Northern California Grantmakers

The following guest post is by NCG member Lisa Handley, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe Foundation Director and Chair of NCG’s Corporate Contributions Roundtable Steering Committee.

NCG’s annual Corporate Philanthropy Institute (CPI) is around the corner and I am looking forward to attending once again . The CPI is always packed with punch. If you’ve attended in the past I’m sure you recall previous conferences where you heard from excellent guest speakers, listened to panels featuring your corporate grantmaking peers, were introduced to themes totally new to you, and you left with your head buzzing with new ideas.

This year’s theme Corporate Social (R)evolution promises not to disappoint. Once again, the CPI is shaping up to be an excellent day of conversation. The agenda is full of amazing speakers– eBay, McKesson, Adobe, Purpose, Net Impact, SoCap, Council on Foundations, B Labs, GOOD/Corps are just some of the great organizations you’ll be hearing from. You’ll leave with big ideas, as well as take away practical approaches to influence your work.

I know like me, you try to do your best to get to the most valuable conferences and seminars throughout the year and use your budget and time wisely. So if you’re on the fence about attending this year’s CPI  allow me to break it down for you:

1.) NCG’s signature annual corporate conference, the CPI, is serious value for money;

2.) You don’t need to get on a plane;

3.) It is rare to spend time with our amazing Bay Area peer network, conveniently in one space, sharing ideas; and

4.) You need to know about social innovation and entrepreneurship.

If these terms-”social innovation” and “social entrepreneurship” make you uneasy, come find out why they are important and how this affects our work as corporate grantmakers. The day will highlight many of the new ideas and concepts in social innovation-from social entrepreneurship, to shared value, to B corporations-and  how they are being interpreted and implemented in corporate philanthropy, how citizenship is changing in response, and how companies are using these approaches to innovate.

Don’t you want to hear about companies adapting the most exciting ideas of our time to corporate philanthropy? I do! Get out from behind that desk and freshen up your thinking while socializing with your peers. See you in a few weeks.

Event Details

What: Corporate Philanthropy Institute: Corporate Social (R)evolution
When: June 13, 2012 | 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Where: The California Endowment, Oakland

Full program description is here www.ncg.org/cpi.