Events

2027 Upleveling Governance: A Cohort for Foundation Trustees and CEOs

How can foundation trustees provide meaningful oversight, foster mutual accountability and steward a mission-aligned organization in a time when deepened solidarity and partnership are critical for impact?

Foundation boards have tremendous potential to reimagine philanthropic governance and leadership. Good governance involves mindsets, tools and practices that foster frank conversation, reveal power inequities and harness the contributions of people with diverse lived experiences. Mission-aligned leadership contributes to more purposeful and effective board meetings and creates space for strategic conversations that propel bolder practice.

Informed by a roster of longtime philanthropic leaders, Upleveling Governance will help foundation trustees and executive leaders:

Clarify the role of the board
Examine who sits at the table and why
Explore ways to align all foundation assets to support mission
Identify questions your board should be exploring to meet this moment and contribute to a future where all beings, and our planet, can thrive

Leaders will leave the program having identified the changes they wish to commit to and will develop a plan to guide work toward those goals. In addition to the six virtual cohort meetings, each participating organization will have two individual calls with facilitators to discuss their contexts and needs, as well as the opportunity to participate in “integration hours” for additional support.

GEO is partnering with Philanthropy New York and Northern California Grantmakers to invite foundation CEOs, executive directors and trustees to join us for this three-month virtual cohort program with peers committed to unlocking the power in governance to fuel more transformative philanthropic practice and lasting social change. We’ll explore case studies, engage in reflective practices and share frameworks and tools to help you cultivate an increasingly effective and connected board while building a community of similarly committed peers.

Starts: January 26, 2027 at 1:30 pm Ends: April 15, 2027 at 3:30 pm Timezone: EST Contact: Meghan Duffy duffy@geofunders.org Register

Topics
- Governance
Event Types
- Cohort
Event Regions
- Virtual
Event Formats
- Online

Who Should Participate?

Foundation leaders working with boards who know governance can look and feel different (more purposeful, strategic, and easeful), and desire to make change
Foundation leaders working with boards who want some momentum and community to get started making shifts in governance
Board members who have an appetite for effective governance that moves beyond the traditional roles associated with legal requirements and tax structures
Board members who sense that their governance efforts could do more to advance their mission
Recently joined foundation trustees, newer chairs, newer family members and/or community members

Participation Requirements

We require that leadership and trustee pairs join: for example, a CEO or executive director and a board member. Organizations can have between two and four representatives participate.

Size of Cohort

To maintain a level of intimacy that enables the group to connect, we will keep this cohort to a maximum of 40 people.

Date and Time: January 26, 2027, 10:30-12:30 PT | 1:30-3:30 ET

Description:

Being a foundation trustee can feel like a singularly unique role. But you are not alone. In this first session, we will build a community together who can learn from each other and actively contribute to one another’s learning. Share your curiosities. Identify the tensions you are navigating in your role. And explore some of the key ideas you would like to reflect on throughout the cohort experience and the visions you have for your board. You’ll have the chance to learn about how other grantmakers in the cohort practice governance and see how this compares to your own context.

Faculty:

Meghan Duffy, Executive Vice President, and Mareeha Niaz, Director of Programs, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO)
Kate Seely, Senior Director, Leadership, Culture and Community, and Huong Nguyen-Yap, Vice President, Philanthropy and Impact, Northern California Grantmakers (NCG)
Kathryn O’Neal-Dunham, President and CEO, and Kristen Ruff, Executive Vice President, Member Engagement & Learning, Philanthropy New York (PNY)

Date and Time: February 10, 2027, 10:00-12:00 PT | 1:00-3:00 ET

For PNY: Opening lunch: Noon to 1:00 ET
For NCG: Opening lunch: 12:00-2:00 PT

Please note the different schedules for different host organizations.

