Pre-Conference Events

Our members and conference attendees highly value the peer-to-peer conversations that happen at GEO conferences. The 2010 pre-conference sessions provide opportunities for you to connect with the people and resources you need to develop relationships that will benefit you and your organization.

Pitch In for Pittsburgh
On Sunday, April 11,grantmakers from around the country will Pitch In for Pittsburgh with GTECH Strategies. Tapped by President Obama as a model of social innovation, GTECH Strategies reclaims vacant land through the growth of alternative energy crops (such as sunflowers), transforms blighted spaces and creates green jobs. Participants will volunteer at four of GTECH’s vacant lot projects from 8:30 am - 2:30 pm.

Pre-Conference Sessions
From 9am-12pm on Monday, April 12, GEO presents four pre-conference sessions. One is an orientation to the GEO community – Smarter Grantmaking Starts Here. Advance registration is required for all sessions and space is limited. There is an additional cost of $69 to attend the pre-conference sessions (with the exception of Smarter Grantmaking). Please indicate on your registration form your interest in attending one of the pre-conference sessions below.

Smarter Grantmaking Starts Here: Getting to Know the GEO Community (no charge)
Learn more about GEO’s philosophy on smarter grantmaking and GEO’s agenda for change through networking and small-group conversations. (Session Designer: Laurel Jacobsen, GEO)

Creating a Learning Culture That Improves Impact During this session, foundation leaders and senior staff will hear about recent research findings on grantmaker learning practices, assess their own attitudes and practices toward learning, and explore with peers how they are creating an effective learning culture. (Session Designer: Marilyn Darling, Signet Consulting) Sold Out!

On the Money
Based on GEO’s On the Money publication, this workshop offers an opportunity for grantmakers to reflect with colleagues about how to help address key financial challenges nonprofits face, hear about promising financial tools, and learn about changes grantmakers can make to better support grantees. (Session Designer: Lori Bartczak, GEO)

Reducing the Burden: Streamlining Your Grants Application and Reporting Practices
Through this session, grantmakers will explore the ways current systems of application and reporting may place unnecessary burdens on nonprofit partners and create action plans for making concrete changes to their application and reporting practices. (Session Designer: Jessica Bearman, Project Streamline)

Conference Events

Welcome Reception at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture
The GEO Conference Host Committee welcomes you to Pittsburgh! Join your colleagues for an evening of networking and entertainment on Monday, April 12, at the newly-opened August Wilson Center for African American Culture as we kick off GEO's National Conference.

Site Visits
On Tuesday, April 13, explore Pittsburgh’s philanthropic community with a group of your peers during site visits to several local area nonprofits. Sites include McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse; Allegheny County Jail; The Pittsburgh Promise; and The Quality of Life Technology Center. Through presentations, tours, special activities and question and answer sessions, visitors will see how these ground-breaking programs harness philanthropy in challenging times. Register onsite at the conference to participate in these fantastic morning and/or afternoon site visits. 

• McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse: Tour the McGowan Institute, one of the nation's leading research centers for the development of artificial tissues and organs, and the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse (PLSG), a nationally recognized organization committed to helping entrepreneurs build innovative life sciences companies.
• Allegheny County Jail: Since 1999, the Allegheny County Jail Collaborative has worked to reduce incarceration and recidivism in the county jail. Through a unique partnership between complex branches of government and foundations, the collaborative has developed and implemented a continuum of services that serve the incarcerated from pre-arrest to release, with proven success and national recognition.
• The Pittsburgh Promise: Join us to learn how the Pittsburgh Public Schools, the City of Pittsburgh, local corporations, individual donors and the philanthropic community came together to launch The Pittsburgh Promise, a $235 million commitment to Pittsburgh's youth. We'll also have the opportunity to tour Pittsburgh CAPA, the school district's nationally recognized creative and performing arts magnet school serving students in grades 6 through 12, for an example of how the district is preparing its students to make the most of The Pittsburgh Promise and their future.
• The Quality of Life Technology Center: This site visit will highlight the ways in which empathy has motivated local researchers to create intelligent systems that enable older adults and people with disabilities to live independently. Participants will tour Bakery Square, a newly renovated former Nabisco Factory where much of the research is conducted. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge telerehabilitation technology, wheelchair robotics, prosthetics research and smart home architecture for seniors produced through BlueroofTM Technologies.

Dine-arounds
Unwind with your colleagues at these informal and fun dinner gatherings. This is another opportunity for conference attendees to network, meet new colleagues and share stories. The only cost to you is the price of your dinner at a reasonably priced restaurant located within walking distance of the Hilton Pittsburgh. Most dine-arounds can accommodate 8 to 12 individuals. If you are interested in participating in a dine-around, please sign up at the conference (the sign-up sheet will be located in the registration area).

If you are interested in hosting a dine-around on a specific topic, please contact Kamasha Hendrickson at hendrickson@geofunders.org.