For over a decade, Opportunity Collaboration (OC) has convened social sector leaders building sustainable solutions to poverty from over 85 countries around the world. With the impacts of the global pandemic, the pause on in-person gatherings, the ever-increasing need for more effective poverty solutions, and the overwhelming demand we’ve heard from our community, we launched OC365, a monthly online convening platform for global impact leaders to foster global community, personal growth, and poverty solutions.

Everyone enrolled in OC2024 receives complimentary admission to OC365, gaining access to these core programs offered on a monthly basis:

Community Connections – personal sharing, “What’s it like to be you right now?”

How Can We Help You? – Delegates present challenges and/or opportunities for which they would like input

Affinity Circles ~ open, large format Delegate-hosted meetings for SDGs, regions and roles

Funder Office Hours ~ individual philanthropists, leaders from small to large foundations, angels, fund managers and institutional impact investors host opportunities for fund-seekers to ask any and all questions

Conversations for Change & Capacity-Building Clinics – dialogue (as opposed to formal presentation) on topics or issues of Delegate’s choosing, co-hosted by multiple Delegates

Serendipity Hour – no formal agenda but suggested discussion prompts, co-hosted by Fellowship Partner orgs

Once your registration in OC2024 is confirmed, you will receive calendar invitations with Zoom details for the monthly OC365 calls.

Conversations for Change are extended, 90 minute work sessions in which Delegates describe specific objectives and common challenges around a central question, policy issue or theme. Conversations for Change include a broad range of poverty-alleviation actors: investors, grant-makers, for-profit social enterprises and non-profits. Delegates are asked to contribute their specific institutional expertise, explain their theory of social change and, most importantly, share what problem they are confronting that attracted them to the Conversation. Solutions are discussed by the group.

All Boats Rise sessions are 2-hour interactive workshops that prioritize connection amongst participants and co-created learnings, tools, and more to help all rise, especially those who have further to travel.

During Making Change As… sessions, Delegates discuss the opportunities and challenges for different change leaders and social identities when creating impact. MAKING CHANGE AS… sessions are open dialogues. Everyone is invited to engage in the conversation, and share their unique challenges or opportunities within the context of their common identity.

Office Hours are hosted by funding organizations and Delegates offering a pro-bono service to the OC community. Delegates make themselves available during this time to connect with anyone who would like meet. Many funders host Office Hours so that anyone can drop by and ask them questions about their funding priorities and process. Pro-bono legal, financial, media and Board advisors may also be available.

Core Activity for All Delegates

Leadership Circles are an essential aspect of the Opportunity Collaboration experience. In small groups, all Delegates participate in this core curriculum, creating a common experiential bond and shared set of learning.

The Leadership Circles program is Opportunity Collaboration’s signature seminar on executive leadership, economic justice and the good society. Leadership Circles address the principles that drive poverty alleviation and asks Delegates to think pragmatically about the nature of their leadership.

Opportunity Collaboration intentionally brings together leaders working on a diverse array of poverty solutions, crossing sectors, geographies and other work silos so Delegates can learn from each other’s successes and challenges around the globe. Of course, Delegates also appreciate time to meet others working in the same way (ROLE), on the same issues (Sustainable Development Goal) and/or in the same geographies (REGION). This is your chance!

In Affinity Circles, Delegates who share a common affinity are invited to walk on the beach, play mini-golf & ping pong, take out a giant group paddle board, try the trapeze, learn archery, and more. Affinity Circles provide Delegates time to meet others working in three key categories: the Sustainable Development Goals, geographic regions, and social sector roles. The primary objective of the Affinity Circle program is to help Delegates identify and connect with their most aligned allies for work and growth.

All Affinity Circles will meet virtually in advance of OC’s flagship in-person gathering, as well as several times on-site. If you are interested in joining an Affinity Circle, refer to the OC2023 Agenda for the various places and times each Affinity Circle will be meeting. Also feel free to reach out directly to the Delegate(s) listed below, introduce yourself and share why you are interested in joining this particular Affinity Circle.

