LEADING TOGETHER FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD NOVEMBER 9-10, 2015 #BLF2015 BOARDSOURCE.ORG/BLF15 WWW.BOARDSOURCE.ORG/BLF
The BoardSource Leadership Forum is the nation s largest convening of nonprofit board leaders. It brings together board members, chief executives, staff, and others who care about the health of the nonprofit sector for two days of inspiring and educational sessions focused on strengthening nonprofit leadership at the highest level the board of directors. LEARN Participants from the 2014 conference, held in Washington, DC, had the following to say about the conference: One-and-a-half days can move a board forward at least a year in knowledge. Wide variety of breakouts; influential and knowledgeable presenters; fast-paced schedule maximized participants time away from their jobs. It s a perfect 10 It is the best adult learning experience I ve had really great content with trainers who are prepared, professional, content experts, and good teachers. Strong, thought-provoking speakers. Breakouts provided content I could immediately bring back to work. I learned new skills and so did my board members. This will allow us to do more for our mission. I felt like there was something for everyone, good opportunity to get questions answered, and a good place to find out what a board can really do! In 2014, more than half of all participants rated the conference a perfect 10 out of 10. NETWORK Last year, more than 850 nonprofit decisionmakers participated in the conference, creating valuable opportunities for peerlearning, networking, and engaging in dialogue about important issues, trends, and challenges affecting nonprofit leaders and boards. Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation, addressing 2014 conference Sonya Campion and Melanie Matthews of the Campion Foundation at the 2014 BLF New Orleans-themed reception. CELEBRATE BLF is a celebration of the tremendous leadership and service that board and staff leaders bring to their organizations. The plenary sessions are inspiring and motivating, and the all-conference gatherings are fun!
NEW ORLEANS IS HOSTING. The 2015 conference will be special for many reasons: We will take time to mark the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and honor the heroic rebuilding efforts of the nonprofit community after the storm. It will be BoardSource s first conference held in New Orleans or the Gulf Region. The program will feature local success stories and leaders, including opening plenary speakers James Carville and Mary Matalin. OPENING SPEAKERS James Carville is an American political consultant, commentator, educator, actor, attorney, media personality, and prominent liberal pundit. He rose to prominence after spearheading Bill Clinton s successful 1992 bid for the presidency. James currently teaches political science at Tulane University and is a co-founder of Democracy Corps, a nonprofit polling organization dedicated to making government more responsive to the American people. Mary Matalin is an American political consultant well known for her work with the Republican Party. She served as deputy campaign manager on George H. W. Bush s reelection campaign in 1992 and was later assistant to President George W. Bush and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney. Mary can be heard monthly co-hosting the nationally syndicated Both Sides Now radio program. James and Mary moved with their two daughters to New Orleans post-katrina. Their efforts to rebuild and promote the city have become a central part of their lives. LUNCHEON SPEAKERS Herman Art Taylor is president and chief executive officer of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Art is a respected and sought-after voice in the nonprofit sector on charity accountability and transparency issues. He has testified before both U.S. House and Senate committees offering guidance on ways to improve the ethical behavior and trustworthiness of charities, and has served on numerous nonprofit boards throughout his career, including Independent Sector, Franklin & Marshall College, and Christ Episcopal Church, Clinton Md. Parrish. Kevin Washington became president and CEO of the YMCA of the USA in February 2015. A 36-year YMCA professional who has been president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston since 2010, Kevin is a widely recognized and respected leader in the Y. He served as chairman of the YMCA CEO advisory committee that guided the development of Y-USA s strategic plan for 2014 to 2017, and was a member of the Y-USA board of directors from 2004 to 2009. Art and Kevin grew up together attending their local YMCA in South Philadelphia. This plenary will weave in personal stories and narratives as they talk about the trust and confidence that the public puts in nonprofit organizations, and why nonprofit leaders owe those community members strong, ethical, and transparent leadership.