• Build rapport with your students
• Keep your students engaged
• Deliver impactful training

Open to Current SCSEP sub-recipients only:  Annual meeting of SCSEP program staff to discuss and share effective practices, programmatic and fiscal performance, and tips on how to prepare for 2012 grant award.

Session Format: This session will include a mix of leader led discussions and information sharing with small group discussions with the intention of information sharing of program practices among peers and possible new sub-recipients.

This session is exclusively for CDF Instructors (CDFI) who do not currently have the NCDA CDFI e-learning credential. This one-day session will prepare the CDFI to present CDF training using electronic media for delivery of training.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand the requirements to implement a CDF e-learning program
• Demonstrate competence in blending e-learning into the CDF curriculum
• Obtain the required training to receive an e-learning CDFI certificate

Participants will gain valuable insight into how to prepare for their CARF survey and how to avoid the pitfalls some organizations may experience on their survey.This comprehensive and interactive training will highlight practical examples of demonstrating conformance to the standards as well as effective business management and service delivery practice.

• Learn about the new CARF standards for 2012
• Learn about the frequently cited standards
• Learn how to demonstrate conformance to CARF standards

This session is open to all workforce development, resource development, policy and HR professionals interested in learning successful outreach and service strategies to engage Latino/Hispanic populations in your service areas. Representatives from National Council of La Raza (NCLR) will talk to the importance of investing in the Latino workforce now—and how it can impact your community. A marketing expert will provide specific strategies for how Goodwills can become known within their Hispanic communities. Leaders from four Goodwills in Georgia will describe how they built bilingual career centers and expanded their services to increase their reach into multiple Georgia communities. Participants will receive valuable resources and develop an action plan for reaching and serving the fastest growing population sector in the United States.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand the unique barriers to employment faced by Latinos, and successful strategies used to overcome them
• Learn about successful models operating in Georgia Goodwills
• Learn how to tailor your approach to populations with different national origins, generations, and education/skills backgrounds
• Obtain valuable resources and a road map to begin taking action when you return home

As a result of this session, participants will be able to:

• Build rapport with your students
• Keep your students engaged
• Deliver impactful training

This session is for GoodProspects Program Managers and other staff working directly on the program. Participants will have the opportunity to share ideas and strategies to increase program outcomes and prepare for program close out. 

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Strategies for increasing and meeting program outcomes
• Understand close out procedures
• Develop a process for close out

The Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) was created as a nonprofit organization in 2006 in response to demand among nonprofit financial service providers for (1) improved data flow with the credit bureaus, including furnishing loan repayment data to the credit bureaus and pulling data from the bureaus; (2) new financial education strategies and tools relevant to changes in the financial and credit economy; and (3) stronger understanding and voice within the changing credit reporting system around the impact that nonprofits make in helping underbanked populations move towards economic inclusion. CBA has been offering Credit Building Training Workshops for nonprofit practitioners since 2008. CBA has developed a comprehensive training program to build the capacity of nonprofit practitioners to deliver financial literacy and credit building initiative to disadvantaged individuals.

This half day training will provide case managers and financial coaches an introduction to CBA’s asset-based approach to improving credit and financial capability. This training will help practitioners improve their delivery of financial education by integrating product strategies for help low-income individuals build savings, build credit, manage debt and make better financial decisions to build assets including improved career prospects, access to education, homeownership, etc. This training will engage participants to think about and want to do their work differently to help the low-income clients they serve and to move toward strategies that deliver outcomes-oriented financial education and credit building to low-income clients in a workforce development setting.

As a result of this session, participants will:

·         Better understand today’s credit economy and changing credit reporting system

·         Understand Innovative Practitioner strategies to build credit as an asset

·         Learn the Credit Builder 5-Step Approach to Financial Capability

o    Build Credit. Build Assets.

o    Know the Score: FICO, Vantage, Expansion Scores, Small Business Scores

o    Get Good Stuff Going: Connect credit building products to your work

o    Take Action: Help clients plan steps to build savings and credit

o    Delve out of Debt

o    Bonus Step: Celebrate Success with credit outcome tracking

·         Find Credit Builder Toolkit a helpful clearinghouse for tools and information

This half day Financial Empowerment training is designed to help Goodwill staff better understand what financial empowerment is and how it can serve the needs of their clients. Participants will learn about financial issues facing clients, such as being unbanked or lacking assets, as well as ways in which case managers can collaborate and utilize resources in their communities to overcome these barriers. The training will also help participants think through ways in which to integrate these strategies into their work and measure success. 

