Alliance is proud to have been part of the media coverage for this year’s Council on Foundation’s annual conference in Miami, Florida.

Leading Together 2019 brought thought leaders together to engage in provocative conversations about the issues, challenges, and opportunities facing philanthropy. This year’s conference focused on bridging the divide in today’s world of growing nationalism and division, how foundations are responding to climate’s complex challenges, philanthropy’s role in fostering inclusive prosperity and emerging and best practices in domestic and global philanthropy.

We provided coverage from the following contributors:

• Sarah Brown-Campello, WINGS
• Lauren Bradford, Candid
• Aleem Walji, Aga Khan Foundation
• Aastha Mehta, NEO Philanthropy
• Marco A. Blanco, Global Fund for Children
• Irene Wong, David and Lucile Packard Foundation
• Dr. Alandra Washington, W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Systems change – are we already doing it?

Systems change – it’s an increasingly trendy phrase in our field, but what exactly makes it unique? Is systems change the silver bullet? Or another revised term that encompasses practices already common to us?

Sarah Brown-Campello and Lauren Bradford report here…

What is the role of philanthropy in catalysing systems change?

Photo credit: Council on Foundations

Aleem reflects on systems change discussions at Leading Together 2019: where it’s happened, how it happens, and what philanthropy can do to catalyse change. Can the pattern of changing social norms be learned and repeated?

Aleem Walji reports here.

Great strides made, but still work to do

Photo credit: Council on Foundations

Aastha Mehta argues that while the Leading Together conference made strides toward introspection and equipping attendees to be change agents within their organizations and communities, there is a lot more work ahead to improve philanthropic practices and build a better sector.

Aastha Mehta reports here.

The looming threat of authoritarianism in Latin America

Celina de Sola, co-founder of Glasswing International. Photo credit: Council on Foundations.

Marco sat down with Celina de Sola, co-founder of Glasswing International, who moderated the discussion between three panelists, Vonda Brown (Open Society Foundation), Juanita Leon (La Silla Vacía), and Claudia Paz y Paz (Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL). Each speaker has dedicated—and risked—their own lives to improve the democratic institutions underpinning Latin America.

Marco A. Blanco reports here.

What’s love got to do with it?

From left to right – Tonya Allen, Skillman Foundation, Don Chen, Surdna Foundation, Jessamyn Shams-Lau, Peery Foundation and Brian Hooks, Charles Koch Foundation. Photo credit: Council on Foundations

Irene Wong set off on her conference learning journey filled with love and hope, after the powerful opening panel prompted her to remember that ‘in order to transform the world, we have to be willing to transform ourselves and reexamine our practices’. Irene also reflects on the inspirational tips shared at the conference to help achieve greater impact in localized communities.

Irene Wong reports here.

The clarion call for the philanthropic sector

Photo credit: Council on Foundations

Dr Alandra explains that the reminder of the meaning of philanthropy, the love of human kind, was a clarion call for all of us in the philanthropic sector to examine and deeply reflect on not only what we do, but how we do it.

Dr. Alandra Washington reports here.

Award for innovative public-philanthropic partnerships

Kathleen P. Enright, Council on Foundation President. Photo credit: Council on Foundations.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Council on Foundations announced the 2019 winners of the Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships. The awards recognize innovative partnerships between foundations and government that have been critical in transforming communities and improving the quality of life for low-and moderate-income residents across the country.

Read more here.