Catalyst Embraces Equality

We celebrated Valentine's Week 2013 with Peter Edelman, author of So Rich, So Poor. Over 80 nonprofit and community members joined us for the "Imagine a Thriving Miami" conference and "Embrace Equality" book signing with our acclaimed guest. Here, we discussed what we must do to fight poverty in America. We also collaborated on ways the nonprofit community in Miami-Dade can address our community's most dire needs in the 21st century. A special thanks to everyone who participated in our quarterly civic networking event, Imagine a Thriving Miami, and the book signing at Books & Books Coral Gables. Your support and participation is greatly appreciated!

"Love Equality" Dinner with Peter Edelman

On February 13, the Catalyst Miami "Circle of Champions" joined legal scholar and civil rights activist, Peter Edelman, and our CEO/ Founder, Daniella Levine, for an exclusive dinner and dynamic discussion surrounding Edelman's book So Rich, So Poor. The dinner kicked off a series of events that explored issues on poverty, education, and income inequality throughout our nation. We would like to thank our board members, donors, and supporters who joined us for this year's Love Equality Dinner!

Social Media Week Is Here!

Pitch for Invitation to Social Media Week Social Good Panel:

Social Media Week is a worldwide event exploring the social, cultural and economic impact of social media. Mission is to help people and organizations connect through collaboration, learning and the sharing of ideas and information."
 

Networking is important as you will meet like-minded people who convene to share ideas, stories, and support. The panel will leave you with valuable information and simple tips to follow that will make a difference in your social media efforts for your non-profit organization.

We invite you to spend one hour with a panel of the best in the field who have a passion for non-profit organizations and have succeeded in social strategies. It's a great opportunity to learn from the experts at no cost to your budget. Please bring your office colleagues specially whoever handles your social media for an insightful session.

Hope to see you on Friday, February 22, 2013 at The Mondrian Hotel off Alton Road in South Beach starting punctual at 1:30pm.

Social Good 2.0: Leveraging the Power of Social Media to Promote and Grow Your Cause

 

Panelists:
Elianne Ramos - Co-Founder LATISM:

http://blog.latism.org/

Vanessa Horwell - Think Ink - Founder and Chief Visibility Officer: http://www.thinkinkpr.com/

Daniella Levine - Catalyst Miami - Founder: President & CEO: http://catalystmiami.org/

 

Moderator:
Lynn Ponder – Founder Social Media Platform webcitygirls//http://webcitygirls.com/

Miami Non-Profit Leaders to Tackle Radical Approach

LEAVE A LEGACY^© hosts Changing the Way the World is Changed, a PHILANTHROPY MIAMI Leadership Forum on Thursday, Feb. 21 that’s designed to question whether non-profit leaders should adopt a more aggressive economic approach and manage their charitable organizations like businesses.

 

The half-day event from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21 at Jungle Island, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, features renowned author and social entrepreneur Dan Pallotta, whose book “Charity Case: How the Nonprofit Community Can Stand Up For Itself and Really Change the World,” offers a radical approach to non-profit management.

Pallotta will present his philosophy to local leaders and guide them through a discussion aimed at creating a shift in the traditional non-profit mindset.   

"What if we let philanthropies [or nonprofits] operate like businesses? Let them pay for talent, advertise aggressively to build market share—even build a stock market for charity. Maybe then capitalism could finally save the world,” wrote Pallotta in a recent Wall Street Journal article.

The Leadership Forum also features a discussion with leading non-profit CEOs from organizations such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and Sant La Neighborhood Center, and a panel dedicated to recruiting and building strong volunteer board members.

The Leadership Forum is part of LEAVE A LEGACY’s PHILANTHROPY MIAMI, a two-part conference on successful trends and practices in non-profit management. The second part of the conference is planned for Thursday, March 14 at Hilton Miami Downtown, 1601 Biscayne Blvd. It features two separate tracks: Fundraising Basics, an intensive overview for those new to development and Toolkits, geared to those who have more experience in the field. Toolkits will showcase strategies non-profits can use to increase their donations and the number of ongoing supporters.

