The Martha’s Vineyard Donors Collaborative is offering Island nonprofits two workshops this fall designed to help them through the current economy and give them tools to improve the effectiveness of their organizations.

A marketing workshop on Tuesday, Nov. 10 is designed to help Island nonprofits compete for limited funds. The aim is to hone their 2010 marketing plans so they can communicate their impact in a compelling way and connect with donors.

Geek Girl Camp is a a learn-by-doing social networking workshop presented by the Martha’s Vineyard Women’s Network on Thursday, Nov. 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

A free panel discussion about the Middle East on Sunday features four powerhouse speakers.

Leading the panel is Israeli expat Shula Gilad, a fellow at Harvard University’s Negotiation Project. With degrees from Tel Aviv University, Brandeis, Berkeley and UMass, she specializes in conict resolution negotiation. She is working closely with the two Palestinians who will be on the panel with her.

Halloween, which has its roots in both a celebration of the change in seasons and a day to honor the memory of our ancestors, is not a federally recognized holiday, but this year it falls on a Saturday. It won’t happen again until 2015, so enjoy it.

Reliving the Sixties

Vineyard author Tom Dresser will discuss his latest books, In My Life and It Was 40 Years Ago Today, Wednesday, November 4, at 5:30 p.m. at the Chilmark Public Library.

A coming-of-age novel set in a small New England town in the 1960s, In My Life resonates with an atmosphere familiar to many baby-boomers.

It Was 40 Years Ago Today is a nonfiction review of the Beatles, recently published to coincide with the anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ album Abbey Road.

Defining Freedom

What is freedom? Prof. Sheldon Hackney talks about the concept and its critical, if changing, meaning in American culture on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Vineyard Haven Public Library.

President emeritus of Tulane and the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Hackney will give a brief history of America in his talk, The Concept of Freedom and the American National Character.