April 1, 2013

Calendar of nonprofit conferences: April 2013

Me, Cara Jones, Jenna Sauber and Rob Wu after our “Future of Nonprofit Storytelling” session at last year’s Nonprofit Technology Conference.

Plan for the month’s top conferences & events

April marks a busy month for the nonprofit and social good community. I’ll be heading to Minneapolis for the Nonprofit Technology Conference (how about you?). Other highlights include Innogive, the National Conference for Media Reform, Investing In Women, Skoll World Forum, the Global Philanthropy Forum, Sustainatopia and Social Venture Network Spring.

Which of these are you going to? Continue reading →

January 2, 2013

Calendar of 2013 nonprofit & social change conferences

The graphic recording created during Socialbrite’s “You Need a Strategy” session at the 2012 Nonprofit Technology Conference.

SuperGuide to events for nonprofits & social good organizations

Here’s our roundup of conferences in the nonprofit and social change sectors coming up in 2013. This has become an annual tradition here at Socialbrite, and we hope you’ll bookmark this page and return to it throughout the year — we’ll be updating it throughout 2013 as more conference details firm up.

We’ll be reporting on many of these events and invite you to share your coverage or observations on Socialbrite, or let us know and we’ll tweet it or Facebook it. Throughout the year we’ll publish monthly calendars on the first of the month. Continue reading →

May 1, 2012

Nonprofit & social change calendar: May 2012

Ideation takes place May 7-9 in Chicago. (Photo by @america)

Planning for the month’s top conferences & events

There are quite a few conferences and events in the nonprofit/social change/education sector this month, and I’ll be at four of them: the Women’s Funding Network Summit in LA on Thursday, the California State PTA annual conference next week, Google’s invitation-only Internet at Liberty conference and an event at MIT. Other events include the 99% Conference, Ideation, the Government Web and New Media Conference and Fundraising Day.

You attending any of these?

For the full year, see our Calendar of 2012 nonprofit and social change conferences. If you’re interested in social media, tech and marketing conferences, see this month’s calendar on our sister site, Socialmedia.biz.

If you know of other events, please share by adding the info in the comments below. Hope to see you at one of these!

May
Connecting Up Australia	May 1-3	Sydney, Australia
As nonprofits continue to look at new ways to innovate in all aspects of their organization, Connecting Up 2012 will be a conference that will help you draw inspiration from speakers, both international and local. Meet other people working in the nonprofit sector, share your stories and strengthen each other.
Digital Leap	May 3	Ontario, Canada
The Digital Leap conference is about communication in a digital world, particularly the combination of technology, strategy and creative in a digital age. The vision behind Digital Leap is to create an experience to inspire marketers and fundraisers in not-for-profit organizations to work in new ways and embrace best practices and current techniques.
Women’s Funding Network Summit	May 3-4	Los Angeles
This year’s summit will engage women’s funds and experts across sectors in new ways, including open dialogues, peer-sharing opportunities and workshops focused on the theme, “Women, Economics and Peace.” Look for deep learning about economics, peace and our role in advancing justice through women’s philanthropy.
99% Conference	May 3-4	New York
For two days, creative leaders from across industries will come together to focus on the mechanics of idea execution as speakers share lessons learned in a series of 20-minute talks and interactive master classes.
NCTech4Good	May 4	Chapel Hill, N.C.
NCTech4Good is the regional network for sharing knowledge about technologies that can advance the mission of nonprofit organizations.
Ignite Phoenix	May 5	Scottsdale, Ariz.
Ignite brings together entrepreneurs, technologists, DIYers, creative professionals and enthusiastic knowledge-seekers. O’Reilly has not yet announced if there will be an Ignite Week 2012 in dozens of cities around the world (but we expect it’ll be back!). Ignite’s motto: “Enlighten us, but make it quick.”
Ideation Conference	May 7-9	Chicago
!deation is designed to create a rich learning and sharing experience. The goal is inspiration, encouragement and new explorations for participants. Social entrepreneurs like Scott Harrison (charity: water), Ben Keesey (Invisible Children) and Scott Belsky (Behance) have spoken in past years.
Government Web and New Media Conference	May 16–17	Washington, DC
The annual Government Web and New Media Conference is the premier networking and educational event of the year. Hear from peers and industry thought leaders on the latest trends and tools, learn practical strategies for improving your online strategies, see innovative projects happening throughout government and connect with colleagues from across the country.
Fundraising Day	May 23	Toronto
The Association of Fundraising Professionals is the professional association for individuals responsible for generating philanthropic support for a wide variety of charitable organizations. The association advances philanthropy in society by enabling people and organizations to practice effective and ethical fundraising.
Cause Marketing Forum	May 30-31	Chicago
The ninth annual forum will include Networking Galore, New Perfect Pitch Contest and sessions such as Bridging the CSR/CM Divide, The Great Breast Cancer Debate, Cause Marketing Innovation, Gaming for Good and more.