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Know what they need to know about financial empowerment
• How and where to find the necessary information and assistance for clients in need
• Learn how do you make effective referrals and utilize a network approach
• Learn Services & Measure Outcomes
• Create a Resource Directory

Elliott Masie is an internationally recognized futurist, analyst, researcher and organizer on the critical topics of workforce learning, business collaboration and emerging technologies. He is the editor of Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie, an Internet newsletter read by over 52,000 business executives worldwide, and a regular columnist in professional publications.  He is the author of a dozen books, and is the convener of Learning 2012. He heads The MASIE Center, a Saratoga Springs, NY think tank focused on how organizations can support learning and knowledge within the workforce. Click here to learn more about Elliott Masie and the Masie Center.

In order to most effectively engage with business, a Goodwill needs a sound strategy that includes formulating ways to receive guidance and input into the development and implementation of Goodwill mission program and services. Having Business Advisory Councils (BACs) is one such strategy. This session will highlight the updated Goodwill BAC guide and feature examples of how to develop a BAC for your Goodwill.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Conceptualize the advisory role as a part of an overall business engagement strategy
• Become familiar with the updated Goodwill BAC guide
• Consider the type of BACs that would be relevant for their Goodwill

Participants who work in Career Center or Workforce Development will gain insight on how design accessible services to ensure a barrier free program environment.

• Learn about using universal design principles when designing new services to ensure accessibility
• Learn about ways to ensure customer service accessibility
• Learn about options to ensure accessibility of your Career Center

Facilitated by Elliott Masie, The Masie Center

You have heard what Elliott Masie had to say about the future of learning. What does all of this mean for the Goodwill enterprise? What about your local agency and the community within which you operate? Now, it is your opportunity to ask any questions not addressed during the general session. Join Elliott for a facilitated conversation as you and other colleagues delve deeper into the future of learning.

Calling all leaders, innovators, and braggarts to share their resource development successes! What are your best practices, and greatest successes? How do you involve all Goodwill employees in your fundraising efforts...from the CEO to human resources? Come prepared to showcase what's working for you, especially in attracting new donors, collaboration, and economies of scale.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Development promising practices
• New ideas to replicate
• Ideas for engaging across departments and
• How to build the Goodwill brand and promote mission through fundraising

This session will highlight the innovative work being done in 3-4 local Goodwillls to forge partnerships to deliver services to make their employees more financially stable. The moderator represents a national level perspective on the importance of providing products and services that meet the financial needs of those we serve. After providing an overview, this session will feature a panel of exciting Goodwills strategies that utilize innovative partners to deliver financial services, such as education and coaching, as well as product, such as bank accounts and emergency credit to employees.  

This session will provide an overview of GII’s legislative agenda providing in-depth information and discussion of key policy issues. The audience will learn how to utilize the agenda in their work and building relationships.  

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Receive updates on GII’s Policy Agenda
• Learn how the agenda can be leveraged at the state and local levels
• Learn how the agenda was created and how they can shape it in the future

To support your learning, we have provided the following link to resources we thought would be helpful for you to review before attending this session: Click here for 2012 Legislative and Policy Priorities document

Session description under development

This interactive session will allow participants to learn about several exciting programs that will enhance the financial stability of their employees and the people they serve. The format is "world café" where there will be several different tables dedicated to a different topic, each with a host who will introduce the topic and share information before kicking off a discussion. Hosts will share information about their programs to make families more financially stable and then lead an informal discussion with those at the table to learn about what others are doing related to the topic. Participants will have the opportunity to rotate to other tables to learn about another topic and join in on a new discussion. Topics are in part based on GII's recently released Family Financial Stability Action Kit and include promoting work supports, such as transportation and benefits, connecting people to mainstream financial services, providing financial information (such as through coaching) and emergency services to employees, building assets and credit, avoiding predatory practices, engaging volunteers and promoting the financial capability for youth.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Gain a deeper understanding of Family Financial Stability
• Acquire program ideas to implement in their local Goodwill’s
• Hear from peers on lessons learned and take practical applications home to fine turn their programs

As the United States withdraws from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), military service members, veterans, and their families face a stubbornly bleak job market while resources are stretched thin. Goodwill believes the implications are too significant to expect the federal government and stakeholders to address without a continuum of coordinated services that more deliberately promotes collaboration and integration among all stakeholders.

Last fall, GII publically released From Deployment to Employment: Goodwill’s Call to Action on Supporting Military Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families, a new resource produced by Goodwill to support a range of stakeholders, including military service members, veterans, and their families; policymakers; service providers; community-based organizations; and veterans service organizations.

