Volunteer to Sustain Cape Cod Expo 2005:

Community Reaction to 
the "Joint Venture Cape Cod" Idea

Page 2

Community Reaction to the "Joint Venture Cape Cod" Idea

Comments on the 2005 Volunteer to Sustain Cape Cod Expo

Page 1:    Opening    Reception, Grille 16

Page 2: CD Launch, Hyport Brewery; Breakfast, Four Points Sheraton; Training Sessions

Page 3:  Volunteer to Sustain Cape Cod Expo; Expo  Participation 

Page 4:  Expo Generally

"The business community should be one of our most critical examples for research, analysis, and best-practice ideas as we develop our long-term plans.  The business community has jumped over a barrier, competitors, customers, and vendors to come together under Chambers of Commerce and Rotary to share dialog and integrate community value with their service.

"CapeCorps is our opportunity to have a sound foundation to build a unique integration of community service organizations. We need our own nonprofit chamber.  We need the volunteer Expo to be our combined showcase to the Cape community.  The Expo is an event the nonprofits must realize is a rare opportunity to walk the talk--not only embrace the opportunity but take the leadership role to demonstrate our shared commitment to the entire community.  You brought us organization, structure, and energy.  We must cheerlead each other's accomplishments and challenges.  While each of us is a unique business facing the same business and financial challenges, the common linkage that we must keep in the forefront is community service and volunteerism."

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"At the Grille 16 dinner, we ended up talking about how to organize for collaboration with impact.  The discussion was about whether there was a business model that could guide this.  The thought was that the Cape Cod Tech Council's organization may serve as a model; organized with SIG groups allows volunteers who are convened in this forum to make a difference by solving problems and/or sharing ideas based on interest and expertise (and they self-select into the SIGs) while contributing to the overall (umbrella) concern.  We certainly aren't at that point, but it's worth keeping in the back of our minds as we go forward."

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"The 'Joint Venture' concept I view a bit more questioningly.  I applaud collaboration to reduce nonprofits’ expenses outside the view of the public, but some concern arises for what I call 'dilution of zeal' as it relates to fund-raising.  Let discussions continue."

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Dinner and Presentation

"Beautiful setting, delicious food, and excellent service. [As was true of the reception,] again people did not sit at tables with people they did not know, which limited the amount of interaction and idea exchanging.  If we had had some kind of assigned topic to discuss and create ideas around, we could have ended with at least one good idea presented per table (the other ideas could have been collected for potential future use).  I would suggest no speakers – after people have had drinks and dinner, speakers tend to get less than everyone’s attention and then some people always leave early."

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"I think the dinner discussions were interesting, and I personally thought the mix of nonprofit executives, donors, volunteers, board members, government officials, and business people made the dialogue very dynamic – somewhat like a mini-think tank.  The challenge will be to keep this high level of 'influencers' engaged."

*     *     *

"Great job with the CapeCorps schmooze and dinner at Grille 16. I think alot was accomplished there that may not leap out now, but will pay dividends down the road."

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(More comments will be posted as they accumulate.) 

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September 09, 2005