In a tense election year, divisions feel sharp across the country. Nonprofit leaders are grappling with the question: How can we use our influence to bring people back together? What role can we as fundraisers play as we build relationships across the community?

This conversation will convene a panel of experienced leaders to discuss:

• How nonprofits can step up as community leadership to bridge divisions

• The special role that fundraisers play in that work

• Storytelling strategies that build understand, empathy, and connections

• Techniques for navigating difficult conversations

Moderator:

Bianca Derouene – President & CEO - Aperio Philanthropy

Panelists:

Jamie Dillon - Director of Advancement - Issue One   

 David Chaney - Capital Campaign Director - Houston Food Bank

John Donahue - Managing Director, Development - Brennan Center for Justice 

Michael Guerra  - Chief Sustainability Officer - San Antonio Food Bank 

This event is offered in collaboration with the George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising within the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs.

Elections affect us all—including all our fundraising programs. Some donors shift resources to campaigns; others invest more deeply in issue areas. As fundraisers, we face more noise in telling our stories and sparking conversations. We also have an opportunity to spotlight the relevancy of our missions and develop meaningful partnerships with donors.

This conversation will convene a panel of experienced leaders to discuss how to approach fundraising in this election season:

• What can we learn from past elections?

• How could the upcoming election affect the year-end giving season that follows?

• What strategies and tactics can fundraising teams use to elevate their work in a noisy environment?

• What should every organization be doing right now to prepare?

Moderator

Channon Lucas - Chief Administrative Officer - Mother Cabrini Health Foundation

Panelists

Anna Zawisza – Vice President of Development - Conservation Lands Foundation  
Shobana Gubbi - Chief Philanthropy Officer - Second Harvest of Silicon Valley 
Marissa Todd - Deputy Director – Midwest Innocence Project 
Jennifer Goforth - Senior Director of Individual Giving - Third Way

This event is offered in collaboration with the George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising within the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs.

Housing is a human right. Yet, homelessness, housing discrimination, unaffordable housing, and a myriad of other problems continue to plague communities across the country. 

This panel will explore how philanthropists and funders have been–and should be–approaching support for accessible, affordable, and secure housing? How can they defend and advance rights and access to services for homeowners and tenants? How can they center community needs in their activism? They’ll discuss the role of philanthropy, as well as recommendations for nonprofits seeking to deepen partnerships with philanthropists in these areas.

Moderator

Matthew Kwatinetz (he/him), Clinical Assistant Professor of Real Estate Economics at NYU School of Professional Studies Schack Institute of Real Estate and the Director of the NYU Urban Lab  

Panelists

Cy Richardson (he/him), Senior Vice President for Programs, National Urban League

Aubrey Merriman (he/him), Chief Executive Officer, LifeMoves

Kyle Bennett (he/him), Senior Director of Policy and Equity, United Way of Rhode Island

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This event series is offered in collaboration with the George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising within the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs.

When disaster hits, what is the role of philanthropy in advancing recovery efforts? Oftentimes, nonprofits are some of the first responders to crises, whether they be disaster-related or humanitarian. What does it mean for our sector to be a first responder? 

This panel will explore how philanthropists and fundraisers have been–and should be–approaching recovery efforts. How can we center community needs in our support? How do we make sure recovery efforts remain relevant to our donor communities once the disaster moves out of the news cycle? What lessons can nonprofits learn in scaling up to meet these needs when dollars quickly pour in? They’ll discuss the role of philanthropy, as well as recommendations for nonprofits seeking to deepen partnerships with philanthropists in these areas.

Moderator

Chloe Demrovsky (she/her), President & CEO, Disaster Recovery Institute International

Panelists

Amanda Lepof (she/her), Executive Director of Fundraising Programs and Operations, American Red Cross

Maria Lopez-Nuñez (she/her), Deputy Director of Organizing and Advocacy, Ironbound Community Corporation

Jeffrey Correa (he/him), Senior Director of Major Giving, International Rescue Committee

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This event series is offered in collaboration with the George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising within the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs.

When it comes to racial equity, philanthropy is part of the problem. Our history of colonialism still impacts how philanthropy redistributes wealth in the United States—and it's up to us, the philanthropic and fundraising community, to fix that.

