Off-Site Sessions

On Monday, April 11, see a side of Greater Philadelphia that few people get to experience.

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Philadelphia’s Education Reforms in Action - SOLD OUT

9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Philly is a hotbed of innovative and constructive educational reforms. These include Promise Academies that have longer school days and years, 74 charter schools, and a groundbreaking contract with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. Tour a Philadelphia school and learn how these practices work, how educators effectively apply learning resources, and the challenges to sustainability and replication.

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The Importance of Anchor Institutions in Community Revitalization

12-5 p.m.

Anchor institutions serve as strong catalysts for revitalization. They provide jobs and services to residents and incentives for reinvestment. See how philanthropy has helped anchor institutions in Camden, N.J., create positive change. You’ll be welcomed by Camden Mayor Dana Redd and other local stakeholders, discuss the importance of an institution's relationship with the community, and see first hand the positive changes that are happening in Camden.

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Arts as an Economic Engine - SOLD OUT

12-5 p.m.

From Chinatown and Museum Row to the Fifth Street Corridor and Avenue of the Arts, tour the rich cultural assets in the downtown center and the surrounding economically diverse neighborhoods to see how Philadelphia nonprofits and foundations are using the arts to drive economic development. You’ll receive insider access to the Crane Arts Building and HACE.

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Take Community Health and Wellness to a New Level

12-5 p.m.

Learn how three different programs—the nationally recognized Owen J. Roberts School District, the Pottstown Early Action for Kindergarten Readiness (PEAK) preschool, and the Creative Health Services and Community Health and Dental Center—are promoting health and wellness in ways that can be replicated anywhere in the United States.

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Forging Community Partnerships to Revitalize a Steel Town

12-5 p.m.

Located in prosperous Chester County, Coatesville is a former bustling steel town with one of the highest poverty rates in Pennsylvania. Visit the historic Scott Middle School and the Brandywine Center to see how funders, partners and local officials are leveraging public and private dollars to transform this community.

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The Journey Home

1-4 p.m.

Learn how local funders are partnering with community-based nonprofits to end homelessness in Philadelphia and create a national model for philanthropic leadership around the issue. You’ll visit Northern Home and Project H.O.M.E., two programs that are helping some of the city's most vulnerable residents break the generational cycle of poverty with support from the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation and other funders. This inspirational experience is sponsored by Funders Together to End Homelessness, which recently launched as an independent, nonprofit, free membership organization serving funders interested and/or engaged in solving homelessness.

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Timely Collaboration to Help Low-Skilled Adults Advance Their Careers

1:30-4:30 p.m.

Meet with national and regional funders, employers, and job-training organizations that are working together to “skill up” adults for the post-recession economy. Speak with the Philadelphia funders behind this $4 million workforce collaboration and visit Bartram’s Garden and the Breslin Learning Center, which are both helping vulnerable adults onto career and educational pathways.

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The Delaware Riverfront Transformed

1:30-5 p.m.

Be among the first to see results from successful partnerships between philanthropy and the public sector in achieving waterfront development. This two-part tour of the Delaware Riverfront, among the city’s most important economic development assets, includes visits to the Central Delaware Riverfront and the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

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Gaining Ground: Strategies to Increase Access to Better Food in Urban Areas - SOLD OUT

1:30-4:30 p.m.

Many would say that the national conversation on “food deserts”--geographic areas in which people lack access to healthy, fresh food--started in Philadelphia. In this site visit, you’ll see several ways the nonprofit community, foundations, and city officials are addressing the nutritional challenges of these areas. Learn how a citywide farm-to-school program is improving nutrition education and how public-private partnerships are bringing healthier food into the city.

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Going Beyond Contributions: Leveraging the Power of People through Volunteerism

1:30-4:30 p.m.

Corporate foundations and giving programs are learning the power of harnessing their employee base to supplement philanthropy and achieve greater social impact. Participate in a hands-on volunteer experience at Philabundance and discussion to exchange ideas on creative ways to energize employee volunteers, best practices working with nonprofits, and communicating success.