Goodwill professionals are urged to attend this session to learn more about this new resource and to consider promising strategies that aim to increase Goodwill’s capacity to support military service members, veterans, and their families.

Panel:

Seth Turner, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy

Goodwill Industries International

·         5-10 minutes

·         Overview of From Deployment to Employment: Goodwill’s Call to Action on Serving Military Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families

John Briggs, Community Liaison

Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries, Inc.

·         5-10 minutes

·         What Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries is doing

·         Challenges experienced and how we overcame them. (i.e. potluck mentality)

·         Recent efforts to help separating service members prepare for civilian jobs and careers

Deborah L. Frett, Chief Executive Officer

Business and Professional Women's Foundation

·         Overview of program/prospective partner in communities

Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D., Founder & President

Give an Hour

·         Overview of program/prospective partner in communities

Wendi Copeland, Vice President for Mission Advancement

Goodwill Industries International

·         Goodwill now and tomorrow (i.e. we have a beachhead, now what?)

Session Format: Q and A

This session will be helpful for Workforce Development staff that work with the persons served on a regular basis. Participants will learn a variety of ways to ensure that informed consent is obtained from clients prior to the start of services and ways to cover rights and responsibilities of persons served.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Learn how to obtain informed consent from service participants.
• Learn about creative ways to share information about participant rights & responsibilities.

This session will be for mid to senior level Mission Advancement professional staffs who are engaged in or plan to expand the services that are delivered in their Goodwill’s rural territory. Using a panel discussion, representatives of member Goodwills that have made significant impacts by serving their rural territories will deliver focused stories about how they achieved progress by addressing the following questions:

• How they increased rural services as part of their strategic plan
• The types of services they have been chosen to pursue and why
• What strategies they have implemented to deal with funding challenges associated with rural services expansion
• The three key lessons they have learned as they have implemented their plans
• Who their key partners have been as they expanded their rural services 

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Learn from Mission Service leaders what strategies they have used to expand their rural services
• Deepen their understanding of leaders and resources within Goodwill to support plans for expansion
• Gain insight into funding and partnership strategies that may work in rural communities.

The online giving experience has a significant impact on donor loyalty, retention, and gift levels. The more intimate and emotionally coherent of a giving experience you develop, the stronger the relationship will be between your Goodwill and your donors. This session will help you develop a strong online donation platform that can be incorporated into your social media and fundraising efforts.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Learn best practices in designing online donation systems that are reliable and user-friendly.
• Discover how to integrate online fundraising efforts with your entire resource development strategy.
• Find out how to leverage GII’s new online donation system to bring in funds for your local Goodwill.

If you’re new to the nonprofit world and have the HR responsibility in your organization, this session is for you! Come learn about specific issues that impact your work such as the role of volunteers, employee versus participant status, Health and Welfare, understanding accreditation, SSI/SSDI etc.

As a result of this session, participants will:

·         Learn about different laws and regulations that pertain to nonprofit organizations

·         Learn about some of the HR nuances that you typically encounter in the nonprofit world. 

In the report Where Labor Supply Meets Labor Demand: Connecting Workforce Development to Economic Development in Local Labor Markets from Aspen Institute, the author asserts that workforce development IS economic development. Join this session to learn more about how as workforce development providers, Goodwills can impact economic development efforts in their local communities.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Be introduced to the Aspen Institute’s report
• Conceptualize the alignment between workforce development and economic development
• Understand how sector employment initiatives contribute to economic development

Session Format: Author Session

To support your learning, we have provided the following links to resources we thought would be helpful for you to review before attending this session:

The Community College/Career Collaboration (C⁴) initiative was launched in 2009 by Goodwill Industries International (GII), the American Association of Community Colleges, the Aspen Institute, Jobs for the Future, and three pilot local Community College/Goodwill partnerships with replicable models of collaboration. The project’s purpose is to increase college and career success for low-income adults through promoting and replicating these models throughout the partners’ networks.

The C⁴ initiative equips community colleges and Goodwills to build on existing relationships, extract effective practice, and replicate model components to increase the number of individuals accessing and completing labor market-relevant credentialing programs offered by community colleges.

In this session, participants will be introduced to several community college/Goodwill partnership models and have the opportunity to discuss each model in depth.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Learn about partnership models for Goodwills and Community Colleges
• Understand the fundamental differences between the models
• Identify the pros and cons of each model for their own community

Session Format:  Interview (the presenter is questioned by a moderator on behalf of the audience).