Following the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, philanthropic giving became more equitable, transparent, and available. But has philanthropy continued to embrace systemic change in the long term? Have we slid backward as the movement's momentum waned?

This panel of philanthropists and fundraisers will assess how funders and nonprofits are doing in their efforts to decolonize. What positive changes do we continue to see? Where do we need to continue pushing change? They’ll offer recommendations for nonprofits seeking to deepen partnerships with philanthropists that center equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Moderator:

George Suttles (he/him), Executive Director, Commonfund Institute

Panelists: 

Cynthia Heard (she/her), Chief Operating Officer, Los Angeles Urban League

Hali Lee (she/her), Founding Partner, Radiant Strategies and Founder & Director, Asian Women Giving Circle

Rickke Mananzala (he/him), Executive Director, New York Foundation

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This event series is offered in collaboration with the George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising within the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs.

How can philanthropy advance economic equality?

Economic inequality in the U.S. has been increasing for decades–and has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Millions of Americans struggle to make ends meet today, much less prepare for the future or build up resilience in case of future crises.

This panel will explore how philanthropists and funders have been—and should be—contributing to recovery from the pandemic and financial well-being going forward. They’ll discuss the role of philanthropy in efforts such as providing emergency support, expanding financial inclusion, alleviating poverty, and addressing the root causes of poverty.

Moderator:

Steven Godeke, Founder of Godeke Consulting and Adjust Professor of Finance at NYU’s Stern School of Business

Panelists:

Kristine Borok, Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief Development Officer, Hot Bread Kitchen

Caitlyn Brazill, Chief Development Officer, Per Scholas

Dr. Stacy Dykstra, Chief Executive Officer, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma

Dr. Seft Hunter, Director of Black-Led Organizing and Power Building, Community Change Action

This event series is offered as a collaboration between Aperio Philanthropy and the George H.  Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising within the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs.

How can philanthropy advance environmental justice?

Community well-being is intrinsically tied to environmental health. The environment cannot be ignored in efforts to advance human rights, social justice, health equity, and other priorities. The environmental justice movement has broadened the scope of environmentalism beyond conservation and protection to aiming for the creation of healthy places to live for everyone. How do we treat those affected by pollution, climate change, and other costs of economic production fairly? How do we meaningfully involve stakeholders in the decisions that affect their lives?

This panel will explore how philanthropists and funders have been—and should be—approaching this movement toward environmental justice. They’ll discuss the role of philanthropy, as well as recommendations for nonprofits seeking to deepen partnerships with philanthropists in these areas.

Moderated by: Dr. Carolyn Kissane, Academic Director and Clinical Professor, NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs; Director, NYU SPS Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab

Panel to include:

Jamiah Adams, Senior Vice President of Diversity and Justice, The Climate Reality Project

Lylianna Allala, Climate Justice Director, City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment

King Laughlin, SVP, Principal Gifts, National Park Foundation

Melissa Miles, Executive Director, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance

Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice

This event series is offered as a collaboration between Aperio Philanthropy and the George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising within the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs.

How can philanthropy advance health equity?

The pandemic has shifted how we think about our healthcare system. Crisis exposed deep and systemic inequities in access, affordability, and standards of care–and therefore mortality rates and quality of life. As we move forward, how do we close gaps? Center community needs? Improve outcomes?

This panel will explore how philanthropists and funders have been—and should be—approaching this reimagining of healthcare. They’ll discuss the role of philanthropy in efforts such as addressing the social determinants of health, deepening community collaboration, advancing patient-centric care, and accelerating systemic change within healthcare institutions—as well as recommendations for nonprofits seeking to deepen partnerships with philanthropists in these areas.

Moderator:
Gianna Jackson, Special Counsel, Aperio Philanthropy

Panelists:
Chris Connolly, Associate Director, Clinton Health Access Initiative; adjunct instructor, NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs
Daniel Frascella, Chief Program and Grants Officer, Mother Cabrini Health Foundation
Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director, Association for Public and Land-grant Universities
Stephen B. Thomas, Professor and Director, Maryland Center for Health Equity, University of Maryland

This event series is offered as a collaboration between Aperio Philanthropy and the George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising within the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs.