We’re in the final week of the early-bird registration period for the 2015 CEP National Conference, “Leading Effective Foundations.” And at current registration levels, we’re predicting that we will sell out of space in the coming weeks. If you are a senior leader at a foundation (or a trustee or major donor), I’d like to encourage you to register today to take advantage of a several hundred dollar discount and to ensure that you’ll have a seat in San Francisco come May.
From our plenary speakers to our breakout session leaders, this year’s speaker cohort includes influential and inspiring leaders from philanthropy, academia, the nonprofit sector, and the national media, each with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ideas to share.
Here’s just a small preview of the topics covered:
- Are the “new models” of philanthropy championed by entrepreneurs in places like Silicon Valley rendering traditional foundations obsolete? Come hear the plenary in which key leaders from both movements face-off about emerging giving trends.
- What do we really know about what it takes to lead a foundation? Barbara Kellerman, lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School, will share from her scholarship on leadership, followed by an interview with Darren Walker on his experiences as president of the Ford Foundation.
- What will it take to increase opportunity in this country? Hear from Van Jones, CNN political commentator and two-time New York Times bestselling author, about his work in leading social justice movements ranging from building a greener economy to opening new doors of opportunity in the innovation sector to reforming the criminal justice system in America.
- Is your foundation’s grantmaking harnessing the power of design-thinking? Come learn from Jocelyn Wyatt, executive director and co-lead of nonprofit design firm IDEO.org, who will lead an interactive session applying human-centered design thinking into philanthropy.
- Plus, what role should foundations play in promoting democracy and solving government dysfunction, and what are foundations doing about rising income inequality in major urban areas?
Don’t miss being a part of these conversations!
We’ll be tweeting updates and news about the conference as it draws nearer. If you’re active on Twitter, join the conversation by letting us know your thoughts and questions by using the hashtag #CEP2015!
Grace Nicolette is Director of Marketing & Programming at CEP.
