( http://www.cns.gov )

• Title/Topic?
  • Giving--Service or giving as service: suggests "I'm tired"
  • Flourish: emerging
  • Sharing your talents
    • What you most want to do or give
  • Volunteering

Youth

• --teach that you can speak, how to speak out
• --volunteering, involvement

2 conversations

• --choose/narrow topic
• --larger meeting

Follow-up

• Web site
• Seeding the community has value too
• Non-Web--churches, etc.

Keys:

• --provide options to people
• --vitalization
  • pulse of energy
• --conference would bring hope
• --rethink the words to fit the community

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Suggestion: Define community. Do you mean a specific city or state? Or do you mean people who share a common background or a common concern? I feel more people will gather if the share a common concern. I also feel that the greater the visibility, traction or history of the endeavor, the greater the response to the invitation. Thus, a conveiner needs to have persistence (using principles of Open Space) to keep inviting people to meet on issues that are important to the conveiner, and to those who are invited. Dan Bassill http://www.tutormentorconnection.org