To support your learning, we have provided the following links to resources we thought would be helpful for you to review before attending this session:

C4 Model Comparison

The audience would be workforce development professionals who work for local Goodwill agencies in North America. The audience will have an interest on how to market their services to the growing Hispanic community.

The Hispanic population is the fastest growing segment in America. Consequently, they are also the fastest growing segment of the US workforce. Hispanic workers are expected to make up one third of the US workforce by 2050. From youth programs to adult services, and even in retail stores, the face of the people served by Goodwill is rapidly changing. This workshop will provide tips on how Goodwills can intentionally reach out to the Hispanic population in local communities. More importantly, you will walk away with useful tips on how to market Goodwill services to Spanish speakers. Ralph E. Herrera, President of Lanza Group, has developed culturally and targeted communication strategies for Goodwills interested in reaching out to Hispanic markets. As Atlanta's premiere Hispanic market advertising and PR firm, Lanza Group knows what it takes to build brand awareness and loyalty in the Latino community. 

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand that the Hispanic community is not a monolithic group, and should not be treated as such
• Learn key marketing strategies for promoting Goodwill services to your local Hispanic community
• Learn how other Goodwill organizations are successfully serving Hispanics

Professional management of grant resources is essential to get the most out of your grant awards. It also helps to build your capacity to win more and larger grants. This workshop will provide VPs, directors, program managers, and accounting staff a case study and supporting materials that will enable small group teams to identify strengths and challenges in multiple grant management areas. Focus areas will include timekeeping management, procurement, performance and spending planning, internal controls, and the identification of allowable and unallowed costs.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand how to use the federal grant management guidelines outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations and OMB Circulars
• Identify potential areas for grant management improvement at their home Goodwill
• Understand the grant management resources available from GII

To support attendees’ learning we would like to cross-reference any materials folks might want to review before, during or after the meeting. Please check out the links below that you feel might enhance the learning for this session:

 BUDGET CIRCULARS AND GUIDANCE, Federal Register - Rules and Regulations

In this session, we will explore successful strategies for engaging program participants in developing effective needs assessments and Individual Employment Plans. Join two veteran workforce development program managers as they demonstrate effective approaches to designing participant needs assessments and individual employment plan tools. Be active workshop participants in designing your own vision board and specific employment goals during this highly interactive workshop. 

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand the importance of interactive and engaging assessment and goals and objective tools to develop motivation and buy-in from program participants.
• Gain knowledge of vision boarding and its use as an effective needs assessment tool.
• Gain knowledge of successful Individual Employment Plan strategies that motivate participants toward goal completion. 

This session will cover the use of metrics in measuring the outcomes of the human resources component of your organization. Going beyond employee retention and satisfaction, the presenters will discuss different human resource metrics that measures the HR investment in the organization and measuring what you’re doing for your own people. This session will be of interest to CEO’s and HR professionals who are interested in develop measures and metrics for the HR side of the organization. 

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Learn how to develop measurable objectives and metrics
• Learn how to apply measures to the HR area in order to get better results
• Learn how to use the results to make improvements in the organization

During this session you will hear from three Goodwills who are growing their federal investments in a time when federal funding is shrinking and competition is greater than ever. Hear how they have done it, the key elements of their success, and advice on strategies for making your grant stand out.

As a result of this session, participants will learn successful:

• Federal grant writing strategies
• Elements of a federal grant application
• Fatherhood grant programming and
• Resources and tools to become more competitive

Helping people get jobs is great. Helping them get good jobs with career pathways is even better! In this session, you can learn about the commitment made by Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County (Long Beach, CA) to focus on development of sectoral employment programs that offer viable career pathways in growth industries, particularly healthcare and loss prevention. Central to developing a successful sector program are strong partnerships with education and training providers as well as business leaders. Participants will leave the session with practical ideas to implement sector programs in their local area.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Gain insight into the essential elements involved in developing sector programs
• Understand ways to approach business and training partners to develop a sector program
• Develop practical ideas for implementing a sector program

Facilitated by Jim Gibbons, President & CEO, GII

With the change in administration, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP) has new leadership and has changed its enforcement approach. Unfortunately, many employers prepare their Affirmative Action Plans (AAP) and defend OFCCP audits using the “old rules”. In this session, we’ll discuss the latest OFCCP enforcement trends, methods to integrate your AAP into business objectives, provide practical advice about maintaining compliance and reducing your exposure when audited by the OFCCP.

