Conference and Training Events

See below for details on each day's activities, including meetings, general sessions and hands-on training opportunities.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2005—3:00-5:00 P.M.
This is a meeting of council executives and national leadership to discuss the deliverables for the 2005-2008 strategic plan. A top priority emerged from the council planning sessions: to develop a process for effective and ongoing council-to-council and council-to-national communications, networking and learning. After a meeting of representative CEO's of the Camp Fire USA system in May 2005, we are committed to developing and implementing fully-functioning council CEO forums designed to meet the needs of similar categories of councils and, ultimately, advance the Camp Fire movement's strategic priorities. The word "movement" is both intentional and strategic in its use. This group dedicated itself to restoring a sense of movement in Camp Fire USA-to harnessing the power of collective voice, ambition and energy that makes good organizations great ones. To make this happen, we need you and your active participation!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2005—7:00-9:00 P.M.
After you enjoy dinner at or near the hotel, we will kick off our conference with an inspirational presentation from a "surprise" national youth leader. A presentation on the new strategic plan and report on the "state of the Camp Fire USA movement" will be made by National Board President, Jim DiVirgilio, and National CEO, Stewart Smith.

DAY 1: GROWTH IN RESOURCES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2005—9:00 A.M.-4:30 P.M.
Based on council input from our strategic planning sessions last winter, we will focus on how to increase individual giving across our system. As a board member said in Long Beach, "We want to be vigorous fundraisers."

The following tracks are designed to meet the needs of councils at different levels or phases of expertise in developing an annual campaign to successfully raise resources. We encourage council executives to take the Council Readiness Survey to choose the correct track for your council's needs. As a team, all members from a council should plan on attending the same track.

All tracks will begin the day together in an opening session that will include an exciting "kick-off" of our upcoming Centennial celebration, presented by Hartsook Companies, Inc., a full-service fundraising consulting firm ranking among the largest and most productive campaign consulting firms in the country.

In the afternoon, Hartsook Companies will work with three "tracks" depending on a council's readiness:

Growth in Resources—Track 1: This is for councils that do not have a complete annual campaign.

• Importance of a Case Statement: understanding your organization and its needs
• Developing a Case Statement
• Four Steps of Developing a Successful Individual Giving Program: identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship (explanation and examples of each)
• Development Plan: focusing on the individual giving components, e.g., annual fund, United Way, memorials
• Preparing for Implementing an Individual Giving Program: why a database is so important, capturing names, what the pipeline of donors is; participants should be able to return to their councils and prepare steps they are going to implement over the next 12 months.
• The Role of Volunteers in Fundraising
• 100% Board Giving

Growth in Resources—Track 2: This is for councils that have an annual campaign and are ready to commit to a formal, disciplined development plan. Councils will leave with an individualized plan and the tools, materials and follow-up coaching to significantly increase donations.

• How to Make Your Identification, Cultivation, Solicitation and Stewardship Efforts into a Cohesive Individual Giving Program
• Annual Gifts vs. Major Gifts
• Ensuring that Your Database Is the Cornerstone of Your Fundraising Efforts
• Reviewing Your Case Statement
• The Role of Volunteers
• 100% Board Giving
• Prospecting

Growth in Resources—Track 3: This is for councils that have an effective annual campaign and want the next steps to significantly increase resources.

• Planned Giving Program vs. the Occasional Windfall (materials needed, tracking)
• Identifying Planned Giving Prospects
• Marketing Planned Giving
• Langdon Legacy Society
• How to Talk to Donors about Planned Gifts
• The Role of Volunteers
• Endowments: Definition, Advisability, Policies and Pitfalls
• Gift Acceptance Policies

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2005—9:00 A.M.-4:30 P.M.
The national Youth Advisory Cabinet (YAC) wants youth to become more active nationally. Youth will attend hands-on workshops led by YAC to choose the next issue of concern and to determine how to effectively establish youth-to-youth communication between councils.

Camp Fire USA youth choose an issue of concern every two years. Youth leave the conference with a commitment to design projects to help resolve this issue. At the National Leadership Conference, youth will hear presentations about three issues that are affecting communities across America, hold discussions about which issue should be chosen and vote on the 2005-2007 national youth campaign topic.

YAC believes that communication between councils can create leadership opportunities and improve the depth of the Camp Fire USA experience for teens. The youth will evaluate the current communication systems (the Youth Connection newsletter and local youth advisory cabinets), brainstorm other effective and efficient ways to communicate and discuss the potential benefits of communicating regionally and nationally.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2005—9:00 A.M.-4:30 P.M.
Camp Fire USA has a long history of including families in our programs. Learn about new research and best practice strategies that illustrate how we can help our youth become caring, confident leaders by supporting their families. Representatives of the Annie E. Casey Foundation will provide research and information about trends in family strengthening practices. Best practices from the Annie E. Casey exemplary councils will be shared as a panel presentation with Q & A. Workshops will provide innovative ways to create, support and fund family strengthening programs and practices. Participants will leave with tools, materials and new strategies to build resources in support of youth programs.

All training track participants will begin the day together in the morning session, which will provide theory and research as well as a discussion panel of Annie E. Casey exemplary councils. Late morning and afternoon sessions will be broken into three tracks for program staff and volunteers that work directly with youth; administrative volunteers and staff managers that provide oversight of programs; and executive leadership (executive directors/CEOs and board presidents/chairs).

The Annie E. Casey Foundation defines family strengthening as a deliberate process of giving parents the necessary opportunities, relationships, networks and supports to raise their children successfully, which includes involving parents as decision-makers in how their communities meet family needs. The Foundation's model of serving children recognizes that, "Children do well when their families do well, and families do better when they live in supportive neighborhoods."

We will explore, in three tracks, the impact that Family Strengthening will have on Camp Fire USA's strategies to build caring, confident youth and future leaders. Youth may choose to attend the appropriate track that corresponds with their role in the council and/or their interests.

Family Strengthening—Program: This is for program staff and volunteers.

• Family Strengthening Practices 101
  What families need and what Camp Fire USA can do
  What does and what doesn't support families
  How to integrate family strengthening principles into program practices
• Community Family Club Best Practices
• Effective Program Planning
• Using Camp Fire USA Curricula with Families
• Family Strengthening Tools-Using Them for Successful Programs

Family Strengthening—Management: This is for staff and volunteer managers.

• How to Organize Council Resources to Meet Needs of Families in Cost-Effective Ways
• Volunteers—Turning over Leadership
• Understanding the Role of Culture and Cultural Competence
• Providing Access to Family Supports and Services
• Facilitating Neighborhood Participation

Family Strengthening—Leadership: This is for council executives and board presidents/chairs.

• Role of Council in Community Building
• Partnering with Family Strengthening Community Initiatives
• Developing the Case for Funders
  Using family strengthening research and language
  Establishing credibility in the community as a legitimate resource Sustainability

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2005—8:30 A.M.-12:00 NOON
This is the time to conduct Camp Fire USA's important business by electing national officers and trustees, considering and adopting any proposed bylaws amendments, and receiving and dialoguing about any proposed resolutions. See the registration packet cover memo for information on the resolutions process and credentials and voting delegates.