Help send me to the Net Impact conference in November!

I created a ChipIn account in the hopes that my friends and colleagues will be able to help me attend the 2009 Net Impact Conference at the Johnson School of Business at Cornell University.

The conference runs November 12-15 (and I'll be driving up the previous day, in order to break up the 5-hour drive into manageable chunks).I've itemized my estimated expenses below.

Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire,educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world. The 2009 Net Impact Conference will bring together the players behind the sustainable global enterprise movement, including sustainability and corporate responsibility practitioners, social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. (Visit http://www.netimpact.org)

I attended the conference in 2006 and 2007 and walked away inspired and enlightened. It's an educational conference and job fair, providing for me an ideal mix of thought and action. It'll be a place for me to reconnect with colleagues and meet potential employers.

The expense of attending is not huge, just under $1500. But my current financial situation is becoming critical. Although my medical insurance has covered most of my medical expenses, I still have daily living expenses, which I've been covering with my savings. With another surgery planned for January, it's no likely I'll be returning to work before next February.

Estimated expenses:
Registration fee $450
Travel (estimated at the IRS 2009 Standard Mileage Rate) $323.84
Hotel $560.48 (4 nights, one night longer than needed for the conference in order to accommodate my need to break up the drive)
Meals $105
Total: $1439.32