If your foundation decided to spend down and cease operations in a defined period of time, what might the process look like? It’s a question more family foundation boards are facing, as entrepreneurs pursue philanthropy the way they conducted business – with an exit plan in mind. This webinar will feature two prominent family foundations that have recently completed the final steps of the sunset process. Leaders from the Orfalea Foundation and the Noyce Foundation will share lessons learned and real experiences of how sunsetting altered the foundation’s culture and brought new focus to their respective quests for demonstrable change in the communities and causes they served.
Featured speakers
Ann S. Bowers is the Chair of the Board and the co-founding trustee of the Noyce Foundation, which focused on improving math and science instruction and learning in public schools. Previously, her career was in human resource management in California's Silicon Valley. She was the first Director of Personnel for Intel Corporation and the first Vice President of Human Resources for Apple Computer. In both of these high-growth start-up companies and in her consulting practice, she created and implemented the worldwide human resources policies and practices that fostered the growth of organizational excellence. Ann is a Trustee Emerita and Presidential Councillor at Cornell University, and is chair of the Silicon Valley advisors committee for Cornell. She received a B. A. from Cornell University and an honorary Ph.D. from the University of Santa Clara.
Catherine Brozowski is the Vice President at the Orfalea Foundation, where she manages the foundation’s education work, oversees Operations, Finance and Human Resources, and contributes to the strategic planning process. Formerly, Catherine was Vice President of Programs at the Santa Barbara Foundation. This work included leadership and overall direction for grantmaking, community convening activities, and oversight of special initiatives. Prior to her arrival in Santa Barbara, Catherine served as the Corporate Giving Manager for Washington Mutual, managing their philanthropy throughout the Southeast, including Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. For the Group Health Foundation, she designed a national demonstration initiative, “Managed Care and Community Health,” and conducted performance evaluation with the Foundation’s grantees. Catherine began her career as a Conference Coordinator and Research Analyst for the National Network of Grantmakers, a network of progressive funders. She currently serves on the Board of the Eleos Foundation. Formerly, Catherine served on the Board of Directors of Montana Yellowstone Expeditions Foundation, volunteered with Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, was the Board Secretary of the Donors Forum of South Florida, where she also chaired the Nominating Committee. She completed the Hull Fellowship program for young people in philanthropy through the Southeastern Council of Foundations, and was active on the Corporate Committee. Catherine holds a B.A. from the University of California, San Diego. She completed her Master’s of Public Administration (M.P.A.) with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington in 1997
Lois Mitchell has led the Orfalea Foundation as president since its inception in 2000. Mitchell’s multi-faceted role focuses on building strategic partnerships, seeking innovative collaborations, and guiding audacious initiatives improving early childhood education, youth development and lifelong learning opportunities. She oversees efforts involving school districts, nonprofit agencies, service providers, funders and governmental organizations. Mitchell has 30 years marketing experience in international licensing, product development, promotion, publishing, media placement, strategic partnerships, and philanthropy. She serves as Chair of the regional Foundation Roundtable, and on several advisory boards, and has a passion for engaging young people in philanthropy and volunteerism.
Pendred Noyce was Co-Principal Investigator of the NSF-funded Massachusetts State Systemic Initiative Program and of PALMS, a $16 million NSF-funded State Systemic Initiative to improve mathematics, science, and technology education in Massachusetts. Currently, Penny chairs the board of the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy in Massachusetts. She also serves on the boards of the Concord Consortium, the Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP), and TERC, all in Massachusetts, as well as the Libra Foundation of Portland, Maine. She is a co-founding trustee of the Noyce Foundation.