Community Activities in NOLA: A Preview

The Community Mediation scene will be hoppin' all week long, and you're invited!

Regardless whether you're able to join us in New Orleans at ACR's Annual Conference this week, there are plenty of ways for you to connect. 

Check out what we're planning:

On-Site:

• Attend the many Recommended Community Sessions scheduled throughout the conference.
• Attend NAFCM's membership meeting on Thursday (9/13) from 1:00 - 2:00 pm in the Oakley Room (4th Floor).
• Attend the membership meeting for the ACR Community Section on Friday (9/14) from 12:30 - 1:30 pm in the Oakley Room (4th Floor) [LUNCH PROVIDED].
• Visit NAFCM's booth (#25) in the Exhibit Hall and strike up a conversation with myself and several NAFCM Board members.
• Contribute to the daily community-focused conference recaps right here on this blog!
• Complete NAFCM's crossword puzzle in the on-site program. (Drop-off your completed crossword at NAFCM's booth to enter our FREE membership drawing!)
• Join NAFCM during our 25% off September Special! (Membership/renewal forms will be available in the exhibit hall at NAFCM's booth.)

Online:

• Request a personal update and resources from up to two of the Recommended Community Sessions, and I will personally send you the info following the conference!
• Read and comment on the daily community-focused conference recaps right here on this blog!
• Plug-in to live conference updates via NAFCM's social media channels, including: Facebook, Twitter, & Google+.
• Try your hand at NAFCM's crossword puzzle featured in the on-site program. (Email a picture of your completed crossword to enter our FREE membership drawing!)
• Stay tuned for updates from NAFCM's on-site membership meeting, and watch for our companion online meeting to be announced shortly!
• MAKE IT OFFICIAL: Join or Renew your NAFCM Membership during our 25% off September Special!

I'm looking forward to meeting and reconnecting with many of you this week! I hope you're also excited about the week ahead!

In community,

Justin R. Corbett

Executive Director, NAFCM

ACR 2011 Annual Conference - Daily Recap #1

Welcome from sunny San Diego! 

The Association for Conflict Resolution's 10th Annual Conference is officially underway! In case you're unable to join us, I'll be endeavoring to provide a daily recap of all the community mediation happenings fit to print. To get an even broader sense of all that's happening this week, be sure to check out the conference's official online home. (For readers who are bouncing around the Sheraton conference halls, share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below for the enjoyment of our colleagues who are home and hard at work.)

PRECONFERENCE

Earlier today, the ACR Community Section held it's pre-conference training titled: "Surviving and Thriving in these Tough Economic Times." This four-hour session, featuring lively and inspiring presentations by Karmit Bulman, Cheryl Cutrona, Michele Ennis-Benn, and Caroline Harmon, topped out at 14 attendees representing varied geographies and professional interests. In between timely and honest discussions about field diversity, fund development, public outreach, and social entrepreneurialism, the group snuck in an impressively coordinated group juggle of a foam-, koosh-, and racquet-balls...oh, and also Michele's purse, a children's doll, a *ahem* feminine product, an otter/rat squeak toy, and, of course, scissors. (A perfect analogy of our professional need to remain focused even as new, distracting, and sharp projectiles whiz past our ever-busy heads!)  

NAFCM CONNECTIONS & NEWS

Following the pre-conferences, an evening welcome reception brought a steady stream of attendees through the exhibitor's pavilion for an hors d'oeuvres fueled meet-and-greet. NAFCM's table was particularly well visited as Board Members Karmit and Jim Lingl and myself struck up conversations with community mediation colleagues hailing from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington, as well as our farther flung brethren representing Canada, Guam, and Ireland, amongst other locales. NAFCM's new "Community Mediator" name badge ribbons seem to be a huge hit as dozens of conference goers are already proudly sporting the distinctive gray and maroon strip. Our table also featured NAFCM's new special promotion offering 25% OFF all new and renewal memberships now through November 6th, as well as our new "YOU@CommunityMediator.org" professional email accounts, which are available to all current NAFCM members.

STAY TUNED...