Description:

How can philanthropy best meet the challenges of these times? How can philanthropic leadership — CEOs, executive directors and trustees — lead boldly and transformatively towards systems change efforts and ways of working that emphasize the good of the collective over the egos of institutions or individuals? Come hear about the history and evolution of foundation governance. Explore how evolving governance roles, responsibilities and mindsets can better support your foundation’s leadership and mission.

Faculty:

Dimple Abichandani, philanthropic leader, lawyer, advisor and author of A New Era of Philanthropy: Ten Practices to Transform Wealth into a More Just and Sustainable Future

Date and Time: Wednesday, February 24, 2027, 10:30-12noon PT | 1:30-3:30 ET

Description:

Clarity is contagious! Holding a balance between the strategic, generative and fiduciary aspects of leadership can bring new purpose to the board’s role and responsibilities and grease the gears of effective and easeful governance. In this session, we’ll explore frameworks that ground boards in their most important work, like Purpose-Driven Board Leadership (PDBL) and Governance as Leadership, and identify ways to bring these frameworks to life in the board room. You will hear firsthand how change happens at the board level and the opportunities that can be unlocked when a board governs with purpose as their compass.

Faculty:

Kevin Walker, President and CEO, Northwest Area Foundation; board member

Date and Time: March 1, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm PT | 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET

Date and Time: Thursday, March 11, 2027, 10:30-12:30 ET | 1:30-3:30 ET

Description:

Are you ready to reimagine the board’s role, not as protectors of institutional legacy, but as stewards of purpose in full partnership with community? Communities possess the wisdom and proximity required to drive meaningful solutions. When foundations share power with community, governance becomes a catalyst for equity, trust and lasting impact. But our current governing tools and fiduciary frameworks may not serve that purpose. In this session, hear from our colleagues who developed the Community on Board tool. Get practical guidance on how to co-create new norms for meetings, decision-making and conflict. Hear from funders who have reorganized the boardroom around accountability to the people and communities their foundation’s work is meant to serve, and what this has made possible. Learn actionable steps to evolve board structure, culture and composition to center community voice. By embracing community voice as a governing principle, foundations can empower the social sector to meet this moment with resilience and build a future where nonprofits realize their full potential.

Faculty:

Gita Gulati-Partee and Katy Love, Co-Directors, Listen to Community
Tara Health Foundation

Date and Time: March 17th, 11:00-1:00 PT | 2:00-4:00 ET

Description:

Has your board recently had a deep conversation about what is happening with the other 95% of your endowment? Have you had urgent conversations about the pace at which funds are deployed? Are you concerned that aligning assets and mission will impact your ability to operate in perpetuity as a funder? Have you struggled with inconsistencies between your foundation’s investments and your foundation’s strategy? In this session, we will discuss how all of your foundation’s assets can be stewarded in service to achieving your mission. We’ll visit key tensions that arise when we talk about money management, including who manages it and how it is managed. Regardless of your foundation’s time horizon for spending, learn how to make decisions that ensure that fiduciary and programmatic goals go hand-in-hand.

Faculty:

Rickke Mananzala, President, New York Foundation; Trustee, Public Welfare Foundation; Trustee, Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City
George Suttles, Trustee, New York Foundation; President and CEO, Scherman Foundation

Date and Time: April 15, 2027, 10:30-12:30 PT | 1:30-3:30 ET

Description:

In this working session, we will help you finalize your plans for future board development. We will focus particularly on the specific changes to which you want to commit, identifying who you need to involve, and identifying necessary resources and actions needed to make progress towards goals. We’ll have time to reflect on insights, answer lingering questions and source the group’s shared wisdom to pressure-test ideas for evolving your board’s governance practices.

Faculty:

Meghan Duffy, Executive Vice President, and Mareeha Niaz, Director of Programs, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO)
Kate Seely, Senior Director, Leadership, Culture and Community, and Huong Nguyen-Yap, Vice President, Philanthropy and Impact, Northern California Grantmakers (NCG)
Kathryn O’Neal-Dunham, President and CEO, and Kristen Ruff, Executive Vice President, Member Engagement & Learning, Philanthropy New York (PNY)