The Philanthropy Conference- Content for trustees

I’m a trustee – will The Philanthropy Conference 2023 have relevant information for me? This is a question Philanthropy New Zealand | Tōpūtanga Tuku Aroha o Aotearoa frequently gets asked.

The answer is a huge yes. Trustees who attend our conferences report in feedback surveys that they find them enjoyable, relevant, inspiring and thought provoking. This is because we specifically consider trustees during the programme design.

This year the conference has a theme of Uniquely Aotearoa, reflecting the desire of the funding sector for funding approaches and processes to work for the communities that make up Aotearoa New Zealand.

With about 35 events including keynotes, breakout sessions, themed breakfasts, masterclasses, a networking function and celebratory dinner, we ensure that we put on a diverse programme to suit the different types of funders and the various roles within them (governance, leadership, grant assessors, community liaison staff, and family members of foundations).

The programme for the conference, at Te Papa, Wellington on September 13-14 is still developing but you can get a good feel for the content type here, and a summary follows.

Following the pōwhiri, the programme starts on day one with a keynote that will highlight key trends and changes we can expect to significantly change Aotearoa New Zealand, impact its communities and have implications for philanthropists, grantmakers and their advisors.

We then move into a stream of five workshops. There’s a workshop that looks at governance for the changing world. Trustees could also be interested in a session on the emerging fields of systems change and participatory philanthropy; how to incorporate an equity lens into funding processes; trends in giving and generosity in a changing world; and hearing from funders who have been involved in recent disaster responses as their frequency increases due to climate change.

Te Kāhui Pūmanawa, a network of Māori working in funding, will host the next keynote session which will reimagine grantmaking based on their learnings, data insights and the experiences of kaikōkiri (community champions).

This will be followed by a series of workshops including one for trustees on how to govern in a uniquely Aotearoa way, encompassing Te Tiriti. Te Kāhui Pūmanawa will lead a breakout session to further delve into their vision and work; the Pasifika Funders Network will host a workshop on engaging with Pasifika communities; there’s a session on evaluation and impact; and a workshop on how funders can support inclusion in the face of disinformation and racism, exacerbated by AI.

You’ll then move to networking drinks with your peers and a celebratory dinner, acknowledging the contribution of philanthropy and grantmaking to Aotearoa New Zealand. There are optional themed breakfasts to start day two where you can join peers interested in rainbow funding; global giving; climate action and a get together of those from family foundations.

Day two will start with an international speaker sharing insight on the impact of climate change on our communities and also implications for philanthropic investments. This will be followed by a series of workshops all focussed on climate action; including one on building a climate friendly investment portfolio. There’s a session that will help funders to look at their own carbon footprint through their operations; funding and investments; a workshop on the role of supporting advocacy for climate action; how funding is different in the climate action space; and a session to provide information and insight on what adaption and community resilience to climate change looks like.

The final keynote features three inspiring speakers and their take on what a uniquely Aotearoa funding system looks like and how we get there. They’ll wrap up key messages, opportunities and barriers discussed during the conference.

Then we’ll proceed to masterclasses which involve one for trustees on how to govern for disasters in terms of preparedness; response and recovery; a session on impact investing; a masterclass on corporate giving; co-leadership, co-governance and the waka hourua model; and the launch of a new report – The Landscape of Philanthropy.

So, there’s lots of content specifically for, or of relevance to, trustees. We also know from that feedback that the opportunity at the conference to network with your peers facing similar challenges and opportunities is often the most rewarding aspect.

This conference will be the biggest get together of philanthropists and grantmakers in Aotearoa New Zealand – so be part of it! Contact Lynne@philanthropy.org.nz if you’ve got any questions!