Craigslist Foundation Boot Camp

Children hardly play outside on their own in their neighborhoods. Most parents lament this fact, but feel powerless to change it. This session will give parents and neighborhood activists the tools they need to give children a life of neighborhood play, every day. Learn about six innovative communities in the US that have successfully addressed this problem, and then get a comprehensive set of step-by-step solutions.

Keynote Aimee Allison facilitates a discussion with Craig Newmark and fellow panelists about the trends, issues, emerging opportunities and challenges of being a community leader.

Aimee Allison, former host & producer, KPFA Morning Show | Craig Newmark, founder, craigslist | Ed Everett, community engagement coach, Ed Everett Consulting | Chris Gates, executive director, PACE | Lucy Bernholz, founder and president, Blueprint Research & Design Inc.

Craig Newmark, founder, craigslist | Lucy Bernholz, founder and president, Blueprint Research & Design Inc. | Perla Ni, founder & CEO, GreatNonprofits

We have more options than ever about how to give our money, our time, and our wisdom. How can we make more informed decisions about the organizations that work on the issues we care about. How can we learn from experts and crowds and use both data and relationships to improve our own work and our communities? How can each of us take you from “success to significance” and make a greater contribution to the public good?

In Craigslist Foundation's inaugural Campfire Conversation, Aimee Allison, founder of Oakland Seen and keynote of the 2011 Craigslist Foundation Boot Camp, joined more than a dozen participants in a discussion about community.

Following on her keynote topic, "The New Normal", Aimee addressed callers' questions about how best to engage with community members, collaborate across organizations and identify people in their neighborhoods and towns who are connectors and changemakers.

Listen to the podcast of the call discussion, and read along with the Campfire Conversation notes that were crowdsourced by participants.

Charlotte Hill, communications associate, EARN | Matt Silva, Levi Strauss fellow for nonprofit communications, EARN

Digital storytelling and social media have taken the communications world by storm. Bay Area nonprofit EARN, has harnessed these innovative tools to transform and bolster their communications and outreach efforts. In this interactive session, EARN leaders will walk you through their best practices, powering your communications strategy and building your network in the process. Learn to articulate the importance of storytelling and social media to key organizational decision-makers, begin building a story database and social media presence for their nonprofit organization and create a strategic communications timeline around an upcoming moment of opportunism.

Darian Rodriguez Heyman, author, Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals | Nicci Noble, president, Noble Services

You dream of a strong, vibrant community and have a sense of how to make it real. But how can you rally the funds you need to connect your vision to action? Join us as we move past conceptual theories and concepts into the practical, tactical solutions that can and will help you get dollars in the door. Get concrete tips and tools for individual giving, foundation grants, corporate sponsorship, earned income, and online and peer-to-peer campaigns, plus point you in the right direction for more information.

Aimee Allison, former host of KPFA Morning Program and founder of OaklandSeen shares her thoughts on how the “normal” way of life has been forever shifted due to three global problems swirling around us – economic inequality and decline, global warming, and the mounting costs of war and militarism. Hear her inspiring thoughts on how the new normal doesn’t have to be a time of decay and decline but instead how we can work through the storm to transform our communities, our work and ourselves. Learn how the new normal demands we work locally, and reach across the fence to get things done.

David Kirp, professor of public policy, University of California at Berkeley

Based on his highly acclaimed new book “Kids First: Five Big Ideas for Transforming Children’s Lives and America’s Future,” David Kirp provides  practical insights into what’s worked in other locales and the essential roles governments, businesses, nonprofits, parents, citizens, and residents can play in preparing the next generation for life in America.

Ed Everett, community engagement coach, Ed Everett Consulting

In today’s environment the public and government most often are at odds with each other. However, the current economic realities combined with the complex problems we face means separation between citizens, business and local government is a major liability for all players. Partnering between the public, business and local government is not an “interesting concept” or “nice vision,” but rather an essential reality we must achieve. You will learn:

* Why this separation between citizens and local government exists
* How the public and government contribute to this separation
* A different model for partnering
* What true civic engagement really means
* Why community building is more important now than ever

Victoria Fine, managing editor, Causecast

The editors of online news portals scour the web seeking leads and stories to publish every day. Victoria Fine, Causecast managing editor, will discuss how editors look for content and how you can increase the chances of your story getting their attention. Participants will learn what types of content and media they should have publicly available, will be able to outline concrete next steps to make their content easier to find and generally more appealing to editors of cause-based news outlets, and will understand of how publishers choose stories and news.