“Many people who are being left behind are from communities being left behind. If we don’t come to terms with the racial divide, we will cause a generational divide,” said Angela Glover Blackwell. Wow. What a great way to get the blood pumping at the morning plenary. Well spoken, politely heard,…

At this morning’s plenary on the closing day of the 2012 Annual Conference, moderator Kai Ryssdal (host and senior editor, NPR’s Marketplace) facilitated an insightful panel discussion about America’s “vanishing” middle class and how philanthropy can help. Presenters Angela Glover Blackwell,…

As someone who studies philanthropy, I listen with a particular set of ears to accounts of innovative work by grantmakers, including the many fascinating stories at the Council’s Annual Conference this week. Listening with these ears can be helpful at times, really annoying at others. For one thing…

For early risers yesterday, the Council’s corporate members hosted a discussion and brainstorming around a just-released report “Increasing Impact, Enhancing Value: A Practitioner’s Guide to Leading Corporate Philanthropy” (available at www.cof.org/corporateguide).   The conclusion…

I am one of the fortunate practitioners new to philanthropy who was able to attend both the EPIP and Council conferences this year in L.A. At EPIP, I was also lucky to see Dr. Bob Ross speak about the state of philanthropy. Dr. Ross is the CEO of The California Endowment, and among the many…

Here are some interesting facts: Obesity is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Sixty-nine percent of adults in the United States are overweight or obese. Thirty-two percent of children in the United States are overweight or obese. Twenty-four million people in the United…

Foundations in New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Detroit have faced conditions before and after crises that are all but unimaginable. For example, Detroit has enough vacant and unused land to fit inside San Francisco, more vacant land than any city in the U.S. except for post-Katrina New Orleans, a…

What an amazing first day of the conference! From the compelling opening plenary on the role of philanthropy in rebuilding communities to the terrific dance party with Ozomatli during the evening reception, there is a palpable feeling of excitement for what still remains to come at the conference.…

Here are some key messages that are a theme at this year’s Annual Conference: Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration! Reaching out to others broadens our impact. To be “better together,” we must practice mutual respect and tolerance. These messages are almost common sense, right? Yes, but…

“Roles that I’ve played.” Geena Davis opened her remarks during this morning’s plenary session by stating that her philanthropy is often rooted in roles that she has played. It struck a chord for me. My research agenda around HIV and AIDS in the 1990s also showed that exposure and a family…

Investing in people feels very good. Carrie Avery of the Durfee Foundation, the moderator of the session “Supporting Individuals as Innovators and Change Agents,” described these types of programs as the “R & D” of the nonprofit sector. How do foundations invest in people? Foundations support…

This year’s Paul Ylvisaker Public Policy Award winner, Linda Reed, president and CEO of the Montana Community Foundation, delivered a formal talk on the relationship of rural philanthropy and public policy. Given that Reed was talking about Montana, where there are only three communities with…

After my time at the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) conference this past week, I walked away with a lot of reflection points. What struck me most about the conversations I experienced, both during the sessions and with colleagues, was that they were not just about vision, change, and…

Panels of talking heads during conferences are all well and good, especially when they are saying something of importance that we don’t know. However the audiences at Council on Foundations conferences often have knowledge and perspectives that are just as interesting as the speakers. At today’s…

The beginning of opening session is just a few short minutes away. I arrive early to find a seat while trying to avoid the strobe light clearly flashing above my head. As I loiter in the lobby, here are some general impressions thus far. I will not get to every session I want to hit, and need to be…

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had…