The Success of the 2017 Endowments and Finance Summit

We just concluded the third Council on Foundations Endowments and Finance Summit, where more than 100 foundation CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, board members and other leaders met to consider the future of the philanthropic sector. Based on post-event buzz and input from participants, it seems to have been our best Summit yet.

In my view, here’s what made this event special:

• Outstanding speakers who offered both practical suggestions and innovative ideas, like TIAA’s presentation Endowment Performance: A Foundation’s Rubik’s Cube.
• Plenty of time on the agenda to network with other participants.
• A palpable sense of passion for the philanthropic sector emanating from all in attendance.

I was honored for the third year to co-chair the Summit Working Group with Ken Jones, Jr., vice president and CFO of The Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Vikki Spruill, president and CEO of the Council on Foundations. They both have tremendous insights on the sector’s needs and opportunities, and I always look forward to working with them.

The TIAA Institute sponsors the Summit, and promotes ideas that arise from it, because we believe doing so creates positive change for the sector. If you were among this year’s attendees, I hope you felt likewise and left the Summit with new knowledge and professional relationships to advance your foundation’s social mission.

See you in 2018!

Stephanie Bell-Rose is a Senior Managing Director of TIAA and Head of the TIAA Institute. She is also a member of the Council Board of Directors.