Helping Civil Society Organizations

▪ Weekend in Boca III
▪ Weekend in Boca II
▪ Office Depot Foundation Leadership Network

There has been incredible growth in the number of civil society (non-profit) organizations - more than 1 million today vs. 250,000 in 1980. These organizations control $1 trillion in assets and employ more than 20 million people. But many fall short in accountability, do not understand sound business practices and lack business skills.

The Office Depot Foundation recognizes that building capacity in the civil society sector can help to spur innovation and new ideas for addressing vital social issues. We are committed to pursuing these goals through a variety of strategies.

Weekend in Boca III (December 6-8, 2009)

Despite tough times and daunting challenges, our communities are surviving; some are even thriving. The ones that do best have been successful in building collaborations and harnessing the energy and resources of their residents, non-profit organizations, governments and the private sector.

Weekend in Boca III - the annual Civil Society Leadership Symposium presented by the Office Depot Foundation in collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center - will examine what's working in communities and look for opportunities to apply best practices on a local, regional and national scale. Beginning with South Florida as an economic, social and environmental case study, our speakers and panelists will engage participants in stimulating conversations about the roles that all of us and our organizations can play in meeting current challenges and building sustainability for the future.

Weekend in Boca III will include a special focus on business continuity planning for non-profit organizations. The symposium, which is presented at no charge to participants, is open to civil society/non-profit organization executives, community and economic development professionals, government and business leaders, and anyone with a strong interest in corporate social responsibility.

Weekend in Boca II (December 2008)

"Four-dimensional sustainability," strategic collaboration and strategic management were among the key themes that kept more than 70 participants engaged in highly stimulating conversations during Weekend in Boca II, the Office Depot Foundation's Civil Society Leadership Symposium that took place from December 11-13, 2008, in Boca Raton, Fla. One participant referred to the experience as "an amazing learning and networking opportunity."

The lively and timely discussions were facilitated by Stephen Jordan, senior vice president and executive director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center; Jay Hein, president of the Sagamore Institute for Policy Research; and Mary Wong, president of the Office Depot Foundation. In addition, special presentations were made by Mark Dobosz, executive director of the SCORE Foundation; Barry Anderson, interim president of Gifts In Kind International; and the American Heart Association.
Among the highlights of the presentations and roundtable discussions:

▪ An exploration of the essential elements of "four-dimensional sustainability" - economic viability, environment, social cohesion and cultural context.

▪ The importance of understanding the 80-20 rule: that one or two social improvements can lead to significant economic benefits.

▪ Identification of key elements of strategic collaboration, including articulating the value of civil society organizations to the government and business sectors; creating a "spider web of connection" and win-win partnerships; building nontraditional relationships between large corporations and small grassroots organizations, and vice versa; and encouraging funder-organized initiatives (corporate, foundation and government) to support consolidation and collaboration.

▪ Delineation of ways to enhance strategic management, such as having clear, achievable objectives and measurable performance indicators; focusing intently on programming; prioritizing "critical" services; and creating a diverse board of individuals with expertise in all the areas needed for effective strategic management.

A white paper that summarized and expanded on the discussions during Weekend in Boca II was published in mid-2009. Please click here to view or download the report, entitled "The Business of the Civil Society Sector: Taking Care of Community."

Office Depot Foundation Leadership Network

To help maintain the sense of momentum arising from Weekend in Boca II, the Office Depot Foundation implemented a number of communications strategies that, collectively, are known as the Office Depot Foundation Leadership Network. "The participants told us in no uncertain terms that they wanted to stay in touch and continue their work in preparation for Weekend in Boca III in December 2009," Foundation President Mary Wong states.

Elements of the Office Depot Foundation Leadership Network include:

▪ The publication of "The Business of the Civil Society Sector: Taking Care of Community" - the second annual Weekend in Boca white paper. Written by Jay Hein, Stephen Jordan and Mary Wong, the report provides a glimpse into the dialogue that took place during the weekend and offers a number of strategies to help civil society organizations build capacity in this time of economic uncertainty.

▪ The launch of a webinar series, facilitated by Jay Hein, which features nationally renowned speakers who address a wide range of topics of interest to non-profits. The first webinar featured Del Martin, chair of the Giving USA Foundation, who reported on trends in charitable giving in the United States. The second webinar presented Casey Golden, founder of Small Act, who offered valuable information on the topic of "Social Media: How to make it work for you and your non-profit."

▪ The production of a newsletter, Leadership Notes, thanks in large part to the assistance of Mark Dobosz of the SCORE Foundation.