As a college senior and intern for Donors Forum, I find myself with a great opportunity ahead of me. No, it’s not the fact that in a short 9 months I’ll have a college degree (although that is a thrilling prospect), but rather the opportunity to meet hundreds of leaders from the nonprofit community at Donors Forum’s 501cometogether Illinois Nonprofit Conference in Springfield on October 15 and 16, 2012.

The 501cometogether Illinois Nonprofit Conference is more than just a get together; it’s a meeting of the minds from the nonprofits, grantmakers, and others in the philanthropic and nonprofit community that work to make our communities the best they can be. While each organization has its own unique strengths that have led to great success, a collective pool of time-tested ideas can help boost the entire nonprofit and philanthropic community in new ways. Ultimately, it will be the merging of knowledge, skills, and experience from each individual and organization that will create a more cohesive and effective sector in the state of Illinois.

This year’s second annual Conference offers three different workshop tracks: capacity, collective impact, and collaboration. You can choose to follow one specific track, or mix and match as the day progresses to meet your organization’s specific needs. Along with these workshops and sessions, are a networking luncheon and two incredible keynote speakers: Robert Egger, founder and president of CForward and DC Central kitchen, and Farra Trompeter, vice president of Big Duck Communications.

New to the Conference this year is a half-day Public Policy Institute taking place the day before the Conference. The Institute will create an open forum for discussing solutions to difficult public policy challenges that organizations and communities face, along with insight into our current political environment and tools to help communicate with policymakers.  It will feature expert speakers on topics such as future trends in public policy relating to the nonprofit sector and how to make our missions a priority to political leaders.

Although learning in a classroom and at the workplace is beneficial to say the least, the ability to learn about the nonprofit community firsthand from a wide span of nonprofit and foundation, leaders in the field is invaluable for anyone from an intern to a CEO. As someone who has now seen firsthand the time and effort nonprofits put into working for others, I can only imagine the potential for growth after creating a cohesive unit full of passionate and talented individuals. In my opinion, the role of the nonprofit is simple: to help those in need; and the 501come together Illinois Nonprofit Conference is an opportunity to discover how to do that as a collective sector in the most efficient and effective way possible.

Registration is now open for the Conference, and through September 16, 2012 there will be an early-bird rate, so register now for savings! There are also discounts for students and Donors Forum Members and Partners, so check out our 501cometogether conference website for more information.

— Rebecca Jackson, Communications and Development Volunteer