CEP2017 CONFERENCE
VIDEOS AND FILES
Opening Plenary:
Leading Effective Foundations in Complex, Changing Times
Effective foundation philanthropy has always been difficult, but it’s even tougher when the context changes rapidly. CEP President Phil Buchanan presents data from CEP studies on three important topics in changing times: how U.S. foundations are responding to the shift in national political context after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, how foundation leaders view the present and future of foundation philanthropy, and what grantee perception data show to be the predictors of strong foundation-grantee relationships.
PART 1
Changed Context: How U.S. Foundations are Responding to Shift in Presidential Administration
PART 2
The Future of Foundation Philanthropy
PART 3
What It Takes to Build Strong Foundation-Grantee Relationships
Stanford University economist Raj Chetty shares his research on mobility and economic opportunities for low-income children, followed by a panel discussion among foundation and nonprofit leaders about approaches to combatting the roots and effects of inequality.
The panel, moderated by Tiffany Cooper Gueye, CEO of BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life), includes Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, former president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Hilary Pennington, vice president, education, free expression and creativity at the Ford Foundation; and Kyle Peterson, executive director of the Walton Family Foundation.
Raj Chetty: Remarks Only
Perspectives on Philanthropy’s Influence
What are the various perspectives on — and critiques of — foundations and what can be learned from them? This panel discussion on philanthropy’s influence features voices from the nonprofit, academic, journalist, and funder points of view.
Moderated by Barr Foundation President Jim Canales, panelists include Vu Le, executive director of Rainier Valley Corps and nonprofit blogger; Linsey McGoey, senior lecturer at the University of Essex and author of No Such Thing as a Free Gift; Grant Oliphant, president of the Heinz Endowments; and Sacha Pfeiffer, reporter at The Boston Globe.
Doug Stone:
Difficult Conversations and Feedback in Philanthropy
The power dynamics inherent in foundation philanthropy can make it hard to have difficult conversations. How can funders ensure they are communicating effectively and listening well? How does being open to, and acting on, feedback lead to greater effectiveness? Doug Stone, co-author of two New York Times bestsellers, Difficult Conversations and Thanks for the Feedback, breaks it down.
Other Available Presentations
This session looked at the range of choices foundations have made about evaluation as well as some of the challenges foundation evaluators experience, raising questions about how foundations could best structure and support this crucial function.
Panelists:
- Chera D. Reid, Director, Strategic Learning, Research, and Evaluation, The Kresge Foundation (Moderator)
- Marc Holley, Evaluation Unit Director, The Walton Family Foundation
- Edward Pauly, Director of Research and Evaluation, The Wallace Foundation
- Jennifer Glickman, Manager, Research, Center for Effective Philanthropy
This session delved into what makes strategy in philanthropy both distinctly challenging and yet essential to impact. Speakers discussed what they saw as important and often time missing components of strategy and the processes used to develop it.
Speakers:
- Patti Patrizi, Principal, Patrizi Associates
- Hilary Pennington, Vice President, Education, Free Expression and Creativity, Ford Foundation; Board Member, The Center for Effective Philanthropy
A recently published report, The Giving Code: Silicon Valley Nonprofits and Philanthropy, uncovered disconcerting insights about the current role of philanthropy in addressing income inequality in complex regions like Silicon Valley. The report’s authors presented their findings and shared insights from the regional and national coverage their research has sparked since the report’s release last Fall.
Speakers:
- Alexa Cortes Culwell, Co-Founder, Open Impact; Co-author of The Giving Code: Silicon Valley Nonprofits and Philanthropy
- Heather McLeod Grant, Co-Founder, Open Impact; Co-author of The Giving Code: Silicon Valley Nonprofits and Philanthropy