WDN ANNuAl CoNfereNCe

Challenging Corporate power & Forging a progressive agenda

A SolutioNS-BASeD CoNfereNCe

NovemBer 3 –6, 2011 / DeNver, ColorADo

Challenging Corporate Power & forging a Progressive Agendaa solutions-Based ConFerenCe

Why “Challenging

Corporate poWer & Forging

a progressive agenda”?

It has become increasingly clear that the corporate

stranglehold on our economy and our democracy

is a root cause of most of the major challenges we

face today. Corporate power currently has one aim —

maximizing profit — and its undue influence on our

government and our politics has corrupted and gravely

threatens the long-term health of our free society.

In every realm — whether it’s climate change and our

addiction to oil, or tax policy that is allowing the richest

1% of Americans to hoard resources while women,

children, and families struggle to survive — we can

see the results of corporate power and political power

working together. While it’s important to get to a shared

analysis of the problem, what’s even more critical is to

go beyond what’s wrong and identify the solutions and

opportunities for collective action that could build a new

power base — one that puts people, the planet, and

community at its center. During this year’s conference,

we will analyze corporate power and the progressive

agenda we need to build in a series of all-group

sessions focused on larger issues of the economy, as

well as through two issue-specific tracks:

1 Have an opportunity to engage in systems thinking and explore the

interconnection among issues to find just solutions.

2 Analyze the power we have and the power we need to make

transformational social change.

3 Have adequate time to engage, connect, learn, and reflect together.

4 learn about catalytic philanthropy that can lead to social and economic justice.

5 leave the conference with a plan for collective action.

tHe eNviroNmeNt

Today’s headlines are stark reminders of the influence

of corporate power in blocking real climate and energy

policy changes. Even in the face of the worst economic

crisis in almost 100 years, we are unable to dismantle

oil company subsidies or regulate energy development.

From the horrific oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, to tar

sands production and transport, to stalled climate change

negotiations, it’s clear that we must challenge the myriad

ways in which profit is valued over the environment and

look for sustainable, community-led solutions.

tHe meDiA

As we embrace the new digital frontier, we have the

potential to democratize information and empower

communities. We have access to game-changing tools

that allow us to tell stories in authentic voices, advocate

for those who have been marginalized, and organize

ourselves more quickly and more effectively. However,

corporate interests are threatening to limit access to

information and make it more difficult for those who

challenge their power and their ideas. In the world of

new media, we have an opportunity to confront the

mistakes of our past and build a reality where all voices

can be heard.

a diFFerent Kind oF ConFerenCe

Our conference in Philadelphia last year activated our

collective creativity. The significant feedback we got

was, “Thanks for the great information, but what do

we do with it?” Hence, this year’s conference is a

“solutions-based” conference. We will hear from some

inspiring speakers, participate in important skills-

building workshops, and learn from each other.

However, we will go farther than just learning about

critical issues and strategic initiatives. Our goal this year

is to leave the conference with an action plan in hand.

To facilitate this, we have re-imagined the entire

conference structure. We will explore the conference

theme Challenging Corporate Power & Forging a

Progressive Agenda by:

 Breaking into two issue-based tracks for extensive

analysis, learning, and strategizing.

 Offering a range of workshops that give you an

opportunity to hear information that is both introductory

and more in-depth.

 Weaving gender and the economy and the role of

money and politics throughout the conference as major

strands of examination for our theme.

 Allowing significant time for connecting, learning,

and strategizing together — in structured and

unstructured ways.

 Providing time for reflection and joint action planning.

 Offering more choices for programs and social activities.

As with all WDN programming, the Conference will

use the intersecting lenses of race, gender, class, and

sexual orientation throughout the convening.

We are so excited about this year’s conference, and we

look forward to being together in November! Come and

enjoy being in the company of so many like-minded

friends, learning alongside some of our brightest minds,

and strategizing ways to increase our collective impact

and forge a new progressive agenda.

