NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Confronting Orthodoxies: Evolving Mindsets

The 2023 Global Philanthropy Forum will be held October 17-19 at the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco.

The Global Philanthropy Forum brings together leaders who are tackling global challenges head on, local activists who have created new solutions that others can learn from, innovators in new fields, leading public intellectuals from around the globe alongside cultural luminaries.

For generations, philanthropy has championed a vision of a world where opportunity is accessible to all. At the same time, philanthropy has been mired in beliefs and ecosystems that perpetuate the status quo.

To meet the challenges of the present and realize the promise of the future, philanthropy will need to:

• embrace new ways of working
• establish new networks and new ways of learning across borders to breakdown silos
• take risks on new models
• shift power back to the most impacted individuals and communities

Over two and a half days, we’ll bring together innovators, philanthropic leaders, activists, donors of color, technologists and intellectuals to build a robust discussion about how to tackle problems that are truly global in nature, like climate change or pandemics. We’ll explore different regional approaches (and lessons learned) to shared problems like gender inequality or Indigenous empowerment. We’ll look at new technologies, political and economic developments that are shaping our world and framing our opportunities. We’ll also bring local activists to the forefront, helping bring to light ways to ensure that philanthropic resources can be directly used to support local communities and create sustainable impact that addresses both local and global challenges.

Beyond talking, we’ll encourage action – and this year, will offer new sessions intended to build practical skills, make new networks and give concrete ideas, so that participants can walk away with a roadmap for action. For the first time ever, we’ll also offer the opportunity for participants to spotlight their own grantees, collaborations or campaigns, to encourage others to join them. Finally, we’ll offer a third day dedicated solely to creating peer connections and discovering on-the-ground inspiration happening in San Francisco, a city that has become emblematic of both technological advance, and its accompanying disruptions.

Join us at #GPF2023 to explore how philanthropy can successfully reinvent itself as a driving force of global collaboration.