Tom Butt
 
  E-Mail Forum – 2015  
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  Ideas to Action: Philanthropy and the Future of Our Region
May 30, 2015
 
 


On Wednesday, May 27, 2015, I participated along with Mayor Libby Schaff of Oakland and Mayor Lisa Yarbrough-Gauthier of East Palo Alto in a panel constituting the Lunch Plenary of the Northern California Grantmakers (NCG) Annual Conference “Ideas to Action:  Philanthropy and the Future of Our Region. The panel was  facilitated by KQED News Reporter Scott Shafer. The conference was attended by over 200 representative of foundations and philanthropic organizations.

Discussion

The general theme of the discussion was how cities are coping with as well as benefitting from the dramatic and fast-paced change as a result of several converging forces, including economic boom, affordable housing crisis, immigration policy and demographic shifts that continue to reshape our region.

The philanthropic sector is positioned to develop strategic, coordinated approaches to address the myriad challenges that are emerging, and to cultivate healthier, thriving communities.
At the 2014 NCG Annual Conference we began a conversation about the impact of growing economic inequality on Bay Area communities. 

The mayors were asked to bring the government, city and community perspective to the conversation about how the range of changes (demographic, economic, environmental) are affecting their cities as well as provide a perspective on critical issues like housing, public safety, policing, education, and jobs. The audience expected to understand how their cities are being affected by all the factors shaping the future of the state as well as the issues at the forefront of the national news from criminal justice reform to immigration to MBK.

Panel

Northern California Grantmakers is the regional association for foundations, corporate giving programs, and donors. Since its beginnings more than 30 years ago the organization has grown to a network of over 150 grantmaking organizations and individuals who have a combined grantmaking total of more than $3 billion annually. NCG brings together the philanthropic community to learn about and act on issues they care about.

At the 2015 conference, attendees represented the full range of funders from across the Bay Area including private foundation, corporate foundation, community foundations and public charities. Funders anticipated to be in attendance include Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund, Walter & Elise Haas Foundation, Akonadi Foundation, Y & H Soda Foundation, The California Endowment, The California Wellness Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation, Zellerbach Foundation, REDF, Gerbode Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Marin Community Foundation, Kapor Center, S. D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation, S. H. Cowell Foundation, and EBCF, TSFF, and the Rosenberg Foundation.

Some of the subjects discussed pertinent to Richmond included:

  • Lack of affordable housing
  • Rent control
  • Chevron Refinery and life after the fire
  • UC Berkeley Global Campus and the Community Benefits Agreement

 

I think it gave us a good opportunity to showcase some of the things Richmond is doing to improve the quality of life as well as apprise funders of areas where philanthropy can assist in helping us with unmet needs.

 

 
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