Susan Packard, co-founder of HGTV, headlines the conference on March 14. Packard is known in the television industry for her innovation and creating a successful cable network focused solely on home improvement. She believes that innovation is one of the keys to success for non-profits vying for limited funding dollars. 

PHILANTHROPY MIAMI is sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Bank of America; Wells Fargo, Baptist Health South Florida Foundation; Florida International University; Peacock Foundation, Inc.; and SunTrust. 

Ticket Prices

$200 Full Conference Package

$125 - Leadership Forum – February 21, Jungle Island

$125 – Fundraising Basics - March 14, Hilton Downtown Miami

$125 – Toolkits – March 14, Hilton Downtown Miami

Bonus: By registering for the Full Conference Package or any of the Single Day Programs, you can bring board members, donors or other staff members from your organization to any one session for just $80.

For more information, visit http://leavealegacymiami.org/news.htm

Contact: 305-379-0800 or Edwina Lau, elau@chasemiami.com

Leadership is All in the Family at Catalyst

Written by Gina Ha, Parent Leadership Training Institute Coordinator

What is Family Leadership?

According to Indya, a lovely and bright eight-year-old leader in Catalyst's Family Leadership Training Institute, it is simply "Leadership as a family. Something that the whole family can do together because things are better when you do them as a family, like watching a movie."

Family Leadership links different generations and walks of like to the common path of self-empowerment. Parents and children grow together; strangers and acquaintances grow together, inward and upward together. And like Indya said, things are better together.

Family Leadership is not only shared between relatives but between colleagues, neighbors, childhood friends, and even strangers. A family is the coalition that will support you through good and bad times, the close-knit group of young children that inspire you and the wise adults that guide you. Every member has a unique role and sense of responsibility, and each member honors the strength of the family in big and small ways.

The Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI) houses this type of unique connection between individuals. Our participants are parents, grandparents, single mothers and fathers, nonprofit professionals, community organizers, and young leaders from toddlers to pre-teens. Raiza, Indya's mother, joined the institute for this very reason. Raiza had participated in various workshops and programs prior to FLTI, but never found one that actually included her daughter. She is currently working on a community project, developing a program to educate families that are building lives and reconnecting after reentry. Indya is also working on a community project, a book/toy drive for Camillus House.

FLTI "has been an extraordinary experience for my 8 year old daughter and I," Raiza said. "We have really understood what leadership truly is and how it impacts our families, friends, schools and community. We have gained an awareness that has allowed us to identify our personal power to think outside the box and make things happen not only within our family, but in our community as well. " 

What is Family Leadership and What Does it Look Like?

Catalyst Miami is currently accepting applications for parents, children, and child advocates to join FLTI. Our family leadership program encompasses Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) for adults and Children’s Leadership Training Institute (CLTI) for students in grades K-5. The next class will start February 23, 2013 and meet weekly for 20 sessions on Wednesday evenings.

Who Can Join: Parents, guardians, child advocates, working professionals, community leaders, concerned residents…anyone interested in making a difference in the lives of children!

How to Join: Complete and submit an application or contact Gina Ha  at ginah@catalystmiami.org for more information. Children attending the program with a parent/ guardian will automatically be enrolled in CLTI, a parallel leadership program that uses a multiple-intelligence-based curriculum to maximize learning.

What to Look Forward to: 20 sessions that gradually build your advocacy skills, including: Using Your Voice, How a Community Works, What is Public Policy? and How the State Works. Guest speakers about media, local and state government, and community based organizations! A unique leadership opportunity for the entire family! Free dinner and childcare!

What makes a community organization thrive?

If there were a formula to sum up a high-performing nonprofit, then it may read a bit like this:

Clearly defined mission + Engaged constituents + Margin

= A thriving 21st century nonprofit 

Credit: University of Miami School of Education and Huamn Development

Panelists at the first Leonard Turkel Nonprofit Network session highlighted these and other key components to building and sustaining nonprofits in today’s world of ever-changing technology, tightening budgets, and competitive markets. 
 

