2007 Council on Foundations
Leading foundation CEOs, trustees and staff took advantage of the latest thinking and practices on diversity and inclusion at the 2007 Council on Foundations Annual Conference. In a series of leadership exchanges, experts and advocates discussed key issues, trends and opportunities for improving foundation diversity in areas ranging from governance and staffing to grant making and asset management.
Our website contains video highlights from these sessions, all of which were standing room only. For descriptions of each program and the accompanying video, see below.
View videosPanel 1: Representation in the Workforce and Workplace
Drawing on the experiences of seasoned foundation leaders, this session explored how diversity builds organizational culture and effectiveness. Panelists reflected on governance, staffing and policy-making strategies they’ve employed to encourage greater workforce and workplace diversity, and discussed what’s worked and what hasn’t.
- Convener
- Henry A. J. Ramos, Principal, Mauer Kunst Consulting, New York, NY
- Presenters
- John Kostishack, CEO, Otto Bremer Foundation, St. Paul, MN Dewey C. Hickman, Trustee, Healthcare Georgia Foundation, Atlanta, GA Luz Vega Marquis, Trustee, The California Wellness Foundation and CEO, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Seattle, WA Terry Mazany, CEO, Chicago Community Trust, Chicago, IL
- Moderator
- Gary Yates, CEO, The California Wellness Foundation, Woodland Hills, CA
Panel 2: Equity in Foundation Grantmaking
Participants learned how leading philanthropic institutions are effectively using their program funds and other resources to respond to an increasingly diverse society. Panelists shared their reasoning for pursuing leadership in this area as well as specific strategies and success stories.
- Convener
- Susan Batten, Senior Program Associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, MD
- Panelists
- Andrea L. Taylor, Director, U.S. Community Affairs, Microsoft, Inc., Redmond, WA Mary Mountcastle, Trustee, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Winston-Salem, NC Thomas Wilcox, CEO, Baltimore Community Foundation, Baltimore, MD
- Moderator
- Peggy Saika, Trustee, The California Wellness Foundation and CEO Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, San Francisco, CA
Panel 3: Inclusive Practices and Foundation Asset Management
Foundations have the chance to create widespread change through their business practices. This session looked into the opportunities for making social impact via diverse asset managers, community capitalization and program-related loan strategies.
- Convener
- Arturo Vargas, Trustee, Council on Foundations and the Community Technology Foundation of California
- Presenters
- Robert Friedman, Trustee, Friedman Family Foundation and Founder/Chair, Corporation for Enterprise Development, Washington, DC Joseph M. Lumarda, Senior Vice President, Capital Guardian Group, Los Angeles, CA Mary E. Pugh, President & CIO, Pugh Capital Management and Trustee, The Seattle Foundation
- Moderator
- Caroline O. Boitano, Trustee, Council on Foundations and CEO, The College Access Foundation of California, San Francisco, CA
Panel 4: Diversity in Philanthropy – Strategic Opportunities for Sector Advancement
This session brought together the themes of the three previous sessions as respondents and participants built the case for a far-reaching philanthropic diversity agenda going forward.
- Convener
- Robert K. Ross, MD, CEO, The California Endowment, Los Angeles, CA
- Rapporteur
- Richard Woo, CEO, The Russell Family Foundation, Gig Harbor, WA
- Respondents
- Susan V. Berresford, CEO, Ford Foundation, New York, NY Steve Gunderson, CEO, Council on Foundations, Washington, DC Antonia Hernández, CEO, California Community Foundation, Los Angeles, CA Ira S. Hirschfield, CEO and Trustee, Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, San Francisco, CA