OC2023 Affinity Circles (downloadable pdf version)

Submit a video for in-room news channel (Collaboration Network News)

Collaboration Network News (CNN) is the Opportunity Collaboration’s two on-site television channels. Both channels broadcast 24/7 via into each Delegate’s Leadership Village room during the Opportunity Collaboration, as well as in the theatre in the evenings. All Delegates are encouraged to include at least one video clip for each CNN channel. One CNN broadcasts a video montage of 2-5 minute educational videos introducing the unique work Opportunity Collaboration Delegates and their organizations are accomplishing to combat poverty. The second CNN channel features longer (up to 2 hour) documentary-style films by or about Delegates and their organizations, showcasing their work in richer detail.

To Submit Your Films: on or before September 15, 2024, Delegates should ideally send a H.264(.MOV) via a Drop Box link to Paul Lynch (paul@cagefreeproductions.com) and/or email Paul and his colleague, Stephanie (stephanie@cagefreeproductions.com), to ensure that we receive the best quality video.  We can also accept YouTube links, Vimeo links, etc.  For snail mail, addresses packages to Topher Wilkins at U.S. Postal Service Address: P.O. Box 757, Santa Cruz, California 95061, USA. FedEx / UPS / DHL Delivery Address: 850 Front Street #757, Santa Cruz, California 95061, USA.

Distribute printed materials via our literature library

Tables for Delegate organizational displays and literature are available everyday on-site. Delegates are encouraged to bring modest amounts of materials for distribution. Based on prior years experience, 25 copies of handouts are usually sufficient, as these materials are mainly for fellow Delegates to peruse on-site during the event.

Opportunity Collaboration’s global network of leaders dedicated to solving poverty is over 2,000 Delegates strong. Don’t wait to increase your impact – start working together now!

Connection Concierge Service: Confirmed 2024 and prior Delegates may request introductions to each other at any time that is mutually productive. Search the OC Alumni Directory for potential allies, and email CEO Topher Wilkins with your reason for requesting a personal introduction. Introductions are always made with Delegate’s advance permission.

Regional Receptions: Throughout the year, Delegates host private regional receptions for fellow Delegates and their colleagues to further exchange ideas and resources and introduce new high-impact leaders to our network. Email CEO Topher Wilkins if you’d like to host an Opportunity Collaboration reception in your city.

Delegate Lookbook: Delegates are provided with a directory onsite that contains Delegate photos and contact information to facilitate communications and follow-up on connections made during the Opportunity Collaboration.

Social Media: Join the continued discussion, give feedback, provide help, or just keep networking. Visit our Facebook page, share your OC photos on Instagram (@OCimpact) and Tweet (@OCimpact).

1. We are a community built on inclusion and deep connections.​ We need not agree on everything, but we are committed to supporting each other’s growth and well-being as a community. 
2. We use “I” statements and speak from our own lived experience. ​We speak for ourselves and not on behalf of anyone else. 
3. We create and contribute to a culture of generosity and respect​. We treat each other with care.  
4. We understand that every person in this community is on their own unique journey.​ We recognize that we all make mistakes. 
5. We commit to showing up, for real.​ We encourage each other to bring the many facets of ourselves to our community.
6. We do what we need to do.​ Introverts and extroverts are welcome. Time to process and reflect are built into the agenda, and we’re welcome to create more. If we need to take a break, take a walk, or call a friend, we will.   
7. We each take responsibility for empathy and compassion. We welcome and include newcomers. 
8. Our community is strengthened by our global diversity. We honor our diversity, and strive to reach a shared understanding across language barriers, cultures, and all our wonderful differences.

OC’s JEDI Circle thanks StartingBloc for generously sharing their community agreements, inspiring these aspirations.

