2011 Events Calendar

Lessons for High-Impact Philanthropy in Illinois: Getting the Most from Limited Dollars
Donors Forum of Chicago

No matter what and where you fund in Illinois, do you want to have a deeper, winder, longer-term impact with your limited grant dollars? This highly interactive session will feature tools and strategies to do just that.

The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy will share the latest findings from its two series of reports on high-impact philanthropy that delivers a significant "bang for the buck" -- philanthropy that targets vulnerable communities and engages them directly in creating long-term solutions.

The Chair of the 90-year-old Wieboldt Foundation will discuss the impact of Wieboldt's investment in community organizing, and two nonprofit leaders will talk about how their foundation-funded civic and policy engagement strategies have yielded impressive impacts for Illinois' underserved communities. And, small group discussions will allow participants to dig deeper into these topics and identify next steps to maximize their own grantmaking. Come learn more!

 Featured speakers:

• Jenny Straub Corrigan, Chair of the Board of Directors, Wieboldt Foundation
• Aaron Dorfman, Executive Director, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
• Elena Hernandez, Education Organizer, Logan Square Neighborhood Association
• Ed Shurna, Executive Director, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

Pulse Event: "Fusing Arts, Culture and Social Change"
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
This NCRP “Pulse” webinar explores the organization’s report on how arts and culture philanthropy can increase its responsiveness to marginalized communities. Presenters will discuss the overarching issues, challenges and opportunities for action in the arts and culture funding arena.

Presenters:

• Holly Sidford, President, Helicon, and author of "Fusing Arts, Culture and Social Change"
• Justin Laing, Program Officer, The Heinz Endowments

Sept. 21, 2011
San Francisco, CA

Hispanics in Philanthropy Reception
Hispanics in Philanthropy
Aaron Dorfman joins the host committee of this event that will honor Latino leaders who are changing the face of community foundations, and further the conversation around strategic ways for foundations to direct funds to Latino communities.

Sept. 8, 2011
3:00 - 4:00 PM EST

NCRP Pulse Webinar: Inside Scoop - Secrets to Raise More Money from Foundation
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy

Tune in to the next in NCRP’s series of “Pulse” webinars to learn from foundation insiders how nonprofits like yours can raise more grant dollars. Attendees on the webinar will also share best-practice insights with each other.  In just one hour, you’ll learn valuable tips about how to:

• Grow a list of good prospects
• Initiate contact with and cultivate potential funders
• Plan calls and meetings with funders, including site visits
• Effectively communicate with funders during the grant process
• What to include in a standard proposal to a foundation
• How to keep foundations updated on your work
• And more!

Presenters:

• Kim Patton, Training Coordinator, The Foundation Center
• Mary Sobecki, Program Officer, The Needmor Fund

This event is for NCRP members only. Register now!

Not yet an NCRP member? It's quick and easy. Join Now!

Foundation Support Strategies for Organizing and Policy: Outputs, Outcomes, and Evaluation
National Community Reinvestment Coalition

Now more than ever, foundations are looking for tangible results from their investments. This workshop will explore emerging philanthropic thinking around proposal strategies for advocacy work. A recent report by the National Committee on Responsive Philanthropy examined how 13 nonprofits in Pennsylvania helped improved their communities and amplified the voices of underserved residents in the democratic process through policy engagement. These nonprofits leveraged foundation grants that generated a $122 return for every dollar invested. Hear from foundation staff, and the author of the report, about how advocacy-focused nonprofits can use an output-outcome approach to leverage funding and plan their work.

Apr. 6, 2011
5:00 - 8:00 PM EDT 

Catholic Social Teaching in Action: The Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Catholic Campaign for Human Development

NCRP's Aaron Dorfman is the keynote speaker at this event that marks CCHD's 40 years of promoting human dignity, inspiring hope and empowering people in poverty.

View his speech: Challenges of the Times for Community Organizing

This event is open to the public. For more information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it To RSVP, please visit http://ipr.cua.edu/events.cfm.  

Every year, foundations provide billions in grants for education. Yet, there is an equity crisis in our schools. American schoolchildren – especially those from vulnerable communities - remain trapped in a continuous cycle of inequities in educational access and opportunities. How can philanthropy be more effective at deploying its limited resources to help reform and improve our nation's school systems?

Last fall, NCRP's report Confronting Systemic Inequity in Education: High Impact Strategies for Philanthropy challenged grantmakers to help break the cycle of persistent inequality by focusing on the needs of students from marginalized communities and supporting efforts that seek to influence education policy in the country through advocacy, community organizing and civic engagement.

Join the report's authors Kevin Welner and Amy Farley for a vital discussion of philanthropy's role in education reform:

• How can an equity lens that prioritizes underserved communities and emphasizes civic engagement make a difference?
• How can foundations begin to implement these approaches?
• What are the challenges and rewards faced in doing so?

To register, please click here.

Feb. 25, 2011
Washington, DC 

National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy and Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania

GWP's first "Calling the Question" event of 2011 features the release of the findings from our new report Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in Pennsylvania.

NCRP's executive director, Aaron Dorfman, and other NCRP staff will be on hand to share the study's findings, place them in the context of NCRP's reports about other communities, and discuss the implications for grantmakers.

NCRP's research probed the impact of foundation funding of selected advocacy and organization projects in southwestern Pennsylvania, in the Philadelphia area and statewide. You can expect to:

• Find out how foundation-funded nonprofits have engaged thousands of Pennsylvania residents in civic life.
• Learn about the substantial improvements these groups have made in Pennsylvania communities – for housing, education, civil rights, and other causes.
• Guess the return on investment for foundation-funded policy engagement. (Hint: so far the ROI for other parts of the country has ranged from $89 to $157 for each dollar invested in advocacy and community organizing.)
• Hear about the most effective grantmaker strategies to achieve your mission and create long-term impact.

To attend, please RSVP to: Kevin Laskowski at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Feb. 2, 2011
Philadelphia, PA 

National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy and Delaware Valley Grantmakers

How can supporting policy engagement by and for underserved communities help advance a foundation's mission? What kinds of impact can advocacy and organizing achieve?

At this event, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy will release its new report: Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: The Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in Pennsylvania. The study examines the effects of several foundation-supported advocacy and organizing initiatives in education, health care and other policy areas in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and statewide.

Leading local grantmakers will discuss why and how they have embraced these tools to advance their mission. Their nonprofit partners will share their best practices for achieving policy impact.

Click here to register.

Tools to Maximize Impact: Using Policy Advocacy and Civic Engagement to Achieve Your Mission
Grantmakers of Oregon and Southwest Washington (GOSW), NCRP
Lisa Ranghelli will discuss the strategies behind Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Northwest Region, share Oregon highlights from the report, and moderate a panel discussion.