Kaberi Banerjee-Murthy - RE:Philanthropy

View Posts by Contributor

What? How Much? How?

In: 2009 Annual Conference| Philanthropy

11 May 2009

Grinning his trademark smile, Bill Clinton was greeted with a standing ovation from an eager and enthusiastic crowd. While he joked about answers that he did not have, he also shared the ones that he did.
One of my favorite moments from his speech came when he offered his take on when the economic crisis will [...]

(2) Comments

Teachable Moments

In: 2009 Annual Conference| Money| Philanthropy

6 May 2009

As someone who was most recently at a foundation that closed its doors due to the Madoff Ponzi scheme, I approached the “Investing in Uncertain Times” session with a heightened level of interest. Jeffrey Solomon (Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies) set the stage by providing context: due to Madoff, 51 foundations died, 143 were affected.

(1) Comment

Change We Can Count On

In: 2009 Annual Conference| Philanthropy

5 May 2009

The lunchtime plenary with Melody Barnes, the Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, was one of the highlights of today’s agenda. Engaging and eloquent, Melody began by describing her department’s responsibilities as if answering her parents when they learned of her appointment: “Congratulations, honey. Now what does that mean?”

(1) Comment

A Supporting Role

In: 2009 Annual Conference| Philanthropy

5 May 2009

Edward DeSeve, special advisor to President Obama on the economic stimulus package, made his first public address on Monday at the COF conference and followed it with a more intimate Q&A session with funders in a small group. Attendees were of differing minds in evaluating the content.

No Comments

The New Normal

In: 2009 Annual Conference| Money

5 May 2009

“Helping Non Profits Through Economic Tough Times” was an interactive session focused on the real issues that funders are facing at this time. Understanding that organizations may shrink or grow in response to the economic crisis, this panel provided concrete examples of what funders, boards and organizations can do to help strengthen an organization and [...]

(1) Comment

Shifting Demographics

In: 2009 Annual Conference| Diversity and Inclusion

5 May 2009

At the end of the day yesterday, I stood with a group of funders of color who were waiting for the shuttle and surveyed the scene around them. One commented on how the composition of the room had changed drastically in 24 hours: “older, whiter, more male.” Over the weekend, a number of diverse grantmakers [...]

(1) Comment

Stunned Into Silence

In: 2009 Annual Conference| Uncategorized

5 May 2009

At the end of the first day, lots of folks were chatting about their favorite moments. My favorite was a toss-up between Dr. Franklin and John Lewis. But I would have paid money to witness what one colleague shared as her favorite moment:

(1) Comment

The Potential of “Transformed Nonconformists”

In: 2009 Annual Conference| Philanthropy

4 May 2009

The conference started with inspiration as Dr. Robert Franklin, President of Morehouse College, encouraged us to support “the creative and redemptive maladjustment of a transformed minority.” He challenged philanthropy to do something large and noble: support the next generation of ‘transformed nonconformists.’

(2) Comments

Beyond Conversation

In: 2009 Annual Conference| Philanthropy

4 May 2009

[Editor’s note: We asked contributors to tell us a question they think philanthropy needs to explore as the Atlanta conference begins. Here’s Kaberi’s answer.]
The current economic environment is pushing many of us in philanthropy to transform the way we operate. There is tremendous potential awaiting to be unlocked: mission-related investing, program-related investing, additional capacity building, [...]