During Tuesday morning’s plenary session, IDEO Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer Paul Bennett noted that "philanthropy is about people and their stories." That sentiment perfectly describes Monday morning’s standing-room-only concurrent session, "Storytelling to Share Family Values."

The discussion began with the personal stories of panelists Caroline Cummings Rafferty, Julie Fisher Cummings, and Eileen Rockefeller Growald. The audience then listened raptly to three moving conversations—including one between a lesbian mother and her young daughter and another between two daughters and their father with Alzheimer’s. These had been recorded by StoryCorps, an independent nonprofit that offers Americans an opportunity to record, share, and preserve their stories. To say that the crowd was disappointed when StoryCorps Founder and Executive Director David Isay didn’t have time to play additional taped conversations is an understatement.

Several other concurrent sessions grabbed people’s attention as well. Laura Malone, director of gift planning for the American Endowment Foundation, was among those who singled out "The Second Most Important Conversation to Have with Your Kids" as a favorite because of the topic’s importance.

As the panel’s moderator, The Minneapolis Foundation Client Services Officer Robyn Schein, noted in a post on the Council’s RE: Philanthropy blog, "For some parents, talking about wealth ranks right up there with the birds and the bees as important but dreaded conversations to have with your kids…. So the purpose of the session was to provide parents, grandparents, and staff working with philanthropic families with tips and tools to get over their fears and talk effectively about wealth and giving. "

Another popular session was "Art Works," which tackled the important issue of why family foundations should support the arts. The reason, according to Museum of Modern Art President Emeritus Agnes Gund, is simple: "The arts affect change, and they can affect it everywhere." Karen Brooks Hopkins, president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, added that "Arts are us as human beings at our best.... Why wouldn’t we make a small investment in this field."

Benna Wilde, managing director of Prince Charitable Trusts and the panel’s moderator, added in a RE: Philanthropy blog post that there are a number of important reasons for supporting the arts, including that "tens of millions of Americans participate in arts activities every year" and the arts "generate billions of dollars in consumer spending."

With more than 100 new members of Congress this year, and a number of key issues on the horizon, the session "Legislative and Regulatory Update" drew an interested crowd. Attendees took careful notes and asked questions about a variety of challenges facing the nation’s lawmakers. With the top two seats on the important House Ways and Means Committee now held by Reps. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and Sander Levin (D-Mich.), it comes as no surprise that "Michigan is now a very important state," said Andrew Schulz, the Council’s vice president, Government Relations and Public Policy.


Schulz urged all Council members, including those from the Wolverine State, to attend Foundations on the Hill March 8-9 in Washington, D.C., to educate their members of Congress on the issues most important to the philanthropic sector.



Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Foundation
AIDS United
Allen H. and Selma W. Berkman Charitable Trust
Alvaralice Foundation
Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies
Arabella Advisors
Arcus Foundation
Asante Foundation, Inc.
Atherton Family Foundation
Attendee Interactive, LLC
Ausherman Family Foundation
B.W. Bastian Foundation
Ball Brothers Foundation
Banco JPMorgan
Banque de Luxembourg
Barbara & Stephen Miller Foundation
Bella Vista Foundation
Better Way Foundation
Bezos Family Foundation
Birchall Family Foundation
Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation
Bombardier Foundation
Bridgemill Foundation
Carolyn Foundation
CEDAR Foundation
CFAR Consulting
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Colonel Robert H. Morse Foundation
Columbia Foundation
Columbine Foundation
Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta
Community Foundation of Jackson Hole
Compton Foundation
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Council of Michigan Foundations
Crain Family Foundation
Crown Family Philanthropies
CS FUND
David & Lucile Packard Foundation
David Rockefeller Fund
Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation
Doyle Family Foundation
Dresher Foundation
EarthSea
Einhorn Family Charitable Trust
Emory University
Environmental Grantmakers Association
Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation
FACT
Fanny Landwirth Foundation
Farese Family Foundation
Federal Street Advisors
Firelight Foundation
Fleishhacker Foundation
Florence & Laurence Spungen Family Foundation
Fondation ARAOK
Fondation Caritas France
FONDATION HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON
Frank H & Eva B Buck Foundation
FTI-Schonbraun McCann Group
Gerstner Family Foundation
GGS Foundation
Global Greengrants Fund
Goldseker Foundation
Graham Strategic Philanthropy
Gray Matters Capital
Gray Matters Charitable Foundation
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
Hallador
Hamilton Community Foundation
Hardesty Family Foundation
Harvard Kennedy School - Executive Education
Harvey Family Foundation
Hayden-Harman Foundation
Helen Bader Foundation
HIPPOCRENE
HopeLab Foundation
Institute for Philanthropy US
Instituto Geracao
INTENTional Philanthropy
Isabel Foundation
Jackie Robinson Foundation
Jacobs Family Foundation
Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation
Jewish Community Endowment Fund
Jewish Community Federation -SF, CA
Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford
Jewish Funders Network
Jewish Funds for Justice
JFN Philanthropic Services
John and Katherine Duda Foundation
John M. Belk Educational Endowment
Joseph H. & Florence A. Roblee Foundation
Josephine and Louise Crane Foundation
Joukowsky Family Foundation
Just Detention International
Kaye Family Business Associates
Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation
Lawrence Welk Family Foundation
Leo and Libby Nevas Family Foundation
Leonetti/O'Connell Family Foundation
Marbrook Foundation
Marie C. & Joseph C. Wilson Foundation
Martin county community foundation
Martin Foundation
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation
Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Foundation
McMurtry Family Foundation
Michelson Family Foundation
Miller Strategic Philanthropy
Morgan Family Foundation
Morning Glory
Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation
Neithercut Philanthropy Advisors
Nesholm Family Foundation
New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
North Star Fund
Norton Family Office
Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP
NYU Academy for Funder Education
O.P. & W.E. Edwards Foundation
ONE DROP FOUNDATION
Orfalea Foundations
PACE-Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement
Patrick & Aimee Butler Family Foundation
Perpetual Limited
Perrin Family Foundation
Peternell Family Foundation
Phil In: Filantropía Inteligente - Philanthropic Intelligence
Philanthropy from the Heart
Prince Charitable Trusts
Proteus Fund
Putnam Family Foundation Inc
Putnam Foundation
Ralph E. Ogden Foundation
Rasmuson Foundation
RELGALF CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Renova Foundation
Richard & Susan Smith Family Foundation
RNR Foundation / Princeton University
Robert and Joan Dircks Foundation
Robins Foundation
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Rose Community Foundation
Rosenbluth Family Foundation
Roy A Hunt Foundation
Sam L. Cohen Foundation
Saul Silbert Charitable Trust
Schwab Charitable
Segal Family Foundation
Serimus Foundation
shambavi shahana organization
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Slaggie Family Foundation
Slocum and Associates
Solidago Foundation
stackpole-hall foundation
Starwood Consulting, LLC
Steans Family Foundation
Stollery Charitable Foundation
Stranahan Foundation
Strategic Philanthropy, Ltd.
T.D. Williamson, Inc.
Taconic Foundation
Tarsadia Foundation
The Allyn Foundation
Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore
The Boston Foundation
The Bridgespan Group
The Brin Wojcicki Foundation
The Brinson Foundation
The C. E. and S. Foundation
The Cemala Foundation
The Christopher Family Foundation
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
The David & Lucile Packard Foundation
The Dayton Foundation
The Denver Foundation
The Durfee Foundation
The Eshelman Foundation
The Firelight Foundation
The Fran and Warren Rupp Foundation
The Fred Harris Daniels Foundation
The George Gund Foundation
The Goldseker Foundation
THE GOTTESMAN FUND
The Hawaii Community Foundation
The Jack DeLoss Taylor Charitable Trust
The James and Beatrice Salah Charitable Foundation
The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation
The Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds
The Karma Foundation
The Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation
The LARRK Foundation
The Laura Jane Musser Fund
The Lawrence Welk Family Foundation
The Leighty Foundation
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
The Lupton Company
The Marilyn & Henry Taub Foundation
The McKnight Foundation
The Michelson Family Foundation
The Minneapolis Foundation
The Nathan Cummings Foundation
The Nord Family Foundation
The Orton Family Foundation
The Ottinger Foundation
The Palmer Foundation
The Rhode Island Foundation
The Rockdale Foundation
The Ross Foundation
The Russell Family Foundation
The Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust
The Samuel Bronfman Foundation
The Sandy River Charitable Foundation
The Seabury Foundation
The Seattle Foundation
The Self Family Foundation
The Springs Close Foundation, Inc.
The Stackpole-Hall Foundation
The Stocker Foundation
the Stranahan Foundation
The Taub Foundation
The Taubman Foundation
The Tauck Foundation
The Tecovas Foundation
The TK Foundation
The Tow Foundation
The Trio Foundation of St. Louis
The Vermont Community Foundation
The Volgenau Foundation
The Wealth Conservancy
The Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation
The William Penn Foundation
The Woodtiger Fund
Theodore L. Cross Family Charitable Foundation
Tracy Family Foundation
Triad Foundation
trio foundation of st. louis
United Nations Foundation
United Service Foundation
United States Artists
V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation
Veris Wealth Partners
W.C. GRAUSTEIN MEMORIAL FUND
Weaver Foundation
William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund
William Penn Foundation
wise - philanthropy advisors
Women Thrive Worldwide
Woodard Family Foundation
Woodbury Fund
Wyncote Foundation
Xavier University
Zarrow Families Foundation
Ziff Family Foundations