2016 Affiliated Fund Annual Training and Expo / NCF Annual Banquet

Investing In Our Future! / Dreams At Work!

The Power of Invitation and People Attraction

Built on the belief that the only people that can build and sustain a place are those who live and work there and that adults learn best from one another, this year’s affiliated fund training will feature a mix of workshop-style breakouts, place-based learning, and peer group consultation to help you make tangible, substantial progress on fund development and community impact/grantmaking.

7:30 a.m. - Training and Expo Registration Opens

8:30 a.m. - Opening Plenary: The Future is Now

Fifty of Nebraska’s rural counties are experiencing a notable net in-migration of 30- and 40- somethings. Young leaders across the NCF network are stepping up and creating the hometowns of their dreams. They realize that no one else is responsible, and no one is better qualified. Hear their stories about how they came to understand that ‘we are the people we’ve been waiting for.'

9:45 a.m. - Choose your track:

People Attraction (Community Impact and Grantmaking)

21st century community development is about building, growing and sustaining hometowns that are ‘magnetic’ – hometowns that attract stayers, returners and newcomers to be in community with us. The People Attraction track will dig in to how your affiliated fund can build and sustain a community where people with choices choose to live, work and play. We’ll hear how affiliated funds have used their community-focused unrestricted endowment to develop a margin of excellence for their community, and your affiliated fund will develop
a plan to use your endowment to envision and realize new possibilities.

Asking As An Invitation (Fund Development)

The essential role of leaders is to connect the assets in a community. When people join together in new connections and relationships, they build power. Asking for an investment in the future of your hometown is an invitation to the donor to connect to future generations and enter into a deeper relationship with their community. Working with peer mentors and other
affiliated fund leaders, this track will focus on developing the skills necessary to build a collective vision and to better understand the local opportunities that create a powerful case for inviting investment in your community’s biggest dreams.

12:00 p.m. - Lunch Break: Tapping Into the Wisdom of the NCF Network

Reconvene your FAC to debrief what you learned and planned during the track breakouts in the morning sessions. Then plan out the difficult question or sticky challenge you want help with from NCF’s network of affiliated fund leaders, staff, and partners.

1:00 p.m. - McCook Bus Tour and Round-Robin Consultations

Participants divide into two groups.

Nebraska Community Foundation is an amazing system of local leaders working to make their hometowns the best places they can be. The afternoon is designed to tap into the power of this network. Take a tour of McCook and hear how McCook Community Foundation Fund has become one of NCF’s most influential and successful affiliated funds. The tour will highlight magnetic, quality-of-life grants, powerful community partnerships, fundraising campaigns led or incubated by the affiliated fund, but, most importantly, the vision, leadership and engagement the McCook FAC has practiced over the years to make McCook “Capital of the Buffalo Commons.”

While one group tours McCook, the other will unleash the wisdom of the group to gain insight on issues affiliated fund leaders face, and we will discover solutions and strategies to move forward. In quick round-robin ‘consultations,’ individuals ask for help and get advice immediately by tapping the expertise and inventiveness of everyone in the group. Be sure to bring a “sticky” question, looming challenge, or issue about which you’d like advice.

At 2:45 p.m. we switch gears! The 1:00 p.m. break-out groups will switch sessions. Participants who took the bus tour of McCook will attend the “We Are All NCF!” session and vice versa.

4:00 p.m. - Adjourn

Informal meeting spaces (with coffee!) will be available for your FAC to reconvene to discuss the day and share insights. Peer mentors and development staff will be available as well. This will be a great opportunity to sit down as an FAC and develop a quick action plan of how you’d like to take your learnings back to your hometown.

5:00 p.m. - Reception and Expo / Banquet Registration Opens

6:30 p.m. - Nebraska Community Foundation Annual Banquet Celebration