The conference, titled 'Partnership in the Era of Term Limits ? A Conversation Between State Policymakers and Nonprofits,' will take place Friday, May 9, from 8:30 a.m.?3:30 p.m. at the Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, on Grand Valley's Pew Campus, 401 W. Fulton St. in downtown Grand Rapids.
The conference is open to the public. For more information or to register, visit www.johnsoncenter.org or call (616) 331-7585. More than 100 nonprofit leaders and legislators are expected to attend ? a reflection of the increased need for such dialogue, said Donna VanIwaarden, director of GVSU's Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, which is hosting the conference.
'In such critical times, our hope is that this conference contributes to a more effective partnership between state government and Michigan nonprofits in our common mission to address human needs in Michigan,' VanIwaarden said.
Featured speakers at the conference are:
- Sen. Ken Sikkema, R-Grandville, majority leader of the Michigan Senate
- Rep. Jack Minore, D-Flint, assistant House minority leader
- Eleanor Josaitis, executive director of FOCUS Hope (in Detroit)
- Elizabeth Sullivan, vice president for programs at the Kresge Foundation
- Sam Singh, president/CEO of the Michigan Nonprofit Association.
The spark for the conference is new survey research conducted by Hope College Professor of Social Work Deborah Sturtevant, Ph.D. In 2001, Sturtevant interviewed more than half of Michigan's legislators about their relationships with nonprofit leaders, the effect of term limits on legislative behavior, advocacy strategies that nonprofits employ (or should employ), and the increasing role of faith-based nonprofits in the delivery of social services. She will present her findings during the first part of the conference.
A series of facilitated conversations between state legislators and nonprofit leaders will follow, moderated by William Byl, director of the Public Policy Institute at GVSU.
'One means to address reduced state resources is strengthening the partnership between state government and nonprofits in the delivery of human service programs. A conference like this comes at an important time in our deliberations.' said Sikkema.
After lunch, participants will have the opportunity to witness firsthand a variety of innovative programs derived from cutting-edge partnerships between nonprofits and state government. Hosting the site visits will be the nonprofit organizations Heart of West Michigan United Way, Ferguson Center, and The Salvation Army. Programs featured at the sites include Healthy Start, a 2-1-1 Call Center, Children's Assessment Center, Dwelling Place, Michigan IDA Partnership, ACCESS, and a Refugee Resettlement Program
