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Recaps of Mini-Summits Assessing the Economy “In uncertain economic times, how do we preserve, leverage, and grow our funds for maximum impact?” was the question opening this mini-Summit. Former Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin acknowledged the gravity of the current climate, saying, “This is the most complex and uncertain set of circumstances we’ve faced in my lifetime.” But his intention was not to discourage grantmakers. He praised philanthropy as important and American, saying that helping low-income communities is “not just a moral issue, but critical for the economy and for our nation to compete globally.” D. Ellen Shuman of the Carnegie Corporation identified a dilemma grantmakers often face: “During bad times we want to spend more because we see so much need. But during good times, we also want to spend more because we have the resources.” During a lively exchange, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Rey Ramsey of One Economy Corporation agreed on the need for societal change but differed on the approaches they recommended. Ramsey asserted that “the most important thing philanthropy can do is support the human spirit.” Saying that “most people want to change,” he urged philanthropy to work with government to “facilitate success.” Gingrich, in contrast, said that “government regulations are a burden” and that the philanthropic sector should capitalize on its creativity and its ability to “take gambles that neither the public or private sector can.” Charles Piller of the Los Angeles Times, in his presentation on mission-related investing, called on the Gates Foundation, in particular, to stop investing in industries that are causing the very problems their grants are working to solve. Leslie Lowe of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation echoed this call, telling the audience that “to not put your money where your mission is is to open up your foundation to very serious scrutiny.” Robert Eckardt of The Cleveland Foundation and Mariam C. Noland of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan discussed their work in regional economic development. Matthew Bishop of The Economist closed the day with a call to the sector to “walk the talk” and “take risks, think big, and think long-term” as we enter a new “golden age of philanthropy.” Addressing Immigration and Integration Challenges Describing immigration as “one of the most important forces shaping the world we live in,” Kathleen Newland of the Migration Policy Institute opened the mini-Summit on Addressing Immigration and Integration Challenges. The day-long discussion covered topics that included immigration reform policies, immigrant integration resources, communications and messaging, as well as the specific integration challenges facing Muslims in the United States and Europe. Newland joined funders from the Carnegie Corporation and Horace Hagedorn Foundation; and researchers from the University of Durham and the Opportunity Agenda; and advocates from the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, America’s Voice, Muslim Public Affairs Council, and the National Immigration Law Center, among others. All speakers addressed the cross-sector impact of 200 million people living outside of their countries of birth. Global migration trends—whether involving labor migrants to France and Germany, Iraqi war refugees to Syria and Jordan, or Indian and Chinese entrepreneurs to the U.S—affect not only individuals and families, but many of the social, political, and economic issues with which philanthropy is concerned. As Daranee Petsod of Grantmakers Concerned with Immigration and Refugees pointed out, “immigration has to be integrated into all of our funding areas.” Speakers broadly agreed that the sector’s approaches to immigration and integration respond to the question underlying much of the discussion of the day and on the issue as a whole: what kind of world do we want to live in? Probing the Power of Information "Congress shall make no law abridging...the freedom of the press..." - First Amendment to the Bill of Rights The venue for the Media and Philanthropy mini-Summit was apt: the newly built Newseum. Located equidistant from theWhite House and the Capitol, it reminds the political elite that the freedom of the press is important and necessary for a vibrant civil society. At this mini-Summit, an impressive list of speakers of activists, grantmakers, academics, and a journalist, discussed issues of import to foundations: the difference between “traditional” media tools, such as newspapers and radio, and “new” or “alternative” media, which includes blogs and YouTube; the importance and impact of the Internet on how people acquire information (as one presenter said, “If you don’t have a digital presence, you are a second-class citizen and aren’t part of the dialogue.”); and the necessity to fund quality journalism programs, documentaries, and campaigns to inform the public and cultivate the next generation of journalists. These experts also offered foundations candid advice: take risks and fund innovative media-related projects. “Don’t wait for someone else to figure it out”—fund experiments; “think virally” by using different platforms to convey your message and reach diverse audiences; collaborate with different groups and foundations to get media coverage; develop a communications strategy and integrate it with programmatic goals; and promote your foundation’s stories and programs to local or regional media. As any grantmaker will attest, the ultimate metric is social change. However, that won’t occur unless the public gains awareness and knowledge of foundations’ accomplishments, observed presenters. Fighting the Good Fight for Education “When, as a country, we truly focus on something like education, we make progress,” noted Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust. “But the progress we made in the 70s and 80s stopped in the 90s... and today many high school students are exiting with weaker skills. The gaps in performance between white students and Latino/African American students have grown…and those gaps threaten the health of our democracy.” John Jackson, president and CEO of The Schott Foundation for Public Education, said foundations can be instrumental in helping to institutionalize equal opportunity