Briefing on the 2005 National Conference on Volunteering and Service and the AmeriCorps Grantee Meeting

1
Briefing on the 2005 National Conference on
Volunteering and Service and the AmeriCorps
Grantee Meeting

• Washington DC Convention Center
• August 4-6, 2005 (not including pre-conference)

2
2005 National Conference Basics

• 2005 Theme
• Serve Communities Solve Problems Strengthen
  America
• Overall Pre-conference Activities (Mon-Wed, Aug.
  1-3)
• YesAmbassador Training
• Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute
• VCNN Council meetings
• Employee Volunteer Training sessions
• AmeriCorps VISTA National sponsor meeting
• AmeriCorps Grantee Staff Training
• State Commissioner Training
• Connect America Council Meeting
• Second Annual International Roundtable
• Second Annual National Faith and Community
  Service Institute
• CNCS Peer Review Certification
• Other Volunteer Center Training
• Government Volunteer Program Training

3
Wednesday, August 3 for AmeriCorps Grantees
specifically

• Grantee Staff training has a committee made up of
  your peers.
• Two conference calls to give feedback to agenda,
  June 9, 2-3 and June, 10 11-noon
• There are beginning, intermediate, and advanced
  sessions and a fiscal track
• Five sessions per four workshop blocks total 20
  sessions, topics include
• Beginning eGrants, Intermediate eGrants,
  Performance measurement, CNCS 101, Program
  Management Starting and Staying Strong,
  Administrative Standards, Working the GARP
  process, Monitoring and Coaching for High
  Performing Programs, Performance Measurement
  Beyond the Basics, Establishing Innovative
  partnership within your community, Member and
  Volunteer Development, Seminar (two workshop
  blocks) Professional Development on the Job,
  Seminar (two workshop blocks) Management
  coaching for nonprofit leaders, A Year in the
  Life of a PO, A Year in the Life of a TO, CNCS
  GARP Overview, Fiscal Issues for Non-fiscal
  staff, Fiscal Management Beyond the Basics,
  Meeting the Match, and Audit Issues
• There is also a commissioner training with one
  session each per four workshop blocks (Dave Bell
  from WV commission and ASC board is planning)
• AmeriCorps Leadership meeting from 400-530
• Opening Reception for Grantee meeting 600-730
  (David Lauren from Ralph Lauren and Congressional
  Caucus?)
• ASC dinner from 800-1000
• Separate registration letter with all of these
  activities listed coming out middle of June

4
2005 National Conference Basics

• Conference Program, Thurs-Sat., Aug. 4-6)
• 3 General Sessions (Opening and 2 Luncheons)
• Cokie Roberts, Bob Woodson, David Lauren, and
  Mark Victor Hansen (still waiting on others)
• 120 workshop sessions
• Topics, presenters, and descriptions available
  on-line at www.volunteeringandservice.org along
  with conference planner
• Volunteer Management Track
• 6 introductory-level workshops on such topics as
  developing volunteer positions and recruiting
  volunteers
• 8 intermediate-level workshops on such topics as
  volunteer management, planning, and trends in
  volunteering
• 8 advanced-level workshops on such topics as
  volunteer management systems, professional
  volunteer management
• CEUs for individuals who register for track
  through American Humanics
• Pre- and post-assessment of learning outcomes

5
2005 National Conference Basics

• Conference Program (cont.)
• 6 Forums (Town Hall Meetings)
• Panel on What Funders Look For and Responding
  to RFPs
• Forum on Youth and Volunteering Research Study
  (joint research sponsored by POLF and CNCS with
  the Census Bureau)
• Family Volunteering Forum Sponsored by Disney
• 50 Volunteering in a New Age Innovative
  Pathways for Organizations and Volunteer Managers
  (part of the White House Conference on Aging)
• Serving the Common Good Ethical and Effective
  Practice in Non-Profit Organizations (Independent
  Sector)
• Better Together (Coordinated by leadership of
  Volunteer Centers and AmeriCorps)

6
Thursday, August 4 for AmeriCorps Grantees
specifically

• 730-900 a.m. special meetings (Direct grantees,
  standards group, New EDs and Mentors, Data
  group?)
• 930-1130 Opening session of the conference
  with Cokie Roberts and Bob Woodson
• Noon-130 possibly CNCS strategic plan input
  session? Other special meetings?
• 200-530 AC Grantee meeting (all Grantees
  together in one room)
• topics include Implementing Rulemaking, Nuts
  and bolts of 2005 NOFA, Follow-up on Customer
  service, Cross-stream training, Update on
  eGrants, report out from Data Group?, Planning
  the rest of your conference, Update on
  appropriations?
• 630 Conference special event at Museum of
  Natural History

7
Friday, August 5 for AmeriCorps Grantees
specifically

• 700 am Fun Run, stretching, and program as part
  of the conference service project and the
  Presidents Active Lifestyle Program with the
  Kennedy Recreation Center in the Shaw
  neighborhood (Darryl Green from the Redskins,
  other sports figures, and possibly Sec. Leavitt
  in attendance)
• 900-1030 Concurrent sessions including
  Sharing best practices AmeriCorps models that
  work. Forum on Better Together with Volunteer
  Centers and AmeriCorps
• 1100-noon Free in the Exhibit Hall hands-on
  demos of eGrants
• Noon-130 Corporate Awards Luncheon. David
  Lauren speaking and being introed by AC member.
  CNCS giving a corporate award.
• 200-530 Afternoon concurrent sessions
  including AmeriCorps Longitudinal Study,
  AmeriCorps Alums, How State Commissions Can Reach
  Out to Faith-based and Grass-roots organizations,
  managing spontaneous volunteers in Disaster, and
  several sustainability sessions, and Forums on
  Engaging Baby-boomers and Forum on Ethical and
  effective practice in non-profit organizations
  with the Independent Sector (this is following up
  on the legislation through the Senate Finance
  Committee)
• 630 - Networking receptions. Right now New
  Mexico is the only official state reception but
  others are brewing

8
Saturday, August 6 for AmeriCorps Grantees
specifically

• 800-930 Concurrent sessions including some of
  the previous ones mentioned and a Forum on
  findings from the Census Bureaus study on youth
  and volunteering
• 1000-1130 Closing session of AC Grantee
  meeting Communities of Practice an
  experiential exercise using Implementing
  Rulemaking as the subject matter.
• Noon-130 Closing session with speaker Mark
  Vistor Hansen (original author of Chicken Soup
  for the Soul) and possibly Colin Powell, Sec.
  Leavitt, or other administration official. We
  will give out CNCS Spirit of Service awards here.

9
What we need from the AC staff

• Is this conference and the pre-conference day on
  your calendar?
• Are these the right sessions? Have we covered
  all the needs/ideas you had previously
  identified?
• Where do you want to be involved? Let Charles
  know.
• What are your overall concerns or suggestions to
  strengthen the overall grantee meeting?