2009 Annual Conference
Looking Ahead: The Changing Landscape of Philanthropy
For more than a hundred years, philanthropy has emerged as a catalyst for individual advancement and social change. Philanthropists have channeled private wealth for the public good in diverse, individual and innovative ways. Recently, the changing economic and political environment, combined with the proliferation of nonprofit organizations, has prompted a need to re-examine our role and impact.
Our keynote speaker Diana Aviv, president and CEO of Independent Sector, is a leading expert on the nonprofit sector. Aviv's presentation forecasted trends in the grantee community and was framed against the backdrop of the dramatic increase in the scope and impact of the nonprofit sector, particularly in light of increasing community needs and diminishing public resources. Our morning plenary was moderated by Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Warren Olney, host and executive producer of KCRW's Which Way, LA? and To the Point.
Breakout sessions explored in more depth themes resonant with our keynote: the growing intersections and partnerships between philanthropy and government, as witnessed by the emergence and growth of public-private partnerships and collaboratives; trends and best practices in supporting nonprofit leadership and effectiveness; and forecasts to enable philanthropy to look ahead to 2010 and beyond. Some of these breakout sessions targeted specific audiences, such as family foundations and corporate grantmakers, while others were of interest to the field at large.
This is a critical time for all of us who are committed to building healthier, more sustainable and prosperous communities. This year's annual conference served as a platform to identify new ways of investing, engaging, energizing and leading the field forward--to better meet the new realities in the decade ahead.
Learn more about:
Keynote Speaker Diana Aviv, President and CEO, Independent Sector
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Diana Aviv is the president and CEO of Independent Sector, the national leadership forum for America’s nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs. By representing tens of thousands of organizations across the country, Independent Sector’s mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the charitable community. Aviv is a leading speaker on emerging trends within the sector, the financial state of the nonprofit community, public policies affecting charities and foundations, the role of civil society in democracy, and civic engagement. She has testified before Congress and has been featured in media outlets, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, NPR and MSNBC.com.
Aviv came to Independent Sector in April 2003 after spending nine years at United Jewish Communities. As UJC’s vice president for public policy and director of its Washington Action Office, she worked closely with federations and national agencies concerned with the domestic health and welfare needs of vulnerable people. Aviv is a member of the Board of Governors of the Partnership for Public Service, and of the Board of Directors of GuideStar. She is also on the Comptroller General’s Advisory Board at the Government Accountability Office and advises numerous nonprofits. A native of South Africa, Aviv graduated with a B.S.W. from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and received a master’s degree in social work at Columbia University. |
Panel Moderator, Warren Olney, Host and Executive Producer, KCRW's Which Way, LA? and To the Point
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Warren Olney is the host and executive producer of Which Way, LA? and To the Point. Which Way, LA? is the signature daily news program on 89.9 KCRW Santa Monica and KCRW.com. Olney and both his programs have been honored with nearly 40 national, regional and local awards for broadcast excellence since its inception. Most recently, Olney received the Golden Mike Award for "Best Public Affairs Program," and Which Way, LA? was honored with the Los Angeles Press Club's Southern California Journalism Awards. Which Way, LA? was also named "Best Talk/Public Affairs Show" during the same awards ceremony. He is the only person to have been twice named "Broadcast Journalist of the Year" - for his work in both radio and television- by the Society of Professional Broadcast Journalists, Los Angeles. He is the recipient of Emmy Awards for reporting and anchoring, and Golden Mikes for investigative reporting.
Olney was a televison news reporter from 1966 to 1991, working in Washington, D.C., Sacramento and Los Angeles. Throughout his career, he covered local, state and national politics, including presidential primaries, nominating conventions and inaugurals, and superpower summit meetings in Washington and Geneva. Olney's interviews, book reviews, articles and columns have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Village Voice, Los Angeles Magazine, and California Journal, among other publications. Olney frequently speaks on politics, the media and the evolving character of Southern California. Photo courtesy of KCRW. |