Spotlight

This October, grantmakers, technology experts and industry thought leaders will gather for three days of networking, information sharing and learning at MicroEdge's annual Solutions Conference in Orlando, Florida. In anticipation of approximately 300 attendees, an agenda packed with timely, peer-led sessions, and a celebration of the company's 20th anniversary, Claire Carsen, marketing manager, expects this year's conference to be one of the company's best to date.

"Our customers look to MicroEdge for more than just software," explains Carsen. MicroEdge has 20 years of experience working with all types of grantmakers and a considerable knowledge of the processes that make up grants management. "We have a lot to share," she continues. "The conference is a tangible example of how customer support has evolved at MicroEdge."

The MicroEdge Solutions Conference is an opportunity for MicroEdge's staff and executive team to interact with clients in a relaxed, collegial environment. At the gathering, MicroEdge will preview new products and enhancements; provide intensive, hands-on training on its software; and make announcements about the company's future and other information of interest to clients.

The agenda offers a mix of product training sessions, keynote speakers and educational sessions on critical foundation and corporate giving management issues. Fifty-eight sessions are available, most designed and led by clients. "Our goal is to be clear, thorough and, most importantly, practical in our approach to educating our clients," says Matt Service, director of client services. "We want to provide information that is usable from the moment the attendee walks away from a conference session."

Compliance and international grantmaking issues are the most prevalent topics on the agenda, followed by strategies to maximize online technologies and issues specific to community foundations. Conference highlights include:

• Corporate Measurement and Benchmarking—a panel discussion hosted by the Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) and AltriaFund, demonstrating measurement and benchmarking initiatives in grantmaking.    
• Best Practices in International Grantmaking—a discussion featuring Alcoa Foundation and Strategic Intersections, LLC.    
• Online Strategies for Corporate Givers—the Gannett Foundation and Washington Mutual will share practical advice about implementing an online process that replaced a time-consuming grant submission process.    
• How Would a Requirement that Nonprofits Meet Performance Standards Affect Your Funding?—The Donors Forum of Central Florida will encourage participants to reflect on current discussions in the sector and in Congress about nonprofit standards of excellence and discuss their potential impacts on funding decisions.    
• Implementing a Foundation-Wide Integrated System—a case study presented by the Kresge Foundation.    
• Compliance and Accountability in Challenging Times—presented by the Association of Small Foundations, discussing nonprofit recommendations for strengthening governance, transparency and ethical conduct. Facilitating peer learning is a conference priority, as are the sessions designed to help clients get the most out of the company's software. Explains Service, "Our clients understand the overall grantmaking process, day-to-day challenges and the changing regulatory requirements affecting the grantmaking community. This affects how we approach our training methodology and practice."

The MicroEdge Solutions Conference is the result of more than seven months of research and planning. For those clients that cannot attend the conference, MicroEdge offers other educational services, including regional training classes designed to help clients get the most out of the software, user groups and eLabs—free online seminars open to both clients and prospective clients.

Any MicroEdge client may attend the Solutions Conference. Conference fees, logistics and a comprehensive schedule can be found online at www.microedge.com. Non-clients interested in attending should contact MicroEdge directly at info@microedge.com.

(The Council on Foundations does not endorse any vendor or services that are featured in Spotlight and assumes no responsibilities for the performance of any such vendor or service. Grantmakers should check carefully before they engage any individual or vendor to perform services. Companies featured in Spotlight may advertise in the magazine.)