Agenda

8:00 Continental Breakfast

8:30 A: NCLB - “Federal Christmas Tree for Education”
Looking for federal education grants? Most of them are part of No Child Left Behind. This session will teach you about all the grants funded under NCLB's ten titles including:
• Names and nature of each grant
• Amounts appropriated for this year that are available for school districts
• Probability of funding so you can put your grant writing effort where it will get the best
payoff for your district
Charlotte Harris, Development/Title I Director, Boston Public Schools

8:30: B Performance Criteria for the Management of School-Based Partnerships
• Identify performance-based planning, budgeting and managing
• Allocate resources that support determined goals
• Develop targets and measures to assess progress towards goals
• Ensure communication and involvement of partners
Jeffrey Bergin, The Performance Institute

9:45 A: Establishing a Strategic Plan and Setting Priorities for Grants and Partnerships
• Conduct a needs assessment
• Apply performance-based management and evaluation strategies
• Enlist capable leadership
• Shape your vision and craft your message
• Identify and approach prospective partners
Jeffrey Bergin, The Performance Institute

9:45 B: Innovations in Education Fundraising: Utilizing the Community and Alumni
Fundraising for school needs that are not available in the district budgets, particularly urban districts, continues to be challenging. Alumni can become a resource for everything from playground equipment to technology to professional development. Alumni want to celebrate the legacy of excellence from their educational experience and to assist the alumni of the future. Learn how to create the right opportunities and achieve sustainable resources from your alumni and your community.
Linda Riekes, Director of Development, St. Louis Public Schools

10:45 Break and Refreshments

11:00 A: Best Practices in Procuring Grants from Private Organizations and Foundations
School districts nationwide are experiencing an all-time high level of fiscal burden. They are experiencing higher costs for accountability measures and receiving lower federal funds. In this session, you will learn how to identify, approach and build relationships with private organizations and foundations.
• Identify and validate prospective donors
• Evaluate which grantors are right for your project
• Build an annual fund donor base
• Apply proven strategies when preparing successful proposals
Gail Vertz, Executive Director, Grant Services Inc

11:00 B: Local Education Funds: Fundraising for Systemic Change in Public Schools
• Find out why local education funds are the intermediaries of choice for systemic change
• Determine why national and local funders find local education funds attractive investment vehicles
• Learn how local education funds hold the community vision for improving public education
• Discover how local education funds leverage public dollar
Kandace Laass, Director of Member Services, Public Education Network
Frank Williams, Executive Director of the Greater New Orleans Education Foundation
Jan Melton, Executive Director, Academic Distinction Fund, Baton Rouge, LA

12:00 Networking Luncheon

1:15 A: Grants for Science and Math Programs
• Trends in science and math funding
• Locate funding agencies and grant opportunities for the district level and for the individual educator
• Develop guidelines that will help create successful proposals
Claudia R. Fowler, Education Consultant -James F. Fowler & Associates, Baton Rouge

1:15 B: Partnerships that Work: Best Practices for Successful, Cost-Effective Collaborations that Endure
• Conduct a program needs assessment
• Identify potentially successful, reciprocally beneficial partnerships
• Craft your message to initiate activities
• Navigate complex collaborations with a strategic communications plan
Charlotte Harris, Development/Title I Director, Boston Public Schools

2:15 A: Grants for Promotion of the Arts
• Locate funding agencies and grant opportunities
• Prepare successful proposals
• Procure and manage subject specific grants
Kimberly Hunicke, Acting Director, Louisiana ArtWorks, Arts Council of New Orleans

2:15 B: Event Fundraising: Organizing Events that Produce Profits
• Identifying events that will yield revenue
• Securing sponsorship
• Tapping into alumni pockets
• Enlisting volunteers
• Strategies for planning, implementing and troubleshooting fundraising events
Laynee Timlin, Director of Community Relations, Virginia Beach Public Schools

3:15 Break and Refreshments

3:30 "Now What? Funding and Friends-The Key to Education's Future"
A trend is emerging in how we approach funding and resources for our schools. The economic model is expanding and shifting, with a growing dependence upon new revenue sources from business partners to the federal government. We are also approaching our work in a creative manner to lever multiple resources. It is important to review where we are, examine where trends are leading us and reflect on the importance of our work in education.
• Tying together the grants, development capacities, and partnering lessons
• Creating victories for fostering success
• Telling our school stories: Generating success in our hearts and minds
JJ Baskin, Director of Institutional Development, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory

4:30 Conference Adjourns