The Collaborative ⋅ Friday, September 21

The Collaborative brings together the nation's top social innovators and nonprofit leaders to network, socialize, discuss current challenges, learn best practices, and meet with key individuals who can help expand their impact.

The Venue: The New Children's Museum The New Children's Museum is a dynamic new model of a museum that celebrates imagination and the arts. NCM provides a rich educational environment that fosters creativity - the perfect social atmosphere to nurture discussion and collaboration!

The Collaborative attracts the top nonprofit leaders and social innovators from around the country, including CLASSY Awards nominees, members of the Leadership Council, CLASSY Awards Speakers and more!

Leadership Council

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CLASSY Awards Speakers

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CLASSY Awards Regional Winners

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Learn Sessions will highlight organizations that are taking innovative approaches to drive collaboration, both inside and outside their sector, to address social causes.

San Diego Zoo Global, Bioinspiration

Imagine medical transportation simplified by looking to the flight of dragonflies, protective body armor inspired by the armadillo shell, or drug delivery improvements inspired by the mosquito...Nature is truly a reservoir of solutions applicable to nearly any field. In this session, experience an up-close experience with a San Diego Zoo animal ambassador and learn how the organization is leveraging a 95-year history of species stewardship to take an active role in innovation inspired by nature.

] The Takeaway

Learn how the San Diego Zoo is applying lessons from nature to our most difficult design challenges.

Movember, Survivorship Summit

We all know how the men from Australia started a global movement transforming the face of men's health. What you may not know is that Movember the largest non-government funder of prostate cancer research in the world - they've created a very innovative approach to driving cross-cultural collaboration among prostate cancer research organizations around the world.

] The Takeaway

Learn a new approach to driving collaboration among medical research organizations around the world.

In an experience unique to the Collaborative, participants will engage in an activity that will address a global industry challenge using a nonprofit case study.
Here's how it works:

A guest speaker will introduce a global challenge affecting the industry, and will then facilitate a conversation with a Featured Organization who's experiencing that challenge first-hand...

The session will take place in front of a small group of 40-60 people with a diverse array of backgrounds.

The guest speaker will coordinate a Q&A, then ask the audience to address any questions they might have.

Once the challenge is fully articulated, the audience will break into groups of 4-5 people to brainstorm potential solutions.

The solutions are filmed by the Collaborative Curators, to be sent to the Featured Organization as well as all audience members.

Collaborate with Nancy Jamison

Special Guest: The Soldiers Project

The Challenge: There is more competition for grant money than ever before. How can organizations break through the noise, stick out from the pack, and get the grants they need?

Collaborate with Peter Panepento

Special Guest: Jeans 4 Justice

The Challenge:Typically after years of successful local fundraising and program
execution, nonprofits will strategically shift their business model in order to expand. What is the best way to execute expansion through collaboration?

Collaborate with Walter Phillips

Special Guest: Empowered Youth

The Challenge: Stigma often plays a significant role in the decision making processes of donors, media groups, and investors. How can organizations overcome stigmas associated with their work in order to drive greater participation?

Collaborate with Pat Walsh

Special Guest: The New Children's Museum

The Challenge: Many organizations receive a majority of their financial support from a small pool of donors that give large gifts. How can an organization like this expand its donor base and motivate other stakeholders to get involved financially?

Collaborate with Jeff Shuck

Special Guest: Alzheimer's Association

The Challenge: Nonprofits are having a hard time attracting high caliber talent and competing with for-profit salaries. What can they do to cultivate interest in the nonprofit space among today's college graduates?

Collaborate with Alexis Tirado

Special Guest: The Flatwater Foundation

The Challenge: In an age of short attention spans and instant information, how can nonprofits keep younger donors engaged and involved in their organizations year round?

Collaborate with Clam Lorenz

Special Guest: Active Heroes

The Challenge: Even though some organizations have lots of fans online and strong grassroots followings, they aren't always able to translate that support into increased donations. How can organizations facing this challenge convert more supporters into donors?

Collaborate with Danielle Gano

Special Guest: A Reason to Survive

The Challenge: Media attention can be a huge lever to drive awareness of a cause or organization. How can nonprofits get media attention so they build support for their missions and increase revenue?

Collaborate with Katya Andresen

Special Guest: The Soldiers Project

The Challenge: Nonprofits are encouraged to tell their story to inspire donations, but the message can become stale after years of using the same content How can a nonprofit know when its time to change the messaging and what could they change it to?

Collaborate with Darian Rodriguez
Heyman

Special Guest: Active Heroes

The Challenge: Grassroots fundraising is a critically important source of nonprofit funding, but it's not the only source. How can organizations that are already strong at grassroots fundraising diversify their funding sources in order to increase impact?
   

Collaborate with Michael Sloan

Special Guest: Harvard Social Innovation

The Challenge: There is more interest than ever in businesses that pursue social goals. How can educational institutions foster this interest and encourage students to pursue careers in socially motivated businesses?

Collaborate with Greg Pedone

Special Guest: Empowered Youth

The Challenge: Most likely your donors and supporters are getting solicited everyday from a wide variety of groups. How can you uniquely engage and interact with your supporters in order for them to continue to donate and support you?

Collaborate with Ritu Sham

Special Guest: Team Rubicon

The Challenge: Often times there are hundreds or thousands of nonprofits working on the same issue, or for the same cause. How can an organization carve out a unique identity and differentiate its mission in order to attract more supporters and donations?

 

  

Watch the Finalists

Were you able to watch all of the compelling videos from this year's nominees? If not, here's your chance. We're showing all of the videos back-to-back in our Screening Room. Check it out!

Tour The New Children's Museum

Here's your chance to meet the team behind the imagination and creativity that inspired one of the most unique venues in the country. Learn the secrets behind the success of The New Children's Museum.

Meet The Teams Behind the COLLABORATIVE...

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