A call for proposals that rock our world

Mon, 01/31/2011 - 8:54pm

Passionate people. Big ideas. Meaningful conversation that leads to action. If these are the kinds of things you love to support, you may want to consider speaking at the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network conference, in Grand Rapids, Mich. We have two types of opportunities for creative and engaging speakers:

Innovation Series

These will be mini-talks with a big impact. As the warm-up for our keynote speaker, four presenters will be selected to share one 10-minute presentation each on the main stage. Ideally, these will be conference attendees who can speak to their big ideas for the sector, share stories of how to become more effective leaders and thinkers, or offer insight and questions that challenge fellow attendees. We are eager to see creative and bold ideas for these presentations from leaders of all ages and backgrounds, so don't be afraid to put yourself out there!

Breakout Sessions

The conference has been divided into three tracks as we explore the evolution of the non-profit sector from many angles: from personal development to big systems change. We are inviting session proposals related to the tracks below and have offered some initial questions that might be explored in sessions (although we hope you'll think beyond even these):

  • The Individual – What challenges are leaders facing today, and what tools or practices help people work through them? What are nontraditional ways of (or tools for) learning? How can young leaders who are already in positions of authority (e.g., executive director) become more successful? What are the most critical skills for where the sector is going?
  • The Organization – What are some new models for organizations and how they work? How can organizations shift their internal culture to better achieve their mission? What does it take to become a learning organization?
  • The Sector and Surrounding Community – What are emerging trends? What are some successful examples of public-private partnerships? How can organizations interact with the government? How are donors, volunteers, clients and other groups engaging with the sector, and how can we adapt?

Find out more and apply today!