All told, the pre-conference day at ACR's Annual Conference was a huge success. As tomorrow's first full day of the regular conference sessions unfolds, be sure to check back in with The Community Mediator and follow NAFCM on Facebook and Twitter to receive timely (wi-fi dependent) community mediation focused updates.

In community,

Justin R. Corbett

Executive Director, NAFCM

ACR 2011 Annual Conference

Join NAFCM and community mediation colleagues from across the globe at the Association for Conflict Resolution's 2011 Annual Conference in San Diego, during October 12-15. Now celebrating its 10th successful year, ACR is preparing to host another exceptional conference featuring cutting edge presentations, field-renowned speakers, and ample opportunities to re-connect with colleagues from every geographic and professional corner of our diverse ADR landscape.

Community mediation colleagues, specifically, have a lot to look forward to at ACR this year. First, the organization's Community Section will host a half-day pre-conference session on Wednesday, October 12th, entitled "Surviving and Thriving in these Tough Economic Times" [pg. 19], featuring informative presentations by Karmit Bulman, Cheryl Cutrona, and Caroline Harmon. The Section will also host a lunch meeting providing its members with an update on the Section's recent activities, including the always helpful collection of Conference Accessibility Resources. 

During the regular conference, community-focused practitioners will be able to choose from amongst a large number of illuminating and provocative sessions. Community programming that focuses on conflict coaching, large-group facilitations, peer mediation, police/citizen conflicts, and prisoner re-entry; performance-based evaluation; various restorative practices;  and community training models are but a few of the tantalizing topics entreating this year's attendees.

Throughout the conference, NAFCM will be on hand to connect with friends new and old. We invite you to stop by our exhibitor booth where you can catch-up, snag your own "Community Mediator" conference ribbon, and explore all the latest community mediation resources we'll have on hand. Plug into our Facebook and Twitter accounts during the conference to receive real-time updates with fresh resources and pithy quotes from around the conference. Daily community-focused recaps are also on tap for our Blog 'The Community Mediator'. Finally, we invite you to connect with several NAFCM staff and Board members who will be on-site. Take the opportunity to reconnect and share your feedback on how we can continually grow as your professional resource.

With so much in store for community mediation program administrators and volunteers, we hope to see many of you in San Diego this October! And following the conference, be sure to register for our free Conference Recap Teleseminar scheduled for November 29th and featuring all the best of take-aways for community mediation practitioners.

In community,

Justin R. Corbett

Executive Director, NAFCM

Fund Development Teleseminar

Teleseminar on

Fund Development for Community Mediation Centers

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

1:00 to 2:30 pm EDT

Cost: FREE!

Co-Sponsors: NAFCM & the ACR Community Section

Back by popular demand, this one and a half hour teleseminar will provide a broad overview of funding sources available to nonprofit mediation centers. The information provided will be general in nature. All participants will receive a helpful 24-page fund development handbook and have an opportunity to participate in an interactive Q&A component following the formal presentation.

The following topics will be covered in the teleseminar:

1. The essentials of development planning;
2. The seven sources of money available to any organization;
3. Overview of government funding sources;
4. Funds from foundations;
5. Fees for service;
6. Funds from individuals; and
7. Marketing, public relations, and fundraising.

Speaker: Karmit Bulman is an attorney, qualified neutral under Rule 114, and has been the director of non-profit organizations for 25 years. She was a managing attorney for legal services and served as executive director for the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women, Avenues for Homeless Youth and Temple Israel. Ms. Bulman is currently the executive director of the Conflict Resolution Center (CRC) in Minneapolis, and is responsible for financial management, program development, public and community relations, fund raising and oversight of CRC operations. CRC is a community-based, non-profit organization formed in 1981 for the purpose of strengthening communities by teaching and providing mediation and conflict resolution services. Karmit is also the newly elected Vice Chair of the NAFCM Board of Directors and member of the ACR Community Section Leadership Team.

To ensure there is an opportunity for all those on the call to participate, we may be limiting the number of registrations accepted for this event.  Complete your registration today! 

Call-in instructions and teleseminar handouts will be emailed to registrants on Friday, July 22nd.

We look forward to hearing you on the call!

In community,
Justin R. Corbett

Executive Director, NAFCM