The newly launched Leonard Turkel Nonprofit Network is bringing together socially conscious community members for stimulating conversations and learning experiences. The January 24th kickoff event paid homage to civic star and social activist Leonard Turkel, who’s known for reshaping South Florida’s physical and social landscape during the Civil Rights era. Turkel’s socially conscious business mindset resonated among the panelists, who spoke collectively about the intersection of business and social entrepreneurship while emphasizing the ability of nonprofits to thrive when strong leadership, vision and a niche for attracting revenue by identifying organizational attributes, values, and good work are involved.

 

Nonprofit organizations, however, are not the only ones committed to social good these days. The private sector is also raising the bar by providing services and advancing social well-being through philanthropic work. So, if businesses are in the business of doing philanthropic work, what sets nonprofits apart?

 

Our president and CEO, Daniella Levine, says it’s nonprofits’ ability to build social capital, ensure that community members are engaged and inspire the public to engage in the mission and vision of an organization.

Consider the following:

There is no mission without margin.

Collaboration is key.

The difference you make is an incredible asset to the community. 
 



The keynote speaker of the first nonprofit engagement institute session was George Knox, community leader and attorney. Other speakers included Isaac Prillenltensky, dean of UM's School of Education and Human Development; Gene Anderson, dean of the School of Business Administration; Bruce Trukel, CEO/ ECD, Turkel Brans; Charisse Grant, senior vice president, programs, The Miami Foundation; Daniella Levine, president and CEO, Catalyst Miami; Abbey Chase, president and CEO, Chase Marketing Group, and Scot Evans, assistant professor of educational and psychological studies.

The second Leonard Turkel Nonprofit Network series events will be held on February 28, 2013 from 8 to 11 a.m. at the University of Miami (Storer Auditorium, Coral Gables Campus).  Jim Donovan, CEO of Donovan Management, Inc. and nationally known consultant specializing in the area of fundraising will lead a discussion entitled, “Fundraising in Today’s Economy.”  Please RSVP to Laurie McDonald at 305-284-6119 or lmcdonald@miami.edu. Registration is $25. Scholarships are available.



Can You Imagine a 'Thriving' Miami?

 

Income disparity in the US is wider today than at any other point since the Great Depression. Those of us who believe America can do better see the current reality as a call to action. For guidance on how to move forward in creating a more just society, we turn to experts like Peter Edleman--a visionary with a lifelong commitment to making a difference.  Edelman will join Catalyst Miami for the Love Equality book signing at Books and Books Coral Gables February 14 from 12:30 - 2pm and for our upcoming Imagine Miami conference February 15 from 10am - 3pm.

 

Edelman is a professor of constitutional law and poverty law at Georgetown University and co-director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Public Policy.  

For more than forty years, Edelman has worked to reduce inequality in America—from his time in the U.S. Senate documenting poverty across the country alongside Robert Kennedy, to his appointment to the Clinton administration’s Department of Human Services. He resigned from government in protest over President Clinton’s signing of the welfare law in 1996, and has worked on the front lines of poverty-related issues ever since. His clear-eyed and optimistic book So Rich So Poor is a powerful guide to one of today’s most critical issues.
 

Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos said of So Rich So Poor, “If there is one essential book on the great tragedy of poverty and inequality in America, this is it. Peter Edelman is masterful on the issue [and] makes a brilliantly compelling case for what can and must be done.”

Our community has the power to make the needed changes to assure a bright future for our children. Catalyst Miami calls you to join us for two special events--the Valentine's Day book signing and our quarterly civic networking conference to help create a thriving Miami-Dade. Economic opportunity and civil rights expert Professor Peter Edelman keynotes the solution-focused Imagine a Thriving Miami, focused on the root causes of poverty. We will meet with local and state legislators to show our appreciation for their responsiveness to community advocates and to get their advice for our lobbying trip to Tallahassee April 2-4. Florida's 2013 Assets and Opportunities Scorecard will be featured, and we will discuss strategies for how to increase our scores. Imagine a Thriving Miami will take place from 10:00am to 3:00pm at the Catalyst Miami office. Register here.
 

To RSVP for the "Love Equality" book signing, click here or contact Shable Harris at shableh@catalystmiami.org

For additional information on the February 15^th Imagine Miami, contact Lori Deus at lorid@catalystmiami.org.