ProgrAm ADviSory Committee

Cathy Carlson Lenore Hanisch Lizzi Juda Trish Weber Mary Willis

loCAl ADviSory Committee

Cynda Collins Arsenault Cathy Carlson Lori Colina-Lee Helen Gemmill

Margery Goldman Lynda Goldstein Ann Lederer Linda Shoemaker Carolan Stiles

DoNNA P. HAll

President & CEO

ConFerenCe attendees will

Conference HighlightsthursdaY, noveMBer 3

lAte AfterNooN (starting at 4:00 pm)

 REGISTRATION

 WELCOME RECEPTION

eveNiNg

 DINNER

 KEyNOTE ADDRESS By NAOMI KLEIN

Challenging Corporate Power

Naomi Klein, the award-winning journalist, syndicated

columnist, and author of The Shock Doctrine: The Rise

of Disaster Capitalism, will share her insights and stories

of resilience and resistance.

 DESSERTS AND DISCOuRSES

Select a small-group discussion based on your interest

(and mood!) and enjoy dessert over a lively conversation.

FridaY, noveMBer 4

morNiNg

 MORNING ExERCISE

 BREAKFAST AND CIRCLE MEETINGS

 MORNING SESSION

Systems Thinking, Dismantling Corporate

Personhood, Building a New Balance of Power

Professor john a. powell, preeminent authority in the

area of civil rights and Executive Director of the Kirwan

Institute, will construct the frame for our conference

and expose the powerful history and assumptions behind

Pre-ConferenceCritiCal ConneCtions: developing a shared FraMework For raCe and gender JustiCe

Join us for this day-long “deep dive” into the

intersecting issues of race, gender, class, and sexual

orientation. This is an opportunity to spend some

time thinking critically about these issues, as well as

learning how to use these important lenses to make

our philanthropic and activist work more strategic and

effective. This program will be comprised of riveting

presentations, interactive workshop sessions, and time

for joint reflection and planning.

Thanks to the generous support of our Maximizing

Impact Campaign donors, we are pleased to be able

to offer this superb program at a heavily discounted

rate, with an even further discount for early registrants.

We will hear from leading scholars, thought leaders,

practitioners, and organizers in the field. Our list of

distinguished speakers includes:

J. Bob Alotta (invited), Executive Director /

Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice

Linda Burnham, Co-founder & former Executive

Director / Women of Color Resource Center

Vanessa Daniel, Executive Director / Groundswell Fund

Mia Herndon, Executive Director / Third Wave Foundation

Alexis McGill Johnson, Executive Director /

The American Values Institute

corporate political systems and economic policies,

while also sharing a clear vision for “good” corporate

citizenship.

 BREAK INTO ISSuE-BASED TRACKS

 LuNCH AND FREE TIME

AfterNooN

 MEDIA TRAINING

Presence & Authenticity:

The Key to Becoming a Media Star

Media appearances are performances. To be a good

performer, one needs tools and techniques. This session

will teach the tools and techniques used by professional

actors to create star presence through an interactive

master class with Joel Silberman, New york theatrical

director and media trainer to performers and successful

progressive candidates, leaders, and media personalities.

 COOKIES AND CONVERSATIONS

Structured and unstructured conversations over sweet

treats and coffee.

 AFTERNOON SESSION

Pursuit of Happiness: Women Driving a New Economy

As the country’s economic woes continue to grow,

scant attention is given to the impact of these economic

challenges on women, and the power that women

could have as advocates for a new kind of economy.

Speakers: Ellen Bravo, Director of Family Values @Work

Consortium; Eveline Shen, Executive Director of Asian

Communities for Reproductive Justice; Anat Shenker-

Osorio, an accomplished linguist specializing in the

application of cognition to political discourse.

DAte

Thursday, November 3

time

9:00 am - 4:00 pm

loCAtioN

Four Seasons Hotel Denver

CoSt

$100 if registration is received

before September 30, or $150

thereafter. Includes light

breakfast and lunch. Sign up on

the enclosed registration card.

Kalpana Krishnamurthy, Director / Gender Justice

Program and RACE Program / Western States Center

Eveline Shen, Executive Director /

Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice

Jose Antonio Vargas, Co-founder / Define American

eveNiNg

 DINNER AT THE HOTEL

 AFTER-DINNER HAPPENINGS

you can choose to stay in or go out!

