2021 SPARX Conference

Philanthropy in the 21st century goes beyond funding and encompasses the community as a whole. LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter Fund, shares what funders can do to create authentic relationships as infrastructure, to build power among marginalized communities, and create a just society.

Label, but not disable
Led by Yvonne Hughes, Deputy Administrator at Its Not Your Fault and LeBrian Brown, Manager, Network Organizing, Knowledge & Engagement at Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia

Join Yvonne Hughes, Deputy Administrator at Its Not Your Fault, for a conversation about how people with disabilities are underserved and overlooked in Philadelphia, from the jobs made available to what critical resources are funded, and what her and other advocates are doing to better support the community. The first part of the session will feature an interview with Yvonne about her life and work. We will then move into an open conversation in which participants can share their own questions and ideas for improving the quality of life for people with disabilities in the region.
 

Promoting Access to High Quality, Evidence-Based Trauma-Focused Treatment for Sexually Abused Children and Their Families
Led by Vickie Melvin, Director of Programs, Practice and Quality Improvement Philadelphia Children’s Alliance

This session will cover the landscape of effective trauma therapy for children across the city who have been sexually abused, and how the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance is creating change. Their model is dedicated to promoting healing and justice for children who have been sexually abused and has been proven successful at mitigating racial stratification. Join to learn more about the challenges they have faced, what they are considering for the future, and lessons for providing equitable access to services. The session will conclude with an open discussion of how we can even the playing field to better address the needs of our most vulnerable families.
 

Discovering Your Philanthropic Priorities
Led by Evan Linhardt, Vice President, Private Wealth Management, Bernstein Private Wealth Management and Jennifer R. Ostberg,  Associate Director, Bernstein Wealth Strategies Group

Is your whole family or organization aligned on how to make an impact? Being clear on your philanthropic priorities amplifies your impact, clarifies your decision making, and brings structure to your mission so more voices are heard at the table. Many of us assume we know our philanthropic priorities without taking the time to articulate or prioritize them. The purpose of this interactive exercise is to help you reflect and prioritize your philanthropy in a simple and accessible way that you can bring to your family or organization.
 

Lessons Learned: Collecting DEI Data 
Led by Catalina Spinel, Director of Partnerships - Northeast, Candid and Brian Schultz, Director of Partnerships, Candid

In this session, Candid will share its experience collecting DEI data through GuideStar profiles and present an overview of what its data reveals about the social sector in Pennsylvania. This interactive session will engage participants to reflect and share their experiences, the opportunities, and the challenges of collecting and using DEI data.

This session, inspired by the report of the same name commissioned by Grantmakers in the Arts, is for anyone interested in learning more about the solidarity economy. Using the report as a foundation, we’ll first learn how the cultural sector is actively seeking alternatives to business-as-usual to create economic and racial justice in the sector, and how grantmakers can engage in systems-change by supporting this work. We’ll then hear from a panel of local leaders and funders who are building the solidarity economy in the form of cooperatives and non-traditional funding structures.

Report presenter: Caroline Woolard

Moderator:  Julia Terry, Pennsylvania Humanities Council

Panelists:

• Nailah Frye, Cooperative Projects Organizer, Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA):
• Denise M. Brown, Executive Director, Leeway Foundation:

This panel discussion will explore what it means to be a transformational organization, one with policies reflecting a commitment to  anti-racism and attitudes that are inclusive and equitable for all members of the community. Panelists will discuss:

• How the events of 2020 (pandemic, police brutality, Black Lives Matter) forced us to look within at our own racism, biases, and “isms”
• Strategies for transforming commitment into actions
• The role of schools and non-profit organizations in the local community, and how our relationships with families, neighbors, and partners informs our work
• Relationships with funders, and how access barriers present challenges and opportunities.

The session will end with a call to action: how are you making space at your table?

Panelists
Peter L. Bailey, Head of School, Pennsylvania School for the Deaf
Jessica Zweig, Program Director, Play On Philly
Helen Eaton, Chief Executive Officer, Settlement Music School

Moderator
Melissa Draganac-Hawk, Director of Student Affairs, Pennsylvania School for the Deaf

Who wins when a neighborhood changes? Traditional real estate investment and market-based incentives do not prioritize local residents. Join this panel to hear from two organizations, one in Philadelphia, that are moving real estate assets out of the speculative private market. In both models they are centering neighborhood governance and local control over the assets for the benefit of the communities that live there.

