Idealist.org Planning Meeting 1 - Notes

category:Idealist
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Sunday, January 28, 2007 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Attendees: Virginia Gabby, Matthew Singh, Hien Tran
Note taker: Matt Singh 
==Introductions==
===Virginia===
*Strong background in nonprofit sector
**Community psychology analogous to asset-based community development
**Set up replicable pilot programs, market toolkits to help communities set up similar projects (AIDS awareness, teen pregnancy programs, etc.)
*Strength in building structural models for nonprofits
*Why are you here?
**Networking
**To create a sustainable, truly collaborative environment
*Ideas
**How do we incorporate multiple missions into one big collaborative effort?
**We need to be prepared to organize the group into different subgroups/committees
**Break down barriers to entry for younger people to enter the field
===Matt===
*Works at Public Allies Silicon Valley
**Placed at Ravenswood City School District
**Working on the diversity and inclusion TSP team at PASV
*Why are you here? To create an ongoing, sustainable group meeting to get people in nonprofits talking with each other, sharing resources, and potentially starting new ventures
===Hien===
*Works at Charities Housing, which develops and also manages affordable housing in Santa Clara county
**CH outsources to Next Door Solutions
**CH works closely with Catholic Charities
**CH works with InnVision
*Sister started Rock Your Awareness
*Involved with Affordable Housing Week
*Why are you here? Same as above
==Long-Term Ideas==
*Create a sustainable program
*Create a replicable model so other communities can structure their meetings similarly to ours
**Borrow ideas from other Idealist.org community meetings
**See how the meeting in San Francisco is organizing their meetings
*Meet monthly, potentially
*Structure
**Create committees into areas of interest and/or specialties - Gives opportunity to gain skills or support the group
**Be able to come back to the full group, open the floor up to discussion
**Lay out ideas for groups (make general for now), then zone in on focus as we find out people's interests
***May end up with around 10 groups
***Start with relatively few groups to get a more diverse crowd, e.g. 
****Prevention
****Communications
****Youth development (may be too specific)
****Technology
****Civic engagement
**Make the groups dynamic - just because you're in one subgroup doesn't meet you have to stay there permanently
**Encourage constant interaction and communication between subcommittees
**We need to accommodate for people coming and going from meetings
**Ask for leaders for the subgroups
***People who can commit to meeting at least once a month plus a small amount of organizational duties
***Will be part of the meetup advisory board
***The leaders will keep track of the members of their groups
***Open up and maintain communication line with other leaders and group members
==The First Meeting==
*We have 45 people registered
*Venue options
** Alamden Valley Community Center (5 mins from current venue, seats up to 500, new facility)
**Campbell Community Center
**United Way
**Silicon Valley Community Foundation
**A community center in San Jose
*Refreshments
**Noah's Bagels
**The businesses that support Idealist.org
**It never hurts to ask grocery stories, Rite Aid, etc. (Tell them we're having a community meeting)
**Second Harvest
*Funding/Nonprofit Status
**A lead agent will put us under its 501(c)3 umbrella, enabling us to receive donations and other financial support
**Can have a number of lead agents - up to four or so, maybe:
***Rock Your Awareness
***Strategic Health
***Community Development Institute (CDI) Nonprofit Incubator Program
***Bay Area Community Resources (BACR)
***Formerly called International Business Incubator (Hien has a contact there)
*Event Structure
**Sign-In (1:30 - 2:00)
***Take current database of emails, pre-print, allow for changes
***Hand out event agenda
***Name tents
**Ice breaker (no longer than a half hour) (2:10 - 2:40) (Matt)
**Transition (2:40 - 2:45)
**Why are we here today? (2:45 - 3:15) (Virginia)
***Say why we're here
***Introduce idea of subgroups
***Q and A
***We are looking for people who would like to take the lead on each subcommittee (Provide position description)
**Group discussion (3:15 - 4:15) (All)
***Have one person take notes (on flip chart or otherwise)
***One person will be presenting ideas to the large group
***Facilitators only
****Bounce between groups
****Keep eye on time and call time
****Regroup at 4:10 (5 minutes before end of activity)
**Report back (4:15 - 4:45) (Hien) - Have lead from each group present their ideas 
**Feedback session, i.e., plus/delta (4:45 - 4:57) (Hien)
**Set time & place for next meeting is
**Thank you for coming!
**Dinner and/or Coffee for those who wish to mingle more.
==Icebreakers/Activities==
*Hello (Thiagi's 100 Favorite Games)
*Break into pairs, learn about each other, present to group but lie. Then person interrupts: "No, actually..."
