Nonprofit leaders help set a course to strengthen the sector

MORE THAN 250 nonprofit leaders, including representatives from all the major islands, came together on Wednesday, May 9, at the Ko'olau Golf Club Conference Center in Kaneohe to focus on sector priorities and recommend an action plan to strengthen Hawaii's nonprofits at "Moving Forward Together," The 2007 HANO Conference.

The attendees, including 46 from neighbor islands, were greeted by Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who is a nonprofit founder – creator of the Fund for the Pacific Century and the Pacific Century Fellows program – and spouse of a nonprofit CEO, Gail Mukaihata Hanneman of the Girl Scouts of Hawaii.

The conference focused on three core topics: Advocacy, Sustainability and Leadership -- in particular, managing executive transitions and identifying, recruiting and preparing the next generation of nonprofit executive directors. There were additional sessions on Accountability ans successful implementation of new technology.

But the highlight of the day was a Town Hall Meeting session where attendees focuced on the top four priorities for strengthening the nonprofit sector identified by a nationwide information-gathering process and the national Nonprofit Congress, convened in October 2006 by the National Coucil of Nonprofit Associations. Hawaii had six delegates at the Congress.

The priorities selected by vote of the Congress' more than 400 delegates were:

• Advocacy and grassroots community activities
• Public Awareness and support of the nonprofit sector
• Nonprofit organizational effectiveness, specifically Accountability and Best Practices
• Nonprofit organizational effectiveness, specifically Leadership

About 64 attendees focused on each of the four priorities and suggested actions that should be adopted in Hawaii to advance them. HANO will provide a summary of those recommendations soon.

Title sponsor, 'Olelo Community Televison, videotaped several sessions and is producing a 30-minute telecast scheduled for broadcast on:

• 9 a.m., Wednesday, May 23, on Channel 52
• 9 a.m., Wednesday, May 30, on Channel 52
• 7:30 p.m., Monday, June 4, on Channel 49
• 6 p.m., Monday, June 11, on Channel 49