Track 3: Leadership

Sponsored by Kellogg School Center for Nonprofit Management

Session 1: The Art of Delegation: Empowering Employees in a Not-for-Profit Environment (10:45 AM-12:00 PM)

Have you ever heard someone say that you “reap what you sow” or that “you will never find true love until you learn to love yourself first”?  What does this have to do with delegation or empowering employees? Everything. Just like a bountiful harvest or true love, an organization will never achieve its full potential without the appropriate and careful cultivation of the people that make it go. In this dynamic session, learn from real-world examples and receive valuable tools you can employ at your organization today!

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Identify barriers to taking their organizations to the next level of performance
• Learn ways to improve their effectiveness as leaders while maximizing overall organizational efficiency
• Find out how other NFP leaders empower not just their employees but their boards and other “customers”

Speakers:

Christa Beall Diefenbach, Assistant Director, Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management and Director, American Humanics Certificate Program North Park University;
April Ervin, Managing Principal, Ervin Consulting Service, Inc.;
Anedra Kerr, Vice President, Development, Advocate Charitable Foundation;
Ina N. Owens, LCSW, Director, Advocate Bethany Hospital Community Health Fund Advocate Charitable Foundation

Session 2: New Research: Funding the Capital Campaign and its implications for Nonprofit Leadership (1:15-2:30 PM)

In early 2009, national Chicago-based consulting firm Campbell & Company and its research partner Slover Linett Strategies, Inc. surveyed nonprofit organizations across the country to learn about their capital campaigns and how they were being funded.  Nearly 450 organizations that were either in a campaign or had just completed a campaign provide detailed information leading to a series of critical findings and recommendations that will be presented at this session.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Benchmark their campaign funding among peer institutions
• Compare and contrast campaign budget levels and funding methods with other nonprofit sub-sectors
• Learn about fundraising cost ratios and return on investment and their impact on building major and planned giving programs
• Find out how the current economy has affected campaigns across the country
• Learn what these nonprofits would do differently in their next campaign

Moderators:

Bruce Matthews, CFRE, Vice President, Campbell & Company;

Cheryl Slover-Linett, Slover Linett Strategies, Inc.

Panelists:

Nancy Ali, Vice President, Boys and Girls Clubs of America;
Charles Katzenmeyer, Vice President, Adler Planetarium;
Dave Unruh, Associate VP for Alumni Relations and Development, University of Chicago

Session 3: Addressing the Challenges of Being a Minority Leader in a Majority Organization (2:45-4:00 PM)

Misperceptions and lack of established career paths present challenges for minorities seeking leadership positions, as well as affect organizations seeking to expand diversity within their executive staff and board.  This panel discussion brings together diverse seasoned non-profit professionals to discuss real and perceived barriers for minority leaders in our industry and how to overcome them.

By the end of this session participants will learn:

• Strategies for increasing participation of underrepresented communities in leadership roles
• Techniques for influencing office cultures
• Utilizing mentoring and networking opportunities to promote leadership opportunities for minorities and healthy diversity within your organization

Moderator:

Melanie Frazier, CFRE, Director of Development, Winnetka Community House

Panelists:

Vincent A. Allocco, Ph.D., President and Executive Director, El Valor;

Brenda Asare, Senior Vice President and Midwest Division Manager, The Alford Group;

Gregory C. Cameron, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer,  WTTW/WFMT;
Zenith N. Houston, Senior Director of Development, National Jewish Health -Chicago/Midwest Region;
Soo Ji Min, Executive Director, Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health