SCG Annual Conference and Members' Meeting
November 9, 2009

Breakout Session
Stakeholder Engagement: Strengthening Nonprofits Beyond the Grant

Moderator:
Gwen Walden
Walden Philanthropy Advisors

Panelists:
Surina Khan
Vice President of Programs, Women's Foundation of California

Alejandro Soschin
Program Officer, The Annenberg Foundation

Valerie Threlfall
Director, West Coast Offices, Center for Effective Philanthropy

Sustained economic uncertainty and the reality of dwindling foundation assets are prompting foundations to seek out new opportunities for supporting their grantees and strengthening the nonprofit community beyond grants. Foundations are examining how to creatively and pragmatically employ non-financial resources, such as convening, advocacy, training and leadership development, in order to enhance commitments to grantees. Funders have a renewed focus on improving relations with their grantees to ensure meaningful results both for foundations and the nonprofits they serve.

This session will provide funders with a nuanced understanding of the value of non-grant support and how funders can harness their resources to strengthen their grantees while operating with fewer assets. Join us in learning how supporting grantees beyond the grant can help strengthen relationships between funders and grantees to increase impact both within nonprofits and the community at large.

About the Moderator

Gwen Walden
Walden Philanthropy Advisors
Gwen Walden is principal of Walden Philanthropy Advisors, a strategic and management consulting practice focused on the needs of philanthropic organizations and individuals. She previously held executive positions at The J. Paul Getty Trust and The California Endowment, and has received national recognition for her articles on current issues in philanthropy. Walden also currently serves as executive director of the Los Angeles Public/Private Funders Partnership for Infants and Toddlers, which promotes peer learning, data collection, advocacy and collaborative funding to more effectively leverage resources across sectors on behalf of issues related to early childhood.

About the Panelists

Surina Khan
Vice President of Programs, Women's Foundation of California
Surina Khan is vice president of programs for the Women's Foundation of California, where she focuses on investing in innovative organizations, strengthening the effectiveness of social justice organizations, leading in policy advocacy efforts and building broad-based social justice movements. Previously, Khan worked as the executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. Among other positions, Khan currently serves on the board of directors of the Funders Network on Population, Reproductive Health & Rights, and is a member of the steering committee of the Los Angeles chapter of Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy and the advisory council of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Valerie Threlfall
Director, West Coast Office, Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP)
In her role at the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP), Valerie Threlfall manages relationships with foundations on the West Coast and also leads CEP's beneficiary perception work--developing tools for gathering comparitive feedback from beneficiaries of foundation programs. She has worked previously as a nonprofit strategy consultant, serving organizations such as Global Giving, Partners in Health and the Monitor Institute. Threlfall also worked at the Opportunity Finance Network, a national association of community development financial institutions, where she published multiple papers on theory of change planning and building impact measurement systems.

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