Don’t hold back. The best sessions and captivating private conversations will be about what is important to you and your work.

• As an agent of social change, what are your most significant institutional goals and challenges?

• What is your organization’s theory of change and how do you measure results?

• What is your current strategy or business plan for financial sustainability and/or accountable impact?

• What emerging and promising opportunities to reduce poverty do you see in the marketplace?

• What types of partners or expertise do you require or seek to achieve your objectives(s)?

• How are you currently realizing new opportunities for global connections and new alliances?

• Do you have a collaborative or hybrid social change model that other Delegates can replicate or join in partnership?

To continue productive conversations after the Opportunity Collaboration, all Delegates receive a complete physical Delegate Roster with full contact information. You don’t need to exchange or carry business cards.

We are a diverse group of change-makers with different racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, class, sexual, and gender backgrounds and orientations coming together to do what we can to make this world a better place for all.

We acknowledge working in a world with numerous divisions, and can’t pretend that all who come to this gathering are perceived as equal in social status in the world as it presently exists.

Absolutely all are welcome here.  But by welcoming all we don’t in any way wish to disavow or diminish the very real differences each of us embodies.

Like the potent, self-aware people we aim to be we intentionally foreground those differences. We name them clearly in order to recognize the very real historical power differentials that have resulted from those differences.

Our aim is not to hide, repress, or deny those differences, but to go through them to realize our personal and collective aims.

~ by OC 2016 Delegate Frederick Marx of Warrior Films

Ask every Delegate: What is your mission? How can I help you advance it?

Be Yourself. Be Authentic. Be Evocative.

Share your passion with personal stories – the highs and the lows of your work. Make it personal. Make it real.

Be tangible. Provide other Delegates with the information needed to consider collaborating with you. If you were considering partnering or backing your organization, what would you want to know about it?

Honor the opinions of other Delegates by respecting the Opportunity Collaboration’s non-partisanship, confidentiality and informality.

Some of us have money, some do not.  We meet at an all-inclusive resort in order to help minimize those class differences.  But some of us are donors and some of us seek donations. That’s real too.

Class, race, gender, etc. privileges all exist.  Some have more privileges, some less, but most of us embody some combination of both.

We aim to acknowledge all our power differentials with each other up front so that each of us can refine her/his awareness and work with them, not in spite of them.

We also acknowledge how privileged all of us are simply to be able to attend this gathering.

So let us be the change we seek to make in the world.  Let us be leaders not only in our work outside Opportunity Collaboration, but in our work collaboratively as well.

Let us each bring our full awareness and most skillful means to acknowledging our differences and working with them during our time together, for our own benefit and for the benefit of all.

~ by OC 2016 Delegate Frederick Marx of Warrior Films

Whether you have money or want money, a few tips about framing intelligent conversations:

• Be candid. Funders can’t fund everything that is worthy and no anti-poverty program is the panacea. Save yourself and everyone else time by stating your agenda and focus.

• Failure never fails. Put forth what is working, what has failed and what you’ve learned. Your candor will be appreciated, and you will win converts to your cause.

• Keep it short. Be concise and get to the point. Don’t preach.

Your fellow Delegates, especially funders, are thought leaders and much more than the sum of their bank accounts. Avoid performing wallet biopsies on other Delegates. It disrespects the spirit of the Opportunity Collaboration to monetize every conversation.

Every Delegate shares your commitment to economic justice. All are seasoned veterans and distinguished leaders in the anti-poverty movement. Delegates appreciate comments and presentations that are demanding, challenging and sophisticated.

• Avoid generalities. Employ concrete examples, explain business models and provide clear theories of social change.

• Keep it simple and straightforward. Avoid jargon.

• Don’t talk about “me” and what you have achieved. It’s a given that all Opportunity Collaboration delegates are accomplished people.

• Don’t hesitate to discuss failures. Some of the best learning comes from what doesn’t work.

