Agenda

Beating the Recession: The Non-Profit Executive Tool Kit
May 28, 2009

7:30-8:30 
Registration and Breakfast

8:30-9:00
State of the Industry

A review of trend indicators for the region as they affect non-profits. Assembled from the Blackbaud, Association Trends, Association Research, Associationexecs.com and Raffa non-profit surveys of membership, confidence and employment trends.

9:00-10:00
Financial Management and Banking Panel
Non-profits are as concerned with the financial crisis as much as any other organization. While there are few quick solutions, some practical measures can be taken to reduce the risk in cash and investment reserves. These can be done by taking advantage of the various federal guarantees and without sacrificing long term returns.

Speakers include: Dennis Gogarty of Raffa Wealth Management, Malcolm Karl of EagleBank, Jim Rohrer of Bank of America, and Robert Duke of the International Association of Fire Chiefs

This session will cover:

• A practical understanding of the risks of financial alternatives
• Cash management options and federal guarantees
• Systemic vs unsystemic long term risks
• Avoiding a ‘Madoff’ scandal – achieving transparency

10.00-10:15
Break

10:15-10:45
Back Office Low Hanging Fruit- Changes you can make today

No cost-cutting is painless and no sustainable cost-cutting involves pushing vendors to the wall or “doing without”. All cost-cutting involves some planning and effort and there are many practical and immediate things an organization can do to get the low hanging fruit. Break-out sessions will allow for interactive discussion following a presentation by industry experts.

Speakers include: Phil Gross, Steve Bunker, Michael LaLonde, Rudy Bazelmans and George Wolfland of Expense Reduction Analysts plus Art Tollick of RCM&D.

10:45-11:45
Back Office Break-out Sessions

1. Telecommunications
2. Merchant card fees
3. Overnight shipping
4. Payroll services
5. Equipment leasing
6. Non employee Insurance

12:00-1:30
HR Issues: A working lunch

From re-organization to headcount and compensation related reductions, managing HR issues during a recession is a serious challenge facing non-profits. This session will cover the results of the 2009 compensation survey, key principles of implementing any new staff plan and the legal issues on employee related changes.

Speakers include: Sue Meisinger former head of SHRM, Patricia Ambrose of Hogan & Hartson, Paul Dorf of Compensation Resources Inc., Patricia Williams of Raffa and Milan Yager of NAPEO.

1:30-2:30 
Primary Cost Center Break-out Sessions

While it may be the current economic climate that has you examining your major cost-centers, it is important to keep these areas under constant review. Rotate between five major breakout sessions to see where you can find extra savings for now and the future.

1. Meeting planning- champagne on a beer budget
2. Employee benefits
3. Hotel and Legal Contract Negotiations
4. Printing costs
5. Direct mail cost management

2:30-3:00
Savings Thru Technology Panel

Technology costs account for a large part of association budgets. From backend systems to association management software, this session will address cost-savings strategies from a technology standpoint. The discussion will also focus on “topics of concern” gathered during the pre-conference survey.

Speakers include: Todd Hager of Broadpoint, Sam Cool of Planet Technologies and Bill Aiton of SSI Consulting.

3:00-3:15
Break

3:15-4:30
Making the Major Decisions: From Mergers to Outsourcing

Mergers, re-organizations and partial or full organizational outsourcing gets a lot of play in the corporate world during a recession. The presentations and panel discussion will focus on the major issues confronting organizations and the tools needed for making tough decisions. You’ll find out how to avoid primary implementation mistakes that make the difference between a decision being workable and disastrous.

Speakers include: Dan McCormick of The McCormick Group, Steven Worth of Plexus Consulting, Brock Landry of Venable, Michael Payne of Smith Bucklin and Rick Cristol of Kellen.

4:30-5:30 
Cocktail Reception