Leveraging Philanthropic Assets for Public Problem Solving
May 13, 2002
Opening Reception
Los Angeles Central Library
Keynote Address (PDF)
Jack Shakely, President, California Community Foundation
May 14, 2002
Panel Discussions Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles
Welcome and Introductions
James M. Ferris, Director, The Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy
Lloyd Armstrong, Jr., Provost, University of Southern California
Forum Overview
James M. Ferris, Director, The Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy
Panel 1: The Changing Landscape of Public Problem Solving
There is significant change underway in the sectors most vital to public problem solving – philanthropy, nonprofit, and government. These changes create opportunities for forging new models of working together to increase the value of philanthropy and nonprofit action. To provide a context for the day’s discussion, this panel will provide an overview of the changes underway in these three arenas.
Moderator:
Kathleen Brown, Managing Director, Private Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs
Panelists:
Janet Clayton, Vice President and Editorial Page Editor, Los Angeles Times
Jane G. Pisano, President and Director, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Antonio Villaraigosa, Former Speaker and California State Assembly member
Panel 2: How Can Foundations Engage the Policymaking Process?
Foundations can contribute to public problem solving by using their assets – financial, knowledge and networks – to shape public policy. This panel will discuss the various strategies that are available to foundations and the lessons that have been learned from philanthropic and nonprofits’ efforts to address public problems through governmental (public) policies in the environment, education, health, and children and families.
Moderator:
Barry Munitz, President and CEO, The J. Paul Getty Trust
Panelists:
Michael Laracy, Program Associate, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Wendy Lazarus, Director and Founder, The Children’s Partnership
Michael Mantell, Managing Environmental Policy Partner, Resources Law Group
William McKersie, Senior Education Program Officer, The Cleveland Foundation
Background Papers:
“Foundation Strategies and Public Policymaking: A Conceptual Framework,” James M. Ferris, Emery Evans Olson Chair in Nonprofit Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, University of Southern California, and Michael Mintrom, Associate Professor of Political Science, Michigan State University
“Foundations and Public Policymaking: An Historical Perspective,” James Allen Smith, Senior Advisor to the President of The J. Paul Getty Trust
“Private Foundations and Policy Making: Latitude Under Federal Tax Law,” Thomas A. Troyer, Esq., Member, and Douglas N. Varley, Esq., Member, Caplin & Drysdale Chartered.
Panel 3: How Can Foundations Leverage Their Assets Through Collaboration?
With the growth and increased complexity of the philanthropic sector, there exists an opportunity to increase the value of philanthropic efforts through greater collaboration and partnership among foundations and nonprofit partners, as well as other sectors of society. This panel examines the emerging structures and collaborative processes that advance the capacity for public problem solving.
Moderator:
Eugene Wilson, Senior Vice President, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Panelists:
Deborah Alavarez-Rodriguez, Vice President, Omidyar Foundation
Robert S. Collier, President, Council of Michigan Foundations
Elwood Hopkins, Project Director, Los Angeles Urban Funders
Ben Starrett, Executive Director, Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities
Background Papers:
“Critical Junctures: Philanthropic Associations as Policy Actors,” Lucy Bernholz, President, Blueprint Research and Design, Inc.
“Foundation Collaborations: Incubators for Change,” Marcia Sharp, Principal, Millennium Communications.
Panel 4: Implications for Philanthropic Decision Making and Nonprofit Action
This panel will focus on the implications for the day’s discussion of philanthropic decision making, nonprofit action, and public policy.
Moderator:
Jack Shakely, President, California Community Foundation
Panelists:
S. Kimberly Belshe, Program Director, Sustainable Communities, The James Irvine Foundation
Robert Hughes, Vice President, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Barbara Kibbe, Director, Organizational Effectiveness and Philanthropy, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Ralph Smith, Vice President, Annie E. Casey Foundation
Closing Remarks
James M. Ferris, Director, The Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy