Congress Proposals ­ Show Me the Money 1

Show Me the Money Proposals

Page Title

Individual Presentations

2 Forest Preserve Foundation: A Case Study In Progress

3 Taking the pulse of Mother Earth

Collaborative Presentations

4 A New Model for Creating Sustainable Conservation Funding

7 Activism, Politics and the Impact of Public Opinion Congress Proposals ­ Show Me the Money 2

Presentation Title: Forest Preserve Foundation: A Case Study In Progress

Presentation Type: I ndividual Presentation (12 minutes; 1 Speaker)

Presentation Description: This session will share the goals of the Forest Preserve Foundation. The Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization still in the start up phase tasked to raise private funds for the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

Additional Session Information: The Forest Preserve Foundation will share its strategic plan, its goals and early lessons learned on the challenge and opportunity of fundraising on behalf of a government agency. The presenter and participants will discuss effective strategies for cultivating donors.

Learning Objectives: ­­More about the Foundation's strategic plan and goals ­­Effective strategies that member organizations have used when cultivating donors

Desired Track: S how Me the Money

Focus Area: Beyond the Choir

Delivered presentation previously: no

If yes, last presentation: n/a

Permission to share email: yes

Permission to share presentation slides: yes

Submission Information

Name: Shelley Davis Organization: Forest Preserve Foundation Profession: President Email: [email protected] Phone: 312.603.8349

Congress Proposals ­ Show Me the Money 3

Presentation Title: (Format Model) Taking the pulse of Mother Earth

Presentation Type: I ndividual Presentation (12 minutes; 1 speaker)

Presentation Description: In this presentation, I will introduce our laboratory, Loyola Environmental Testing Laboratory, and all the analytical techniques used to measure environmental samples, soil, and water and plant tissues. The information generated from the analytical testing in the laboratory will be used either to investigate the natural habitat of all species or to evaluate the progress of natural environmental restoration projects.

Additional Session Information: The target audience will be from general public who are interested in the scientific research, to professional scientists, educators and environmentalist, too.

Learning Objectives: What kind of analytical techniques are used in the laboratory to obtain the meaning information from natural environment. How to interpret the information to guide the field application projects – taking the pulse of Mother Nature.

Desired Track: S how Me the Money

Focus Area: Water as a Resource, Priority Species, Data, Landowners

Delivered presentation previously: no

If yes, last presentation: n/a

Permission to share email: yes

Permission to share presentation slides: yes

Submission Information

Name: Zhenwei Zhu Organization: Loyola University Chicago ­ Institue of Environmental Sustainability Profession: Analytical Chemist/Lab Manager Email: [email protected] Phone: 773­508­2056 Congress Proposals ­

Proposal Title: A New Model for Creating Sustainable Conservation Funding

Proposal Type: C ollaborative Presentation (50 minutes; 3 speakers)

Learning Objectives: This research project was funded by the Grand Victoria Foundation and is designed to look beyond the traditional model of stewardship funding to find sustainable revenue streams that will ensure the future success of long­term land protection in Illinois and the Great Lakes region. Understand the conditions and policies that make multi­revenue models successful as well as the potential barriers to implementing these programs in Illinois

Desired Track: S how Me the Money

Presentation #1 Title: T he Market Perspective

Presenter #1: Bill Schleizer Professional Title: E xecutive Director Organization: Delta Institute Email: wschleizer@delta­institute.org Phone: 312­554­0900

Presentation #1 Description: Exploring the many models of sustainable funding for conservation activities in nationwide markets

Additional Presentation #1 Information: Target audience is all agencies and NGO's engaged in land protection and stewardship in Illinois. This portion of the project identifed and researched policies and mechanisms that have been utilized nationally to create sustainable funding streams for conservation activities including partnerships around ecosystem markets, carbon trading, and water quality projects. A comprehensive review was conducted of existing case studies and select organizations were interviewed to identify the different revenue structures being utilized. The team investigated the potential to utilize strategies that include public­private partnerships, leveraging stakeholder advocacy around climate change investments, utilizing shared services models, etc. Attendees will come away with an understanding of potential creative solutions used nationwide for funding land conservation and preservation activities with financing scenario recommendations.

Presentation #1 Focus Area: Beyond the Choir

Presentation #2 Title: C urrent Conservation Financing in Illinois and an Engagement Strategy

Presenter #2: Kerry Leigh Professional Title: E xecutive Director Congress Proposals ­ Show Me the Money 5

Organization: Natural Land Institute Email: [email protected] Phone: 815­964­6666

Presentation #2 Description: The project team researched what types of financing mechanisms are being utilized in Illinois to create a snapshot of current practices, as well as assess their risks and opportunities around longevity and sustainability. Strategies for engaging the conservation community in a manner to generate support and enthusiasm. While these groups communicate quite regularly with each other in networks such as Chicago Wilderness, Vital Lands Illinois and the Prairie State Conservation Coalition, there is less collaboration around on­the­ground activities and alignment of resources and needs. There also does not appear to be a consensus around the need to identify additional funding resources for implementation. The team will describe an engagement strategy to initiate a dialogue with the Illinois conservation community to identify the differing perspectives on funding needs and constraints, and create an action plan to align stakeholder needs with the financing mechanisms being investigated.