Movies at the Four Seasons Hotel

Enjoy an evening of engaging documentaries.

Denver After Dark

Explore nightlife in downtown Denver.

saturdaY, noveMBer 5

morNiNg

 MORNING ExERCISE

 BREAKFAST AND CIRCLE MEETINGS

 Our Network: WDN in a Year of Growth

Come get a special sneak peek of WDN’s new website,

our 2012 plans, and hear about all the ways in which

WDN is innovating progressive philanthropy and

creating impact.

 BREAK INTO ISSuE-BASED TRACKS

 The Revolution Will Not Be Televised…

But It May Be Tweeted!

Join us for important skills-building workshops and learn

how to use social media and messaging to organize

and advocate for progressive social and environmental

change.

 LuNCH AND FREE TIME

AfterNooN

 What Winning Looks Like

Hear and learn from success stories presented by some

of the most talented environmental and social justice

organizers who have out-strategized and out-organized

corporate interests.

 Change Takes Courage, and Money

Learn about and be inspired by catalytic philanthropic

investments and action from a panel of donor activists.

 BREAK INTO ISSuE-BASED TRACKS

 Transforming Our Knowledge into Action

Join in a facilitated group discussion that will bring

together all of our learning, new ideas, and energy to

begin laying out a collective blueprint for action.

 Forging a Progressive Agenda: What Will It Take?

Maya Wiley, renowned civil rights attorney, policy

advocate, and Executive Director of the Center for

Social Inclusion, will share her innovative vision around

forging a truly progressive agenda, weaving in threads

of discussion, learning, and skills-building from the

previous days of programming.

eveNiNg

 COCKTAILS AND CONVERSATIONS

Structured and unstructured conversations over drinks

and hors d’oeuvres.

 DINNER/PARTy

Great food and lively entertainment!

sundaY, noveMBer 6

morNiNg

 BREAKFAST

 WDNCamp: Our First “Un-Conference”

This is where the official agenda ends, and you are

charged with making one up! Got a great idea that you

want to share? An issue or strategy you are dying to

discuss that didn’t get covered at the conference?

Find your way to the communal white board and

announce your own conference session on the fly, or

just browse the topics that emerge and see what

looks most interesting to you.

 CIRCLE MEETINGS (OPTIONAL)

 uRBAN WALK (OPTIONAL)

 BOxED LuNCHES

 FAREWELL

Naomi KleinKeynote speaKer

thursday, november 3

Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist,

syndicated columnist and author of the New york Times

and #1 international best-seller, The Shock Doctrine:

The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Published worldwide

in 2007, The Shock Doctrine is being translated in over

25 languages and has over a million copies in print.

It appeared on multiple ‘best of year’ lists including as

a New york Times Critics’ Pick of the year. Rachel

Maddow called The Shock Doctrine, “The only book of

the last few years in American publishing that I would

describe as a mandatory must-read.”

Naomi Klein’s first book No Logo: Taking Aim at the

Brand Bullies was also an international best-seller,

translated into over 25 languages with more than a

million copies in print. The New York Times called it

“a movement bible.” A tenth anniversary edition of

No Logo was published worldwide in 2009. The Literary

Review of Canada has named it one of the hundred

most important Canadian books ever published.

A collection of her writing, Fences and Windows:

Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Globalization

Debate was published in 2002.

In 2007, the six-minute companion film to The Shock

Doctrine, created by Alfonso Cuaron, acclaimed

director of Children of Men, was an Official Selection

of the Venice Biennale, San Sebastien and Toronto

International Film Festivals. The Shock Doctrine was

also adapted into a feature length documentary by

award winning director Michael Winterbottom and

premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010.

In 2004, Naomi Klein wrote The Take, a feature

documentary about Argentina’s occupied factories

co-produced with director Avi Lewis. The film was

an Official Selection of the Venice Biennale and won

the Best Documentary Jury Prize at the American Film

Institute’s Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Naomi Klein is a contributing editor for Harper’s and

reporter for Rolling Stone, and writes a regular column

for The Nation and The Guardian that is syndicated

internationally by The New york Times Syndicate.