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS The inspiring plenary sessions will be complemented by in-depth, practical education sessions to meet nonprofit leaders where they are in their own development. Our sessions are selected via a Call for Sessions process, and will bring expertise from across the country to address key topic areas of fundraising, the board/ staff partnership, trends in nonprofit governance, and more. More information on the program is located at www.boardsource.org/blf15. Following the core two-day BLF, BoardSource will present two days of post-sessions to provide focused training opportunities for the following nonprofit leaders: Board chairs Connect with governance experts to conquer the unique challenges and issues that come with the board chair position. CEOs Learn practical approaches to some of the most challenging aspects of the job, such as the CEO/board relationship, building relationships with individual board members, and engaging the board. Individuals newer to board service Set yourself up for success by learning about the fundamental principles of nonprofit governance and the roles and responsibilities of board members. Foundation program officers Build upon your knowledge of core governance principles, empowering you to ask insightful questions of potential grantees and interpret responses Fundraising professionals Learn how to work in partnership with the board to advance fundraising strategies to achieve mission impact. The core BLF program, combined with these post-sessions, provides unique opportunities to engage and bring together multiple members of your organization staff and volunteers in a space and a manner that will allow them to strengthen their partnership as well as their leadership skills something most nonprofit leaders do not have the opportunity to do. 2015 REGISTRATION RATES & MEMBERSHIP PACKAGES Registration Timeline Individual Member Organizational Member Nonmember Through September 15, 2015 $590 $590 $790 September 16, 2015 - November 10, 2015 $790 $790 $890 Bulk Registration Discounts for groups of four or more receive a $50 discount on each BLF registration, no matter when the group registers for the conference. Membership Packages are offered to engage in year-round board development. We encourage grantmakers to consider purchasing organizational membership packages for grantees. This program includes: a complimentary Board Self-Assessment (BSA) tool open access to membership resources for the entire board and staff of each organization, such as monthly webinars, free topic papers and white papers, and discounts on additional trainings and publications discount to BLF2015 The fee for organizational membership ranges from $500 to $2,500 per organization, dependent upon operating budget size. If organizational membership is not of interest, individual memberships are also available at an annual investment of $129 per individual, and $199 for consultants. Conference sponsors (information provided on following page) also receive complimentary registrations to the conference.
SPONSORSHIP AT-A-GLANCE PRESENTING $75,000 PLATINUM $50,000 GOLD $25,000 SILVER $10,000 BRONZE $5,000 Exclusive recognition as Presenting Sponsor Opportunity to staff and brand employee volunteer corps HIGH VISIBILITY Exclusive recognition at/with of one of the following: Conference educational track Leadership Institute (post-sessions) Or, select two from the list below Exclusive recognition at/with one of the following: Opening plenary and breakfast Networking parade and boat excursion Luncheon plenary Closing reception and send-off BLF registration bag Conference lanyards Exclusive recognition at/with one of the following: Meet n Greet Continental breakfast Registration station Recharging lounge Verbal recognition from the podium Opportunity to serve on the Host and Planning Committee Premium seating at plenary sessions Opportunity to present a session 1 Opportunity to introduce a session 2 Complimentary registrations to full conference 10 5 2 2 1 Opportunity to guest blog 3 Recognition on the BLF website and promotions Recognition in the BoardSource SmartBrief Social media recognition Prominent logo Select logo Select logo Select logo Select logo Recognition in conference app One splash screen ad, plus recognition at lower levels Use of one push notification, plus recognition at lower levels Logo in rotating banner ad, plus recognition at lower levels Listing under Sponsors tab and Sponsor Profile Listing under Sponsors tab and Sponsor Profile Exhibitor package 4 Premium location Premium location Opportunity to add gift item to BLF registration bag Access to attendee list 1 Content of session to be preapproved by BoardSource 2 Subject to availability 3 Content of blog to be preapproved by BoardSource 4 Includes one booth-only registration
A LOOK AT BLF2014 ATTENDEES Nonprofit decision-makers and those who advise them......serving a wide range of missions. OTHER STAFF 28% 38% OTHER 26% ADVISORS/ CONSULTANTS 868 REGISTRANTS 23% HUMAN SERVICES CEOs 24% 14% HEALTH CARE BOARD MEMBERS 16% 14% OTHER 6% 11% EDUCATION YOUTH WWW.BOARDSOURCE.ORG/BLF15