The State of the Connecticut Nonprofit Sector 2004 Symposium
Summary of Comments and Evaluations

Content

• Interesting day…well worth it.
• Do a statewide graphic/puzzle that plots:
  

  All state/local/federal offices + # of employees
  All nonprofit organizations
  All public institutions/orgs
  Education, health, etc.
  Then show graphically each population/sector vanishing -> therefore, showing the impact of the independent sector in the state
  Corporations = locate in counties where there is or they can attract a workforce.  The workforce lives in a community that has services, educational inst., healthcare, etc.

• Could use a session on “lobbying” – what’s OK, what’s not. Better plenary sessions.
• Next year have someone who can make the definitive case for why business investments, both financial and human, in the nonprofit sector can bring about business returns. Gaudiani and Carstensen made references, but neither went far enough, deep enough.
• Have an issue-oriented event to help address specific regulatory challenges such as: HIPPA or 990 Reporting (In-kind reporting issues)
• Present case studies-measurements/evaluations, lessons learned, suggestions for collaborating and round table issues. I recently attended a smart growth conference and they highlighted new partnerships that work. These partnerships include local government, health districts, nonprofits, police and more.
• CT stakeholder panel- great start to make changes/Afternoon address – preaching to the choir.
• Morning keynote very good, but no news for this audience.
• Celebrate accomplishments of the nonprofit sector (solicit input beforehand and share highlights).  Ask Paul Newman or other nationally known celebrity/philanthropist to participate/endorse/inspire.  While it was very interesting to learn the economic impact Pfizer’s philanthropy has had on CT, it would be far more useful if statewide statistics on the economic impact of nonprofits were shared. If these stats were available, communities could reasonably estimate the economic impact of nonprofits on their towns/cities based on their percentage of the state’s population.
• Data + outcomes: Discussion of demographic + outcome data needed. Discussion of ways to develop some consistency in requirements of funders for data so that agency infrastructure can comply with funder requirements and have useful agency information for program development and evaluation AND spend less time on data collection AND more time on programs and services. This will support the core of the agency.
• Nice variety of programming (speaker formats)/good job.
• Have a dialogue w/ funders regarding the experience of trying to create collaborations and partnerships as a nonprofit, and what supports we need.
• Great job! Great symposium, great selection of presenters/panelists.
• Drop the political agenda!
• Presentation – an important message for us to hear/stakeholder panel – felt like it only scratched the surface. Perhaps slightly fewer panelists to allow for more give and take/the keynote clearly is knowledgeable about upcoming trends, but this really only became apparent during Q & A – that was the most engaging part.
• Good first step….This is just the beginning of a dialogue – universities can be used to work with local nonprofits – I would suggest that this continue at both local and regional level/ nonprofit agencies are not just there for the lower strata" we need to get the message to all” continue the dialogue.

Format

• Allow more time for Moving Forward session.
• Although great to hear from these outstanding folks, I hope that next time we can use the larger group as think tank in critical areas…this could increase engagement, learning and long term commitment to the change we talked about today/thank you.
• A lot more time for question and answers, and opportunities to make contacts with other agencies, Workshop type forum, Breakout sessions to explore specific issues in depth.
• The phrase used today was “engage in dialogue”; yet the day was mostly monologue. To be truly effective, different stakeholders need to be brought together in interactive working groups to address a specific issue. Without true dialogue, we will in essence remain talking to ourselves.
• Have people from the different sectors sit together (grouped) to discuss an issue or problem solve. This way the corporate, foundations, NFPs, government, etc. representatives would be forced to work together. Something experiential – more than being talked to or at.

Attendees

• Future meetings should be regional – with area foundations, local legislators and local non-profits.
• More private sector and governmental sector reps should attend.
• Enlist more partners/sponsors?! – CBIA and/or Leadership Greater Hartford….involve small and big business more.
• Offer scholarship for grassroots groups enabling them to attend.
• This was a good first step. This needs to be taken to the next step by inviting people who provide similar or complementary services together in a specific geographic area. The results of these meetings can be shared at a statewide symposium. Only decision-makers, head administrators, board members, etc. should participate.
• Encourage media coverage and support by presenting an award each year for exemplary work.
• Encourage: Business to invite business to such an event; have business challenge business, NPO – invite NPOs; NPOs challenge each other, Funders, etc. challenge each other.
• Future meetings with legislators in regional areas to address nonprofit concerns – Prob. Legislators do not come to these meetings – they have gone nowhere – It needs to be a priority.

Location/Materials

• Would love to have location moved around the state.
• Stay at the Aqua Turf.
• Location excellent for this year, but depends on the format in the future.
• Description of each agency on the list included in our packet.
• Next time have an address and a fax number on the evaluation form.
• Nametags with larger print.
• Please put the keynote speech and presentation charts on your website. A great way to market the value of this symposium and a great resource for attendees to take back to their organizations.
• Have this discussion reprinted electronically, (website?) and continued.

Next Steps

• How do we continue this on a micro-level?
• CT Tax Credits go to outside of state firms because CT companies don’t need them.
• CT’s municipal structure does not reflect the nonprofit geographic structure.
• Loss of non-profit staff to gov’t and for profit. We train them, and then we lose them.
• Suggestions to improve fabric of community and state.
• This must be an annual event.
• The CT Education and Training Council (CETC) has a service provider committee under the office of workforce competitiveness. Why can’t there be a committee of non-profits working with all sectors on becoming viable and sustainable?
• More networking between all partners….list serv form communication. Foster collaboration between non-profits instead of competition, esp. for $$.
• Identify a group of journalists who “get it” about nonprofits and cultivate and educate them.
• Next year – topical workshops based on themes emerging from today – i.e. data collection, communicating with legislators.
• Establish collaborative committees to discuss policies and program and values. Consider the role of municipalities
• Think about/introduce “advocacy/conscience raising efforts” to push for changes. Pilot the type of conversation between sectors re: mission/philosophy.
• This was a wonderful first step in getting sectors talking. Let’s do more…don’t wait until next year.
• Should we (the nonprofit sector) consider how to bring ourselves to the other sectors?
• I will be interested to see which group steps forward to offer leadership of coordination for an effort such as was proposed today – this would be an important component to success.
• Develop a nonprofit, government and business partnership where there is more equal representation to continue the discussion and develop solutions and activities.
• Suggest that CCP, CAN and UConn study the employees of foundation/NPO collaboratives in Ohio and New York state to restore the cuts in NPO funding by the state, and begin finally to forge common ground and a new partnership with the public sector – per Diana Aviv