The 11th Annual MENDing Poverty Conference will be held June 6, 2018 from 8:00 am – 12:30 pm at the MEND Center in Pacoima. The theme for this year’s conference is Nonprofit Social Enterprises: Pathways to Success and Sustainability.The focus will be how nonprofits can create mission-centered opportunities and generate earned income through business lines.
The MENDing Poverty conference brings together nonprofit executives, subject matter thought leaders, community-based service providers, and funders from across Los Angeles to discuss issues and solutions for addressing poverty.
$99* Early Bird Registration fee through Wednesday, May 23
$119* Regular Registration
(Includes continental breakfast and lunch)
*Groups of 10 receive 5% discount. Please enter MPC_18 at registration.
See Sponsorship Opportunities here.
The event is co-hosted by MEND and Valley Nonprofit Resources.
Event Schedule:
8:00 a.m. Registration & Continental Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Welcome & Open Plenary
Jan Perry, General Manager, Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department, LA:RISE program
10:15 a.m. Breakout Workshops
Equity and Opportunity for Entry-Level and Hard-To-Employ Workers
Presenter: David Sall, Director of Operations; Chrysalis Enterprises
Education, training, and access to good jobs that can support economic stability are included among social determinants of health. This session focuses on how paid transitional jobs in nonprofit-run social enterprises allow entry-level, and hard-to-employ workers, such as youth and re-entry populations, to gain critical experience and develop soft-skills before they enter the competitive workforce.
Making the Business Case to Start a Nonprofit Social Enterprise
Presenter: Ray Tellez, VP Retail and Gari Ann Douglass, CFO; Goodwill Southern California
Social enterprises remain a mystery to many nonprofits. Attitudes run the gamut from hostility toward mixing business with community work, to confusion about what’s needed to start a social enterprise. Launching a social enterprise is a major undertaking. This workshop will focus on the preplanning and upfront resources needed, along with questions relating to alignment with mission such as: Is there a demand for the product or service? How can the nonprofit differentiate its business from that of other organizations operating similar businesses? In other words, will it produce the results – both programmatically and financially – that the nonprofit expects?
Aligning Nonprofit Mission and the Social Enterprise
Presenter: Faye Washington, CEO; YWCA Los Angeles
Nonprofits exist to fill a very specific need within their community articulated in the mission statement. Starting a social enterprise as a source of unrestricted, earned income can be appealing; however, it is equally important to ensure that the opportunities derived for persons served align with the agency’s purpose.
11:45 a.m. Closing Plenary & Light Lunch