Dear Colleagues,

As we move into June, I want to recognize that this month is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Please join me in honoring the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan, which many consider the tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States, and recognizing the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals have had on history locally, nationally and internationally.

Civic engagement is so important – and today (Tuesday, June 5^th) is an opportunity for all of us to get out there and vote in California’s statewide primary election! I hope all of us will be wearing our “I Voted” stickers by the end of the day.

Today SCG is also proudly hosting our annual Family Philanthropy Conference, entitled Pathways to Impact. At the conference, a record number of participants will examine how we as grantmakers can look at innovative pathways and maximize our resources to really make a difference.

This year, we are joined by two outstanding keynote speakers who are leaders in this sector: Aaron Dorfman, President and CEO of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) and Farhad Ebrahimi, Founder and President of the Chorus Foundation.
 

                                                            
  Aaron Dorfman                                                                 Farhad Ebrahimi
                         President and CEO                                                          Founder and President                      
                             NCRP                                                                         Chorus Foundation                  

I want to take a moment to recognize SCG’s commitment to family philanthropy. SCG has a deep-rooted interest in family philanthropy that began early in our organization’s formation―three of our four founding members were family foundations―so family philanthropy is very much in our DNA.

SCG is very lucky to have a vibrant community of family philanthropists in our membership. We will continue to support them through our existing signature programs, including our Family Foundation Information Exchange (FFIX) groups, multiple family-related programs throughout the year such as today’s conference and the Traditions of Giving event in the fall, and through our partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP), by which we provide our members access to NCFP’s online resources and monthly webinars. And we are planning to introduce a number of new family philanthropy-related benefits, including a forthcoming quarterly newsletter and a revamped online portal that will enhance the community even more.

Thank you for allowing me a moment to celebrate our long and rich history of working together with family philanthropies. We at SCG are grateful to have you as members―especially those of you who have been with us for so many years now. And we look forward to continuing to work with you to build and evolve together.

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Philanthropy in Sacramento Day

On May 22, Philanthropy California, our alliance with Northern California and San Diego Grantmakers, convened over 20 funders from across the state for our annual Philanthropy in Sacramento Day. This was a special event bringing together our state’s elected officials with leaders of our sector. It was our opportunity to share the work of philanthropy so that our state’s policymakers could take the best practices developed from our members’ grantmaking and scale them up to improve the lives of millions of Californians.

This year, our group focused heavily on educating policymakers about the 2020 Census, particularly the unique challenges that will require additional resources to help ensure the participation of hard-to-count populations. Our visits were well-timed, as the Legislature worked to iron out differences between Senate and Assembly versions of the budget; and although the budget is not yet final, I am pleased to report that the Assembly Committee on Budget is proposing an additional $113 million for the 2020 Census, including $95 million for Community Based Organization (CBO) outreach, $12 million for Los Angeles County and $6 million for Santa Clara County.

Southern California Grantmakers’ delegation included Alba Bautista from First 5 Los Angeles, Chelsea Mason from the Eisner Foundation, Stephanie Green from the Women’s Foundation of California and Tara Westman from The California Endowment.

Early Bird Registration Now Open for SCG's 2018 Annual Conference!

We are greatly looking forward to this year's Annual Conference, which will take place on Monday, September 17 at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The theme of the conference is Our Common Humanity and we’ll engage in a dialogue about what brings us together in a divided world.

#SCGAnnualCon18 already features a number of exciting speakers, including our keynote speaker, john a. powell, the Director of the Haas Institute for a Fair & Inclusive Society and the Robert D. Haas Chancellor’s Chair in Equity and Inclusion Professor of Law, African American and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

Join over 600 colleagues from our diverse philanthropic community of private, public, family, individual and corporate change-makers for this dynamic and inspiring day.

Register by August 25 to take advantage of our early bird rate! Or become a sponsor for complimentary tickets and other benefits!

Applications Open for SCG’s 2018-2019 Emerging Leaders Peer-to-Peer Network

Applications are now open for SCG's 2018-2019 Emerging Leaders Peer-to-Peer network, our highly regarded peer-learning professional development coaching program for select emerging and mid-level career leaders from SCG member organizations. Successful applicants selected for the program will have the opportunity to engage closely with philanthropic colleagues to discuss and reflect on topics related to leadership development, organizational dynamics, collaborative philanthropic impact, philanthropy trends and each member’s professional and personal goals.

Similar to our longtime Senior Peer-to-Peer program, this peer learning group will utilize a coaching model that will enable members to create and implement a personal development plan, as well as to expand networks and alliances for professional growth.

The deadline to submit the application is June 15. Learn more and apply.

Program Roundup

• On May 10, at the Green Investment without Displacement along the Los Angeles River, we brought together leaders who have worked in coalition with other organizations on a broad set of issues, including park development, affordable housing, anti-displacement strategies and community development.
   
• On May 19, Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Los Angeles (TRHT LA) partnered with United American Indian Involvement (UAII) for The People’s Home: Winston Street 1974, a guided tour of never-before exhibited photography, including Polaroids and snapshots that weave together the lives and critical events of UAII’s earliest beginnings on Winston Street near Skid Row. Attendees also had an opportunity to view murals created in recent years at the former UAII Winston St. location.

• Last month, Philanthropy California and the Nonprofit Finance Fund led a session on “Learning from and Applying a Full Cost Approach” at the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations’ Conference. Nearly 70 participants learned about the Full Cost Project, which understands that funding is changing funding practices for nonprofits that diminish their effectiveness and vitality. We shared tools for applying the full cost approach to grantmaking in order to better support and strengthen nonprofits. 
   
• SCG partnered with the United State of Women (USOW) for its 2018 Summit, a powerful gathering of women and allies from across the country who know their energy and power will break the barriers that stand between women and full equality. In fact, SCG Director of Programs and Conferences Tuly Martinez and several SCG members were on the planning committee for the summit, which featured a conversation with Former First Lady Michelle Obama. Congratulations to USOW on a great summit!

Former First Lady Michelle Obama and Actress and Activist Tracee Ellis Ross

Coming Up

We hope to see you at these upcoming events:

SCG Staff News