·         Develop an understanding of the background and intent behind Affirmative Action Plans

·         Develop an understanding about the regulatory landscape including the proposed Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities regulations

·         Develop an understanding of how to integrate your AAP into your business objectives

·         Obtain proactive advice and tips on how to handle audits as well as develop an understanding of effective good faith effort practices

Session Format: Audience Reaction Team – 4 or 5 attendees will query the main speaker from the stage with questions from the audience and follow-up questions.

This session will highlight the family strengthening work being done by five Goodwill Center of Excellence winners. The session will showcase a multi-media piece to set the stage and offer participants background. Each Center of Excellence Goodwill will describe their family strengthening “journey”, including their successes and challenges.

This session will provide the HR practitioner with some simple, yet strategic approaches to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce.  We will provide easy to use tools and effective engagement techniques for sustaining an inclusive community at work.”

As a result of this session, participants will:

• The participant will learn some best practices for recruiting and marketing to a diverse workforce
• The participant will learn 10 strategies for retaining a diverse workforce
• The participant will learn why “engagement” is a vital component of inclusion
• The participant will learn to operationalize inclusion in day-to-day workplace interactions
• The participant will understand why inclusion is important to your bottom-line!

Session Format: Traditional Presentation with Q&A

Goodwill’s across the country are strengthening their mission by partnering with community colleges to provide low income individuals with training that leads to certification, credentialing and college credit. In this session, participants will discuss the key considerations when developing partnerships with community colleges.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand the importance of shared data and how to use this data to expand the program
• Develop strategies to gain executive buy-in
• Learn about different methods to fund their C4 program

Setting up and running a youth mentoring program involves development of enrollment forms, curriculum, training and a host of other resources to sustain mentoring over time. GII has created an online mentoring toolkit that provides all the resources needed to set up and sustain a mentoring program. Be one of the first to view this exciting new tool. Additionally, Education Development Center, Public Private Ventures and Home Builders Institute has also developed resources they will share with attendees. Come prepared to ask questions and become equipped to operate or enhance a youth mentoring program. Information that will be shared will enhance your work in the areas of recruitment, training, partnerships, retention, funding and sustainability.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Obtain an overview of the GoodGuides mentoring online toolkit
• Obtain an overview of online tools from other OJJDP grantees.
• Understand different approaches to operating a youth mentoring program
• Learn how to start or enhance a youth mentoring program

Understanding local economic dynamics is critical to targeting our workforce development strategies. This session will present tools and resources to examine local economies and identify growing industry sectors as well as the occupational outlooks in them.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand how to use data to look at growing sectors in local economies
• Be able to discern occupational growth within those sectors

This session will provide an overview of state legislative trends and a look at budget implications for state and local governments. Share best practices and lessons learned as participants will have an opportunity for round-table discussions on state level issues. Participants will learn more about their State Association members of the National Council, who work to amplify the voices of America’s local community-based nonprofits, help them engage in critical policy issues affecting the sector, manage and lead more effectively, collaborate and exchange solutions, and achieve greater impact in their communities.

To support your learning, we have provided the following links to resources we thought would be helpful for you to review before attending this session: Top Ten Nonprofit Policy Issues: 2011 State and Local Policy Review 

Session Format: Other - presentation followed by table discussions on certain topics

Collecting data is just one part of the equation of gaining a comprehensive look at your community’s assets and needs. This session will highlight three important strategies to inform decision making and service planning: community needs assessment, community asset mapping, and industry needs analysis.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand the purpose of each data collection strategy
• Investigate ways to synthesize data to make sound decisions about program design and implementation
• Develop a plan to use these strategies at their Goodwill

Session Format: Forum

To support your learning, we have provided the following links to resources we thought would be helpful for you to review before attending this session:

GII Community Needs Assessment Toolkit: Click here 

The 2012 elections at the national and state level will have significant implications for the Goodwill enterprise, with redistricting created another layer.  Hear about the political landscape and how Goodwill can make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead.

Goodwill Denver is a nonprofit organization providing a multitude of community services to youth and disabled/disadvantaged citizens. The organization had a history of collecting a wide array of accountability data. To increase the organization’s ability to identify those key outcomes most central to their mission, evaluators worked collaboratively with staff members to develop a series of tiered logic models to describe the inputs and outcomes of each distinct program and organizational unit. Finally, a “super” logic model was synthesized to describe essential outcomes across all services. Evaluators will share the benefits and challenges of using this process for conducting a comprehensive program evaluation. A representative from Goodwill Denver will share the value of the resulting logic models for organizational learning.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand what a logic model is
• Learn about the use of logic models to plan and deliver services
• Comprehend the use of a super logic model as a way to create a comprehensive agency-wide evaluation system

This session will highlight opportunities Goodwills have to expand their retail operations to further grow mission. Specific Goodwills will showcase their unique approaches to capitalization and GII staff will offer expertise about market opportunity. Join us to learn how you can grow your Goodwill!

