At no other time in recent history has philanthropy been called upon so often to help meet needs; to help solve problems. Hundreds of the nation’s top family philanthropists convened in San Diego in January to discuss and debate how to answer the call.

“There is within the field a choice point to retreat or advance,” said Ralph Smith, executive vice president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, kicking off the 2010 Family Philanthropy Conference. “What we do depends on how optimistic we are.”

Smith, board chair of the Council on Foundations, noted that philanthropy has been “called into the public square” and a special obligation comes with such an opportunity, sounding the conference theme “Sea Change: Redefining Family Philanthropy.”

“Perpetuity brings with it the capacity, the opportunity, the obligation to think about the next generation,” Smith said. “Family philanthropy leads the way.” However, the way is not always clear and it is not always easy.

In provocative plenary sessions featuring leading economists, media strategists, and philanthropists, as well as in engaging workshops, small group discussions, and networking events, family philanthropists began to chart a new course.

From management boot camp to salons for emerging leaders; provocative plenary sessions to philanthropy in action in San Diego neighborhoods, family philanthropists across generations explored how to make a difference in a new decade.

The rewards for giving are great. So reminded Arthur C. Brooks, the opening plenary session speaker, as he set the tone for the three-day conference. Brooks is president of the American Enterprise Institute and author of “Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth about Compassionate Conservatism,” and “Gross National Happiness: Why Happiness Matters to Americans? – And How We Can Get More of It.” Extensive research shows that giving leads to happiness and to more wealth, he said. A $2 billion, or 1 percent, increase in charitable giving leads to a $39 billion increase in the gross domestic product, a standard measure of a nation’s wealth.

The support family philanthropists give their local communities has an effect far beyond those boundaries. “Because of what you do, we are a richer, happier, healthier nation, and that does have a direct effect on me,” he said. “And for that, I thank you.”


Brooks was joined in discussion by Joanne Florino, executive director of the Triad Foundation, Inc., and Robert Friedman, founder of Corporation for Enterprise Development. Judy Belk, senior vice president, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, moderated. The panel debated the balance between government and philanthropy in providing services and supporting nonprofits, with Brooks voicing concern that if government becomes more involved in some areas, it will “crowd out” philanthropy. He urged philanthropists to “demand our turf.”

Other panelists suggested it’s not a matter of either/or, but rather government, philanthropies, and nonprofits all playing specific roles. Friedman said philanthropy can support targeted efforts and incubate innovative ideas, but it takes government to “scale up.”

Florino added: “Philanthropy can support some great schools, but it can’t create the great jewel of a free and universal education system.”

The role of philanthropy in sparking change and nurturing innovation ignited numerous discussions in small-group sessions and large, emerging as the central theme of the conference.

Catalytic Philanthropy

Charting a new course demands not only will but also effective tactics. At the “Catalytic Philanthropy” plenary session, panelists discussed some key tactics recently outlined in the Stanford Social Innovation Review:

• Taking responsibility for achieving results
• Mobilizing a campaign for change
• Using all available tools
• Creating actionable knowledge

Kathleen Patillo, co-founder and trustee of the Rockdale Foundation, shared her efforts working both domestically to improve Atlanta public schools and internationally to establish a microfinance program in the Middle East. To get results, Patillo said, you have to be proactive. In Atlanta, she collaborated with other foundations making donations to school efforts and, together, meeting regularly with the school superintendent to discuss needs and track results. With the microfinance program, the foundation took specific steps to broadcast what was being learned.

“We reported on our key indicators,” Patillo said. “We made a video and invested in a website.” Ultimately their effort attracted more participants, spurring the microfinance organization to grow from 17 members to 61 members.

Phillip Holmes, the Los Angeles director of Blue State Digital, described what he has learned about mobilizing from working on political campaigns, including Barack Obama’s. “Using real voices, that’s the big sea change today,” Holmes said. He urged foundations to use social media, e-mail, and other methods for taking a direct, personal approach to communication: “If you talked to a friend or family member, would you send a newsletter?”

