Sessions Dates and Topics | 2020 New Grantmakers Institute

The State of the Sector  is a panel of seasoned and opinionated (!) experts who will share their experiences of the field of philanthropy today. Members of this panel will reflect on the state of the sector and its evolution over the past several years, as well as how they grapple with equity, humility, accountability, and power dynamics. They will comment on how they see the rest of the field managing the challenges that philanthropy is trying to positively impact, and share where we are living up to the intentions we set for ourselves, and where we still have some growing to do.  The content of this conversation, given our current reality, will be set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and the social uprisings associated with the pervasive injustice of racism in our country. 

 

In this session we’ll explore how to develop authentic and generative relationships with grantee partners, working to disrupt embedded power dynamics and practices, in the context of grant sourcing, proposals, and reporting. We’ll also explore what a matchmaker and talent scout have in common, or a strategist and an administrator. In other words, we’ll think about the different roles we all can play in the philanthropic process, including how those roles translate into effective and equitable relationships with grantee partners. 

 

Across the nation, there has been an increased focus on supporting equity, inclusive economies, and opportunity for all.  For grantmakers that means moving beyond outdated fundraising practices that focus solely on programs, neglect investments in infrastructure, and undermine scale.  When funding doesn't cover the full cost of doing business, nonprofits close the gap through sweat equity – they overwork and underpay their people. Staff are asked to deliver on a wide range of funder, government, and board expectations while using outdated computer systems, with poor internet service and leaking offices. Aiming for "opportunity for all" through exploiting the employees of nonprofits is no path to success.

 

Supporting equity and economic opportunity is not just about what you fund but how you fund. By better understanding what it really costs your grantees to deliver on mission, grantmakers can better leverage their resources to support a more just, equitable, and sustainable society. 

 

Philanthropy operates within a complex, interconnected civic landscape—working alongside business, government, nonprofit institutions, and academia. These other sectors can seem foreign to many of us, none more so than government entities, most of whom spend more money on any given issue than all of philanthropy combined. Public policy, politics, and advocacy have simultaneously earned a bleak image of ineffectiveness and corruption, or a comedic cynical view of government. Reality, however, paints a vastly different picture. Through this interactive session, learn the rules of engagement for effectively moving your foundations’ agenda forward. We will explore the fundamentals of advocacy and its critical function in advancing the goals of philanthropy in public policy through a discussion of the importance of public policy, communicating your policy preferences, and collaborating with government.

 

We will also connect the work of philanthropy within the larger civic landscape, and the transformation that can occur when we connect our work as grantmakers, relationship builders, and responsible brokers of social influence to the power, urgency, challenge, and opportunity that comes from working in the wider civic context.

 

In this session, we'll bring all of our learning together, hearing from nonprofit leaders about their most successful relationships with funder partners. Moderated by Shaady Salehi of the Trust-Based Philanthropy project, three nonprofit leaders will share their best (and worst) stories as they've worked to create financial sustainability within their organizations while advancing towards their missions as well. We'll hear what it means to go beyond the grant, and what behaviors funders can practice that most support their grantee partners to achieve their goals. 

 

In this session, you will hear from two individuals who have both been in the field for 15+ years, and who met at the beginning of their journeys in philanthropy. They both began in junior positions and have advanced to some of the most senior roles in their foundations. They will share stories and lessons that have shaped their careers, and reflect on what they feel has made it possible for them to be successful in philanthropy.