Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia’s #SPARXconference is the premier event for regional funders, social investors, nonprofits, and other civic leaders who want to learn, connect, and lead social change in Greater Philadelphia. Past annual conferences have drawn more than 400 attendees from across the region. We present top-notch national and regional speakers who address timely topics of interest to the region's community.
Speakers at recent conferences have included:
- Tonya Allen, past President & CEO, Skillman Foundation
- LaTosha Brown, Black Voters Matter
- Phil Buchanan, President, The Center for Effective Philanthropy
- Jennifer Ching, North Star Fund
- Liz Dozier, Founder and CEO, Chicago Beyond
- Rami Nashishibi, MacArthur Fellow, Trustee of the Marguerite Casey Foundation, and Founder of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN)
- Trabian Shorters, CEO/Founder, BMe Community
- Vu Le, Author of the popular blog, Nonprofit AF
Recent Events
2021 | Moving in Solidarity: Blazing a Path for Progress
View details about sessions, speakers and more from our 2021 virtual conference (Oct 6-8) here.
All SPARX 2021 registrants have access to session recordings and resources until June 2022. We invite you to check out sessions you missed or rewatch your favorites! To access the recordings, login to the SPARX 2021 conference platform HERE.
2020 | Justice: From Moment to Movement
View details about sessions, speakers and more from our 2020 virtual conference here.
2019 | Igniting the Power in Community
View this 1-minute video recap of SPARX 2019 highlights and visit the Resources section of our 2019 SPARX Conference webpage for more.
2019 SPARX Conference: Igniting the Power in Community from Philanthropy Network Greater PHL on Vimeo.
Event photos by Eva Cruz, Crouching Tiger LLC
Past Conference Highlights
2018: Onramps to Equity in Action
- PDF: 2018 Conference Resource Guide
- Article: Equity, collaboration and asset framing: Smart ideas from Philanthropy Network’s 2018 conference
- Interview with keynote speaker Trabian Shorters: The philanthropic sector is thinking about equity all wrong
- Photo Gallery
2017: Vision | Voice | Values
- PDF: 2017 Conference Resource Guide
- Article: Here are some future-focused takeaways from the 2017 Philanthropy Network conference by Albert Hong, Generocity
- Attendee proposals submitted to Monument Lab
- Photo Gallery
2016: Toward a More Perfect Union: Strengthening the Sector Together
- PDF: 2016 Conference Resource Guide
- Video: Opening performance featuring the Freire Charter School Percussion Ensemble and poet Nina "Lyrispect" Ball
- Article: On the heels of a divisive election, Philanthropy Network’s conference seeks to unite - By Julie Zeglen, Generocity
- Photo Gallery
2015: Learning and Leading Together in a Diverse Landscape
- PDF: 2015 Conferene Resource Guide
- Video: Keynote speech by Dr. Manuel Pastor
- Article: What would it take to get foundations in on the impact investing game? - By Tony Abraham, Generocity
- Article: “Merger” is a scary word — but does it have to be? - By Julie Zeglen, Generocity