Jason Rzepka, vice president of public affairs at MTV, described how the network uses its “100 million watt light bulb” to promote social messages. The network has executed campaigns on sexual health, voting and, most recently, the emerging issue of digital abuse, such as cyber bullying and sexting (athinline.org.) Rzepka said using a combination of television, internet, mobile technology, and social media is key to a campaign’s success, and he urged philanthropists to always seek multiple tools and channels to achieve goals.

Arts, Education, and Communities

The San Diego conferees not only considered broad perspectives on motivations and strategies, but they also looked deeply at specifics, especially in funding education, arts, and community development.

Conferees explored questions about place-based philanthropy, such as who to collaborate with and how to measure progress. In her "Home" Work post to our conference blog, Adrienne Vargas, vice president of donor relations and charitable giving for the San Diego Foundation, outlined key suggestions for making community projects work.


Local dancers entertain the conference at a Joe and Vi Jacobs Center event.

Some conference participants spent a full day at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation located at the Village at Market Creek, a community in San Diego that was redeveloped with the support of local foundations and residents. Community residents both provided input into how to transform their neighborhood and became shareholders in the enterprise. Richard Woo, CEO of The Russell Foundation, described what he and others learned in his blog post "Community Change from the Inside Out." Everyone was treated to a multicultural networking party at the Joe and Vi Jacobs Community Center, complete with Somali henna painting, Laotian blessings, and an international array of appetizers.

Family foundation and school leaders from Detroit described how they are rebuilding trust, restoring public schools, and refocusing on children and families—rather than on a specific education system—in order to retool the region for a new economy. The major shift, according to Carol Goss, president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation, has been shifting foundation work to “cover a child’s life from cradle to career” whether they attend a public, charter, parochial, or private school.

Ben Cameron, program director for the arts for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, brought the crowd to their feet at the plenary session “Investing in the Culture of Communities” with his passionate call for arts funding. Putting the argument in terms of current debate, Cameron said “every $1 for a performing arts ticket generates $3-$7 for the local economy” through parking, fabric and materials for costumes and sets, printing of programs, and other side economies.

“But the true crisis is not economic,” Cameron said. He argued that technology has realigned cultural and information media, shifting from consumption to participation. "Arts programs and education are necessary to create the emotional intelligence and the ability to accept and communicate change in a culture that is constantly changing at a rapid rate," he said.

What Would Google Do?

Communications and technology trendsetter Jeff Jarvis, author of “What Would Google Do?,” closed the conference by challenging philanthropists to be in the “problem-solving” business. Demonstrating how technology is transforming almost every aspect of our lives, he addressed the conference via Skype from his office in New York City. Jarvis said some hallmarks of the Google era are opening up processes for participation, which means giving up some control, and being willing to be wrong. He said we are in the “midst of a creation generation” and the future is entrepreneurial, not institutional. The philanthropic sector should consider itself a platform like Google. “If you define resources as money, they’re scarce,” Jarvis said. “If you define resources as connections to community, as knowledge, as values, there are no limits to your resources.”

Something for All Generations

Family philanthropies are dynamic, complicated, special. Family members and those who work with them often are balancing the duty to honor legacies with the desire to fulfill the needs of today and satisfy the passions of each new generation.

That’s one of the features that makes the Family Philanthropy conference dynamic and unique. The 2010 conference offered a workshop for the Next Gen to explore challenges and share ideas about stepping up. Conversations continued throughout the conference in the Next Gen lounge in Family Central, which proved to be a gathering place for all generations.

The “on deck” generation shared challenges over coffee. Cross-generational groups met at salons geared to the specific interests of each generation, and concurrent sessions brought multi-generations together to explore issues of great interest to family philanthropies, such as how to have difficult conversations, how to plan for succession, and how to determine if giving in perpetuity is right for a family.

Trading Power

The Council on Foundations’ Next Generation Task Force, along with its partners 21/64, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, and Resource Generation, released “Trading Power” at the 2010 Family Philanthropy Conference.

