Strategic Lifespan Peer Network Retreat

Learn with your peers from foundations who are considering or who have decided to spend down. This retreat will feature inspirational conversations, field-building and peer connections, case studies, and learning with a peer on the final stages of spending down. The sessions included will be:

• A Conversation about the Changing Field with Marcus Walton, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, interviewed by Glen Galaich, Stupski Foundation
  To open the retreat, we will start with a fireside chat between Marcus and Glen on the changing field of philanthropy, equity, and evolving practices.
• Small-group peer connections, including time by spend-down date
• Breakout sessions with Laurel Randi, McCune Foundation and Priscilla Enriquez, James B. McClatchy Foundation

The James B. McClatchy Foundation (JBMF) declared its intention to sunset in 2016, but did not embark on its journey until 2019. It began with setting values, building internal capacity, piloting grantmaking strategies, and curating key critical conversations with the community, board, and staff. Early in its sunsetting stages, JBMF will share insights gleaned from this very active learning, doing, and questioning process. The Foundation is projected to sunset in 2030.

The McCune Foundation will share about capacity building, capitalization, and grantee support. Their guiding principle to “Finish well the things we start” is implemented through strengthening capitalization of nonprofit partners.  The Foundation Sunset Grants deal with Big Ideas, Sunset Clusters, Concept Testing, Readiness and Ending Well. The Foundation will sunset in 2029.

• Lessons Learned and Q and A with John Esterle from The Whitman Institute, which is closing in 2022

John will share reflections on being in the final months of the spend-down process, and answer questions of his experience.

Related Resources

• Report: Strategic Time Horizons in Philanthropy
• Blog Post: Spending down? Don’t forget your knowledge!
• S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation Legacy Collection
• Content Collection: Ending Well: Exits and Spend Down
• Trust-Based Philanthropy Project
• Trust-Based Philanthropy Learning and Action Lab Application