CALL FOR POLICY BRIEFS
“CIVIL SOCIETY AND BUSINESS: BRIDGING THE GAP”
The William Davidson Institute (WDI) and ProConcept invite you to submit a policy brief for inclusion in the conference “Civil Society and Business: Bridging the Gap”. The conference will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, July 6-8, 2006.
Civil Society And Business: Bridging The Gap
The conference aims to bring together leaders in the nonprofit sector who are developing and/or utilizing innovative approaches to achieve greater financial sustainability and ultimately increased social impact. The first day of the conference will include the presentation of selected briefs with the aim of sharing best practices and to examine opportunities and obstacles for fostering social enterprise in the region. The last day of the conference will include sessions on business plan writing, strategic management, and social capital presented by top business school professors and leading thinkers. WDI and ProConcept invite you to submit a paper on the following topics:
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Strategies for developing productive corporate – NGO partnerships
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Methods to reduce grant dependence and provide more sustainable services
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Application of business tools to better address social issues
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Adoption of revenue generating enterprises including membership fess, fees for services, product sales, and rental of equipment or real estate.
Authors should be affiliated with NGOs located in Central and Eastern Europe or Eurasia. Papers should outline the NGO’s innovative methods for becoming less donor-dependent and more sustainable. To apply, please complete an online application here. Please include a 2-3 page abstract of the proposed paper.
The final paper should be a non-technical topic-specific summary, between 8-15 pages in length. In addition, we ask that the submission include a summary of the organization and a short personal biography of the author. If a brief is selected for the conference, WDI will provide editing support and will include the accepted brief in the WDI Policy Brief series. Examples of current WDI briefs and submission guidelines are available at http://www.wdi/Publications/PolicyBriefs/Guidelines
Important Dates
Deadline for applications: April 14, 2006 (Deadline Extended to May 5, 2006)
Notification of selection: April 28, 2006
Deadline for draft submissions: May 26, 2006
Deadline for final papers: June 23, 2006
Conference dates: July 6-8, 2006 (conference will open with a gala reception on the evening of the 6th)
Authors of papers selected for the conference will be awarded:
- One-on-one feedback and editorial support by WDI and ProConcept.
- Scholarships to cover travel expenses to attend the conference in Belgrade, Serbia, accommodation and meals.
- Regional and international promotion by WDI and ProConcept.
- Inclusion in the WDI Policy Brief series: http://www.wdi.umich.edu/Publications/PolicyBriefs/
This conference is sponsored in part by the Balkan Trust for Democracy.