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Organization: Summary Report 2008
The Summit Leadership Team thanks all those who played a role in making the
Community Renewal Summits a success!
A very positive feedback has been received from those who attended previous
events.
Executive Summary
Overview: In 1999, when former Senators Ray Haynes, Tim Leslie and Senator Jim Brulte first envisioned the creation of a conference focused on educating communities, hopeful that the cross-pollination of ideas would create a synergy that would positively impact their community, they never envisioned that their efforts would last beyond their tenure in the Legislature.
2008 marked the 9th year that State Legislators and the Community Renewal Project hosted their annual Community Renewal Summit. Hosted by legislative leaders George Runner, Bill Emmerson, Roger Niello and Ted Gaines, the 2008 Community Renewal Summit brought together over 300 community leaders to Sacramento, California.
This summary report is designed to provide an overview of the 2008 Summit and Regional Conferences and share the success of these events. Additionally, to acknowledge the contributions made by our many supporters, partners and staff; and highlight some of the unique elements that make the Summit and Regional Conferences so special.
Purpose and Objectives: When the Community Renewal Summit was first created, it was the goal of the founders to reach and strengthen the organizations that were dedicated to building communities, but were not equipped, nor experienced in specific business practices or unaware of resources that would enhance their efforts. The Community Renewal Summit provides motivated community and civic leaders with the opportunity to garner the tools they need to enact renewal in their communities.
By empowering local leaders with the skills, knowledge, and relationships necessary to run effective community-renewing programs, we aim to inspire hope, cultivate character, and foster lasting prosperity in struggling neighborhoods throughout California.
The Summit is a community conference designed to provide:
- Instruction in the "best practices" of California's most successful locally-based nonprofit organizations.
- Workshops on economic development, programs for youth, education and job training, financial literacy, nonprofit management and development, faith-based initiatives, collaboration with government agencies and business leaders, and other aspects of community renewal.
- Training in skills critical to the success of nonprofits, such as grant writing, fundraising, and media relations.
- Providing key tools that enable organizations to maximize their resources through community assessment, organizing and networking.
- Opportunities for participants to network with other attendees, sponsors and presenters.
While our regional conferences are designed to accomplish the same goals as the statewide summit, the regional conferences provide greater opportunities for local leaders to network and partner. Further, the regional conferences allow us to design our program to the specific needs and goals of the community leaders in a specific region.
Since we held our first Regional Conference in 2003, our number of Regional Events has steadily over the last 5 years. Averaging five Regional Conferences a year, with topics including, but not limited to, fundraising, grant writing, housing, adoption and foster care, business development and management, the Faith Based and Community Initiative, youth programs and intervention, gang prevention and networking and collaborations, we expect a continued expansion of those efforts in 2009.
Partnerships
One of the guiding principles of the Community Renewal Summit is that partnerships are essential in revitalizing and strengthening communities. The partnerships that we develop with legislators, sponsors and community leaders are vital to the development of the Community Renewal Summit and our Regional Conference. These partnerships ahs contributed to our programs ongoing success.
Legislative Involvement: Led by Senator George Runner and Assemblymen Bill Emmerson and Roger Niello, the Summit is sponsored and endorsed by over 25 California State Legislators. Summit organizers are also grateful for the special support of State Senators Dennis Hollingsworth, Robert Dutton, Tom Harman, Roy Ashburn, Bob Huff, Dave Cogdill, John Benoit and Assemblymembers Jean Fuller, Anthony Adams, Ted Gaines, Mike Duvall, Brian Nestande, Van Tran, Mike Villines and Kevin Jeffries. Their commitment to building California's communities is evident in their desire to reach and assist all of California's residents regardless of their geographical location. We are thankful for their contributions to the Summit and for hosting their own Regional Conferences.
Summit attendees particularly appreciated the opportunity to interact and dialogue with several legislative members during the "Passion Groups" interactive discussion time. These sessions bring attendees, sponsors, resource providers and legislative leaders together to discuss specific issues that they have the greatest passion for. Further, these sessions afford these like-minded individuals special time to share and learn from one another. After leading one of these groups, former Assemblyman Haynes remarked, "The Community Renewal Summit allows us as legislators to actually work with community leaders to address some of our state's most pressing issues. It provides a great venue for us to build relationships and a better understanding of community objectives."
