Peer Event

Veterans Philanthropy Exchange's Mid-Year Convening: An Inside Look at the Reality of Veterans Employment and Career Development

Launched in 2014, The Veterans Philanthropy Exchange is a learning and sharing forum for philanthropic grantmakers, donors, and corporate giving programs supporting veterans and military family strategies. This "On Topic" convening was the inaugural mid-year meeting of the Exchange and was focused on what funders have learned and what they continue to need to invest smartly to help veterans and their spouses transition to gainful employment, promising career paths, and relevant training and education for competitive advantage in the civilian labor market. Attendees discussed whether philanthropic grantmaking can be used to define and yield drive better employment outcomes for veterans.
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Date & Time

PT to
PT

Location

The New Children’s Museum
Studio Q
200 W. Island Ave
San Diego CA, 92101

Hotel Suggestions

Horton Grand (historic)
311 Island Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101

Westin Gaslamp
910 Broadway Cir, San Diego, CA 92101

Kimpton Solamar (boutique)
435 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Embassy Suites San Diego Bay-Downtown
601 Pacific Hwy, San Diego, CA 92101

Marriott Marquis (luxury)
333 W Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101

Cost

Council Members = $200
Nonmembers = $250

Daily Rates
Wednesday, November 29 = $125
Thursday, November 30 = $65

Registration covers the cost of meals, networking reception, and donation to the Children’s Museum for room use during the day.

Expert thought leaders and practitioners in veterans employment and mainstream workforce development helped inform discussions to help attendees develop a deeper understanding of the status and quality of veterans’ employment. At this event, peer sharing focused on what has worked and what didn't and what that reveals about gaps and promising areas for investment. The agenda included discussions about how funders might collaborate to test new and innovative solutions. 

A special thanks to the San Diego Grantmakers team and members of their Military Family Support Working Group for their leadership and collaboration on this event!

Convening Highlights

  • Time for peer sharing on what funders know and how that calibrates to broader issues in employment and career development
  • Deep dives into the status of veterans’ employment: data, research, findings, key players, and knowledge gaps
  • Discussions and Small Group Work on defining success and developing outcome measures
  • Networking reception at the USS Midway Museum with special guests and local service providers
  • Special Panel presentation from Regional Philanthropy’s high-performing Grantees
  • Moderated discussion on strategies to put veterans issues onto the broader philanthropy radar 

Speakers

  • Dr. Mary Walshok, Associate Vice Chancellor for Public Programs and Dean of Extention at the University of California of San Diego 
  • James McDonough, Managing Director of Programs and Services, Institute for Veterans and Military Families
  • Joseph Carbone, President and Chief Executive Officer, The WorkPlace
  • Philip Carter, Senior Fellow & Counsel, Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
  • Daniel Pitasky, Executive Director, Shultz Family Foundation
  • Jim Borbley, Economist, Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • Eric Eversole, Hiring our Heroes, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Discussion Facilitators

  • Megan Andros, Program Officer, Community and Economic Development, The Heinz Endowments
  • William Lockwood, Sr. Program Officer, May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust
  • Dan Goldenberg, Executive Director, Call of Duty Foundation
  • Nancy Berglass, Veterans Issues Consultant, Southern California Grantmakers
  • Nick Armstrong, Research Director, Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Syracuse University

Agenda

download the full agenda

Wednesday, November 29

9:30am — Welcome and Kick-Off

10:00am — Presentations and Discussions 

12:00pm — Networking Lunch

1:00pm — Continued Presentations, Discussions, Group Work 

4:30pm — Adjourn from primary meeting venue; proceed to USS Midway 

5:15pm — Regional "Philanthropy in Action" Discussion Panel 

6:30pm — Networking Reception

8:00pm — Dinner on your own

Thursday, November 30

9:30am — Welcome and Day One Highlights

10:00am — Group Work 

12:00pm — Wrap Up with a Working (Box) Lunch 

1:00pm — Adjourn

Questions?

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