The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and the Regional Alliance for a Creative Economy (RACE; convened by the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region and the Center for Economic Growth) are teaming up to present nationally-recognized nonprofit advocate Dan Pallotta in Saratoga Springs on April 21.

Dan will discuss the ways in which our society can change our thinking about nonprofit organizations to encourage true innovation and collective impact at a seminar on Tuesday, April 21 at the Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway in Saratoga Springs. Registration starts at 1:30 p.m., and Dan’s discussion will begin at 2:00 p.m. The event is $20 per person, and attendees can register by visiting the Chamber Events section of Saratoga.org.

At 3:00 p.m., following Dan’s remarks, a panel of local nonprofit, philanthropic and community leaders will continue the conversation with their insights. This panel will include Theresa Agresta, Partner, Allegory Studios; Bo Goliber, Community Relations, Fingerpaint Marketing; Doug Sauer, CEO, New York Council on Nonprofits; Laura Schweitzer, PhD., President, Union Graduate College; and Linda Toohey, Chair, Skidmore College Board of Trustees.

“Dan’s discussion is an important part of helping shift our thinking on how nonprofit organizations must be a vital part of our region’s composition,” said Karen Bilowith, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “To truly galvanize our region and drive economic growth that benefits all residents, we must support and value our nonprofit organizations.”

“The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce is proud to join with RACE to bring Dan Pallotta to our area,” said Todd Shimkus, President of the Saratoga County Chamber. “The programs and services provided to Saratoga County residents by nonprofit organizations are a critically-important element of our community. We hope that Dan’s discussion helps advance the conversation on how our communities can authentically support and engage with local nonprofit organizations.”  

This event has been generously sponsored by KeyBank and Steadfast Risk Advisors, LLC, with support from Leadership Saratoga.

ABOUT DAN PALLOTTA

Dan Pallotta invented the multi-day charitable event industry with the AIDS Rides and Breast Cancer 3-Days. These events altered the landscape of options for ordinary individuals seeking to make an extraordinary difference. Dan's work brought the practice of four-figure philanthropy within the reach of the average citizen who had never raised money for charity before in their lives. 182,000 people of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds participated in these inspiring, often grueling, long-distance events that raised $582 million in nine years - more money raised more quickly for these causes than any private event operation in history. Three million people donated to the events.

Dan is the founder and Chief Humanity Officer of Advertising for Humanity, a full-service brand and inspiration agency for the humanitarian sector. He is also founder and President of the Charity Defense Council, a new national leadership movement dedicated to transforming the way the donating public thinks about charity and change.

Dan is the author of Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential, the best-selling title in the history of Tufts University Press. The Stanford Social Innovation Review said that it "deserves to become the nonprofit sector's new manifesto." His newest book is Charity Case: How the Nonprofit Community Can Stand Up for Itself and Really Change the World from Jossey-Bass. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. described it as "An Apollo program for American philanthropy and the nonprofit sector."

Dan is a featured weekly contributor to the Harvard Business Review online. His iconic TED Talk, “The Way We Think About Charity is Dead Wrong,” is one of the top 100 most-viewed TED Talks of all time. He is a William J. Clinton Distinguished Lecturer, and has spoken at Stanford, Wharton, Harvard Business School, Harvard's Hauser Center for Nonprofits, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Tufts University, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Council on Foundations, the Gates Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, and the Milken Institute, among others.   

ABOUT THE SARATOGA COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The work of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce is to initiate and provide programs and services which will enhance members’ ability to successfully conduct their business and to enhance and promote a healthy economy, making Saratoga County an ideal place to work, live and visit. Working collaboratively with the Community Foundation of the Greater Capital Region and RACE, the Chamber is looking to help spread the word about the focus of impact in our nonprofit sector.

ABOUT THE REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR A CREATIVE ECONOMY

The Regional Alliance for a Creative Economy is a community-selected assembly of Capital Region leaders working on behalf of the region’s creative economy. This project operates under the leadership of the Center for Economic Growth and the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region.

The Creative Economy of New York’s Capital Region encompasses the enterprises and people involved in the origination, production, and distribution of goods and services in which artistic and cultural content gives the product or service value in the marketplace.

The Capital Region Creative Economy project has been designed to assess our region's creative assets and develop ways to leverage related economic development opportunities (e.g. travel and tourism, local economic and infrastructure development, workforce development, etc.). This community-based, collaborative initiative will examine the creative sector, including the arts (performing, literary, visual), design (graphics, fashion), textiles, crafts, architecture, communications and marketing, cinema and film, broadcasting, software development, publishing and printing, cultural and educational institutions, craft beer brewing and distilleries, culinary arts, and more. The project activities span Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington counties.

For more information and a full list of partners, visit www.UpstateCreative.org.