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Conference

2024 Catalyst Annual Conference: Activating Power

Thursday, September 12 @ 8:00 am - 5:30 pm

Details

Date
Thursday, September 12
Time
8:00 am - 5:30 pm
Cost
$50.00 – $500.00
Event Category:

Venue

The Magnolia
210 E Main St
El Cajon, CA 92020 United States
+ Google Map
Phone:
(619) 651-2004
Website:
View Venue Website

Organizer

Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties

Tickets

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Behind theories and logic models is the doing that makes up the real work of social change. The 2024 Catalyst Annual Conference Activating Power: Moving from Theory to Action is for anyone hungry to close the strategy slides tab and get to work.

From practical tools for building strong community relationships to new methods for harnessing your inner strengths and redefining organizational capacity, our sessions will provide you with actionable insights to translate your vision into effective, transformative action. Join us as we break down big ideas into practical steps and adaptable practices that have the power to change the landscape of funding in California’s Southern Border Region.

The Magnolia, a theatre in the heart of East County, is the backdrop for this year’s gathering. We cannot wait to fill it with the signature energy of a Catalyst conference, complete with immersive breakout sessions, local flavors, and lasting connections sparked through our time together.

Catalyst is committed to making our events accessible to everyone. Please let us know how we can help you fully participate at our conference by contacting Melissa Leon at [email protected] or (858) 875-3334.

Visit the Session tab for more information on each breakout session.

8:00am: Registration & Breakfast 

9:00am: Omo Aché Afro-Cuban Music & Dance Co and Welcome

9:10am: Traditional Bird Song with Dr. Paul Cuero and Kumeyaay Bird Singers

9:30am: Activating the Power of Creativity: Craftivism in Action with Katie Ruiz 

10:15am: Spoken word performance with Kelsey Daniels  

10:25am: Activating Community Power: The Path to Building Authentic Relationships

11:40am: Nancy Jamison Fund for Social Justice announcement 

11:50am: Laotian dance performance with Dok Kulap 

12:00pm: Lunch 

  • Curated vendor market 
  • Live music  
  • Connection with peers 

1:15pm: Afternoon breakout sessions:

  • Activating Resource Power: Creating Strategic Partnerships for Community Impact
  • Activating Organizational Power: Strengthening Nonprofits for Transformative Change
  • Activating Your Superpowers: Unleashing Collective Possibilities for Social Change

3:15pm: Activating Individual Power: Beginning from Within with Dr. Novien Yarber 

3:45pm: Closing remarks 

4:00pm: Closing performance by transenDANCE 

4:15pm: Reception 

Visit the Speakers tab for more information on who will be speaking in each breakout session.
MORNING PLENARY

Activating Community Power: The Path to Building Authentic Relationships

Building meaningful relationships with communities, especially those new to you, can be hard. Relationship building requires more than just understanding partners’ challenges and aspirations: it involves engaging with their work, values, and realities. During our plenary session, we will explore practical strategies for creating and maintaining relationships that foster genuine dialogue. How do you connect and understand the work that uplifts these communities? What does it take to navigate power dynamics and establish trust? Whether reconnecting with long-time partners or working with new ones, you will leave this session ready to deepen your relationships with intention and authenticity.

 

afternoon sessions

Activating Resource Power: Creating Strategic Partnerships for Community Impact

Creating transformative spaces and opportunities often requires substantial investment: we are currently at a pivotal moment with historic public investments at stake, but these funds often fail to reach the communities that need them most. During this session, participants will hear from four organizations that have embraced innovative partnerships, including public-private collaborations, to drive significant change within their organizations and communities.

Through engaging small group discussions, participants will explore how these organizations have harnessed creative partnerships to secure transformative resources. Join this session to gain new perspectives on how we can think beyond conventional frameworks to develop impactful solutions.

 

Activating Organizational Power: Strengthening Nonprofits for Transformative Change

As the challenges nonprofits face evolve and become increasingly complex, traditional capacity-building approaches often fall short. This session will explore transformative capacity-building through an equity lens, centering the voices that have been historically excluded. Participants will learn how to move beyond deficit-based models towards systems that recognize and build on the strengths of nonprofit partners. By challenging conventional ideas of who defines capacity and how it is developed, we can move toward more innovative, impactful, and sustainable solutions.

 

Activating Your Superpowers: Unleashing Collective Possibilities for Social Change

It is easy to feel powerless when working within the nonprofit industrial complex, but inside each of us is a fire that can be activated to create meaningful, sustainable change. This session will focus on finding our “superpowers” and where they can be activated, on the personal, interpersonal, or organizational levels.  Participants will explore strategies to match their actions to their beliefs to create micro and macro impacts, regardless of title or position. Through guided discussions and collaborative spaces, attendees will leave this session with a renewed sense of purpose and practical steps they can take to start their journey. Join this session to have fun, think outside the box, and harness your inner badass. 

Access full speaker biographies here.

Performers

dok kulap

Laotian Dancers

Omo Aché Afro-Cuban Music & Dance Co

Afro-Cuban Drummers

KELSEY DANIELS

Artist & Organizer

LOS TRIPSTERS

Modern Hippie Rock Band

transcendance

Youth Dance Group

Activating the Power of Creativity: Craftivism In Action

Katie Ruiz

Craftivist

Activating Community Power: The Path to Building Authentic Relationships

moderator: LAUREN j. mapp

Co-Founder of Daylight San Diego & Freelance Reporter

Jacqueline Bravo Estrada-Mercado

Founder & CEO of Best S.T.E.P. Forward

Farida Erikat

Youth Programs Manager at The Majdal Community Center

Joey Williams

Senior Program Manager at The California Endowment, Power and Infrastructure Team – Native Power Building

Activating Resource Power: Strategic Partnerships for Community Impact

Daniela Alvarado

Chief Operating Officer at The Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA)

DR. noori Barka

Founder of Chaldean Community Council

Jacob Alvarado Waipuk

Chair of Tribal Relations, Tribal Liaison, Division of Diversity and Innovation

Jolyana Jirjees

Director of Chaldean Community Council

Janice Luna Reynosa

Founder of Mundo Gardens

RAMLA SAHID

Executive Director at Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans

Activating Your Superpowers: Unleashing Collective Possibilities for Social Change

Alice Y. Hom

Executive Director of CHANGE Philanthropy

Marisa Aurora Quiroz

President and CEO at the International Community Foundation

Activating Organizational Power: Strengthening Nonprofits for Transformative Change

Dr. Adriana Loson-Ceballos

Founding Co-Owner of Colmena Consulting

Activating Individual Power: Beginning from Within 

Dr. Novien Yarber

Senior Learning Officer at The Prebys Foundation and Senior Research Associate at The Nonprofit Institute

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