Additional Presentation #2 Information: Target audience is all land protection and stewardship agencies and NGO's in Illinois. Attendees will benefit by exploring how different levels of engagement and 'expertise partnerships' can be leveraged. This relates directly to the Congress theme of Show me the Money

Presentation #2 Focus Area: Beyond the Choir

Presentation #3 Title: M aking it all Work ­ The Policy Piece

Presenter #3: Jennifer Walling Professional Title: E xecutive Director Organization: Illinois Environmental Council Email: [email protected] Phone: 217­493­9455

Presentation #3 Description: Assessing the barriers to utilizing financing mechanisms and providing policy recommendations at the State level for effective implementation of funding models.

Additional Presentation #3 Information: State decisions makers and agency personnel are another important stakeholder group to engage in this project. The team will work with its partners to create a communications strategy to incorporate the knowledge and perspectives of key staff and decision makers. This engagement will be key in identifying state­level policies and opportunities that can be leveraged for a potential implementation plan for the proposed sustainable financing mechanism. Attendees will be able to see how they can get engaged to remove the barriers to implementing creative revenue streams for land protection and stewardship Congress Proposals ­

in Illinois. This relates to the conference theme of Show me the Money.The policy agenda utilized the project research and analysis to answer basic questions to set the implementation foundation: What would need to change? How would it need to be changed? Who would change it and when would it need to be changed?State decisions makers and agency personnel are another important stakeholder group to engage in this project. The team worked with its partners to create a communications strategy to incorporate the knowledge and perspectives of key staff and decision makers. This engagement is key in identifying state­level policies and opportunities that can be leveraged for an implementation plan for the proposed sustainable financing mechanism(s).

Presentation #3 Focus Area: Beyond the Choir

Delivered presentation previously: No

If yes, last presentation: n/a

Permission to share email: yes

Permission to share presentation slides: yes

Submission Information

Name: Bill Schleizer Organization: Delta Institute Profession: Executive Director Email: wschleizer@delta­institute.org Phone: 312­554­0900

Congress Proposals ­ Show Me the Money 7

Proposal Title: Activism, Politics and the Impact of Public Opinion

Proposal Type: C ollaborative Presentation (50 minutes; 3 speakers)

Learning Objectives: Effective communication and outreach techniques to impact public opinion. Insight into how government works.

Desired Track: S how Me the Money

Presentation #1 Title: T he Influence of Being Green

Presenter #1: Sen. Heather Stearns Professional Title: S tate Senator Organization: State of Illinois Email: Phone:

Presentation #1 Description: Discover if being green influences public perceptions.

Additional Presentation #1 Information: General audience. Environmental issues have evolved over 20 years and the money supporting theses issues have as well.

Presentation #1 Focus Area: Beyond the Choir

Presentation #2 Title: R eaching the Public

Presenter #2: Arnold Randall Professional Title: G eneral Superintendent Organization: Cook County Forest Preserves Email: [email protected] Phone: 708­771­1511

Presentation #2 Description: Learn about the county has evolved in communicating with their constituents.

Additional Presentation #2 Information: General audience. Communication has dramatically changed over the last 20 years and there are ways that are effective and not effective.

Presentation #2 Focus Area: Beyond the Choir

Congress Proposals ­

Presentation #3 Title: C onnecting with Government Leaders through Social Media

Presenter #3: Philip Rudolph Professional Title: D igital Marketing Manager Organization: The Nature Conservancy Email: [email protected] Phone: 312­580­2103

Presentation #3 Description: Social Media has been connecting friends, communities, organizations, and like­minded people for almost twenty years. But how can social media be used to influence and inform our government leaders? Learn how The Nature Conservancy uses social media to build bridges to our elected officials and keep them updated on important conservation issues.

Additional Presentation #3 Information: General audience or environmental NGOs looking for ways to best use social media. Community engagement is critical to CW's strategies.

Presentation #3 Focus Area: Beyond the Choir

Delivered presentation previously: no

If yes, last presentation: n/a

Permission to share email: yes

Permission to share presentation slides: yes

Submission Information

Name: Marybeth Johnson Organization: Lincoln Park Zoo Profession: Vice President, Government Relations & External Affairs Email: [email protected] Phone: 312­742­7232