Creating Change 2017 is almost here!  Thousands of LGBTQ activists will converge in Philadelphia this week for the annual national conference for LGBTQ leaders and organizers.  As in prior year, many funders will join them.

To help you get the most out of your time at the conference, we’ve compiled a list of the sessions that focus specifically on philanthropy, fundraising, and financial or nonprofit management this year.

Funders for LGBTQ Issues Events

“Fundraising from Foundations: An Update on the Field of LGBTQ Philanthropy”
Friday, 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
This session seeks to demystify LGBTQ philanthropy for an activist audience. Funders’ own Ben Francisco Maulbeck and Kristina Wertz will provide a philanthropy 101 and analysis of recent trends in LGBTQ funding. We will also host a panel of funders including Desiree Flores of the Arcus Foundation, Joy Messinger of Third Wave Fund, Libby O’Donnell of the Philadelphia Foundation who will share information about their institutions and give activists practical tips in seeking funding.

“Funding to Address LGBTQ Criminalization”
Friday, 3-4:30 p.m.
This session will explore the scope and character of foundation funding for LGBTQ criminal justice issues and identify funding sources and opportunities. Funders’ Lyle Matthew Kan will be releasing a new infographic on the topic and will be joined by Matthew Blinstrubas of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Tyrone Handley of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Judy Yu of Wellspring Advisors.

Member-hosted Events

The Thursday evening opening plenary, sponsored by the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund, is entitled “Forward Together: The Prophetic Post-Election Call to Action,” with featured speaker Rev. Dr. William J. Barber.

The David Bohnett Foundation reception will be held at the Hard Rock Café Thursday evening, 6-7:30 p.m., specifically for GLBT Community Center leaders who host a David Bohnett Cyber Centers, and Community Center leaders who want to learn more about the David Bohnett Cyber Center program.

Friday’s lunchtime plenary, “Convergence: Forging the Path,” is sponsored by Gilead, and speakers include Phill Wilson, President & CEO, Black AIDS Institute, Richard Elion, PhD, and blogger Ken Williams discussing HIV prevention, treatment, and the end of AIDS.

Other Events in the Fundraising/Resource Development Track 

Friday 1/20

9:00-10:30 a.m. – Creating Sustainable Funding for Your Nonprofit: Provides a systematic model for building sustainable funding from individual donors utilizing the Benevon Model.

3:00-4:30 p.m. – Working with Foundations and Talking through Challenges: How nonprofits maintain their vision, methodology and strategies in the face of different opinions from funders. Topics will include maintaining a radical vision, the ideal relationship between funder and grantee, and preserving integrity in the face of competing interests.

3:00-4:30 p.m. – Funders Board President Rebecca Fox of Wellspring Advisors will be among the presenters for Race and Leadership in LGBT Organizations: Results of a Survey: Preliminary findings from the 2016 Nonprofits, Leadership, and Race survey (with 900+ LGBT respondents), with commentators views of survey findings. Questions, comments concerns and ideas expressed at this workshop will help shape the final report. Other presenters: Sean Thomas-Breitfeld, Building Movement Project, and Clarence Patton, The Pipeline Project.

4:45-6:15 p.m. – Creating a Diverse Donor Base: Strategies for creating a more broad donor base for long-term sustainability.

4:45-6:15 p.m. – How to Connect LGBT People to LGBT Organizations: How to increase the number of LGBT donors, and do a better job retaining the ones we already have. New donor research will be shared, along with analyses of donor behaviors and opinions.

4:45-6:15 p.m. – Using Social Media to Effectively Raise Dollars for Your Program/Organization: Participants will learn and practice social media fundraising skills, become familiar with online platforms, and craft short messaging to motivate donors. Faculty includes Francisco Buchting, Nikole Pagan, and Roger Doughty of the Horizons Foundation, and Ben Francisco Maulbeck, Funders for LGBTQ Issues.

Saturday 1/21

9:00-10:30 a.m. – LGBTQ Fundraising Forum: Connect, Communicate, Collaborate: Designed specifically for those who fundraise for LGBTQ organizations (executive directors, development directors, board and committee members), participants will share approaches and success stories, ideas and resources.

Sunday 1/22

9:30-11:00 a.m. – Innovative Approaches to Funding Grassroots Activism, Organizing, & Movement Building: For nonprofit organizations interested in applying for foundation funding but don’t know where to start, or for foundation representatives who want to learn new ways to support LGBTQI movement builders, this will be an interactive conversation on lessons learned from doing rapid response and community-based funding for LGBTQI communities. Presenters: Joy Messinger, Third Wave Fund; Ryan Li Dahlstrom, Fund for Trans Generations at Borealis Philanthropy; and Mónica Enriquez-Enriquez, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.

9:30-11:00 a.m. – Stop the Hamster Wheel of Work: Best Evaluation Practices for Non-Profits: Explore best practices for evaluation and assessment of organization impact, especially the impact of advocacy, policy and organizing work, including both quantitative and qualitative measurement strategies.