All sessions are conversational discussions, not lectures, formal presentations or panels. Powerpoint and other electronic aids are not available.

• Introductions should be the first order of business

• Start with a question, rather than your own presentation to stimulate participation

• Be concrete rather than theoretical

• Follow the conversation; don’t force it to go in a predetermined direction

• Don’t step on other speakers

Collaboration is not just a matter of playing nicely with others. It is an element of structural reform which can reduce organizational dysfunction. Institutional silos (such as entrepreneurs vs. nonprofits, governments vs. foundations, funders vs. grantees) block pragmatic problem-solving. Pack your ideas and solutions, but leave your institutional baggage (and your ego) behind.

The Opportunity Collaboration forms an extraordinary community of life-time allies and personal friendships. Leave even one day early (yes, we know, the home office can’t live without you, but neither can we) and you will miss the final moments when handshakes and hugs form the foundation for future collaboration.

All the paid and pro bono staff members are, like you, full Delegates of the Opportunity Collaboration. There is no hierarchy, and no levels of membership. Everyone you meet is committed to social & economic justice for all and is attending the Opportunity Collaboration to learn and share.

Collaborate yourself! Drink water and get some rest; you are in the tropics. You are not expected to attend every seminar, every round table and every stimulating program. Take a nap, take a walk, take care of yourself.  Have fun!

Work trade Delegate positions are typically reserved for OC alumni. In exchange for ~30 hours of support, a registration rate of $895 is available for Delegates residing in OECD countries and $295 (with option to be refundable) for Delegates in non-OECD countries (not including travel costs).

Examples of work trade roles include: Affinity Circle Leadership, Leadership Circle Moderation, On-Site Logistics, Health Support, New Delegate Support, and more.

Interested in contributing to the success of OC2024? Complete the work trade form here.

The Opportunity Collaboration is family friendly and welcomes family members and significant others to accompany Delegates.

The Adult Traveling Companion all-inclusive registration fee is $895 OECD Country/$495 non-OECD Country and includes 4 nights lodging and all meals, resort facilities and airport shuttle. Airfare and other personal expenses not included. To bring an Adult Traveling Companion, the primary Delegate must be registered for a private room. To add your Adult Traveling Companion to your existing registration, contact Registrar Tracie.

Traveling Companions may attend all networking receptions and events, all recreational programs and all evening activities. However, 9am – 6pm daily – OC’s signature Leadership Circles, Capacity Building Lunch Clinics and afternoon SDG, Region, Role and Cross-Sector Sessions – are reserved for full Delegates only. Companions who wish to participate in these programs should register as Suite-Sharing Delegates (see Delegate Suite-Sharing).

While Delegates are in the daily Leadership Circles, Capacity Building Lunch Clinics and afternoon SDG, Region, Role and Cross-Sector Sessions, Traveling Companions may at their own expense use the spa services or arrange offsite excursions ranging from golf, snorkeling and swimming with dolphins to cultural explorations. Spa and excursion appointments can be made upon arrival; fees vary by activity.

Children: 4 Years to 15 Years

An all-inclusive $350 fee is required for children 4 years to 15 years of age and includes all lodging, meals, resort access, airport shuttles, and complimentary childcare from 9am-5pm for children 4-12 years old. Children 16 years of age and older are considered Adult Traveling Companions. To bring an Adult Traveling Companion or child, the primary Delegate must be registered for a private room. To make changes to your existing registration, contact Registrar Tracie.

Family accommodations are equipped with strollers, cribs, baby bathtubs, bottle warmers and sanitizers, white noise players and changing areas. Family-friendly dining, beach and pool areas are designated for Delegates with children. For families with younger children, high chairs, booster seats and baby food are available.

Children must be accompanied by an adult caregiver at all times during the Opportunity Collaboration. A supervised recreational program for 4-12 year olds is available from 9am to 6pm called OC Just for Kids. For children under 4, childcare at the onsite nursery is available on a fee basis.

