2010 Annual Conference Module Descriptions

Friday, April 16^th Morning Plenary 8:50 am – 10:00 am

Lay of the Land

Presenters: Mike Trister & John Russonello

The last two years have been characterized by dramatic shifts in the lay of the land for political action.  In this segment we will get an overview of those changes and what they mean. Attorney Michael Trister will provide us with a brief update on the impact of the landmark Citizens United decision. Pollster John Russonello will then help us pick through the current polling on voter frustration in the face of the Great Recession and how we approach it as the elections bear down this fall.

Friday, April 16^th – Morning Sessions 10:15 am – 11:45 am

Civic Engagement Programs Panel

Moderator: Teresa Purcell

Description coming soon!

Getting & Keeping Members

Presenter: Vinnie Wishrad

The Building Your Membership session will focus on tactics for building a grassroots membership file ($10-$999) from the hundreds to the thousands. Vinnie Wishrad will discuss the best strategies for list growth using the web, mail, phones, canvassing and monthly giving. The session will spotlight local and state-based tactics only and will not generally delve into strategies for list growth over 2,000 members.

Game Change: Citizens United v FEC

Presenter: Mike Trister

Join Mike Trister for an in-depth discussion of political activity after the landmark Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC. The decision has changed the rules for election activities by 501(c)(4)s as well as for-profit corporations. Related decisions and regulatory revisions may impact your reporting and tax-paying requirements, and even, potentially, your PAC contribution limits.

Effective State Conservation Voter Leagues

Presenter: Joel Bradshaw

In a segment specifically for members of state league boards, Joel Bradshaw shares the key elements that characterize effective, stable, and growing state leagues. Whether your league is struggling or succeeding, this review of what has worked in case after case will give you valuable insights into how to improve your organization.

Friday, April 16^th – Afternoon Sessions 1:45 pm – 3:30 pm

Web 2.0

Presenter: Cheryl Contee of Fission Strategies

Willy Sutton famously said he robbed banks because "that's where the money is."  To engage citizens or mobilize voters we likewise need to go where they are and they are on social networking. In this segment, prominent blogger Cheryl Contee of Jack and Jill politics will provide an overview of web tools for social networking, how they are changing American society, and how you and your organization can harness them for your goals.

Fiscal Management Systems for State Leagues

Presenter: Jonathan Poisner

Description coming soon!

Working with the GOP Caucus

Presenter: Clifford Traisman & Lee Flinn

Republicans and Democrats bring different ideologies, constituencies, and priorities to office. To pass legislation, you need to be able to gain the support of members from both sides of the aisle at various times. In this segment Cliff Traisman of Washington State and Lee Flinn of Idaho share their strategies, experiences, and hard-earned wisdom about how to work with Republican legislators collectively and individually.

Stewardship: The Second Most Powerful Move

Presenter: Laura Goodwin of the Osborne Group

Stewardship is the second most important engagement opportunity you can offer your donors.  In today’s philanthropic marketplace, three things are true:

• Next year’s results will be won through unwavering focus on donor retention;

• Accountability is the watchword;

• Fresh, creative, unexpected stewardship increases motivation and giving.

Join us for this practical, hands-on, interactive session to explore how build a world-class stewardship plan, rev up the stewardship you are already doing, and strengthen your relationships with your best donors.  Come find out how stewardship can be used to move givers of small gifts to make bigger gifts – and inspire major gift donors to consider the ultimate investment.  Everyone will walk away with a stewardship plan they can return home and implement now.

Creating Messages with Power

Presenter: Martin Hamburger of the Hamburger Company

Description coming soon!

Friday, April 16^th – Afternoon Sessions 3:45 pm – 5:30 pm

Web 2.0 (continued from previous session)

Presenter: Cheryl Contee of Fission Strategies

Recruitment for Boards

Presenter: Martha Levensaler

For Board Members & Executive Directors:  Learn how to get the board members you truly need to make your board shine.  In this session, you will learn how to: Discover what skills you need on your board, Find the people with the skills you need on your board, Solicit & Vet potential board members, and Orient new board members.

State League Election Planning

Presenter: Joel Bradshaw

A soup to nuts overview of effective, data-driven election planning for state leagues, this module will teach how to run successful campaigns that achieve your election goals. Topics covered will include how to choose consultants and vendors (and how to manage them to get their best), how to make the most effective use of your resources when choosing voter contact tactics, how to target your voters, and how to use polling information effectively.

Major Donor Programs 301

Moderators: Valerie Reuther & Laura Goodwin of the Osborne Group

This session is designed for development staff and Executive Directors from states with active major donor programs. We will share notes and lessons from the field in the last year and try to do a little troubleshooting for each other. Valerie Reuther will facilitate and will be joined by fundraising consultant Laura Goodwin. (If you or your organization is new to or just launching major donor efforts, please join us instead for Major Donor Programs 101 on Sunday morning.)