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Gain an understanding of Goodwill expansion opportunities;
• Hear about specific, successful capitalization strategies; and
• Understand what resources GII offers to support your efforts.

Often times, people are limited in their employment choices due to a lack of education, skill, or credential. In this session, participants will learn about the programs available online to help people gain the education or skills that will assist them in gaining employment with a family sustaining wage.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand the available resources for both foundational and career readiness skills
• Understand the pros and cons
• Identify how the value to the individual

Session Format: Other -  The different options for online learning will be discussed and reviewed. The audience will be invited to participate in a discussion of how these programs can be utilized in their Goodwill. The session is designed to be interactive in nature.

• Navigating your obligations under the FMLA and ADA when assessing when, and in what capacity, an injured worker may be returned to work
• Identifying the best position for a returning injured employee, while minimizing the disruption to coworkers
• Managing ongoing health and medical issues once the employee has returned to work.

Hiring for Fit is a proven process and tools designed to hire and promote the right people for the right fit.  A 26% average decrease in turnover has been experienced by the Goodwill's using this RightPath process.   Selection and hiring is one of the greatest challenges for leaders.  How can you get a good read on a candidate during an interview? How do you eliminate much of the guesswork and gain an accurate, objective perspective for fit?

As part of session attendance, you will have advance access to a complimentary sample of the behavioral tools discussed in the session (Path4/6).  To receive this $95 assessment for free, email contact@rightpath.com and reference GII Spring Event.  We will send you instructions by email to complete the online assessments and print your reports. Bring your reports with you to the session to learn how they are used in the interview and hiring process. 

 As a result of this session, participants will:

·         Learn about how 25 Goodwill’s increased retention and reduced turnover in key positions

·         Identify why behavioral talents are so important in successful hires and good fit

·         Experience a proven tool that is changing the way Goodwill’s interview and select

From advocacy resources, social media, and calls to action, learn how to build a successful grassroots program. Hear how outreach through issue advertising and other strategies can help you reach key stakeholders including agency leadership, board members, colleagues, shoppers, donors, program participants and others. 

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Tips and tools about setting up a grassroots advocacy strategy
• How to engage your agency and learn how other agencies use the tools
• GII resources that can complement and aid in grassroots efforts

As a result of this session, participants will learn:

• What organizational development questions they should be asking
• When they should ask them
• What the role of Human Resources is in organizational challenges
• What some techniques are in being the catalyst for change

Goodwills contribute to local economies in a number of ways, including providing solutions to a variety of business needs. This session will examine what can happen when you begin to view an “employer” as a “business” and leverage the various ways Goodwill can support local economic growth and foster “shared value.”   

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Experience real-time business solution ideas
• Understand the “shared value” concept
• Be able to assess “value-adds” that your Goodwill can offer businesses

Many of the people we serve receive wrap around support services and we recognize that many of our entry level employees are in need of the same types of support in order keep and advance in their jobs. This session will highlight two organizations that have developed mechanisms to provide support to those employees to ensure job retention and job advancement. The cost of these services can vary and the session will cover several options as well as the cost benefits.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand the benefits of support services for employees
• Learn about types of offerings for support services, including costs
• Learn about the longer term impacts of providing the services

Session Format: Other - Presentation with discussion and questions

Keep your eye on the ball. Learn about the some of the current HR related legislation that has had impact on your organization as well as legislation that you need to keep an eye on that might have a potential impact. The presenters will discuss National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) updates, impact of social media and other key updates that impact your organization.  

As growing public and private financial pressures increase, funders are looking to well-managed organizations that can demonstrate and prove meaningful, lasting impact. Venture Philanthropy Partners published “Leap of Reason: Managing to Outcomes in an Era of Scarcity” to help both funders and nonprofits set on a path of greater rigor and impact in our programs. Come join us for an interactive conversation between Venter Philanthropy Partners and Year Up to learn how your Goodwill can better partner with funders to infuse outcome management into your programs.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand the importance of outcomes management in funder relationships.
• Gain tips on transitioning to performance-management systems.
• Learn a framework to evolve your practice of managing program outcomes.