 

(Credit to The New Press)

PhilanthroFest Miami Community Engagement Institute

PhilanthroFest is collaborating with Catalyst Miami to host the first in our ongoing series of Non-Profit Community Engagement Institutes on February 8 at the Miami Science Museum. The focus of these institutes is to provide nonprofit organizations of all sizes with both online and offline skills to reach out and connect with residents of their community to better promote their mission and enhance their organization.

The institute is an afternoon affair with several workshop sessions focusing on topics such as asset-based community development and constituent engagement. A keynote presentation by Dave Lorenzo will jumpstart the day and we'll wrap up with time for networking with other nonprofit leaders. The event will take place:

Friday, February 8, 2013

1 to 7 pm

Miami Science Museum

3280 South Miami Avenue

Miami, Florida 33129

There is no cost for the event, but you must register.

Plenty of free parking onsite.

These are just a few of the speakers you might hear at PhilanthroFest:

Dave Lorenzo, Valtimax Consulting

David V. Lorenzo is Chairman and Founder of Valtimax® Consulting, a business strategy firm that helps attorneys and other professionals make a great living and live a great life®. Mr. Lorenzo is also a member of the Florida Bar’s 11^th Circuit Grievance committee. He has authored two books: Client Attraction Secrets for Lawyers and Career Intensity: Business Strategy for Workplace Warriors and Entrepreneurs.

Alex de Carvalho, Feynlabs – Programming concepts for kids
Alex de Car­valho is pas­sion­ate about cre­at­ing spaces for indi­vid­u­als, com­pa­nies, and brands to connect. Alex has helped unite South Florida’s tech com­mu­nity by found­ing The Startup Forum, Social Media Club, Bar­Camp, Ignite, Social Media Day, and Mobile Mon­day events for South Florida new media pro­fes­sion­als; he is also a found­ing mem­ber of Refresh­Mi­ami. He has directed busi­ness devel­op­ment efforts at online media and mobile con­tent com­pa­nies and co-founded a lead­ing Euro­pean e-mail mar­ket­ing provider. Prior to that, he advised blue-chip com­pa­nies on strate­gic ini­tia­tives. He teaches a full-semester course on social media and recently co-authored Secur­ing the Clicks: Net­work Secu­rity in the Age of Social Media.

Jacob Coker-Dukowitz, Catalyst Miami

Jacob Coker-Dukowitz is the Advocacy Director at Catalyst Miami. In this capacity, Jacob manages advocacy initiatives for a nonprofit of 30 staff; leads campaigns opposing budget cuts to services; designs and leads an organizing training series and community dialogues; and supervises and mentors facilitators. Jacob is an organizer, a facilitator, a naturalist and an advocate.

Dacia Steiner, ReServe Miami
Dacia Steiner, MPA, is the Program Director for ReServe Miami, hosted by Catalyst Miami. ReServe matches continuing professionals age 55+ (ReServists) with nonprofit organizations and public agencies that need their expertise to fill crucial staffing gaps and build capacity. In addition to overseeing the launch of this new initiative, she is also the Co-Chair of the Boomers & Zoomers Planning Committee, which is part of the Mayor’s Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade. In 2009, she co-authored Building Mutually Beneficial Relationships Between Schools and Communities: The Role of a Connector. 

Dr. Scot Evans, Community & Educational Wellbeing Research Center – University of Miami

Scot Evans is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies in the School of Education and the Faculty Master at Eaton Residential College. He teaches in the undergraduate major in Human and Social Development (HSD) as well as the new master’s program in Community and Social Change. Dr. Evans also has extensive practical experience in community-based organizations as a youth development worker, crisis worker, family counselor, youth program developer, program evaluator and organizational consultant. 

Dr. Catherine Raymond, Raymond Consulting
With more than 25 years of experience in the development and administration of programs and services for adults, children, and families, Dr. Raymond has been extensively involved in all aspects of program & organizational management. She has worked locally and internationally in the arts, education, environment, human services, and youth development. In 2005, Dr. Raymond founded her consulting practice to support South Florida nonprofits in their efforts to build internal capacity to effectively plan for their future, manage their operations, and plan, implement, and evaluate their programs and services. Since launching her consulting practice, Dr. Raymond has worked with more than 50 local nonprofits to improve their results.