A Personal Message from Sharna Goldseker

When Steve Gunderson, president and CEO of the Council, asked me to chair the Family Philanthropy Conference, I said I had hopes and expectations for this conference. I didn't want this to be the 2011 version of the same old conference. The world is changing. We have to explore new ideas, connect with new people, and I didn't want to hear...we had never done it before...someone will think it's too "out there"...we don't know how to do it. I told Steve I would chair the conference if he let us experiment to make it a great experience for attendees.

Steve said go for it.

So here we are. With the help of Dori Kreiger, the Council's managing director for Family Philanthropy Services, and support from Council staff—and most especially the assistance of the conference planning committee and input from the field— we have what I believe to be a New York-focused, art-infused, socially conscious, lively, smart, learn-something-new conference. It's still the family conference, but look around and read the six ways this conference attempts to break the mold. And then register. See you in New York!

CHAIR: Sharna Goldseker, director of 21/64, and vice president, The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies

Vickie Benson, president, Grantmakers in the Arts; program director, McKnight Foundation

Della Britton Baeza, president and CEO, The Jackie Robinson Foundation

Jeremy Burton, senior vice president of philanthropic initiatives, Jewish Funds for Justice

Caroline Cummings Rafferty, president, Lovelight Foundation

Victor De Luca, president, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation

Katharine DeShaw, executive director and board of directors, United States Artists Board of Directors, Nimoy Foundation

Kari Dunn Saratovsky, vice president, social innovation, The Case Foundation

Anna Fink, senior program officer, The New World Foundation

Julie Fisher Cummings, managing trustee, Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation

Mary Galeti, vice chair, Tecovas Foundation

Elenore Garton, trustee, Marie C. & Joseph C. Wilson Foundation

Adam Gibbons, trustee, Rasmuson Foundation

Jennifer Hoos Rothberg, director, Einhorn Family Charitable Trust

Audrey Jacobs, JD, director, The Center for Family Philanthropy, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Buff Suzanne Kavelman, founder and president, The Kavelman Group

Hali Lee, founding member, Asian Women Giving Circle

Jaimie Mayer Phinney, associate, The Nathan Cummings Foundation

Alyce Myatt, executive director, Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media

Daniela Nascimento Fainberg, founder and director, Instituto Geração

John Naughton, coordinator, GrantCraft project, Ford Foundation

Chris Page, senior vice president, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

Susan Price, vice president, National Center for Family Philanthropy

Rebecca Richards, trustee, The Maxine & Jack Zarrow Family Foundation

Julie Rogers, president, Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation

Marjorie Rutimann, director of Professional Education, Philanthropy New York

Robyn Schein, client services officer,The Minneapolis Foundation

Michael Smith, vice president, social innovation, The Case Foundation

Barbara Taylor, program coordinator, The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies

John Vaughn, program director, Twenty-First Century Foundation

Benna Wilde, managing director, Prince Charitable Trusts

Gay Young, vice president, Donor Services, The New York Community Trust