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2005 Collaborating For Success National Conference SummarySan FranciscoOn May 11th-13th, over 250 people from 28 states, Canada and Japan, descended on Tides and Fort Mason Center for the 2005 Collaborating For Success Conference: Creating and Operating Multi-tenant Nonprofit Centers. For two and a half days, MTNC practitioners, real estate developers, public officials, funders, financiers, architects and academics came together to learn and share everything there is to know about nonprofit centers. Said one participant who is in the process of creating a center: I really feel like now I have an overview of what's involved and some concrete goals to really help folks at home get our project off the ground. Seasoned MTNC practitioners were just as enthused: I've been to all four conferences and I always leave each one with two to three new good ideas to implement. In addition, representatives from four new centers created after the 2001 conference were recognized including Third Sector New England which recently opened its doors on a nonprofit center in downtown Boston. Jonathan Spack, Executive Director, had this to say: It was the tipping point for our project. No question, we wouldn't have a building if we hadn't attended the original conference. The motivation and sophistication among attendees at this fourth conference and the enthusiasm for the increased depth and breadth of information shared was palpable: How heartening and exhilarating it was to attend with such an amazing collective. Interacting with these attendees and speakers alike gives one faith that there is indeed a community that understands how vital collaboration is and how this interrelated work offers immense value to others.
CONFERENCE PROGRAM The conference program included over 30 sessions with plenary sessions on the MTNC movement and strategies for collaboration, as well as opportunities for networking and peer exchange. For the first time we also offered thematic collaborative breakout sessions where centers with similar programs could come together in an open discussion to network and share collaboration challenges and effective strategies. The conference evaluation indicated respondents were extremely pleased with the program, especially the knowledge of the presenters. Sessions and activities receiving very high marks for usefulness were the MTNC Site Visits to Marin Justice Center and Thoreau Center for Sustainability and the workshops, “Working with Developers, Contractors and Architects;” “Mistakes to Avoid;” “Alternative and Short-term Financing;” “Tenants: From Policies to Recruitment and Retention;” the “Collaboration Plenary” and its following “Collaborative Breakout” sessions; and “Earned Income.” We also received helpful suggestions to increase the number of site visits, include a breakout session by MTNC stage of development, and requests for more post-conference activity options.
EVALUATION HIGHLIGHTS The results of the conference evaluations were extremely positive, and we received many constructive suggestions for improvement. Although there were no questions specifically asking respondents to share what they liked about the conference, several took the opportunity to write them in or to email The NonprofitCenters Network to offer their congratulations and compliments.
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Your suggestions for the future:
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CONFERENCE SPONSORS (final list): Major Sponsors:
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