Join Candid at the PEAK Grantmaking Conference

It’s Peak season! PEAK Grantmaking conference season, that is. That time of year many of us look forward to when grants operations professionals get together to compare notes, learn from one another, and take home new ideas and approaches to make their grantmaking practices and process more efficient, effective, and equitable.

CANDID ROUND TABLE

We are particularly excited about PEAK’s conference this year, because it’s our first time going out into conference land as Candid, so we’re looking forward to getting out there, and doing the usual mixing and mingling, but also listening and learning from questions and ideas you have to share with us. So bring your hopes and dreams about how we transform to our Candid Round Table on Tuesday, March 12^th from 3:45-5:15pm. We will also have a Candid booth in the Exhibit Hall, so please stop by and visit!

Beyond the Round Table and exhibiting, we also hope you will also join us for a couple of very timely and topical sessions we’ll be offering.

IVORY TOWER NO MORE

First up on Monday, March 11^th from 1:30-2:45pm, I’ll be facilitating a session called Ivory Tower No More, which will give participants a sneak preview of both the new PEAK Principles and Practices, as well as the forthcoming GlassPockets Transparency Levels—all in the name of helping your foundation avoid “Ivory Tower Syndrome.” How do you know if you are suffering from this dreaded malady? Have your policies and practices built a moat around your foundation that is as much an obstacle for you as for others?  Learn how to avoid creating practices that work against your foundation’s ability to live up to its commitment to serve the public good. This session focuses on the importance of transparency to effective foundation stewardship, and helps you to understand how to shift toward openness in a way that strengthens your foundation by building bridges instead of moats. Inspiring case studies will be shared by my panel colleagues, Amy Anderson from the Bush Foundation; Mona Jhawar from The California Endowment; and Cheryl Milloy from the Marguerite Casey Foundation.

PARTICIPATORY GRANTMAKING

Then on Tuesday morning, join my Candid colleague, Jen Bokoff along with Arlene Wilson-Grant from the Disability Rights Fund, as they introduce Participatory Grantmaking 101: Inclusive and Effective Strategic Practice. This session highlights findings from our latest GrantCraft guide. Explore the “why” and the “how” of participatory grantmaking, from its benefits and its challenges to its mechanics for recruiting community members, reviewing applications, and making decisions. Hear about the practical, real-world experience of foundations that have been using this approach for years. Presenters will offer both a field-wide view and specific anecdotes from within PEAK Grantmaking member foundations.

Hope to see you in Denver!