Public Policy Action Institute (Part I)
The 5th annual institute will bring together nonprofit leaders and policy advocates to develop winning strategies to shape laws and regulations affecting the nonprofit community. Participants in the institute, to be held immediately before the conference, will explore how the 2008 elections have changed the federal and state political landscape for nonprofits and share strategies and tools for communicating effectively with the new administration and Congress, local lawmakers, and the media.

Special registration is required.
Full Institute (Days 1 and 2): $150 IS members and $200 nonmembers.
Day 2 only: $100 IS members and $125 nonmembers.

Global Civil Society Reception and Dinner
Join colleagues committed to improving lives around the world at this year’s Global Civil Society Dinner, which will feature an examination of how the 2008 elections may affect the United States’ reputation and role in the international community.

Reception: 6:00 p.m.
Dinner: 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Cost: $95 per ticket

Public Policy Action Institute (Part II)
See description above.

2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Election 2008:
What Does it Mean for America’s Future?

Opening Plenary
The 2008 elections will usher in a new administration and changes in Congress, both of which will have dramatic implications for the future of our nation and the work of the nonprofit community. The conference opens with an insightful analysis of the voting trends by independent pollster Andrew Kohut, followed by a thoughtprovoking discussion about what the election results revealed about the hopes and concerns of the American people, the work facing the next President and Congress, and how charities and foundations can help to move our nation forward.

Panelists include:

• Jonathan Capehart, editorial writer, Washington Post
• Henry Cisneros, executive chairman, CityView
• Andrew Kohut, president, Pew Research Center; director, Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Global Attitudes Project
• Jim Vandehei, co-founder of Politico.com
• Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent and 2008 political editor, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

Moderator:

• Alberto Ibargüen, president and CEO, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

6:30 – 9:00 p.m.

Host Reception at
The National Constitution Center
Reconnect with colleagues and meet new ones as you explore the inspiring National Constitution Center. Located on historic Independence Mall, The National Constitution Center is an interactive museum that explains the history and relevance of the United States Constitution and offers breathtaking views of Independence Hall and the surrounding area through forty-foothigh glass walls.

Annual Business Meeting
Help set the direction of the Independent Sector coalition for the coming year, and elect new members of the board of directors.

Convener:

• Brian A. Gallagher, chair, Independent Sector; president and CEO, United Way of America

A Conversation with Luis Ubiñas

Breakfast Plenary
Join a discussion with Luis Ubiñas, who became president of the Ford Foundation this January, as he describes his personal and professional journey and his opportunity to build on the foundation’s record of supporting innovation, creativity, and social justice.

Discussant:

• Luis Ubiñas, president, Ford Foundation

Interviewer:

• Joel Fleishman, professor, public policy and law; director, Samuel and Ronnie Heyman Center for Ethics; and director, Duke Foundation Research Program, Duke University

Luncheon Plenary

IRS Insights
New Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman will discuss the agency’s current and future priorities.

Keynote Address
Independent Sector President and CEO Diana Aviv will examine the challenges facing our organizations and our communities, particularly in light of the 2008 elections.

John W. Gardner Leadership Award Dinner
Celebrate two remarkable members of the nonprofit community at the John W. Gardner Leadership Award Dinner, named in honor of Independent Sector’s founding chair and a distinguished participant in America’s educational, philanthropic, and political life.

Receiving the Gardner Leadership Award will be Robert Greenstein, founder and executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, in recognition of his work to promote rigorous analysis of budget and tax policies in order to help lawmakers, the media, and the public understand how policy decisions at the national and state levels will affect low- and moderate- income people.

The dinner will also honor excellence in investing in the people of the nonprofit community with the presentation of the American Express Building Leadership Award, which goes to an outstanding organization whose programs and policies develop leadership in staff, board, and volunteers.

Included in conference registration; additional guest tickets available at $150 each.

Table sponsorship opportunities available.
For more information, please contact
Lyubov Mullen at 202-467-6141.

Beyond Election 2008:
A New Look at Race and Gender in America

Closing Plenary Luncheon
This year’s presidential election is viewed by many as a watershed moment in American politics, with a woman and an African-American as the two leading contenders for the nomination of a major party. Others have lamented how the pundits, and even some of the candidates themselves, have rehashed simplistic categorizations of race and gender and often pitted one group against another. Just one week after election day, this session’s diverse panel will explore the impact of the historic campaign on the state of race and gender in America, generational differences in perspectives on race and gender, and the responsibility of the nonprofit community in building a truly inclusive society.

Panelists:

• Randall L. Kennedy, Michael R. Klein Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, Harvard University
• Sterling Speirn, president, W. K. Kellogg Foundation
• Luz Vega-Marquis, president and CEO, Marguerite Casey Foundation
• Marie Wilson, president and founder, The White House Project

Moderator:

• Kelvin Taketa, president and CEO, Hawai’i Community Foundation
  

Within each theme track, a plenary session offers a "big picture" view, forum sessions delve deeper into the issues, and workshop sessions drill down to offer practical solutions. CEO sessions, available to chief executives of IS member organizations only, allow for peer-to-peer discussions on the challenges of leadership.

CEO Track
Chief executives of IS member organizations can join in-depth, peer-to-peer exchanges on issues relevant to running our organizations in the CEO Track. Its sessions, spread throughout the conference, will include the board-CEO relationship, the need for engagement with public policy, and conversations with sector leaders.

Breakout Session Tracks

To allow participants to expore key issues in more depth, the forums and the workshops focus on one or more of four tracks:

Aligning for Impact -- Strengthen your organization’s ability to demonstrate and communicate its impact to consumers of services, donors, media, lawmakers, and other stakeholders. Sessions will look at subjects such as new communications tools; responses to tax-exemption challenges; methods for strengthening self-governance; how new regulations and reports could change your message strategy; and bringing the nonprofit community’s policy agenda to the incoming President and Congress.

Increasing Effectiveness -- Learn how organizations are using innovative methods and successful practices to enhance their ability to improve lives around the globe. Among the topics in this track are examinations of corporate philanthropy’s future; funder collaboration; maximizing impact through a diverse staff; and developing and renewing leaders.

Fostering Innovation -- Explore exciting approaches and ideas that can help organizations find creative ways to improve their work. Sessions will include a look at online vehicles, such as interactive games, for examining key issues; approaches to enhancing productivity and impact; strategic collaborations to advance mission; and techniques for harnessing creative potential.

Strengthening Democracy -- Discover how charities and foundations are deepening civic engagement strategies and cross-sector collaborations in order to improve lives and communities. This track will feature sessions on capturing momentum from this ground-breaking election year; participating in community journalism and innovative media; and working to increase regional economic prosperity.

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