Sponsored by the Grantmaking School, this new two-day course is the first university-based curriculum created to address the specialized needs of professional grantmakers with three or more years experience. The course offers program officers the opportunity to further their knowledge around grantmaking including working within a change framework, the role of strategic communications, evaluation and capacity building, and leadership core competencies and skills, and will be taught by knowledgeable faculty who are experts in the philanthropic grantmaking field. The fee for this course is $1,295; scholarships and discounts are available. To learn more or to register, go to http://www.ctphilanthropy.org/o/advanced_grant_portfolio.asp.
 

Theresa Younger, executive director of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, will discuss the role of the Commission and its impact on women and girls in Connecticut. During the meeting you’ll have a chance to network with members of other women’s and girls’ funds and:

• Learn what the status is of the Commission following the state budget impasse

• Explore opportunities to support the work of the Commission, financial and otherwise

• Discuss a collaborative response by women’s funds in the state

A recent conversation among a small group of grantmakers on funds available through the Stimulus Package ― specifically the Investing in Innovation (i3) Fund in the Department of Education, potential applications from Connecticut organizations, and what role foundations might play ― increased our awareness of the difficulty in getting a handle on all the potential opportunities and about how to respond.

Federal funding is available on a competitive basis for early childhood, K—12, capacity building, social innovation and other areas. Some of the competitions require matches and others do not. For those with match requirements, the match commitment must be in place before the application is submitted.

Join your colleagues to learn, share and discuss:

• What are the match requirements for these innovation awards and where are there opportunities without matches?
• What role can funders play in helping to identify potential candidates in Connecticut and/or help with preparing applications?
• What are the priorities for Connecticut and for individual funders?
• How many matches can Connecticut philanthropies commit to?
• What are the conversations we need to have internally in our own organizations and together?

This conversation will provide better understanding on how funders can best make their own decisions and how they can help potential grantees in their efforts to make the most of the myriad opportunities before them.