Philanthropy 101 Series

Philanthropy 101: September - December 2019

This interactive series provides a historical overview of philanthropy, reviews foundation governance and legal issues, explains the grantmaking process, debates current big issues in philanthropy, and explores roles and power dynamics. Philanthropy 101 takes place over five monthly modules that build on each other. Participants are encouraged to attend as many modules as possible as the series is also designed to support staff in building their professional network.

The series is for staff who are newer to the field or anyone who is interested in a refresher. It is open to all disciplines in the field including those who work in grantmaking and those who support the work in their administrative, financial, human resources, and trustee roles.

September 11, 2019 Session 1: Speaking the Same Language
What is “philanthropy” and what motivates philanthropists to give? Discover the history of philanthropy and the role it plays in conjunction with the nonprofit, private, and public sectors. We will also dive into the numerous types of grantmaking organizations and how they approach philanthropy.

September 25, 2019 Session 2: Foundation Governance and Legal Issues
Who is philanthropy accountable to? What’s a conflict of interest? How important are board meeting minutes anyway? These and many other thorny questions are addressed in this discussion about how foundations ensure they’re meeting their financial, legal and ethical obligations.

October 30, 2019 Session 3: Fundamentals of Grantmaking
Learn the art of grantmaking and the underlying theories that drive the process. Once we understand the fundamentals, we explore implicit bias in grantmaking and managing grantee relationships.

November 20, 2019 Session 4: The Great Debates in Philanthropy
In philanthropy, there are many ways to approach the work and achieve impact. In this lively debate, our seasoned philanthropists introduce three “evergreen” issues in philanthropy, including perpetuity vs. spending down over time. Participants get to vote on who makes the most persuasive argument.

December 11, 2019 Session 5: So You’re Working for a Foundation: Power and Your New Community
In this concluding session, we discuss the role(s) you play at your foundation, plus personal and professional power dynamics. We also introduce you to the world of philanthropic serving organizations and how they can help you build your professional network.

December 11, 2019: Philanthropy 101 Lunch
To celebrate the completion of our second Philanthropy 101 Series, CCP invites all participants and presenters from both the 2018 and 2019 series to join us for lunch.

Register for the full five-part series >>

Philanthropy 101 was developed by Philanthropy New York in partnership with the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy's Grantmaking School team and customized by CCP leaders for Connecticut philanthropy.


Philanthropy 101: March - July 2018

  

CCP presented the Philanthropy 101 series interactive modules in 2018, one a month--March through July. The five modules provided a historical overview of philanthropy, reviewed foundation governance and legal issues, explained the grantmaking process, debated current big issues in philanthropy, and explored roles and power dynamics.

Many individuals were able to participate in multiple sessions, but special congratulations go to nine who participated in all five Philanthropy 101 modules. Pictured in Photo 1: from left to right: Mercedes McAlpine, Perrin Family Foundation; Kim Hein, Tauck Family Foundation; Lisa Farren, Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford; Amarilis Pullen, Perrin Family Foundation; Catriona Horstmann, American Savings Foundation; Laura Olsbo, Universal Health Care Foundation; Not pictured - Lisa Honigfeld, Children’s Fund of Connecticut; Dee Goodrich and Tiffiany Walton, CCP. Photo 2: Philanthropy 101 class from July 2018.