November 1, 2011

Nonprofit & social change calendar: November

The International Green Awards take place Nov. 24 in London.

Planning for the month’s top conferences & events

Will I see you at some of these conferences this month? I’ll be attending CrowdConf 2011 on Wednesday and speaking at the Vivanista Fundraising Summit on Nov. 12. (If you’re attending either, please say hi.)

For the full year, see our Calendar of 2011 social change conferences. If you’re interested in social media, tech and marketing conferences, see this month’s calendar on our sister site, Socialmedia.biz.

If you know of other events, please share by adding the info in the comments below.

November
CrowdConf	Nov. 1-2	San Francisco
CrowdConf is the first and leading conference on crowdsourcing and the future of distributed work. CrowdConf brings together an international audience of scholars, executives, policy makers, artists, and technologists for a day of learning, conversation and networking.
BSR	Nov. 1-4	San Francisco
BSR works with its global network of more than 250 member companies to develop sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector collaboration.
BlogWorld & New Media Expo	Nov. 3-5	Los Angeles
BlogWorld moves from Las Vegas to LA, where experts from every field of blogging and new media will be on hand to share their knowledge, techniques and advice. Industry gurus will share their experiences and network with attendees in seminars and moderated panels.
Social Media for Nonprofits	Nov. 4	San Francisco
The Social Media for Nonprofits series returns to San Francisco with a stellar lineup of nonprofit professionals.
Digital Capital Week	Nov. 4-11	Washington, DC
DCWEEK is a festival focused on bringing together designers, developers, entrepreneurs and social innovators of all kinds. Last year, the inaugural Digital Capital Week showcased tech innovation in Washington. The 2011 version of Digital Capital Week promises to be even bigger.
Women in Computing	Nov. 8-12	Portland, Ore.
The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is a series of conferences designed to bring the research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront. Presenters are leaders in their respective fields, representing industrial, academic and government communities.
BigTent	Nov. 3-5	Omaha, Neb.
The BigTent Conference is a three-day day gathering of youth leaders, educators, advocates and young people who will share strategies, philosophies and tools to advance the health and wellbeing of families and children. The conference combines inspiring presentations, practical workshops and celebratory community building all aimed at equipping individuals, organizations and communities to do their part to ensure that young people are ready for college, work and life by age 21.
Vivanista’s Charitable Fundraising Summit	Nov. 10-12	San Francisco
Vivanista’s Charitable Fundraising Summit will bring together volunteer leaders, fundraising event chairs and nonprofit development staff to learn from experts as well as share fundraising best practices. This 1 ½ day conference will include an Awards Dinner honoring volunteers who have been nominated in a variety of fundraising fields.
Nonprofit Software Development Summit	Nov. 16-18	Oakland, Calif.
Aspiration helps connect nonprofit organizations with software solutions that help them better carry out their work. The firm’s annual “NPTechie Love Fest” seeks to maximize nonprofits’ effectiveness and impact.
NextGen Charity	Nov. 17-18	New York
NextGen Charity is the conference on new strategies in nonprofit and philanthropy work.
ARNOVA	Nov. 17-19	Toronto
ARNOVA, now in its 40th annual year, is the largest and most significant research conference focusing on nonprofits, philanthropy, voluntary action and civil society to be held on an annual basis. More than 600 prominent scholars and teachers, as well as practice leaders for the nonprofit sector, from across the U.S. and around the world will participate.
International Green Awards	Nov. 24	London
The International Green Awards is an initiative enlightening the world through showcasing the best in class examples of creativity in business, citizen and government initiatives leading to sustainable outcomes. This year, the gathering looks to reward sustainable achievement right across Business, Government & Citizen initiatives that influence positive change.

October 25, 2011

Crowdsourcing industry gathers at CrowdConf 2011

CrowdConf

Learn about real-world applications — & get a discount

Guest post by Mollie Allick
Director of PR & events, CrowdFlower

On Nov. 1, CrowdFlower will be kicking off the second annual CrowdConf, the world’s largest crowdsourcing conference, at Mission Bay Conference Center in downtown San Francisco. This year’s conference will bring together more than 600 attendees to discuss innovations in crowdsourcing technology and trends taking place in the growing industry.

The main conference will be all day Wednesday, Nov 2. The agenda will focus on practical tips and tools for understanding crowdsourcing through a range of lenses including investing, philanthropy, community building, and creativity. The day includes keynotes, debates, and interactive breakout sessions, and will conclude with a networking poster reception.

