Office Depot Foundation to Host September 18 ‘National Conversation’ on Collaboration Between Non-Profit Organizations and Corporate America

Washington, DC, September 15, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The Office Depot Foundation will host a “National Conversation on Community Renewal” on Friday, September 18, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 11a.m. at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The conversation will explore compelling cases for closer collaboration between civil society organizations and corporate America.

Community leaders Rod Roberson (Common Council President/Elkhart, IN) and Ruben Barrales (President and CEO/San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce) will participate in the conversation to illustrate the real-world impact of successful grassroots solutions to economic distress, natural disasters, and other challenges faced by local communities. Hal Roark (President, Roark and Associates/New Orleans, LA) also has been invited to participate. The conversation will be moderated by Jay Hein (President and CEO/the Sagamore Institute, Indianapolis). Mark Dobosz (Executive Director/SCORE Foundation, McLean, VA) also will take part in the event.

Office Depot Foundation President Mary Wong says that she hopes the National Conversation will “…draw attention to on-going struggles many communities still face…while also demonstrating that solutions don't always come from Capitol Hill − they also come from innovative citizen action within communities.”

The press conference and panel discussion will also address the importance of local cross-sector collaboration as well as the essential contribution of small and medium non-profit enterprises to solving the many challenges facing communities.

The national conversation follows the recent release of “The Business of the Civil Society Sector: Taking Care of Community” − a report co-authored by Jay Hein, Stephen Jordan (Executive Director/U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Business Civic Leadership Center) and Mary Wong (President/Office Depot Foundation). The paper was inspired by the “Weekend in Boca” − the annual meeting of the Office Depot Foundation Leadership Network in Boca Raton, Florida, which serves as a recurring focal point for cross-sector dialogue and its impact on American communities.

To attend the National Conversation event September 18, please click on the following link, http://www.officedepotfoundation.org/national-conversation-2009.asp

For more information about this event, please contact Leon Rubin at (561) 251-8075 or via e-mail at lrubin@jkggroup.com.

To read the report, please visit: http://www.officedepotfoundation.org/publication_reports.asp.

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About the Office Depot Foundation
The Office Depot Foundation is an independent foundation (tax exempt under IRC Sec. 501(c)(3)) that serves as the independent charitable giving arm of Office Depot, Inc. In keeping with its mission, Listen Learn Care®, the Foundation supports a variety of programs that help children succeed in school and in life; enable civil society (non-profit) organizations to become more efficient and effective; help people and businesses prepare for disasters, then recover and rebuild afterwards; strengthen local communities through grants, product donations and volunteerism; and encourage community development through entrepreneurship and economic innovation. For more information, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org.

Contact:
Leon Rubin
Office Depot Foundation
706-867-0278 (office)
561-251-8075 (mobile)
lrubin@jkggroup.com