In a world where standing still is never an option and the only thing certain is uncertainty, non-profit organizations face huge challenges as they seek to serve their constituents and fulfill their missions.  There’s barely a moment to breathe.

But for a day and a half on March 23 and 24, more than 300 non-profit professionals, board members and volunteers will have a rare opportunity to pause, reflect and re-energize during the Fifth Annual Office Depot Foundation Weekend in Boca Civil Society Leadership Symposium.  And the attendees – who come from cultural organizations, social service agencies, faith-based organizations and a wide array of others − won’t pay a cent to participate; it’s free.

The symposium will take place at Office Depot’s Corporate Headquarters in Boca Raton, where the independent, non-profit Office Depot Foundation is based.  The event supports the Foundation’s commitment to supporting non-profit capacity building – or, as its strategic priorities state, “enabling non-profit organizations to become more efficient and effective.”

Presented in collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC), the Sagamore Institute and the SCORE Foundation, Weekend in Boca will focus on the theme “Innovation and Collaboration – the Keys to Non-Profit Sustainability.”  Through presentations from business leaders, foundation executives and non-profit managers in the trenches, participants will learn about best practices used across the country and be challenged to think outside the box – or to get rid of the box altogether.

Sessions will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday (3/23) and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday (3/24).  To view the full agenda and see profiles of the speakers, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org/weekendinboca. Twitter users can follow along with the hashtag #OfficeDepotFndnBoca. 

The roster of highly regarded speakers includes:

• Joe Sibilia, CEO of CSRwire
• Stephen Jordan, senior vice president and executive director of BCLC
• Rick Baker, former mayor of St. Petersburg, Fla., and vice president of public policy and innovation partnerships for the University of South Florida
• Lois Savage, president of the Lodestar Foundation
• Cynthia Bailie, director of special information initiatives and the Cleveland Office for the Foundation Center

One session will offer insights from panelists who were integrally involved in the innovative community revitalization efforts in Indianapolis that were inspired by the recent Super Bowl.  Presenters from Feed The Children, the Georgia Alliance to End Homelessness and the Discovery Place in Charlotte, N.C., will discuss how collaboration enhances their organizations’ success.

“Weekend in Boca has grown dramatically since it began in 2007,” says Mary Wong, president of the Office Depot Foundation.  “The majority of our participants come from South Florida, but people also are traveling from around the state and as far away as New York, Chicago and even California.  We work hard to assemble a program that is relevant, stimulating and – we hope – inspiring.  Feedback from past participants tells us that we have been successful in meeting this goal.”

Notes past attendee Michael Barton, director of development for the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, "Not only did the sessions and speakers allow me to think outside of the box, the opportunities for networking have proved to be invaluable for me and my organization."

About the Office Depot Foundation

The Office Depot Foundation is an independent foundation − tax exempt under IRC Sec. 501(c)(3) − that serves as the independent charitable giving arm of Office Depot, Inc. In keeping with its mission, Listen Learn Care^®, the Foundation supports a variety of programs that help children succeed in school and in life; enable civil society (non-profit) organizations to become more efficient and effective; assist people and businesses in preparing for disasters, then recovering and rebuilding afterwards; strengthen local communities through grants, product donations and volunteerism; and encourage community development through entrepreneurship and economic innovation.  For more information, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org.

Note: Reporters are welcome to attend the Symposium.  Please contact Leon Rubin to arrange access and/or interviews with speakers.

Listen Learn Care Foundation

Listen Learn Care Foundation

Compassionate. Creative. Committed.

As an independent, non-profit foundation, the Listen Learn Care Foundation (formerly the Office Depot Foundation) strives to make a difference to children, families and communities across the United States and around the world. In keeping with its mission, Listen Learn Care®, the Foundation supports a variety of programs that:

• Give children tools to succeed in school and in life
• Build the capacity of nonprofit organizations through collaboration and innovation
• Help communities prepare for disasters, as well as recovering and rebuilding afterwards

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