By Kyle Bozentko

Executive Director, Jefferson Center

My initial exposure to Independent Sector came in 2014. As a newly appointed executive director I was searching for resources and opportunities to develop my skills and grow our network. The conference that year was taking place in Seattle and I applied for a scholarship to attend. During the application process I noted that our organizational budget size didn’t even register on the questionnaire. I was not selected for a scholarship in 2014 - we had not yet become IS members and scholarship resources were understandably directed towards supporting current members.

Last year, during the Twin Cities (MN) “Threads” event, the then-IS president and CEO invited audience questions about IS, about how Threads might shape future IS initiatives, and any other general queries from attendees. I raised my hand and asked, “what role can small organizations like ours play in Independent Sector’s future when it can feel (to those of us hovering around $500,000 a year) like the organization is oriented towards much larger members?”

Her response was at once gracious, humble, and constructive. She invited me (and others representing small organizations) to be open about where we could potentially find value in IS’ work and to be honest and forthright about how messaging and communications privileging organizational size (in terms of members, staff, or budget) may be unintentionally discouraging engagement from smaller organizations.

This exchange compelled me to reflect upon these issues and ultimately, thanks to a scholarship from the Bush Foundation, to attend the 2015 Independent Sector Conference in Miami. While there, I had the chance to share takeaways from our effort to boost millennial voter engagement in Akron, Ohio and to highlight how our partnership with and support from Kyle Kutuchief (Knight Foundation’s Program Director for Akron) extended beyond the typical funder/grantee relationship in a way that contributed to the success of our program and laid the foundation for ongoing collaboration with media and community partners in Akron and throughout Ohio.

At the 2016 conference, I will have the opportunity to share what we’re learning from our ongoing collaboration with Ohio media partners and the Akron Beacon Journal through our efforts to reshape presidential campaign coverage in Ohio in the IdeaZLab session. More importantly, though, our citizen and community engagement work will be featured alongside notable leaders in civic engagement such as the Arcus Foundation, the Clinton Foundation, and others. This provides a critical platform for us to share our story and the opportunity to learn from and with those whose pioneering work and creativity have laid the groundwork for effective civic engagement initiatives.

So, thinking back to the question I posed last year and the challenge of finding a place within IS as a small organization, I’ve come to realize that the Independent Sector Conference presents an invaluable opportunity for small organizations. It is an unparalleled venue for us to share our stories of success and our challenges, to learn from and with one another and alongside larger organizations, philanthropy, and the private sector, and to actively participate in shaping the future direction of cross-sector work and collaborations through connections that emerge through our participation and our unique contributions.

I look forward to seeing you in DC this November as we share stories, explore the future of the nonprofit sector, and cultivate opportunities for moving forward together.