The 30th annual Mid-America Conference on Fundraising took place earlier this week at the Des Moines Downtown Marriott. I supported the conference planning committee with digital communications, financial management, on-line registration and on-site registration.
135 attendees took part in 18 concurrent sessions and were treated to four diverse keynote speakers. This fundraising conference provides attendees with the opportunity to discuss, teach and learn best practices from each other and fundraising experts.
The Mid-America Conference was initiated in 1986. At that time the conference was sponsored by the Nebraska and Iowa Chapters of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). The first conference was held at the Omaha Marriott Hotel and was chaired by Russ Raker.
The Mid-America Conference is the longest running multi-state chapter conference in the United States. The Mid-America AFP Chapters share a heritage of involvement and activity providing high quality conferences throughout the plains states.
While participating in the 2013 Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute Community Leadership Program, our sub-group, the “Green Co-Hort” formed a strong bond. We continue to meet regularly to socialize and to volunteer in our community.
Our most recent experience was volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Iowa. Our Co-Hort provided a home-cooked meal for guests.
Their Mission
The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. Guiding us in our mission are our core values:
- Focusing on the critical needs of children.
- Celebrating the diversity of our people and programs
- Valuing our heritage.
- Operating with accountability and transparency.
Many families travel far from home and spend several weeks or months to get treatment for their seriously ill or injured children – a long time to be away or to divide a family. And, for children facing a serious medical crisis, nothing seems scarier than not having mom and dad close by for love and support. A Ronald McDonald House is that “home-away-from-home” for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost.
Last week was the culmination of several months of preparation and hard work by many people.
As conference coordinator of the 2015 Iowa Governor’s Conference on Public Health, I worked with a conference planning committee comprised of public health officials across this great state to produce an event attended by 550 individuals enjoying 49 academic concurrent sessions.
This is the largest conference I’ve ever co-produced. The magnitude of communication, logistics, decisions-making and fun made for an exceptional experience. If you need help planning your next conference (or know someone who does!) just drop me a note.
Exhibitor and Sponsor Hall
Plenary Hall
Plenary Hall
The three authors of this book are consultants on professional-service management and customer-relation issues. They feel that before anybody can become successful as a business guru, they first need to gain the confidence of their clients.
While I wasn’t a huge fan of the book, the biggest take away for me was their five-step development process that encourages outsiders to engage clients by focusing attention on the issues and individuals at hand; listening both to what they say and what they leave unsaid; framing the immediate problem from their perspective; envisioning with them how a solution might appear; and committing jointly to the actions and resources that will bring it about.
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I’ve always liked a good story…A story that teaches a lesson about business means a lot more to me than a list of dos and don’ts. This fable hits the business book story-telling nail on the head.
A very quick read, this book’s full title is, “Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty”.
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This year I was among 49 Des Moines business leaders chosen to participate in the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute‘s (GDMLI) Community Leadership Program (CLP).
The rigorous program started with an orientation in August and our first of 10, 5-hour long classes in September. Classes included dinner…even dinner at the Mitchellville Correctional Institute for Women!
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As society becomes more and more transparent (meaning our lives are broadcasted now more than ever), we must remain vigilant to guarding our Social Media image. In some ways, an appropriate rule of thumb is a simple update to the advice regarding decisions and actions we take: “Would your mother approve?” Now, we must also ask, “Would my next boss approve?”
Social Media Club of Des Moines is spotlighting the impact social media and the perceptions that are formed by recruiters, human resources and lawyers.
Speakers include:
Melody Maxted – Recruiter, Paragon IT Professionals
Paige Schirone – Marketing Analyst, Paragon IT Professionals
Kyle Schafroth – Human Resources, Meredith Corporation
Brett Trout – Law Offices of Brett Trout
Buy tickets here: http://bit.ly/1CgA2v1
Time: April 21, 2015 from 5:30pm to 7pm
Location: TBD
