Craigslist Foundation to Launch its First Gathering of New York Nonprofits After Success on West Coast

First Annual New York Nonprofit Boot Camp
Presented by Mission Research, the Makers of GiftWorks
June 10, 2006 at New York University

(San Francisco)—In just about every major metropolitan city there is an online community of craigslist.org users. As one of the world’s most visited web sites, the interface works as a community catalyst to bring people, places and events together. In that same vein the Craigslist Foundation was established to bring emerging nonprofit leaders together to develop the skills and relationships necessary to start and run their organizations.

On June 10, Craigslist Foundation will produce its first annual New York Nonprofit Boot Camp, presented by Mission Research. This community effort aims to educate, empower and connect the next generation of nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs. An expected 450 attendees will have the opportunity to connect with peers and valuable industry resources through a series of seminars and exhibits.

“The Nonprofit Boot Camp is organized by Craigslist Foundation as part of its mission to foster nonprofit leadership and collaboration,” said Executive Director for the Craigslist Foundation, Darian Rodriguez Heyman. “Our job is to give people the knowledge, tools and connections they need to succeed.”

Participants will be able to choose from four different educational tracks, including: nonprofit basics; fundraising; social entrepreneurship; and IT/technology. Experienced nonprofit professionals will lead twelve sessions. Speakers will include craigslist.org’s, Craig Newmark, Ami Dar, founder of Action without Borders and Idealist.org and Sheena Wright, president and CEO of Abyssinian Development Corporation. The exhibit hall will be filled with over 30 organizations that support nonprofits.

One of the exciting sessions that attendees will enjoy is Reality Grantmaking, Craigslist Foundation's take on American Idol. Registrants of this year's Nonprofit Boot Camp are invited to submit a proposal for Reality Grantmaking, a session designed to test their fundraising skills. An expert panel of real-world funders will review proposals to select eight finalists who will compete in front of an audience of Boot Camp attendees. The top three finishers will be awarded cash prizes and gifts. This exciting session is not only fun but teaches the tools of a winning proposal.

The 2006 Craigslist Foundation Nonprofit Boot Camp, presented by Mission Research, will take place from 9AM to 9PM on Saturday, June 10, 2006 at the NYU Stern School of Business in New York. The event includes meals and a networking reception. Registration for the conference is $50 per person. Registration and information is available online at http://www.craigslistfoundation.org/ny.

About Craigslist Foundation

In 2005, Craigslist Foundation’s 2nd annual Nonprofit Boot Camp in San Francisco attracted over 1,500 emerging nonprofit leaders, social entrepreneurs and supporters, receiving a 98% approval rating from attendees and is now the largest nonprofit gathering in the Bay Area.

Founded in 2000 by Craig Newmark and others, Craigslist Foundation (www.craigslistfoundation.org) is a publicly supported, non-endowed 501(c)3 operating foundation (i.e. it is not a grantmaking institution'). Just as craigslist.org is about ‘people helping people’ by facilitating online connections, Craigslist Foundation creates community in the nonprofit arena by ‘helping people help,’ regardless of cause or sector. The organization is uniquely positioned to support nonprofits by providing free and low cost education opportunities to emerging nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs, thereby fulfilling its mission to “Providing knowledge, resources and visibility to the next generation of nonprofit leaders.”

About Mission Research

Mission Research makes affordable, understandable, accessible software for nonprofit organizations including GiftWorks 2006 Fundraising Software and GiftWorks Volunteer Center. Its combination of desktop software seamlessly integrates with web-based services. The GiftWorks line of nonprofit solutions has attracted over 5,000 users and hundreds of consultant partners since its launch in 2004. GiftWorks 2006 is $299 and easy to learn without formal training. Mission Research is a socially responsible business with offices in Lancaster, PA, and San Francisco, CA, and is 20% nonprofit owned.