Global Philanthropy Update — January 2017

Did you march with the millions of women in cities around the world last week? Or watch President Trump’s inauguration last Friday? Here in D.C., it’s been a crowded and hectic start to 2017.

At the Council, we are busy preparing for our Annual Conference in April and have launched several new activities focused on “what’s next” under the Trump Administration. Below are a number of updates related to our global philanthropy program and upcoming opportunities for you to engage with fellow foundations. I hope you're also using the information on our global program page and the global grantmaking resources on our website.

New Member of Our Global Team!

The Council is excited to begin a partnership with Atlas Corps and welcome our first Atlas Corps Fellow this month!

Maxsalia Salmon is an experienced civil society leader from Jamaica who will be spending the next 12 months at the Council as our Global Philanthropy Fellow. Please look out for her at upcoming meetings and in your inbox!

Closing Space for Civil Society and Cross-Border Grantmaking

In China, the new foreign NGO law is in full effect and the Chinese government has issued a first round of registrations for international institutions. Funders of different types and sizes are deciding whether to register for permanent offices or request temporary activity permits — and we are hearing from many of you that you’d like space to speak with other funders and share strategies. I want to flag two opportunities for you to engage with other funders around grantmaking into China:

• At our 2017 Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas, we will host a closed-door, funders-only lunch discussion for foundations working in China. Please save the date and plan to join us on Monday, April 24, from 12:15 — 1:15 p.m.
• IHRFG is hosting a funders-only conversation about the new law on Thursday, January 26, at 10:00 a.m. EST (tomorrow!). IHRFG requests that attendees submit questions for speakers when they register to ensure speakers address your largest concerns.

In late 2016, the Global NPO Coalition on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) hosted a webinar to help nonprofits around the world better understand what they do. The recording of the webinar is available online now.

2017 Annual Conference

The Council’s 2017 Annual Conference comes to Dallas, April 23-26, 2017, and I am excited to announce that the full schedule is now live on our website! We have 50+ sessions to choose from across two tracks — vibrant communities and philanthropic practice. There will also be dynamic plenaries, Leadership in Action talks, and networking opportunities galore. I wanted to highlight a number of sessions relevant to global interests:

• Our Global Pre-Conference: Grantmaking into Latin America: Regulatory Challenges, Strategic Partnerships, and Emerging Opportunities on April 22.
• Global concurrent sessions on the SDGs, Art in Mexico, Global Water Challenges, International Regulations, Trends in Global Giving, and Transnational Partnerships (just to name a few!).
• Our annual Global Reception and Dinner on Tuesday, April 23, focused on women and girls and related to SDG Goal #5.

Early bird registration for members ends on January 31, so register now and save $180.

Public Policy Update — Comprehensive Tax Reform

The moment we’ve been anticipating for nearly three decades has finally arrived: We are now face-to-face with comprehensive tax reform. The outcome of the 2016 elections has caused the stars to align in just the right way for this opportunity to become a reality.

The Council has developed a number of resources for foundations about tax reform and is working diligently to meet with 100 members of Congress in the first 100 days of the 115^th Congress.

This month, we also launched a new daily members-only newsletter, Inside Scoop¸ which highlights the biggest stories during the first 100 days of the Trump Administration.

Continuing Work on the SDGs

We will continue our work on the Sustainable Development Goals in 2017. Please save the date for upcoming meetings in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 9 and Albuquerque, New Mexico, on June 23.

The Council has also recently joined and co-hosted a number of convenings about how the SDGs are relevant in the domestic context of the United States. In early January, we facilitated a meeting at the Hilton Foundation. We also joined meetings in December and January at the White House to discuss continuing the Obama Administration’s leadership on the SDGs. The Office of Management and Budget, for example, has released a U.S. Dashboard on the SDGs,a helpful tool tracking U.S. performance against SDG targets through 2030.

A recent report also highlighted the opportunities for the private sector around the SDGs — including $12 trillion in market share possibilities across key global sectors. Read more in the Better Business Commission’s full report.

Register Now!

Registration is now open for the upcoming WINGS Forum 2017 in Mexico City on February 22-24, 2017. WINGSForum, brings together a diverse group of senior philanthropic leaders every three years to share knowledge, network, and advance effective philanthropy worldwide. As a member of the WINGS board, the Council is leading the design of the conference and will be speaking on the plenary stage as well as coordinating several concurrent sessions and side meetings.