Horizons Foundation’s Givers & Shakers 2009 held on February 21 at the Hotel Kabuki was a great success. More than 60 LGBT philanthropists attended the informative and inspirational day-long conference.

The expert advice that attendees got from the opening plenary about philanthropy in the turbulent economy, as well as the great breakout sessions reminded us that, in these times, our giving is more important than ever, and that with challenge comes opportunity. The keynote speaker, the ever-inspiring Eva Paterson, reflected on lessons learned from Proposition 8 [MP3], and made an eloquent case that only by standing together in our commitment will we see our shared dream of equality fully realized. The closing plenary panel featured thoughtful donors who invested in No on 8 and shared their insight and thoughts as the battle for marriage equality rages on.

If you were unable to attend the conference and would like a complete copy of the materials that were distributed at the event, please let us know. Below are links to some of the websites that were referenced in the conference binders:

Horizons Foundation: www.horizonsfoundation.org

eQuality Giving: www.equalitygiving.org

Gill Foundation's OutGiving: www.gillfoundation.org/outgiving

Gill Foundation's Political OutGiving: www.gillaction.org

Bolder Giving: www.boldergiving.org

Inspired Philanthropy: www.inspiredphilanthropy.org

Responsible Wealth: www.responsiblewealth.org

Here is an article, Charitable Giving and Making an Impact, by Deb Kinney, principal at DLK Law Group, which was one of the sponsors of the conference. Deb Kinney was one one the panelists on the opening plenary at Givers and Shakers, and is also a board member at Horizons Foundation. [PDF].

A full day of learning, sharing, and exploring philanthropy with larger givers to the LGBT community.*

Saturday, February 21, 2009

9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
San Francisco

A Horizons Foundation event, sponsored in part by

*This event is designed for individuals who currently give or have the capacity to give at least $5,000 annually to LGBT organizations.

Here was the schedule for the day:

9:30 a.m.	REGISTRATION AND COFFEE
10:00 a.m.	WELCOME Chip Conley, Founder and CEO, Joie de Vivre Hospitality STATE OF LGBT GIVING: The Challenges and Opportunities Roger Doughty, Executive Director, Horizons Foundation
10:30 a.m.	OPENING PLENARY: How Do I Keep Up My Giving in This Economy? PANELISTS: Lucy Bernholz, Blueprint R & D Stephen Moody, Walden Asset Management Deb Kinney, DLK Law Group Leonie Walker, donor MODERATOR: Deb Stallings, Director of Development and Gift Planning, Horizons Foundation In these trying economic times, many donors are finding themselves in a different financial position than they are used to. This panel will combine personal and practical advice from donors, as well as financial, legal, and philanthropic experts who will help look at the larger trends and possible courses of action for individual philanthropists.
12 noon	KEYNOTE LUNCH SPEAKER: EVA PATERSON Prop 8 Lessons Learned - From an African-American Ally INTRODUCED BY Julie Dorf, Philanthropic Advisor, Horizons Foundation Horizons Foundation is honored to welcome Eva Paterson as the keynote speaker for our Givers and Shakers Conference. As the founder of the Equal Justice Society (EJS), Eva is a fierce advocate for social justice. EJS is a national strategy group heightening consciousness on race in the law and popular discourse. Eva will share her experiences as a strong ally in the Prop 8 fight, and offer a comparative perspective with the defeat of Prop 209. Most importantly, Eva will offer an inspiring message on and how, together, we will soon win marriage equality. .
1:30 p.m.	BREAK-OUT SESSIONS Giving Vehicles: What Is Right For Me? LED BY John Bare, donor and board co-chair, Horizons Foundation Back by popular demand, this highly praised workshop from last year’s Givers and Shaker’s conference is being repeated. Giving vehicles? Donor and Horizons Board co-chair John Bare has tried or considered them all! In this interactive session, he will lead you through his perspective on the pros and cons of various philanthropic vehicles. You’ll also have a chance to experience firsthand how easy it is to open and use a donor-advised fund online (play money only, of course!). Political Giving LED BY Dave Ring, donor Now that the election results are clear, take a moment and assess your 2008 political giving. Would you have done anything differently – in terms of amounts, timing, recipients? Dave Ring, a seasoned donor, who can help you think through your choices and help plan your future political giving in this fun and interactive session. How City and State Budget Cuts Have Impacted Bay Area LGBT and HIV Service Organizations PANELISTS: Brett Andrews, Executive Director, Positive Resource Center (PRC) Rebecca Rolfe, Executive Director, San Francisco LGBT Community center Ann Harrison, Executive Director, New Leaf Services Jim Illig, Director of Government Relations, Project Open Hand, and President of the Health Commission MODERATOR: Jewelle Gomez, Director of Grantmaking and Community Initiatives, Horizons Foundation The economic downturn has impacted every source of funding for a typical nonprofit organization: individuals, foundations, corporations, and government funding. Even for an organization with well-diversified funding sources, 2009 is going to be a very tough year. This session will look concretely at the impact of state and municipal budget cuts on the Bay Area's LGBT and HIV service organizations. This will not be a solicitation event, but rather an honest sharing of what is happening in the field from the leaders of a number of our community's critical organizations serving the LGBT and HIV communities.
2:30 p.m.	BREAK - TEA AND COFFEE
2:45 p.m.	KEYNOTE FOLLOW UP: Donors Share Their Lessons Learned From Funding Marriage Work and Prop 8 PANELISTS: Matt Foreman, Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr., Fund Susan Shain, San Francisco Foundation Kathy Levinson, donor activist Dave Ring, donor activist MODERATOR: Joyce Newstat, Public Policy and Communications Consultant, Rocket Science Associates We will hear reflections from a variety of donors—both institutional and individual—who supported the marriage movement both charitably (501c3) and to the ballot measure in 2008. This session is for donors to build on the ideas shared during the lunchtime address by Eva Paterson, and to reflect on the time and money that we all have, and will contribute to the fight for marriage equality. We intend for this session to allow for significant audience participation.
4:00 p.m.	CONCLUSION Closing by Roger Doughty, Executive Director, Horizons Foundation

Click here to see content from the 2008 Givers and Shakers Conference.