Award-winning journalist Ambrose Clancy interviewed 18 philanthropic executive and trustees – some seasoned and some Next Gen – about what each generation has to offer to philanthropy. To download the report, go to www.cof.org/tradingpower

The Council on Foundations’ Next Generation Task Force is providing the Council with expertise and guidance to shape future programs and services to maximize the impact of and support for Next Gen philanthropic leaders. To learn more about the task force, go to www.cof.org/nextgen

Videos

Kari Dunn Saratovsky, VP of Social Innovation at the Case Foundation discusses using social media for social change with conference attendees.

Jason Franklin gives a quick word after hearing Arthur Brooks speak

THANK YOU SPONSORS AND EXHIBITORS!

You helped make the 2010 Family Philanthropy Conference a valuable experience for all!

Sponsors

Sponsor of the Next Gen Lounge and supporting exhibitor
www.glenmede.com, nina.cohen@glenmede.com, 215-419-6722



Sponsor of the Opening Plenary Session
www.cornellaxp.com/the-triad-foundation, jvf@triadfoundation.org, 607-257-1133

Diamond Exhibitors

609-274-7010


800-839-0054

Premier Exhibitor

sales@cybergrants.com, 978-824-0300

Supporting Exhibitors

fai@afj.org, 202-822-6070



asf@smallfoundations.org, 202-580-6560


info@bromelkamp.com, 612-767-6701


ega@ega.org, 646-747-2655


877-297-0043


800-424-9836


info@guidestar.org, 800-421-8658



Ellen@jewishcommunalfund.org, 212-752-8277


info@microedge.com, 800-899-0890


ncfp@ncfp.org, 202-293-3424


tblaney@odmd.com, cpetermann@odmd.com, 212-286-2600



get2us@tpi.org, 617-338-2590



Audrey_pang@sbk.com, 773-420-4678


thill@tides.org, 415-561-6400


idag@unitedway.org, 703-836-7100

Dear Colleague and Friend:

As we get back into the swing of work after the conference and, for those of us on the east coast, the historic snowfall, I want to express my personal and deep appreciation for your attendance at the Council’s Family Philanthropy Conference in San Diego. Our co-chairs, Audrey and Mary, deserve special thanks not only for their vision and leadership, but also—and most of all—for their optimism and energy!

Like Audrey and Mary, you came to philanthropy because you want to invest in real change. You came to the family philanthropy conference because you want to be part, with others, of the change you seek for our world.

Now that our conference with its fitting theme, “Sea Change: Redefining Family Philanthropy,” is behind us, I ask you to remember these four points in your efforts during the year ahead:

1. Philanthropy has never been more important than today.
   With governments paralyzed by political polarization and the private sector striving to survive amidst economic stress and global competition, philanthropy must step up to a new level of innovation and leadership in our communities and/or in our areas of mission.
   
   
2. Philanthropy is in the midst of a sea change in who we are and what we do.
   Our conference was defined by the leadership of next-generation philanthropists and shaped by the role technology plays in today’s world. While our purpose is the same, our procedures must be different.
   
   
3. Philanthropy is on the edge of significant growth.
   The markets are recovering. Policy makers are expected to create a permanent inheritance tax while allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire. The demographics of American society will enable two generations, at the same time, to choose philanthropy as their preferred contribution to the common good. We must prepare for this growth in the numbers, types, and size of philanthropy.
   
   
4. We must see ourselves as a sector.
   I believe deeply in the concept of philanthropic citizenship. We must each see ourselves as more than part of an individual foundation. We are part of a noble sector engaged in positive change. We must learn from each other. We must collaborate with each other. We must speak together, through both the collective power of our voice to policy makers and in the collective impact of our work.
   
   

We at the Council on Foundations have been given an incredible opportunity to serve all engaged in family philanthropy—and all engaged in philanthropy’s many different forms. While we have, like you, made appropriate reductions in our budget and staff., we have been careful to maintain critical tools to serve you: among them our Family Philanthropy Programs and Services, our legal expertise, our public policy engagement on your behalf, and our communications efforts.

There is a wonderful African proverb that says, “To go quickly, go alone. To go far, go together.” We have much to do at this time of dramatic change. Let us embrace the work, together.


Steve Gunderson, president and CEO, Council on Foundations