Tips for going to a conference

Whether you are going to the Tutor Mentor conference in Chicago, or really any other gathering of professionals or other like-minded people, the following are some good tips to remember:

• Pens & scratch paper - in case you have to write a note. Yes, you COULD put it on your smartphone. But will you be smart enough to remember to review it? One other alternative is to have your sound recorder or video camera readily available.  That might be another viable way for you to take verbal notes. But remember to review these notes either that night or a scheduled time the next day. 
• Business Cards --- see our Bootleg Business Card blog entry for details. Your card doesn't have to be fancy (or even a card), just legible.
• List of seminars - you can always change it on the spot, or just take the workshop time to have meaningful conversations 
• Set up meet-ups BEFORE going --If you know someone who is going to your conference, set up a time to meet them ahead of time...whether at mealtime, or sitting next to each other a workshop, take advantage of this fellowship time. The Tutor Mentor conference, for example, publishes the attendee list ahead of time.
• Times where you are willing to SKIP.  The seminar, workshop or general speaker might be good, but there are times when one-on-one times are far more productive and memorable, or a personal prayer session. A seasoned professional will understand this, and be OK with it. See our other blog entry for details. However, take a serious consideration before you "blow off" a session.
• Money - Many conferences have opportunities to buy great material. Make sure you have enough cash, in case a credit card machine is not available
• Pack 2 days before the conference -- reduce stress on yourself by making sure you have everything you need ahead of time
• Schedule contact time AFTER the conference -- OK, so you've made several new friends. Now make sure you take a morning or afternoon and send everyone a short note/e-mail or phone call. Plant the seeds & water these new relationships

We have some more tips (which aren't relevant here, but at the Reload Conference, among others. Look for those in an upcoming blog)

Have a great time, and we hope to see you there. if you haven't registered, or need info, go to November 2014 Tutor Mentor conference registration page for more details

At the conference, feel free to text us at 872-222-8008 to meet up, or e-mail us at blog@do-gooder.us  . See you at the Tutor Mentor Conference!

Where to find JP Paulus and Do-Gooder Consulting in November 2014 and beyond

November will be a very busy month for JP Paulus and Do-Gooder Consulting, with several major events. Here's where you can find us in the next few weeks and beyond. Call or text us at 872-222-8008 or e-mail us at  blog@do-gooder.us if you have questions or would like to meet! (Also, see the bottom of this post regarding an opportunity to help your students with financial aid!

 

42nd Tutor-Mentor Conference 

We are planning to have a workshop at the November 2014 Tutor-Mentor Conference. JP Paulus will be presenting on "4 Steps 2 College". Whether or not you join JP for his session, please consider being a part of the conference. (We will post details for those interested in presenting). The next conference will be Friday, Nov. 7, 2014 at Metcalfe Federal Building, 77 W. Jackson Blvd. in Chicago. Look for updates here on their website. Registration is NOW open, and there are several workshops to choose from!

Illinois College Access Network

The last Illinois College Access Network Meeting of 2014 be will meet  on Thursday, November 6th, 2014 and
will meet at the DePaul University Center at 1 E. Jackson - in the 11th floor Club Room.

8am-8:40am:     Light breakfast and conversation

8:45-10am:        "Measuring What Matters: Building Effective College Pipelines"

Alix Coupet - Chief College Officer, University of Chicago Charter Schools.
Kenneth Hutchinson - Director of College Counseling, Urban Prep Academies.

Will discuss a recent research brief on practices/metrics proven to be successful in promoting college-going cultures at the secondary level and predicting success in the college experience.  Among the common themes were: persistence and grit, school culture, college fit, mentoring, tracking and supporting.

10-10:30:  Announcements and Networking

If you have not already done so, please RSVP and direct any questions to.  illinoiscollegeaccessnetwork@gmail.com.  

REMINDER:  No charge for Network members; $35 (check or cash) for others. Membership materials and applications available on request.

(You can also call/text 872-222-8008 or e-mail blog@do-gooder.us for an update.) They hope to update the website at www.illinoiscan.org   

Urban Youth Network

Saturday, November 8 , 2014 @9am. (Usually, the meeting is the first Thursday of the month, 9am-11am). Join fellow youth workers for fellowship & growth.  The next meeting location is To Be Determined, but probably at Carter Tepmple CME Church at 100 E. 79th Street, Wabash & 79th, in Chicago IL).

The next meeting is this Thursday, Nov. 6 at 9am. T
ime: 9am-11am
Location: Wells High School, 936 N. Ashland, Room 425 / Street Parking Available (but get there early to find it!)
*Please check in at the front desk, and head upstairs to the 4th floor. Take a left at the top of the stairs. Room 425 is on the left.  

You can also call/text 872-222-8008 or e-mail blog@do-gooder.us for an update, or questions. 

Free breakfast (includes doughnuts, fruit, juice and coffee) is provided.

For more info, contact Nick River.  a at nick@gripyouth.com or see the Urban Youth Network Facebook page. TheNovember meeting is planned for November.

Business First Friday @ Flecks Coffee 

We actually will miss this month's meeting, due to the Tutor Mentor Conference. But if you can't go, we encourage you to meet at Flecks Coffee for their First Friday networking event. See you at 343 E. 79th St., Chicago (South Side neighborhood of Chatham) on Friday, November 7 at 8am.

We have begun some great partnerships through these meetings. Many members of the Chatham Business Association (see below) plan on joining us.