Sponsor Involvement: We are grateful for the active participation in the Summit by our sponsoring corporations and organizations. Because of their generous support, we are able to offer this privately funded event to our attendees free of charge. We would like to extend a special thanks to State Farm, the California Association of Realtors, Kaiser Permanente, and San Manuel Band of Mission Indians whose commitment and involvement has gone above and beyond their financial commitment. They have exemplified the term "Partner" through their constant encouragement and personal efforts to educate and network with the community leaders who attend the Summits.
Community Partnerships: We are grateful for the ongoing commitment of the Capitol Resource Institute (CRI), the official co-sponsor of the Community Renewal Summit. Additionally, we are thankful for the commitment and effort of Faith Based Solutions, All Congregations Together (ACT) and The Business Liaison. These three groups have dedicated their time, service and efforts to ensure the Summit and Regional Conferences are successful. They also provide great leadership in their own communities, putting the goals and ideals of the Summit into practice on a daily basis. Their ability to share practical business practices to small business and non-profit organizations has been instrumental in building organizational capacity.
List of Summit Partners - Past and Present:
- Affordable Housing Resources
- All Congregations Together
- American Red Cross
- Bank of America
- Bay Area Council
- Benevon
- Betty Parks & Associates
- Board of Equalization
- The Business Liaison
- By Design Financial Solutions
- California Association for Microenterprise Opportunity (CAMEO)
- California Association of Realtors
- California Capital
- California Community Colleges
- California Conservation Corp
- California Council on Economic Education
- California Franchise Tax Board
- California / Nevada Community Action Partnership
- California Reinvestment Coalition
- California Resource and Training
- California Society of CPA's
- California State Community Service & Development Department
- California State Legislature
- California Vision Foundation
- Capitol Resource Institute
- Career Training Institute
- Casey Family Services
- Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Center for NONPROFIT Management
- Center for Parent Involvement in Education
- CHARO Community Development Corporation
- The Children's Initiative
- City National Bank
- City of San Diego, Mayor's Office
- Community College Foundation
- Community Services Planning Council
- County of San Bernardino
- Department of Community and Economic Development
- Department of Consumer Affairs
- Department of Housing and Community Development
- EARN
- Employment Development Department
- Essex and Drake Fund Raising Counsel
- Faith-Based Solutions
- Faith Based Federal Credit Union
- Father Joe's Villages
- Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
- Foundation for Investor Education
- Fred R. Sacher Real Estate Development
- Friends and Family Community Connections
- GirlSource
- Greater Sacramento Urban League
- Habitat for Humanity
- Hands On Sacramento
- Head Start
- Housing Authority of Los Angeles County
- Housing California
- I-Bank
- Insight Center for Community and Economic Development
- Interfaith Service Bureau
- Jewish Vocational Services
- JobStarts, Inc.
- Kaiser Permanente
- Loaves & Fishes
- Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services
- Los Angeles Urban League
- Mar Vista Middle School, After School Activities Program
- MJ Consulting and Associates
- Mutual Assistance Network of Del Paso
- National Economic Development and Law Center
- Neighborhood Housing Services of Silicon Valley
- Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services, Inc.
- Nonprofit Resource Center
- Omega Boy's Club and Street Soldiers
- One By One Leadership
- OnTrack
- PAZZAZ
- Perfection Development
- Reach Out and Touch a Youth
- Research and Policy Institute of California
- Roberts Family Development Center
- Sacred Heart Community Service
- San Diego County Department of Health and Human Services Adoptions
- San Diego Organizing Project
- San Diego Regional Technology Alliance
- San Diego Workforce Partnership
- San Diego-Imperial Labor Council
- San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
- SBC/AT&T
- Semiconductor Industry Association
- Small Business Administration
- Social Enterprise Institute
- Southern California Edison
- Spalding Tax Services and Non-Profit Consulting
- St. John Center for Women and Children
- St. Vincent de Paul Village (part of Father Joe's Villages)
- State Farm Insurance
- Stop the Violence, Increase the Peace
- The Children's Initiative/Faith Based Leadership Training Institute
- Taylor & Goins, LLP - The Business Lawyers
- The E.R.R.A.N.D Institute
- The Housing Authority of Los Angeles
- The Village Training Institute
- United States Department of Labor
- US Bank
- Vested Interest Consulting Firm, Inc.
- Victory Outreach Christian Recovery Home
- Waddell & Reed, Inc.