In 2004, her reporting from Iraq for Harper’s won the

James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism.

Additionally, her writing has appeared in The New York

Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, The Los

Angeles Times, The Globe and Mail, El Pais, L’Espresso

and The New Statesman, among many other publications.

She is a former Miliband Fellow at the London School

of Economics and holds an honorary Doctor of Civil

Laws from the university of King’s College, Nova Scotia.

For more information on this speaker please visit

www.apbspeakers.com

ellen bravo the former director of 9to5, now

heads the Family Values @ Work Consortium, a network

of 15 state coalitions working for policies such as paid

sick days and family leave insurance. Her most recent

book is Taking on the Big Boys, or Why Feminism is

Good for Families, Business and the Nation. A business

editor once described her talks as “moving, witty and

sometimes bawdy.” Ellen has served on several state

and federal commissions, including the Congressional

Commission on Leave appointed to study the impact

of the Family and Medical Leave Act. Among her

commendations is a Ford Foundation Visionary award

and a Woman of Vision award from the Ms. Foundation.

Ellen lives in Milwaukee with her husband; they have two

adult sons.

proFessor john a. powell is an

internationally recognized authority in the areas of civil

rights and civil liberties and a wide range of issues

including race, structural racism, ethnicity, housing,

poverty and democracy. He is Executive Director of the

Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at

The Ohio State university and he holds the Gregory

H. Williams Chair in Civil Rights & Civil Liberties at the

Moritz College of Law.

eveline shen is the Executive Director of

Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice. under

her leadership, ACRJ has become widely recognized

for its innovative leadership in the Reproductive Justice

Movement in working with grassroots communities,

providing thought leadership, developing effective

tools and resources for evaluation, training and

documentation, and organizing for long-term systemic

change. ACRJ leads the Strong Families Initiative,

which is changing the way we think, feel and act in

support of families, gender and race. Eveline serves

on the board of the Reproductive Health Technologies

Project and Movement Strategy Center. She has

also served as Principal Investigator for two National

Institutes of Healthgrants that explore the intersection

between environmental justice and reproductive justice.

Eveline was recently named by Women’s eNews as one

of the 21 leaders for the 21st Century. She is a 2009

Gerbode Fellow and holds a Masters in Public Health

from uC Berkeley in Community Health Education.

Joel silberman is the Founder and

President of Media Talent 2.0 Inc. Joel comes to political

communications from a disciplined theatrical and musical

career and is now a widely respected media strategist /

trainer for progressive organizations, online activists and

candidates. Some of his past and present clients include:

People for the American Way Foundation, the young

Elected Officials Network, Media Matters for America,

the New Organizing Institute, the Gay and Lesbian

Alliance Against Defamation, the National Women’s Law

Center, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights,

Markos Moulitsas (DailyKos.com), Nate Silver, Mike Lux,

Lt. Dan Choi, GetEQuAL, Our Time (OurTime.org), and

numerous federal, state, and local elected officials.

anat shenKer-osorio combines

research in cognition and lingustics with practical

communication savvy — making sure messages come

through loudly and clear. As a strategic communications

consultant, she conducted multiple studies on how

people reason about the economy, inequality and the

crisis, presenting her findings as a keynote speaker

at Netroots Nation, at Center for American Progress

among dozens of venues. She consults regularly for

the Congressional Progressive Caucus, MoveOn /

Van Jones Rebuild the Dream project and the Department

of Education. Previously, Anat helped found Real

Reason, offering communication solutions to the ACLu,

Ford Foundation, Berkeley Media Studies Group and

the Center for Reproductive Rights, to name a few.