Flecks is near 79th (#79 bus route) and King Drive (#3 bus), and short walk from the 79th stop of the Red Line, as well as the 79th street exit of the Dan Ryan (I-94, south side of Chicago).

From the event's Facebook page:

Chatham Business Association 

We'll see you at the next Chatham Business Association meeting on Tuesday, October 14 at the QBG Foundation Building, Meeting Room, 806 E. 78th St. Chicago, Il 60619 .The Monthly Membership Meeting held by Chatham Business Association, Small Business Development Inc. is held to inform current members and prospective members about issues and activities going on in Chatham and the City of Chicago.  You do not need to be a member to attend.  Breakfast is provided for a small fee. See their webpage for details on this event.

FAFSA Completion sessions

We're also scheduling FAFSA completion sessions for the first week of January, where we help families correctly fill out the FAFSA. The first that we have planned is one at Oakdale Covenant Church, 9440 S. Vincennes after the 10:30am service on Sunday, January 4, 2015. We will utilize Oakdale Christian Academy's computer lab to allow up to 20 families to fill out their FAFSA at a time. Check our blog for details and updates.



 

We hope to more fully participate in events such as Reload Chicago 2015 (an Urban Youth Workers Conference), the College Changes Everything Conference in July 2015,  The Illinois Colege Access Network Conference in August 2015, and the CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) Conference in September 2015. We will post details as they arrive.

We hope to see you at these and other events.  Don't forget to bring business cards, even if it is a "bootleg" business card (see our blog on it).  If you plan on coming to these events, please call/test us at 872-222-8008 or by e-mail at blog@do-gooder.us

We hope to see you soon!

Illinois College Access Network meeting = November 2014

E-mail from the Illinois College Access Network (IllinoisCAN)

We will meet at the DePaul University Center at 1 E. Jackson - in the 11th floor Club Room.

8am-8:40am:     Light breakfast and conversation

8:45-10am:        "Measuring What Matters: Building Effective College Pipelines"

Alix Coupet - Chief College Officer, University of Chicago Charter Schools. 
Kenneth Hutchinson - Director of College Counseling, Urban Prep Academies.
Will discuss a recent research brief on practices/metrics proven to be successful in promoting college-going cultures at the secondary level and predicting success in the college experience.  Among the common themes were: persistence and grit, school culture, college fit, mentoring, tracking and supporting.

10-10:30:  Announcements and Networking

If you have not already done so, please RSVP and direct any questions to.  illinoiscollegeaccessnetwork@gmail.com. 

REMINDER:  No charge for Network members; $35 (check or cash) for others. Membership materials and applications available on request.

 

See the website at www.illinoiscan.org for more information.

That website also describes the organization:

The Illinois College Access Network (IllinoisCAN) seeks to improve postsecondary access and success for low-income and first-generation college students in Illinois.
In Illinois, hundreds of college access providers work to support a growing population of low-income and first-generation college students facing academic, financial and social support challenges to college access and success. Collaboration among these college access providers is key to augmenting the limited resources to support students.
The Illinois College Access Network (IllinoisCAN) is the forum for that collaboration. The mission of IllinoisCAN is to improve postsecondary access and success for low-income and first-generation college students in Illinois. IllinoisCAN builds the capacity and effectiveness of college access organizations, local initiatives that provide student advisement and financial aid, in order to help students reach their goals.
IllinoisCAN focuses on four objectives:

• Increasing visibility of Illinois’ college access programs and services;

• Disseminating college access research and best practices;

• Providing professional development and technical assistance for college access providers;

• Facilitating communication and collaborations among college access providers.

Aligned with the National College Access Network (NCAN) and serving as the Illinois statewide network, IllinoisCAN is uniquely positioned to stimulate and manage multi-directional communications and partnerships between national and local efforts. IllinoisCAN’s work is grounded in the perspectives of its broad base of members, over 50 organizations and 200 individuals, who contribute their expertise as direct service providers, advocates, funders and researchers. IllinoisCAN fosters dialogue and implements cooperative strategies to effect change by organizing members and other interested parties around college access and retention issues.
College access organizations demonstrate elevated college matriculation and graduation rates for the students they serve. The success measures of college access and retention programs are gains in human capital vital to the social and economic future of Illinois.

We at Do-Gooder Consulting hope to see you at the IllinoisCAN meeting! If you're considering going, please contact us at 872-222-8008 or e-mail/text blog@do-gooder.us

Struggling non-profits should consider a merger

The Center for Youth Ministry Studies does a lot of work to help educate and empower those in the non-profit world. Associate Director Alison Burkhardt posted an article on Facebook, and is a thought provoking and challenging article.

If you're a struggling non-profit you may want to take some time and read  The Stanford Social Innovation Review missed merger opportunity, and consider how that impacts your world.

This can be especially hard for churches, as they may have significant assets , such as a building, that could help.

We have observed, certainly in Chicago, a multitude of organizations. However,  they are often so stretched thin, that if they merged, they might be able to more effectively help people. In addition, funds could be more focused.

A merger can help allow those with a passion to do good, to continue to do it. But sharing resources can cut down on administrative costs (as one example), and allow the hiring of an administrative expert, with the gifts and passion to help in this overlooked area.

Contact Do-Gooder Consulting, and we can advise you about the possibilities of merging or partnering with other organizations. Feel free to e-mail us or call us at 872-222-8008 and we can discuss this article and how it relates to your organization.