Craigslist Nonprofit Bootcamp 2007

Posted on | August 20, 2007 | No Comments

I’ve finally recovered enough to intelligently discuss my experience at Craigslist’s Nonprofit Bootcamp, a learning and networking experience for social enterprise executives, nonprofit leaders, would-be nonprofit entrepreneurs, activists and neo-hippies. The all-day event was held on the campus of the University of Berkeley this past Saturday (August 18, 2007).
The event kicked off with a rousing jam session by a group of Brazilian drummers. They beat their drums and danced through the crowd, which was on their feet and dancing at 8:45am on a Saturday morning. Once the drumming and dancing subsided, Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Executive Director of the Craigslist Foundation, took the stage with a welcome and rallying cry. Heyman praised the 1,500 eager, free-loving participants gathered in the Zellerbach Auditorium for giving up a Saturday to help change the World. He implored us to “invite big problems into [our] lives” and then, “Collaborate! Collaborate! Collaborate!”

The goal of the bootcamp, now in its second year, was to “educate, inspire and empower”. The education portion was accomplished via panel discussions and forums led by founders and executives from nonprofit organizations including Room to Read, United Way and EARN, and by leaders of for-profit social enterprises including Better World Books and the Social Enterprise Group.
Forums and panels were divided into eight educational tracks: Social Entrepreneurship, Nonprofit Basics, Boards of Directors, Big Ideas, Marketing, Technology, Generations and Fundraising. They were billed as workshops, but the format was much less interactive and hands-on than one would expect for a workshop. Nonetheless, the agenda was thoughtfully prepared, and most workshops informative and spot-on in terms of what they promised and what they delivered.
I arrived at the bootcamp with three objectives: (1) Meet people and find out what they are working on, (2) Learn about social enterprise business models, and (3) Spread the word on my ventures, Careersthatdontsuck.com and Spring4th Educational & Advisory Services. I picked the 3 workshops–two in the Social Entrepreneur track and one in marketing–that I believed would provide me the information I needed and some opportunity to make meaningful mention of my offerings. Happily, each panel allowed me and my fellow participants to select and vote on topics, and to ask questions. I also took advantage of opportunities to meet and ask questions of panelists after the discussion.

My tracks, marketing and social entrepreneurship, were, by far, the most popular based on the incredible numbers of people crammed into desks, sitting on the floors and stairs, leaning against the walls and sitting on the window sills of the tiny UC Berkeley classrooms. Volunteers had to turn many people away due to lack of seating and fire safety concerns.

The bootcamp’s other goals–inspire and empower–and my own (meet people, learn about social enterprise models, spread the word about my ventures) were easily met via the amply scheduled networking opportunities between forums, during breakfast and lunch and following the bootcamp, and by listening to the startup stories and aspirations of my fellow bootcampers.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first bootcamp. The people were hungry for information, open to sharing what they already knew, liberal with business cards and contact information, and not put off by flagrant attempts at marketing one’s organization. Here are my brief, but infinitely useful take-aways.

1. Don’t start another nonprofit organization: There are plenty out there, so join forces.
2. The state of nonprofit funding: 50% from earned income, 30% from government, 20% from philanthropic donations (50% of this from individual donors versus foundations and businesses).
3. Social Entrepreneurship is sexy and revolutionary: There are a lot of innovative business models cropping up in this space. Most are efficient, profitable startups that have found a way to sell their products and services, and effect some good in the world. All are being run by smart, ambitious, caring people with a desire to dig into social and environmental ills.
4. Social Enterprise business models vary widely: For example, Better World Books is a for-profit business that sells used books and donates a portion of their profits to libraries, schools and nonprofits. GOOD Magazine is a for-profit business that sells advertising to produce its magazine and earn revenue, but gives 100% of its $20 subscription fee to charities. World of Good, a nonprofit fair trade advocacy organization born of a for-profit World of Good Inc., owns a 5% equity stake and receives 10% of its funding from the for-profit business.
5. There is a huge arsenal of free and low-cost tools and resources for nonprofits and social enterprises: Craigslist is launching a nonprofit portal tentatively titled Craigslist Connect, to facilitate startup and collaboration; Taproot Foundation offers pro bono business services to nonprofits; NESsT provides venture funding, education and consulting services; and TechSoup offers low-cost business management software to nonprofits. Get more resources.
6. I’m going back next year!

Next Bootcamp: NY Boot Camp – September 15, 2007 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music

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