She writes for the Huffington Post, Reproductive Health

Reality Check and the Christian Science Monitor.

maya Wiley is the founder and Executive

Director of the Center for Social Inclusion, a policy

strategy intermediary organization which works to

unite public policy research and grassroots advocacy

to transform structural inequity and exclusion into

structural fairness and inclusion. A civil rights attorney

and policy advocate since 1989, Maya has worked for

the ACLu, NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Open

Society Institute. She was a contributing author to the

National urban League’s 2006 State of Black America,

and authored a chapter on race, equity, and land

use planning in Columbia, South Carolina published

in Growing Smarter: Achieving Livable Communities,

Environmental Justice and Regional Equity, R. Bullard,

ed. (2007). She was named a New York Moves

Magazine 2009 Power Woman.

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For online reservations, visit www.fourseasons.com/

denver and enter group code WDN1111. Room

cancellation charges may apply, at WDN’s discretion, in

the event that the cancellation of your room reservation

causes our group to fall below our contractual minimum.

ADDitioNAl DetAilS

Dress is informal, from jeans to casual. November in

Denver can be chilly. Please refrain from the use of

scented products.

CANCellAtioN AND fee refuND PoliCy

The conference package fee of $690, as well as $350 of

the $750 registration fee for prospective members, will

be refunded if notice of cancellation is provided to WDN

by October 17, 2011.

AtteNDANCe

Because we are a relatively small group, it is important

that you plan on arriving in time for the conference

opening and plan to stay through the end of the

conference on Sunday.

resourCe rooM

We encourage you to bring materials that reflect your

practices as a funder, social networker, or activist.

Space is limited, and you are responsible for taking

home any leftover materials, including books, at the

conclusion of the conference. Please be mindful of our

carbon footprint when distributing printed resources.

The sale of goods is not permitted.

If you would like assistance with planning or need

further information, contact Kathleen Andreson at

415.814.1333 or kandreson@womendonors.org.

information &AccommodationsFour seasons hotel denver

1111 14th Street

Denver, CO 80202

303.389.3000

www.fourseasons.com/denver

Four Seasons Hotel Denver is situated in the heart of

lively downtown Denver with the stunning backdrop of

Rocky Mountain views.

Dining options include a wide array of organic, locally

grown fare and cater to our commitment to providing

healthy, seasonal choices for our conference participants.

The hotel’s spa offers an array of pure and organic

Colorado-based products and treatments and an

urban sanctuary for conference participants.

WDN’s designated floor of meeting rooms offers

ample space for panel presentations and small-group

discussions, all on one floor.

Wireless access is available throughout the hotel.

These key features made this hotel the ideal location

for our 2011 annual conference.

room rAteS

King or Double Room: $220*

*plus applicable city and state taxes of 14.85%

Please let us know if you would like to share a room. Des

ign:

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WDN CoNfereNCe PoliCieS

Registration for the conference is open to WDN

members and prospective members. All sessions and

meals are limited to registered conference participants

or invited conference contributors. Please respect

WDN’s non-solicitation policy.

CoNfereNCe CoStS

Registration Fees

The registration fee for existing members is included in

annual membership. The registration fee for prospective

members is $750 if received by October 7, 2011, or

$800 thereafter.

Additional Conference Expenses To Be Paid

By All Attendees:

Conference Package for meals, snacks, beverages,

Saturday evening party, etc. $690

The Conference Package begins with an opening

reception on Thursday afternoon, November 3rd, and

covers all meals and beverages through lunch on Sunday,

November 6th, with the exception of Friday and

Saturday’s lunches on the town. Please note that these

two lunches are not included and are the responsibility

of each conference attendee.

Critical Connections, Pre-Conference Program

(optional activity):

$100 if registration is received by September 30, 2011,

or $150 thereafter. Includes light breakfast and lunch.

Sign up on the enclosed registration card. Payment

must be received at WDN by October 7th. WDN accepts

checks or credit cards.

ACCommoDAtioNS

To reserve your lodging at the Four Seasons Hotel

Denver, please contact the hotel directly at

303.389.3000. Make your reservation by October 7th

and refer to the WDN Annual Conference to receive the

discounted conference rate, subject to room availability.

printed on recycled paper

Women donors netWorK

565 CommerCiAl St Suite 300

SAN frANCiSCo, CA 94111

tel 415.814.1333 fAx 415.814.1334emAil info@womendonors.org

WeB www.womendonors.org