Panelists:

• Adriana Abizadeh, Executive Director of the Kensington Corridor Trust
• John Haines, Executive Director of the Community Investment Trust

Moderator:

• Camille Canon, Partner at Purpose

During this interactive session, participants will hear more about what black organizers and black-led organizations will need to fight for racial justice in Philadelphia. During this session participants will get to hear from a brief panel about the experiences of black organizers in Philadelphia and get into breakout groups to brainstorm solutions and roles for philanthropy. Participants will leave with a clearer sense of the barriers and challenges faced by black organizers as well as opportunities for philanthropy to be better partners in the fight for racial justice.

Foundations distribute grants as a tool for social change, but have you thought about your endowments? Foundations have over $1 trillion in assets under management in the U.S., and this trillion can be used as a powerful tool to advance social and economic justice for workers in Philadelphia and nationally. This includes worker justice campaigns to pay livable wages, improve worker safety, and provide sufficient benefits.

Join us as we hear from leading experts how endowment investments can be mobilized as a tool for change, without requiring any investment turnover in the actual portfolio. Renee Morgan, Anthony Garcia, Rachel X. Nishimoto, and Essma Bengabsia will share examples of advocacy around ending the subminimum wage, engaging with Amazon to improve working conditions for its warehouse workers, and how your foundation can get involved.

What a Trusted Partnership Really Means?
Led by Andrea Foggy-Paxton, Senior Director, Frontline Solutions; James Điền Bùi (he/him), Senior Consultant, Frontline Solutions, and Colin de Paor, Consultant, Frontline Solutions

Join us for a candid dialogue on how to build a trusted partnership - between funders and nonprofits . This session will begin with an overview of the Philanthropy Network's strategic transformation process and will lead into a discussion on trust - the foundation of a good partnership. A trusted partnership implies that all parties can be open and honest in dialogue, and that the relationship works to the benefit of all. Our goal is to facilitate a conversation around why trust is paramount to a strong partnership and to unearth some strategies we can use in the context of the Philanthropy Network to further build trust among partners, cohorts, and allies in our sector.
 

Essential Collaborations in Social Philanthropy
Led by Khary Atif, MSS,MLSP, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, International Secretary Groove Phi Groove SFI, Past Master Pride of Ethiopia Lodge #104 and PRINCE HALL Shriner

Join us for an enlightening discussion on the importance of Essential Collaborations in Social Philanthropy. This session will delve into the importance of congressional cohesion amongst  funders, grassroots organizations and community leaders to restore comradery within the Greater Philadelphia region.  We will begin with highlighting cultural competency, mindset shift, community collaboration, and the ecology of social giving.

Session participants will be asked to complete a short survey at the opening of the presentation to gauge who's in the room - funders, community members, non profit organizations. We will then commence with an in depth analysis of ecological approaches, cooperative functioning then break into various breakout rooms where we can have candid discussion about thoughts, feelings and solutions.
 

Lean on Me: Maintaining network-wide collaborative momentum
Led by Edurne Irizarry, Program Officer, Philadelphia Foundation and Meg Long, Social Change Strategist and Advisor

Join this focus group style session to celebrate regional collaboration over the past 18 months and provide insights and recommendations for future areas of shared action. Session participants will hear a brief case study about a successful collaboration and will be asked to reflect on two core questions:

• What can we do together or what should we focus on to continue this collaborative momentum? And,
• What types of supports do we need as a membership and as a region to help make this happen?

Join us as we “Lean on one another” and co-create a vision for collaboration across our region and membership!
 

Bridging the Achievement Gap
Led by Tarrell Davis, Early Childhood Program Director at Settlement Music School and Dr. Ellie Brown, Professor of Psychology in the College of the Sciences and Mathematics at West Chester University

Achievement gaps are persistent disparities in measures of educational performance among subgroups of students, especially groups defined by socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity and gender. Settlement Music School’s Kaleidoscope Preschool Arts Enrichment Program addresses the issue at the beginning of a child’s academic journey.  What else needs to be done?