Lodging for extended stays before or after the pre-paid 4 nights is $285.00 (single occupancy/standard accommodations) or $400.00 (double occupancy/standard accommodations) per night, including meals. If a child is the third person in the room, the extended stay fee for a child (4 years to 15 years of age) is $150.00 per child per night. Additional fees may apply for those requiring rooms other than standard accommodations. As with all other hotel arrangements, book your extended stay with Tracie.

Scheduling Travel.

Arrival day for is October 13, 2024.

The Collaboration commences that evening.

Departure date is October 17, 2024, anytime.

Important Note: Delegates departing before October 17, 2024, miss critical program and networking elements of the Opportunity Collaboration.

Attire and Packing: For information on packing, attire, weather, etc., see Venue Information below.

Customs: Baggage is searched randomly. After securing your luggage, customs officials will ask you to push a button. If the light flashes green, you have cleared customs without a luggage search. If a red light flashes, your bags will be searched.

After Customs: After customs & immigration, exit baggage claim and locate the Club Med desk.  Club Med Staff with signs who will take you to your shuttle for the 30-minute trip to the leadership village.

Upon Arrival: At the leadership village, you and your luggage will be escorted directly to your room via the Communications Center (near the Theater) where you will check your mailbox for messages and receive your welcome packet. Delegates can deliver organizational literature to the Literature Library, which is also in the Theater near the mailboxes.

Delegates dine together at Welcome Dinners hosted by Leadership Circle moderators at 7:00 PM in Cayuco, the main restaurant.  Join any table in the Blue or Emerald dining rooms.

Delegates who arrive after the Leadership Circle Welcome Dinners start, or who prefer to take their meals privately, can still dine at their leisure in Cayuco anytime between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM.

Departure Information: There is a monitor near reception that will display flight numbers/departure times along with what time the shuttle for that flight will depart.

Airfare should be booked to and from Zihuatanejo International Airport (airport code: ZIH). The following are airlines with flights to and from ZIH:

Alaska Airlines
Volaris
Air Canada
VivaAerobus
American Airlines
WestJet
United Airlines
Sun Country Airlines
Aeromexico

Submit Flight Itinerary. Important Note: Flight information must be submitted in advance to reserve complimentary airport shuttle service. Delegates must finalize and submit an air travel itinerary on or before September 15, 2024. Send your itinerary information as soon as you book your flight to: Tracie.

Delegates without prior shuttle service reservations or who arrive/depart an airport other than ZIH will be responsible for arranging their own transportation.

Some delegates will require a visa to travel to Mexico. You can check whether your passport requires a visa here. Each Delegate is ultimately responsible for securing their own visa, if required, to participate in Opportunity Collaboration. The OC team of staff and volunteers can provide some support, including invitation letters, visa information, and legal assistance for Delegates who notify us in advance and promptly provide materials and information required. More information about the visa process will be shared soon.

Opportunity Collaboration makes all arrangements for hotel accommodations at our leadership campus in Ixtapa, Mexico. For extended stays or special requirements, contact Tracie.

Room Features & Cuisine. All rooms are equipped with king-size beds, air conditioning, safes, hairdryer, iron & ironing board, mini-bar, television and standard North American electrical outlets. Complimentary, but sometimes patchy, internet service is available. The leadership village serves healthy food options throughout the day. All meals, snacks, and beverages are included in the all-inclusive Delegate fee.

Health, Fitness & Safety. The leadership campus is a guarded enclave restricted to Delegates and hotel staff. Water is safe to drink. A nurse is on duty in the infirmary every day, around the clock. The all-inclusive Delegate fee includes complimentary use of all health and wellness facilities, including the gymnasium, tennis courts, kayaking, wind-foiling equipment, yoga and trapeze instruction, basketball, softball, ping pong, volleyball, mini-golf, tennis, archery and more.