*Keep in mind people's abilities (physical and otherwise)
*Other activities/ideas
**Make a Shape activity
***Shows importance of effective communication
***Highlights communication styles and differences
***Works well with youth and adults
**People Bingo (from Greg) - Forces communication, fairly low-impact
**World cafe (from Tram) - works really well with a lot of people, and for what we want to do at this first meeting, I think it may work very well. Have folks sit in groups of 4-6. Have tables covered with paper or other writing utensils. Have one person take notes. Groups discuss one question (which we would have to formulate clearly before hand, e.g. a general question "what do you hope for in coming to this meeting?", or one more specific: "if given $1000, what would you do for the Silicon Valley nonprofit world?". The ideas are written down on the paper. After 10-15 mins of discussion, everyone BUT ONE PERSON gets up and moves to the next person. One person remains to facilitate the next group. By doing this participants will be able to build onto knowledge, and to work towards pieces of shared understanding. 
**Donation jar - Ask people to donate a dollar or two for refreshments for the next event
==Next meetings==
*Sunday February 4, 2PM to 4PM. In Campbell. Place with free WiFi.
*Saturday Feb. 10 at 2PM. Do a run through of the event. Try to meet at the chosen venue
==To Do for Next Meeting==
*All
**Establish next event meeting time and place for after Feb. 11
**Come up with ideas for subcommittees
*Virginia
**Score free stuff
**Refreshments
***Noah's!
***Cases of water (ask grocery stores to donate to a community meeting)
***Prepackaged snacks work great too (chips! Cookies!)
***Fruit (whole fruit pieces) - Apples, grapes, bananas
***Plates
***Napkins
**Come up with ideas for icebreakers (collaborate with Matt)
*Matt
**Find a venue. Ideas: 
***Campbell Community Center
***United Way
***Silicon Valley Community Foundation
***A community center in San Jose
**Check these items
***Make sure we have trash cans
***Capacity
***Rest rooms
***Check accessibility (ADA compliance ... facilities and rest rooms)
**Come up with ideas for icebreakers (collaborate with Virginia)
**Email meeting minutes
**Find place in Campbell with free WiFi
*Hien
**Draw up position descriptions for lead people in the subcommittees, something that won't take up a lot of time for those who make the commitment
*Leo
**Post meeting minutes on wiki
**Provide mini training sessions on using a wiki when there's time(to Hien and others who request it)
==Long-Term To Do==
*Get lead agents and set up funding support
*Formally create advisory board
==Comments & Suggestions from Participants==
====Venue Options====
See also: Venues Page
*Eastside Neighborhood Center - free, courtesy of Milton C; suggests rooms in main libraries (eg MLK) for subsequent meetings
*Santa Teresa Library Community Room (tentatively booked, $35/hour, needs nonprofit signoff)
*Alamden Valley Community Center (5 mins from current venue, seats up to 500, new facility - Cost for Large Conference with Kitchen 500 Person Room $60 dollars per hour, Smaller Room 30-40 persons $20 dollars an hour. Several other rooms as well. Free Wi-fi Access. Needs non-profit to sign off )
*San Jose City Hall - $75/hour or nonprofits
*Campbell Community Center
*United Way
*Silicon Valley Community Foundation
*San Jose City Hall
====Communications====
*Agree with Hien that we should have basic wikia training to improve communications - Milton C
*Line up fun things to do together, e.g. hiking - Francesca