Speakers include: Jeff Howe, author who coined the term “crowdsourcing”; Philip Rosedale, Founder of Second Life; Mark Gerson, Chairman of Gerson Lehrman Group; Charlie Cheever, Founder of Quora, Sharon Chiarella, vice president of Amazon Mechanical Turk; and more than 50 other incredible speakers representing the most influential and fastest-growing crowdsourcing companies. Check out the full list of speakers.

Additional learning opportunities

For those looking to learn more, be sure to join us one day prior to the main event on Nov. 1 for two great workshops that will focus more on research and industry-specific tutorials. Workshops offer conference attendees a head start as they engage in a more intimate exchange with other thought leaders and crowdsourcing experts. Workshops will be taught by: Omar Alonso, Technical lead on the Bing team at Microsoft; Matt Lease, assistant professor at the University of Texas; and David Alan Grier, columnist at IEEE Computer. Space is limited, so register now.

Discount for Socialbrite readers

Socialbrite readers can get a $75 discount by entering the code SCLBRTORG when registering.
Register at Eventbrite.

Event details:
What: CrowdConf 2011 – www.crowdconf.com
When: Workshops: Tuesday, Nov. 1 (10am-3pm); Conference: Wednesday, Nov. 2 (8:30am-6:30pm)
Where: Mission Bay Conference Center, 1675 Owens St., San Francisco
Cost: $75 for workshops, $450 for conference
Register: http://crowdconf2011.eventbrite.com/

Mollie Alllick is the Conference Director for CrowdConf and the Events & PR Director for CrowdFlower. She can be reached at mollie@crowdflower.com.

October 3, 2011

Social change & nonprofit calendar: October

Bioneers takes places Oct. 14-16 in San Rafael, Calif.

Events guide for nonprofits & social change organizations

We’re now in full-on conference mode. What events are you planning to attend this month? Anybody going to the first SXSW Eco? Here’s a roundup of conferences and events scheduled in the nonprofit and social change sectors for the month of October. I’ll be speaking at Blackbaud’s BBCon just outside Washington, DC, tomorrow.

If you know of other events, please share by adding the info in the comments below.

October
Blackbaud Conference for Nonprofits	Oct. 2-5	Washington, DC
The gathering provides four days of educational content dedicated to your specific needs and unprecedented opportunities to network and interact with your peers and industry experts
Convio Summit	Oct. 3-5	Baltimore
Convio Summit is an information-packed gathering of Convio clients, partners, industry experts and other invited guests. It’s an event filled with innovative ideas to get your creativity flowing, with real-world examples of techniques that you can start using right away to boost your fundraising, advocacy, marketing and donor management efforts.
SXSW Eco	Oct. 4-6	Austin, Texas
The first SXSW Eco will feature three days of diverse, top-level programming for professionals in business, government, nonprofits and academia who want to look at environmental and sustainability issues though a fresh lens, develop new collaborations and contribute to innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing the environment, the economy and civil society.
Retail Sustainability Conference	Oct. 12-14	Orlando, Fla.
The Retail Sustainability Conference brings together executives involved in establishing environmental programs and integrating green practices into their companies. The conference’s program will address the key operational aspects of environmental sustainability and compliance for the retail industry, including sessions on energy, waste management, water conservation, store operations, real estate development, supply chain issues and opportunities for improving corporate social responsibility.
Bioneers Conference	Oct. 14-16	San Rafael, Calif.
Since 1990, the Bioneers conference has acted as a fertile hub of leading social and scientific innovators with practical and visionary solutions for the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges. As a celebration of the genius of nature and human creativity, Bioneers connects people with solutions and each other. It’s a dynamic knowledge platform and a uniquely holistic and diverse network of networks.
fiess 2011	Oct. 17-20	Montreal
This forum is intended as a meeting place for people and ideas. The event aims to bring together key players in the social and solidarity economy from countries across the North and South and their partners in government, labor movements, research institutes and international organizations, to help strengthen partnerships between civil society and governments, to highlight successful partnerships, particularly in the development of public policy, and to encourage the exchange of ideas around the theme of the social and solidarity economy at the international and inter-regional level.
Pop!Tech	Oct. 19-22	Camden, Maine
Pop!Tech will mark its 15th annual gathering with more than 600 remarkable thinkers, leaders and innovators showcasing powerful ideas and projects that are changing the world. I attended one year — it’s a great gathering.
Social Venture Network	Oct. 27-30	Philadelphia
Social Venture Network connects, supports and inspires business leaders and social entrepreneurs in expanding practices that build a just and sustainable economy.
Social Enterprise Summit	Oct 31-Nov 2	Chicago
This international forum advocates for increased social impact through social enterprise. Join over 700 social entrepreneurs to learn, grow, be inspired, make new connections from around the globe and become part of this expanding movement.