for quality education. Speaking from experience, he said, “It’s not how many kids we save, but how many we might lose.” And Janet Knupp, founding president of The Chicago Public Education Fund, said the most important step to achieving success is to pick an area of focus—and stay focused. “Go deep in one area, find your partners, stay the course, create more people like us, and we can do something for public education.” Offering a “tale from the trenches,” was Michelle Rhee, chancellor of Washington DC public schools. In an interview with Juan Williams, senior correspondent for NPR, Rhee said she took on the challenge of overhauling DC schools because “for a lot of us who care about public education… it was a chance to…actualize ideas for change.” Rhee said she’s been able to do what she has because of the full backing of the mayor.WhenWilliams asked her about dealing with problems of moving intransigent bureaucracy, Rhee said the biggest problems she has confronted are complete lack of accountability and the fact that adult interests drive the decision making.Williams closed by asking Rhee if she had any final words. She did: “Give money to education!” And with that, the audience rose in a standing ovation. Recovering from Disaster The importance of giving comparable emphasis to all four stages of disaster/crisis management—relief, recover, reform, and renewal—was a common theme among all speakers. “We are working against the public assumption that veterans are taken care of—Walter Reed showed us that, said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director and founder, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “We will hear more stories about homelessness and employment issues. Our challenge is the disconnect with the American people. Cultural initiatives are helpful in raising awareness. Veterans are isolated so advocacy is critical.” “Post-Katrina efforts could not have been possible without the collaborative financing through the community foundation. But the lessons we learned haven’t been conveyed to the field.We made big mistakes, but we did a lot of things well. The foundation community can help convey this information to a wider audience.” John Davies, president and CEO, Baton Rouge Area Foundation. “There must be a paradigm shift in the way we view a crisis and sustain public support. Public support and attention diminished as we progressed through the stages of disaster response—relief, recovery, reform, and renewal. Each element must be strengthened and the new paradigm needs to include strategic public policy intervention,” said Ambassador James Joseph, chairman, Duke University. “We were not interested in just immediate relief, but also to sustain long-term support. We were not interested in rebuilding what was already there, but to focus on transformational rebuilding efforts.” Mary JoMullen, vice president, Programs, The F.B. Heron Foundation. “Whatever the situation, we must look beyond the immediate response and look to the longer-term aftermath,” Helga West, president and CEO, Witness Justice. Highlighting Women in 2008 Sherece West (Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation), Marie Wilson (president of the White House Project), and Peggy Saika (the 2008 LEAD Award winner) were just some of the women leaders who spoke and offered words of inspiration. “There is a new political movement in America,” Wilson said. Women and leadership are not perceived the same but to change that image, women need to be “visible and work together” she noted. Wilson also credited foundations for helping to create social change, saying we need to get the women who work on these programs and run these foundations in power. Representatives Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Gwen Moore (D-WI) also added their voices by sharing a brief overview of their careers, including the catalysts behind their decisions. (Congresswoman Moore began her career working for a nonproft organzation.) Currently, there are 90 women in the 110th Congress—74 in the House and 16 in the Senate. All speakers noted that women’s leadership in the philanthropic field is critical.
Important Change to the Second Chance Act API Please note that important changes have been made to the Advanced Practice Institute, The Second Chance Act: An Opportunity to Mitigate the Impact of Incarceration on Children and Families. This API will provide participants with an overview and significance of the recently passed Second Chance Act for children and families with incarcerated parents and reentering prisoners. Discussions will center around what states can do to prepare for the implementation of the act and the potential opportunities and role philanthropy can play in supporting polices, programs and practices that strengthen the bond between incarcerated parents and their children. This API will take place today from 2:00pm–5:00pm, Chesapeake A/B, Ballroom Level. Presenters are: Carole Thompson, senior associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation; Stephanie McGencey- Washington, executive director, Grantmakers for Children Youth and Families; Jessica Nickel, director of Government Affairs, Council of State Governments Justice Center; Jake Horowitz, senior associate, The Public Safety Performance Project, Pew Charitable Trusts; Richard Mappin, vice president for Grantmaking, Berks County Community Foundation; Ira Barbell, senior associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation. Getting Serious about Climate Change In the final version of the Summit program, we inadvertently listed the wrong speakers for Getting Serious About Climate Change: A Guide for Foundations— an Advanced Practice Institute (API) that takes place Wednesday, May 7, 2008 from 2:00pm–5:00pm in Maryland 1 and 2, Ballroom Level. The outstanding speakers for this API include: Mario J. Molina, Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, William K. Reilly, former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy; Danielle Deane, a program officer with the Environment Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; Jules Kortenhorst, chief executive officer of the European Climate Foundation; and Rachel Shimshak, director of the Renewable Northwest Project. Download complete Philanthropy Today for more news, updates and information about Philanthropy's Vision: A Leadership Summit [pdf]. |