Steve Gunderson - RE:Philanthropy

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Walking through the EU maze

3 Jun 2010

*First published in the Alliance Magazine blog - http://alliancemag.wordpress.com/2010/06/03/walking-through-the-eu-maze/
I doubt when the European Foundation Center (EFC) organized this conference and designed the “Foundation Week” session titled “Walking you through the EU maze” they had any idea of what was to come. But, on Wednesday morning Janis Emmanouilidis of the European Policy Center began a most [...]

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What can philanthropy do?

In: 2010 Annual Conference

27 Apr 2010

Inspiring. That’s the word that I heard over and over again about Monday’s annual conference plenary sessions with former Vice President Al Gore and Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. They urged us to use philanthropy’s innovation to address [...]

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Our Global Commitment

In: Community Foundations| Corporate Philanthropy| Family Philanthropy| Global Philanthropy

23 Feb 2010

Recently, I blogged about Jeff Jarvis’ book, “What Would Google Do?” as it relates to our work at the Council. Jarvis stresses the power of networks and the importance of sharing information quickly. He points to Internet powerhouses like Facebook and Amazon that successfully connect people to one another, allowing them to share needs, knowledge, [...]

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“Not Your Grandfather’s Philanthropy”

In: 2010 Family Philanthropy Conference| Family Philanthropy| Next Generation

8 Feb 2010

About two years ago, a foundation leader paid us—the Council—a compliment when he said, “This is not your Grandfather’s Council on Foundations.” The comment was meant to honor the emerging changes at the Council, as we sought to provide both sector-specific membership services and sector-wide philanthropic leadership.
Recently I realized, it’s not even my generation’s philanthropy!
At [...]

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Philanthropy’s Response to Haiti

13 Jan 2010

Philanthropy is different than charity. Traditionally, philanthropy reflects long-term strategic investments in creating real change. But in times of national and/or natural disaster, both respond in short-term ways that can be most helpful.
The recent devastation in Haiti reflects the kind of disasters that call philanthropy to action. We can and should do our part in [...]

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What Would Google Do At The Council?

In: Leadership| Philanthropy

6 Jan 2010

Happy New Year! While the holidays are a time to spend with family and friends, I suspect we all take a few moments to reflect upon the past year and anticipate the one ahead.
Before departing for the holidays, every employee at the Council and every member of our Board of Directors received a copy of [...]

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Do Your Members of Congress Support Excise Tax Legislation?

In: Leadership| Public Policy

18 Nov 2009

This is a big week for the Council on Foundations and philanthropy.
The Council is celebrating its 60th Anniversary—60 years of service and leadership to philanthropy and the communities we serve. (As I write this entry, I am on my way to Chicago for a series of meetings and events, including one to celebrate the Council’s [...]

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A Statistic that Hits Home

In: Diversity and Inclusion| Leadership

22 Oct 2009

This one’s personal.
I just finished participating in the Council’s leadership convening on diversity and inclusion in philanthropy, which brought together CEOs, trustees, executive search consultants, HR officers, and Council members.
The conversation was anchored by a report the Council released today—Career Pathways to Philanthropic Leadership 2009 Baseline Report, examining the characteristics of foundation and grantmaking executives [...]

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Education: The Bedrock of our Society

In: 2009 Fall Conference

7 Oct 2009

Tuesday morning at the conference and our focus switched to education reform. Elizabeth Garza, Superintendent of the Edgewood Independent School District in San Antonio, shared the challenges of urban education in today’s inner city.

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Moving From Thought to Action

In: 2009 Fall Conference

7 Oct 2009

On Monday morning I shared with you a few highlights from San Antonio. By now you know that I never got to a comment on Tuesday. So, happy Wednesday!
The first full day of the conference moved from the engagement of our government leaders on Sunday (HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and Recovery Act Implementation Advisor Ed [...]

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An Update from San Antonio

In: 2009 Fall Conference

5 Oct 2009

I’m sitting at my computer before the day begins. An email from Council board members Diane Kaplan (Rasmuson Foundation) and Richard Woo (The Russell Family Foundation) reminded me that many of you might also like to know how things are going here in San Antonio.
We started out the fall conference with a “bang!”