Professional Development: Yale Philanthropy Conference

Liz Ruffa, Advancement Office

To add fresh perspective and context to our work in the Advancement Office, I attended the 16th annual Yale Philanthropy Conference in New Haven last month. The daylong convening was an invigorating, informative examination of how innovative partnerships and giving structures, the entry of new generations of donors, the role of philanthropic equity, trends in giving and politics and intersectional philanthropy all add to the “capital continuum” of mission-based community and social enterprise development. Here’s what stood out:

• Philanthropy’s role as “enterprise level finance”

• How to build equity and financial resilience

• Climate change as a catalyst for environmental philanthropy

• Climate Change funding one of philanthropy’s smallest asset groups (5%)

• Environmental Philanthropy’s intersection of land and giving

• Innovative partnerships: Amplifying Impact through collaboration

• Corporate Social Responsibility: Profit and Purpose

• Millennials and Generation-Z: the next global workforce

• Next Generation (N-Gen) leadership: Shaping philanthropy tomorrow.

YPC 2020 tackled the issue of how philanthropy can marshal financial resources and social capital to make lasting, enduring impacts now and in the future. I look forward to weaving these forward-facing strategies and best practices in the work of the Advancement Office at MFFC.