Creating A New Kind of Philanthropy Network

Committing private resources to a public good used to mean pretty much one thing: a gift to a public charity.  Today, people interested in philanthropy can use all kinds of ways to create public benefit -- from a traditional charitable contribution to high-skill volunteering, from buying sustainably manufactured products to investing in a social enterprise, from selecting socially responsible investments to blending investing and giving like the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative. 

In short, the tools of philanthropy are changing.  Like-minded people enjoy new ways to connect to one another and deploy their resources in support of their preferred causes.  In light of these changes, what will excellence in philanthropy look like in five or ten years?  How should GWP evolve to support an effective, growing philanthropic community?

With the help of consultant Tony Macklin, GWP’s board and staff have been considering these questions and thinking about how to serve GWP members and the community most effectively.   Please join GWP’s 31st annual meeting to hear more about how philanthropy is evolving, as well as our thinking to date about GWP’s future direction.  We will hear from two presenters:

• David Biemesderfer, President of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, will share the Forum’s new vision for how our regional-association network, together with other funders’ networks, can join forces to become more effective philanthropy-serving organizations.  
• Tony Macklin, consultant and former GWP board member, will describe his work with the GWP board and staff over the past six months.  We will share the current iteration of the GWP 2020 Road Map – a strategic roadmap reflecting the evolution in how we think about and support excellence in philanthropy.

After the meeting, we hope you will stay on for the opportunity to connect with your colleagues and friends over wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres.  Thanks to the generous hosting of the event by UPMC Health Plan, the annual meeting is free of charge to all members this year.  Please encourage all staff and trustees to register and join us for what is always one of the best networking events of the year.

Program Agenda:

4:30 PM          Registration and Networking

5:00 PM          Annual Meeting for Business

5:30 PM          David Biemesderfer, president, Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers

                      Tony Macklin, consultant and former executive director, Roy A. Hunt Foundation

7:00 PM         Networking Reception

* Parking validation for the building will be provided.