Saturday, April 17^th – Morning Plenary 9:00 am – 10:30 am

Bells & Whistles! Innovative Tactics for the Cycle of Accountability

Presenters: Wisconsin LCV, Oregon LCV, Conservation New Mexico & Michigan LCV

State Leagues are effective when they insure that each segment of the cycle of accountability – setting the agenda, communicating the agenda to policymakers, judging their performance on the agenda, and holding them accountable for their performance – are thoroughly covered. We have all developed a tool kit to accomplish this work (such as Common Agendas, and Score Cards.) But what can you do to improve on these tools? How can we enrich our programs and boost our outcomes at each turn of the cycle? Four state leagues share novel tactics and approaches they have recently taken to turbo-charge parts of the cycle. (Bring a notebook!)

Saturday, April 17^th – Open Space Break-Outs

Have you ever looked at a conference agenda and said, “gee, I really wish there was time for a discussion about X, because I have some things to share on that,” or read the call for presentations and said, “well, I have something to share, but I don’t think I could make a whole module of it,” (or “I have something to share, but that jerk Cormac didn’t put it on the schedule,”) or “I’d just really like to get together with some people and kick Y (a topic, not a person) around?” Well, despair no longer! In this session we will have module volunteered from the floor and allow everyone to vote with their feet. (Watch for details on how it works coming soon!)

Saturday, April 17^th – Afternoon Sessions 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Web 2.0

Presenter: Cheryl Contee of Fission Strategies

Willy Sutton famously said he robbed banks because "that's where the money is."  To engage citizens or mobilize voters we likewise need to go where they are and they are on social networking. In this segment, prominent blogger Cheryl Contee of Jack and Jill politics will provide an overview of web tools for social networking, how they are changing American society, and how you and your organization can harness them for your goals.

Working with the GOP Caucus

Presenter: Clifford Traisman & Lee Flinn

Republicans and Democrats bring different ideologies, constituencies, and priorities to office. To pass legislation, you need to be able to gain the support of members from both sides of the aisle at various times. In this segment Cliff Traisman of Washington State and Lee Flinn of Idaho share their strategies, experiences, and hard-earned wisdom about how to work with Republican legislators collectively and individually.

State League Election Planning

Presenter: Joel Bradshaw

A soup to nuts overview of effective, data-driven election planning for state leagues, this module will teach how to run successful campaigns that achieve your election goals. Topics covered will include how to choose consultants and vendors (and how to manage them to get their best), how to make the most effective use of your resources when choosing voter contact tactics, how to target your voters, and how to use polling information effectively.

Leading Staff to Peak Performance

Presenter: Mary Parish

Description coming soon!

Friday, April 16^th – Afternoon Sessions 3:15 pm – 5:00 pm

Web 2.0 (continued from previous session)

Presenter: Cheryl Contee of Fission Strategies

Getting & Keeping Members

Presenter: Vinnie Wishrad

The Building Your Membership session will focus on tactics for building a grassroots membership file ($10-$999) from the hundreds to the thousands. Vinnie Wishrad will discuss the best strategies for list growth using the web, mail, phones, canvassing and monthly giving. The session will spotlight local and state-based tactics only and will not generally delve into strategies for list growth over 2,000 members.

Leading Staff to Peak Performance

Presenter: Mary Parish

Description coming soon!

Saturday, April 17^th – Afternoon Plenary 5:10 pm – 5:30 pm

TBD Plenary

Presenter: Bill Fletcher

Sunday, April 18^th Morning Sessions 9:00 am – 10:30 am

Major Donors 101

Presenter: Valerie Reuther

Description coming soon!

Creating Messages with Power

Presenter: Martin Hamburger of the Hamburger Company

Description coming soon!

Fiscal Management Systems for State Leagues

Presenter: Jonathan Poisner

Description coming soon!

Recruitment for Boards

Presenter: Martha Levensaler

For Board Members & Executive Directors: Learn how to get the board members you truly need to make your board shine.  In this session, you will learn how to: Discover what skills you need on your board, Find the people with the skills you need on your board, Solicit & Vet potential board members, and Orient new board members.

Sunday, April 18^th Plenary and Movement Meeting 10:45 am – 12:30 pm

League Movement Meeting

Updates on the State Capacity Building Program, Federal Campaigns and Lobbying. We will also take votes on Annual conference 2011 and other items.

The Way Forward: Gene Karpinski

The Green Guru himself will assess the last two years and share his vision of the LCV’s future.