Given all that the world has faced in the last two years, global interconnectedness has never been more apparent in issues like global health, climate change, racial equity and social justice, and the future of democratic institutions. While these issues aren’t new, the pandemic spurred a renewed recognition of the need for new ways of thinking and more effective efforts for collaboration across sectors. Philanthropy has an important role to play in addressing so many of the interconnected issues facing the world today, and we’re seeing funders step up to the challenge as they recognize the enormity of the problems and the need to work together towards solutions.
Fueled by the urgent need for collective action, TPI and New England International Donors (NEID) are once again joining forces to put on the 2021 Innovations in International Philanthropy Symposium. Building on the success of the 2018 Symposium, this year’s virtual gathering will focus on the challenges we face locally and globally, and the important role philanthropy has in creating solutions.
The Symposium is designed specifically for individual donors, families, corporate funders, independent and community foundation leaders, and investors who share the goal of propelling forward the capacity and impact of globally minded work. For three days, participants will learn from seasoned funders, thought leaders, and trailblazers shaping trends in international philanthropy. Confirmed speakers, among others, include:
- Cecilia Conrad | CEO, Lever for Change and Managing Director, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- Jessica Houssian | Co-CEO, Equality Fund
- Lourdes Inga | Executive Director, International Funders for Indigenous Peoples
- Kumi Naidoo (Keynote) | Former Secretary General, Amnesty International and Former Executive Director, Greenpeace International
- Deval Sanghavi | Co-Founder and Partner, Dasra
- Theo Sowa (Keynote) | Co-Chair, Equality Fund and Former CEO, African Women’s Development Fund
- Malala Yousafzai (Keynote) | 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Check out the full agenda here.
Each day, participants will choose from four tracks of skill-building workshops – Racial Equity and Social Justice, Impact Investment, Achieving Impact, and Partnerships – plus join guided discussions that maximize participant engagement and other networking opportunities around common challenges and focal points.
Day Two will feature guided conversations around 12 issue areas: Advocacy, Agroecology, Climate Change, Disaster Relief, Education, Global Health, Indigenous Peoples, Peacebuilding, Poverty/Livelihoods, Refugees, Strengthening Democracy, and Women and Girls. Day Three will layer in guided discussions around eight geographies, with the closing roundtable devoted to Networking Around Action.
If you are – or are considering becoming – an international funder who would like to be actively engaged with others to propel forward the capacity and impact of globally minded work, please check out our agenda and scheduled speakers to date at innovatephilanthropy.org, and register to join us. You can also follow @TPIPhilanthropy and @NEIDonors on Twitter for more detailed information over the coming weeks. We look forward to seeing you in September!
