Join us in San Francisco

Cathy Cha, Kimberly Myers Hewlett, and Allison Magee are co-chairs of the 2022 Forum advisory committees.

Two-plus years into a global pandemic, urgent discussions about climate change, and a long-overdue reckoning with racial inequities are transforming our social norms and society overall. We invite you to embrace family philanthropy’s role as a lever for change and join us in person at the National Forum on Family Philanthropy this October.

Family philanthropy is engaging in new and different conversations about our roles, actions, and commitments in building a world in which everyone has an opportunity to truly thrive. These conversations are challenging, but necessary, as now is the time to be bold and act with clarity and intention. The National Center for Family Philanthropy is pleased to convene the family philanthropy community at the historic Fairmont hotel atop Nob Hill on, October 19-21 and as co-chairs of the event’s advisory committees, we hope you will join us.

Our conference theme is Now and How Matters. Recognizing our need to act now is the first step in determining how we evolve to ensure a world where all communities and systems are vibrant, equitable, and regenerative. How we practice family philanthropy is changing. The need for philanthropic investment continues to rise as communities face persistent challenges. How family philanthropy applies its learnings and practices, from our operations to our grantmaking, will determine the type and degree of difference we make.

Beyond the How and Now, the where also matters and in planning our first in-person event since 2019, San Francisco was an ideal destination for us. The vibrancy, diversity, and innovation of the Bay Area reflect the themes and opportunities we are leaning into as an organization. And, at the same time, we acknowledge that San Francisco—with its wide income disparities, significant homelessness and infrastructure issues, and its rise in hate crimes—also represents the range of challenges that we, as a network of philanthropic families and as a country, are working to address. There are innovative collaboratives and thoughtful, engaged philanthropic leaders in the same city where there are persistent equity and humanitarian problems. This dichotomy is a fitting frame for the conversations we need and want to have.

As we build out the Forum’s agenda, we will balance plenaries that will inspire and challenge us on the big questions with breakout sessions and workshops that will focus on practical tools and resources you can use within your work in immediate and tactical ways. We will provide space and time for networking, recognizing that there is a deep desire to connect with peers, particularly after so much time apart. We will bring the broader Bay Area into the Forum through the voices we lift up in our sessions and opportunities to meet with local communities, leaders, and service providers. We will share the lessons we have all learned over the last couple years, build on the momentum we have gained, and push each other to do more.

NCFP’s community is growing and is more diverse than ever. We want to welcome the full diversity of our community to the Forum and our commitment to you is to build and host a conference that acknowledges and embraces the essential dignity of every attendee in an environment of belonging, openness and connection. We will do this in the grand and storied space of the Fairmont, with all of its contradictions of place, time, wealth, and philanthropy. We look forward to welcoming you to San Francisco spending three days together embracing the possibilities of family philanthropy and working toward a more just and equitable world.

Now is the time for learning, growth, connection, and action. Join us at the 2022 National Forum on Family Philanthropy to share and celebrate how the thoughtful and informed actions of donors are amplifying our collective impact on the most pressing issues of our time.

Cathy Cha is the president & CEO of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund

Allison Magee is executive director of the Zellerbach Family Foundation

Kimberly Myers Hewlett is the president of the Myers Family Foundation and a family council member of the Flora Family Foundation