This session is for managers, instructors, coaches, counselors and others interested in learning about virtual career exploration tools and resources. Information discussed in this session can be used to help inform clients as they explore career options. Included will be an overview of GoodProspects.org and recent enhancements, and the Department of Labor’s Healthcare Virtual Career Network (VCN), among others.  

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Have increased knowledge and specific information of virtual career tools and platforms
• Understand how to introduce identified tools and platforms to clients

Session Format: Audience Reaction Team (4 or 5 attendees will query the main speaker from the stage with questions from the audience and follow-up questions) and Buzz Session (audience will divided into discussion groups, each of which reports the group’s findings and opinions during a following plenary session).

This session will be a round table model in which each table is dedicated to a different topic and there is a host at each table leading the discussion. Topics are based on a recent survey conducted by GII on Volunteerism. The discussions will kick off with the host describing their work (5 min.), followed by 5 min. follow-up questions, and 5 min. discussion). There will be 15 min. at each table, and 3-4 rotations. At the end of the session participants can join a Jeopardy lighting round discussion on the table topics.

Potential Table Topics:Recruitment Strategies

1. Data Collection
2. Budget for your volunteer program
3. Volunteer Recognition
4. Training Strategies
5. How to Promote Your Volunteer Program
6. Innovative Program Ideas

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Obtain new resources and ideas for your volunteer program
• Hear about innovative strategies to recruit volunteers for your program
• Hear from a local Goodwill on how to capture your volunteer hours by using technology

Using the right words in exactly the right ways is the key to effectively engaging stakeholders in your advocacy work. Words matter. 

Through group discussion, and hands-on practice, you will be guided through the ins and outs of successfully managing your political message in traditional and social media as well as other outlets.

As a result of this session, participants will:

This session will discuss how to create a culture of engagement including diagnostics, engagement champions and driving the needle on engagement.  The session will also share how this approach has been implemented at GII’s Member Service Center.

·         Be able to define employee engagement

·         Identify the elements of an engaged culture

·         Identify ownership of engagement

Goodwills are uniquely positioned to respond to the youth employment crisis as we have the experience and connections to engage, educate, and equip youth and communities to meet the challenges head on. This workshop will explore the unemployment situation for youth and young adults 16-24 with disadvantaging conditions, and the tools needed to effectively respond. There will be a focus on the key stakeholders – those people who need to be at the table and involved as you implement successful youth employment programs, from soft skills through job placements.  Representatives from the Department of Labor, business leaders, and Goodwill professionals will join this interactive workshop and share with participants their perspective on some strategies and supports that work. Whether you are a vice president or an employment specialist, you will take-away a learning that you can apply to the work you are doing in your community.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand the extent of the unemployment crisis for youth and young adults.
• Gain knowledge about good practices and supports available locally, statewide, and nationally for Goodwill's serving this population.
• Learn strategies for engaging youth, business, and community partners.

Session Format: Facilitated Conversation

To support your learning, we have provided the following links to resources we thought would be helpful for you to review before attending this session:

Planned giving can fuel the long-term sustainability of your programs and services and provide a source of funds for innovation and social enterprise expansion.  This session will provide you with tips on how to get started and build a thriving planned giving program. You will learn how to target your planned giving efforts and strategies to make planned giving and fund development strategies work at your Goodwill!

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Hear from experts in the field on proven ways to identify prospects, appeal to different demographics, strengthen relationships and ultimately make “the ask”.
• Discover strategies to integrate your message throughout various marketing channels including brochures, donor recognition events, web-based messaging, and more.
• Assess your Goodwill’s readiness for a planned giving program and walk away with various tools, resources, policies, strategic partners and strategies to help you get started.

This session is geared toward human resources professionals.

What is social media?  How do I use it to become a more effective HR professional?  To tweet or not to tweet?  This informative workshop addresses these and other key questions on the minds of HR professionals.  The workshop will provide an introduction to social media and an overview of the various tools being widely used, while providing advice on how HR professionals can take the lead in the strategic use of social media at their organizations.  

