Cecilia Conrad is founder and chief executive officer of Lever for Change and senior advisor at the MacArthur Foundation. Lever for Change helps donors find high impact philanthropic opportunities and has helped distribute more than $1.7 billion for social good, supporting some 145 organizations and tackling issues like racial inequity, gender inequality, access to economic opportunity, and climate change. Before founding Lever for Change, Conrad led the MacArthur Fellows program. In 2023, The Nonprofit Times named her to its Top 50 Power & Influence List and Inside Philanthropy named her one of the 50 most powerful women in philanthropy.

Conrad is an emerita professor of economics with Pomona College, joining the faculty in 1995 and retiring in 2013. At Pomona, she also served as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college and later as acting president. In recognition of her academic research and advocacy around racial and gender equity, Conrad received the National Economic Association’s Samuel V. Westerfield Award and the National Urban League’s Women of Power Award.

She earned a B.A. from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University.

Featuring experts from the Global South and the United States, this panel will explore the nuances of decolonization for creating a more just and liberated world. We will explore themes related to indigenous people, Black feminist theory, and access to education for self-determination and actualization. The panel will first begin with a definition of decolonization, and then our practitioners will describe the work of decolonization from a personal to practitioner perspective.

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As the social sector engages in more place-based work, there is growing interest and need for philanthropies to partner and engage with governments in addressing widespread, systemic challenges. Join Emary C. Aronson (Chief Knowledge Officer, Robin Hood) and Andrew Ferguson (Co-CEO, Dalio Education) for a conversation on how and why funders work in partnership with government entities and programs to improve outcomes at the local and state levels.

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Everybody wants to offer technical assistance, but what makes it truly effective? This workshop explores the core principles, subject areas, methodologies and delivery methods that combine to provide nonprofits with the support they need to achieve their missions and drive systems change. The workshop is designed to maximize participation by engaging nonprofit leaders, funders, consultants and students to share their experiences and their questions. Learn more: SSIR - Transformational Capacity Building

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How does power work within a foundation? Who makes decisions about grant funding, strategic direction, or operational priorities? Over the past decade, a growing number of people have begun to question the dominant models and practices in the philanthropic sector, calling for more transparency, accountability and sharing of power with people with lived experience.

This workshop will bring together peer philanthropic professionals to discuss and define how to advance participatory practices inside foundations. Using as a framework the Advancing Participation in Philanthropy Tool (APPT), the workshop will help leaders consider practices of participation, inclusion, and power shifting across their organization, using a World Café format that encourages conversation and peer learning.

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Donors are increasingly seeking the support of philanthropic advisors to help them make a meaningful impact with their charitable contributions. However, advisors do far more than facilitate the flow of dollars. In this panel, we will explore the ways in which philanthropic advisors can help shift power to those most proximate and be a valuable partner not only to their clients, but also to those on the frontlines of today’s most intractable challenges.

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This session celebrates the work of Connecticut funders while inviting them to share lessons and thoughts on the practice of place-based philanthropy. Moderated by Will Ginsberg (The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven), panelists will speak about why funders may want to pursue a place-based approach, community-centered approach as well as – beyond grantmaking – how funders can define, engage, bring together, work with, and learn from their communities.

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The "Generations of Impact - Redefining Philanthropy for Tomorrow" panel led by Resource Generation delves into the evolving landscape of philanthropy. The panel explores the distinctive giving styles of the new generation, draw comparisons with older donors, and discover innovative approaches to giving. The expert-led discussion offers practical strategies for staying relevant to philanthropic organizations, academics, and the next generation.

Resource Generation (RG), a national non-profit, has been at the forefront of redefining philanthropy since 1998. Catering to high-net-worth individuals aged 18-35, RG operates as a donor-organizing network with 1000 members across the country.

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Funder collaboratives have become a staple in the philanthropic landscape, offering a strategic platform for funders to synergize their efforts for greater impact. However, navigating the complexities of collaboration to prioritize and maximize opportunities remains a nuanced challenge. This panel will shed light on the pivotal insights and strategies from seasoned leaders in funder collaborations, ranging from those with tightly focused objectives to those encompassing broader thematic areas.

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