Attire. The Collaboration atmosphere is relaxed, unhurried, informal and conducive to quiet conversation and dialogue. For daytime sessions and meals, Delegates should consider shorts, t-shirts and sandals suitable to tropical weather. For evenings, dressy resort attire is appropriate.

Weather. Ixtapa in October is tropical, balmy and hot with temperatures ranging from 70 to 90+ degrees F. Expect humidity and light afternoon rain showers.

Special Items to Pack. Sunglasses, sun block, mosquito repellant and a hat are desirable. Comfortable shoes are advised. For sports, bring swimsuits, suitable sportswear and gear. For evening jam sessions, bring your musical instruments.

Emergency Contact Information. The Collaboration’s leadership village is rented from the Club Méditerranée corporation. Please remember to contact Opportunity Collaboration for all hotel arrangements.

Site Emergency Phone: +52 755-555-1000

Site Address: Club Med Ixtapa Pacific, Mexico, Playa Quieta, 40880 Zihuatanejo, Gro., Mexico

Opportunity Collaboration is a mission-driven social enterprise. Opportunity Collaboration exists to further the work of leaders ending poverty, in the United States and globally, and heavily invests in Fellowships. Because Delegates make the Opportunity Collaboration financially sustainable without subsidies from outside sources, Delegates are the only stakeholders. The network serves one purpose alone: increasing social justice and economic opportunity – no sponsors, no paid promotions, and no gimmicks.

After January 31, 2024, a $895.00 cancellation fee is applied for Delegate cancellations. No cash refunds are allowed after June 30, 2024. If a Delegate cancels in July, August or September of 2024, the Delegate’s fee balance remaining (after the $895.00 cancellation fee) can be credited towards OC2025: to use the credit, the Delegate must register for OC2025 prior to December 31, 2024; the credit will otherwise expire at the end of 2024. Delegate cancellations which occur after September 30, 2024 do not receive a credit towards OC2025. OC Add-on Registration Fees (OC Sunrise/Sunset), Traveling Companion Fees, Private Room Upgrade Fee, Extended Stay Fee are non-refundable after September 30, 2024. If Opportunity Collaboration is cancelled by us due to natural catastrophe, Delegates will receive a credit for the value of their registration that is valid for any of our online or in-person gatherings within the next 3 years. Delegates with partial scholarships and staff with pre-approved discounted registrations for the Opportunity Collaboration are not entitled to a refund. To cancel, contact Tracie.

Delegates engage in activities and interactions at their own risk. A wide variety of activities are available to Delegates to the Opportunity Collaboration both onsite, through Club Med, and off site.  By registering as an Opportunity Collaboration Delegate, the registrant acknowledges that Opportunity Collaboration is not responsible for any injury or damage that may be suffered by a Delegate engaging in these activities, and that Opportunity Collaboration is not responsible for the actions of individual Delegates.

Opportunity Collaboration’s top priority is the health and wellbeing of the OC community. We ask all Delegates to assist in the wellness of our community at large. Onsite testing is available, as well as room service for quarantining, and resort insurance covering up to 75,000 EUR in approved medical expenses and extended stays due to illness that prevents travel.

Specific requests for OC2023 Delegates ~

PLEASE DON’T TOUCH | Red heart stickers on name tags mean that a Delegate prefers not to be touched. Not everyone is comfortable with hugging and handshakes right now. Please be respectful of others’ personal health and safety boundaries.

TEST IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS | Drop by the infirmary for a rapid COVID test. Symptoms may include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

IF YOU TEST POSITIVE, PLEASE NOTIFY STAFF | Contact Opportunity Collaboration COO Jessica Loman at +1-510-473-2375, who can share free resources for quarantining, extending your stay as needed, and medical expense reimbursement (related information follows.)

Read more about Club Med’s emergency assistance under Frequently Asked Questions here.

Delegates should consider purchasing their own international health insurance.

Read the CDC guidelines for travel to the Dominican Republic here.