Corporate Philanthropy Update—May 2018
I can’t believe the month of May is almost over and I am embarking on my 60th day at the Council! I have enjoyed meeting various corporate foundations and hearing about the amazing work you are leading across the country during my first two months. This week, I met with Tiffany & Co. to learn about their leadership in coral conservation; listened to Pfzier and PVH’s innovative approaches to corporate volunteerism; and dove deep into conversation with JP Morgan Chase about their commitment to scaling global workforce development initiatives.
Concurrently, your inquiries around the charitable giving structures, benchmarks and even relevancy in the sector, have provided great insight into how the Council can (and will) demonstrate greater value to our corporate members as we map out the road ahead. Through robust and engaging conversations, I now see even more clearly the value in connections and networks among companies; understand how convening opportunities are worth the investment; and have observed collaborations that are essential to advancing and sustaining the business sectors’ common good.
The work you’ve carried out to advance engagement amongst your employees and increase impact within your giving priorities speaks volumes to the power of the business sector. If you are interested in connecting with others who are doing similar work as you or would like to identify additional resources to support your grantmaking, consider joining the Council. I’d be happy to share how best to leverage Council resources based on your team’s specific interest areas and goals.
As always, I look forward to hearing from you, and working with you. Please do not hesitate to reach out at any time and thank you for your membership in the Council!
Best,
Lindsay Mason
Director, Corporate Philanthropy
703-879-0735
Lindsay.Mason@cof.org
Upcoming Sector Events
I’ll be attending two important sector conferences next month and would love to meet you. If you are attending either event or will be in the area, please let me know!
- Social Innovation Summit 2018: San Francisco, CA | June 4th-6th
- Service Unites Powered by Points of Light Service: Atlanta, GA | June 18th-20th
Recent Council Webinars — Recordings Available for Members
- On May 16th, the Council’s VP of Legal Affairs, Suzanne Friday presented on Motivations of Corporate Giving – Proceed with Caution! The webinar provided an overview of corporate giving guidelines and compliance standards in response to the latest trends in the sector (i.e., Political Influences & Employee Assistance Funds).
- On May 22nd, the Council hosted a conversation with Henry Timms, CEO of 92nd Street YMCA & Founder of #GivingTuesday and Jeremy Heimann, CEO of Purpose, on the rise of “New Power” and how new ways of mobilizing citizen action are relevant to philanthropy and charitable organizations of all types.
Submit Your Ideas!
The Council’s 2019 Leading Together Conference in Miami, Florida next April is quickly approaching and our call for sessions is now open. The conference is an exciting opportunity to come together with more than 1000 leaders in philanthropy, in order to share best practices and innovations across the sector and build relationships with peers from around the country and the world. Only Council members are invited to submit proposals.
Leading Together 2019 Call for Conference Sessions
All session submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. PT May 31, 2018.
Recent Resources & News:
Unlocking Potential: Behind a Corporate Gift to Upskill Women in the Bronx shares how corporate philanthropy is engaging in addressing urban equity, via Inside Philanthropy.
Companies Say Tax Cut Will Boost Their Giving, but Some Experts Are Skeptical highlights the implications of the new tax cuts and corporations’ pressures for charitable contributions, via The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Global Philanthropy Report: Perspectives on the Global Foundation Sector provides a synopsis of the latest practices and trends in global philanthropy, via UBS & Hauser Institute for Civil Society at Harvard University.
The Transformative Power of General Operating Support demonstrates one foundations’ efforts to take an innovative approach and more flexible approach to helping their grantees realize their mission, via The Center For Effective Philanthropy.
Upcoming Council Events:
Inclusive Economic Prosperity in the Midwest
8/28-29 | Minneapolis, MN
Whether your foundation manages a grant portfolio supporting workforce and economic development or has interests in leveraging local partnerships to expand your community impact, the Council’s Inclusive Economic Prosperity in the Midwest agenda offers a great opportunity to explore the conversation about philanthropy’s role in economic development and gain key learnings from industry leaders who have demonstrated economic success within their jurisdictions. Entrepreneur, Jeff Hoffman of priceline.com & ubid.com along with Chris Green of Forward Impact & Forward Cities will also share their work in stimulating sustainable economic inclusion.
Endowments & Finance Summit 2018
9/6-7 | Washington, DC
Join the Council as we convene thought leaders from various industries in a series of panel discussion, expert interviews and networking opportunities around impact investing, investment management, policy changes and impact, new technology (crypto currency and artificial intelligence), capital deployment, manager diversity, and more.