- WEAVE
- Wells Fargo Bank
- White House Faith-Based and Community Initiative
- Wind Youth Services
- Wysocki & Associates
Summit Activities
Session Presentations: Once again, our presenters received excellent feedback from participants. They were particularly appreciative of the usefulness, quantity and quality of information distributed. Presenters provided information that taught "how-to" replicate and implement various community-building programs. We want to thank the many service providers and professionals who conducted or facilitated our sessions.
List of past Summit Presentation Topics:
- Building assets in your Community
- How to make Partnership and Collaborations work for you
- Tips and Tools for effective grant writing
- Strategies for Increasing Homeownership in your Community
- Tapping into the Federal Faith-Based and Community Initiative
- How to effectively Work with your Legislative Officials
- Community Organizing
- Public Relations and Marketing that Works
- Fostering Small Business and Micro-Enterprise in Your Community
- How to Organize and Maintain a
501(c)(3)
- Financial Literacy
- The Heart of Fundraising
- How to Effectively Manage and Market your Non-Profit
- Creating an effective Professional Development Program
- Creating Sustainability for Your Non-Profit or Small Business
- How to Develop a Health and Wellness Action Plan
Keynote Speaker: At our 2008 Community Renewal Summit, we were honored to have Mr. George Harris, Director of the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, as our keynote speaker. Mr. Harris provided an inspirational message about the transformation of a dilapidated East San Diego neighborhood into a dynamic economically viable community. He shared how a diverse community came together to literally take an ownership interest in the neighborhood. It was motivating for many Summit attendees to see what can be accomplished through collaboration and determination.
Since 2000, the Summit has had the privilege of such powerful guest speakers as: Dr. Tony Evans, President of the Urban Alternative; John Bryant, CEO of Operation Hope; Deputy Director John Jacobs with the Department of Labor; Secretary Rosario Marin, Former US Secretary of the Treasury; Eloise Anderson, former California Secretary of Health and Human Services; Joseph Phillips, a renowned actor and author; Dr. Joseph Marshall, co-founder and Executive Director of the Omega Boys Club/ Street Soldiers; Lynn Jacobs, Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development and Jedd Medefind, former Director for the Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, US Department of Labor and Mr. Tracy Williams, former Harlem Globetrotter and motivational speaker. We are grateful to each of these individuals for contributing to the Summit, and for their commitment to strengthening California communities.
Resource Tables: We are appreciative for the more than 30 groups that staffed resource tables in order to provide practical community-building information to Summit participants. The resource tables play an important role in the dissemination of information about local programs that are working to build and strengthen our diverse communities. They also serve to further encourage networking and collaboration at the Summit.
Volunteers: An important hallmark of the Summit is the professionalism of volunteers that staff the event. The 20+ volunteers include both members of local community groups involved in the Summit, as well as staff from various legislative offices.
Regional Conferences: Based on the past success of the Community Renewal Summits, and in response to input from Summit attendees, we endeavored to bring some of our most successful seminars to different communities across the state. Similar to the Statewide Community Renewal Summit, the Regional Conferences bring together individuals and organizations that have established some of California's best community-building programs. They are asked to serve as instructors at the Regional Conferences, teaching others how to replicate their success. Further, the Regional Conferences bring together local legislators, faith-based and community leaders, the private sector and a variety of resources to address specific community needs. These events also encourage the development of community partnerships and collaborations that seek to remove barriers inhibiting community renewal.
Conclusion: We are grateful for the contributions of the legislative leadership, sponsors and community leaders who continue to provide substance and direction that enables the Community Renewal Summit to be held year after year. It is through their efforts and dedication that the Summit has become a successful vehicle that enhances community renewal efforts. As we continue to provide a forum for community leaders, legislators and private sector forces to come together and build strong sustainable relationships and communities, we look forward to working with these groups and others during the Summit and Regional Conferences in 2009.
As we have seen from the growth of the Community Renewal Summit, we are making great strides in reaching those who provide services for our most needy. From our initial Summit that attracted just over 250 leaders in 2000, we are now attracting over 1000 attendees annually between our Statewide Summit and Regional Conferences.
In 2009, we will continue to expand. Our goal is to build on our previous successes and host at least seven Regional Conferences in addition to expanding the Community Renewal Summit program. Further, we endeavor to have viable, sustainable partnerships in every California community. With your continued efforts we will reach these goals.
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