Session 2: Overcoming Resistance to Advocacy & Public Policy Work
Plymouth (4th Floor)
Are you not the policy person in your organization and in fact you don’t know much about advocacy and policy but want to know the basics? Do you want to learn how to overcome your member’s and board’s resistance to this critical part of our work? Do you want to develop a deeper understanding of why policy and advocacy work is so integral to philanthropy’s impact? If so, please join us for this session for “non-wonks” and people who are just curious about the value and diversity of policy and advocacy work for regional and national PSOs.
- Learn how to convince resistors of the importance of policy work.
- Understand what is happening in the PSO field around policy work and how you can tap into knowledge and resources to meet your needs.
- Develop the messaging you need to build the case for return on investment for policy work.
Speakers: Amanda Andere, CEO, Funders Together to End Homelessness (@AmandaAndere); Claudia YW Herrold, Senior Vice President for Communications & Public Policy, Philanthropy Ohio; and Seyron Foo, Director, Public Policy & Government Relations, Philanthropy California(@foofie87)
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Concurrent Conversations
Foundation Openness Conversation
Chatham (3rd Floor)
Come listen to the learnings from foundations and nonprofit conversations about foundation openness that have been hosted throughout the Forum network over the past two years, through the Forum’s partnership with the Fund for Shared Insight, to shift the culture of grantmaking towards greater openness. Also learn what PSOs have learned about their own ways of working with their members on this issue.
Speaker: Sophia Lee, MSW, Senior Research Consultant, Harder+Company Community Research and Kari McCann Boutell, President, Iowa Council of Foundations
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PSO Data & Research Practice
Cape Cod (3rd Floor)
Many PSOs are engaged in data collection and research projects. What are they learning about methodologies, systems, dissemination, collaboration and partnership around this growing part of our work? Join an informal conversation of PSO staff working in this space to build knowledge and relationships with one another.
Conversation Facilitators: Grace Nicolette, Vice President - Programming and External Relations, The Center for Effective Philanthropy (@GraceNicolette) and Stephen Sherman, Research & Data Manager, Southeastern Council of Foundations
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Social Justice Philanthropy
Martha's Vineyard A (3rd Floor)
Join a discussion around what the Sillerman Center is doing to support PSOs in engaging funders and their advisors to increase and enhance grantmaking to social justice causes. Learn about what they have found as the opportunities and challenges in getting to work around social justice issues—especially when trying to move investments in the root cause of issues like segregation. Dr. Susan Eaton will share lessons learned and weave in case studies about the process of working with foundations and highlight places where they have had success, such as in the area of youth engagement.
The Sillerman Center’s mission is to inform and advance social justice philanthropy. The center runs a fellowship program, sponsors courses in Practicing Philanthropy, sponsors events and currently implements three active projects around school diversity/racial equity, youth philanthropy and immigrant integration and refugee integration in Northern New England.
Speaker: Dr. Susan Eaton, Professor of the Practice and Director, Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy at Brandeis University
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