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Develop a baseline understanding of frequently used social media applications
• Learn how to take the lead in the strategic use of social media in their organizations

This session is designed for local Goodwills that currently have a VITA site or thinking about offering free tax preparation services next year. Participants will hear about and have an opportunity to discuss innovative strategies and services to help tax payers increase their financial assets during tax time. A representative from a national organization will share best practices and lessons learned from local VITA sites that also offer other financial services to tax payers. Finally, we have three local Goodwills that will share programs examples that you can implement in your Goodwill.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Learn about innovative services being offered at a VITA site
• Understand strategies to increase community participation
• Hear from a national organization that works with several local partners on innovative services being offered at VITA sites

Variable compensation is a key point of discussion in the total rewards picture.  Organizations who utilize incentive pay plans provide employees tangible goals through the use of individual, departmental, and company-wide performance measures.  This session will provide an overview of the topic as well as examples of incentive pay programs for various levels of the company.  We will also discuss what positions are more and less suitable for incentives and why. The target audience is Human Resource professionals, but this topic may be of interest to other management level personnel in your Goodwill.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Learn about variable compensation as part of a total rewards package.
• Learn about examples of incentive pay programs
• Learn when incentives work and when they don’t

This session will introduce attendees to the Career Development Facilitator (CDF) and CDF Instructor credentials as pathways to developing the professional competencies of their workforce development staff.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Develop understanding of the Career Development Facilitator training and credential
• Discern the benefits of CDF training as professional development for their staff
• Link the benefit of 3rd party certification with improved program outcomes
• Be motivated to engage in the CDF program by becoming and/or having qualified staff become CDF Instructors

Session Format: Forum

To support your learning, we have provided the following links to resources we thought would be helpful for you to review before attending this session:

The American Recovery and Revitalization Act spurred several changes in the ways in which federal departments operate and expect their grantees to function from grants management to reporting. This session will focus on the more competitive federal grant environment and how accountability, transparency, and reporting requirements will help you provide a better program and be more successful with grantwriting.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Key federal requirements for federal grants;
• Changing expectations for transparency in federal program operations; and
• Increased reporting requirements with greater emphasis on program outcomes and results.

This session will feature three local Goodwills that have successfully integrated family strengthening policies and practices into the work that they do. These Goodwills will discuss why family strengthening is an important component to their efforts, how they have implemented strategies, and the successes and challenges they have encountered along the way.

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Understand why a focus on family financial stability is important for Goodwills and positively contributes to the work you do.
• Understand best practices for implementing family financial stability into your work

Session Format: The format will include a moderator, and panel of 3 Goodwill representatives. The moderator will introduce the session and the speakers, and will allow each Goodwill 8-10 minutes to give an overview of their work to integrate family strengthening. The moderator will then kick off the Q & A with a few targeted questions before opening the session up to audience Q & A and input.

This session will provide an overview of several Goodwills’ lessons learned and best practices from their experience developing and implementing TJ and OJT strategies. Each session attendee will have the opportunity to interact in small groups to discuss specific ideas, challenges or speak further with our presenters. 

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Gain an understanding of TJ and OJT strategies implemented throughout the Goodwill enterprise.
• Receive lessons learned and best practices from successful TJ and OJT strategies.
• Have the opportunity to directly engage with the presenters on their specific TJ or OJT questions.
• Learn how to develop internal and external transitional employers
• Review key documents and agreements that make Transitional Jobs ON-the Job training partnerships work
• Explore funding opportunities for TJ and OJT
• Discover the impact of TJ and OJT on unsubsidized job acquisition and retention

Program participants will work with GII’s Public Policy and Media Relations teams to learn how to effectively tell their stories to Members of Congress. Participants will hear from previous participants who have participated in media and speaker training as well as from Laura Walling, Director of Advocacy & Legislative Affairs. Participants will be trained in small group sessions as well as one-on-one.  

As a result of this session, participants will:

• Gain confidence
• Practice telling their stories
• Learn what to expect during advocacy day
  

This session is mandatory for those conducting Hill visits on Tuesday, April 17^th.  New this year will be a separate breakout session for newcomers and seasoned advocates during the training. Attendees will learn how to have an effective Hill visit, how to share the highlights on social media, the top issues for advocacy day and how to discuss them. 

• Become familiar with legislative basics
• Learn how to have an effective meeting
• Gain a deeper understanding of the advocacy issues
• Learn more about the logistics for Advocacy Day
• Receive their schedule of Hill visits

Session Format:  Presentation followed by table discussions on certain topics

Stay later to enjoy a baseball game with your colleagues. Attendees will be transported to the newest attraction in Washington, DC. – Nationals Park. Nationals Park is located in Southeast Washington, south of the Capitol, along the fast-developing Capitol Riverfront adjacent to the Navy Yard. The new park not only redefines modern sports facility architecture but also serves as the catalyst and cornerstone of a new mixed-use Capitol Riverfront in our nation's capital. Game time begins at 7:05 p.m., which will allow attendees to grab a bite to eat and explore this new venue. The Washington Nationals will be in town throughout the Spring Conference. Click here to learn more about the venue and schedule.