2018 Annual National Conference for Growing Community Foundations

Designed to meet the needs of both new and seasoned board members and staff in practical training that enhances skills in all major areas of community foundation management, the dynamic Conference is tailored but not limited to small-staffed and volunteer-led community foundations in rural, small urban, and suburban America. We welcome all board members and other volunteers, executive directors and other staff of community foundations from the USA and beyond. This year the theme is Inspiring Thriving Communities. It will frame three days of 32 concurrent sessions, seven idea labs, three plenaries, four deeper dives and 12 retreats. Topics relate to asset development, legal aspects, governance, marketing, finance and operations, programs, public policy and advocacy, and leadership. There are basic, intermediary/advanced and rural tracks developed to fit the diverse learning needs of attendees and provide a powerful platform for the exchange of knowledge and practical solutions. Best practices, and know-how are shared to help increase a capacities and impact of CFs in the community. This year features sessions by region and by assets size. 2018 also brings a half a day of Pre-Conference Retreats on Sunday afternoon for: Board Members and CEOs, and topics such as Impact Investment, Disaster Philanthropy, Legal, and CF Basics. Monday Pre-Conference Retreats offer two hours of quality content for Program officers, Marketing and Finance Staff, Executive Directors and Board Members. Retreats are included in the conference registration fee. Plan to register early as space is limited. Last year, nearly 330 people attended the Conference from 128 community foundations in 32 states. Conference Buzz: I 100% recommend this conference to my peers. This is the first conference I have attended that was ALL about CFs.