ANNUAL WORKING CONFERENCE
DIFFERENCE MAKERS?
EXPLORING THE SOCIETAL IMPACT OF CANADA’S GRANTMAKING FOUNDATIONS
OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE MONTREAL RESEARCH LABORATORY ON CANADIAN PHILANTHROPY/ LABORATOIRE MONTREALAIS DE RECHERCHE SUR LA PHILANTHROPIE CANADIENNE
MONDAY JUNE 8TH, 2015 9AM – 5PM
D-R200 UQÀM, MONTRÉAL
The Montreal Research Laboratory on Canadian Philanthropy will hold a working conference for researchers, graduate students, and members of the philanthropic community on Monday June 8th, 2015 at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM). The Laboratory is a collaboration between academics and representatives of Canadian grantmaking foundations, and is financed by a three-year SSHRC development partnership research grant, with financial support from Philanthropic Foundations Canada (PFC), Community Foundations Canada (CFC), Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), and the Institute for Community Prosperity (Formally Institute for Nonprofit Studies) at Mount Royal University.
The goals of this one day event are fourfold.
First, the conference will present preliminary research results on Canadian grantmaking foundations to members of the Canadian philanthropic community.
Second, we seek to use our research findings as a means of generating a national dialogue on the relationship between the practices of grantmaking, social innovation, and social change.
Third, we aim to strengthen our philanthropic research network by building partnerships with relevant organizations such as PFC, CFC, OTF, and the Institue for Community Prosperity (Formally Institute for Nonprofit Studies).
And finally, the conference will serve as the official launch of the Montreal Research Laboratory on Canadian Philanthropy(www.rpc.uqam.ca).
This will be a hands-on working conference with ample opportunity to engage, raise issues and network with researchers and foundation representatives alike. The conference will be bilingual and simultaneous French/English headphone interpretation will be available to all participants.
We anticipate a group of sixty participants at the conference from the following sectors and organizations:
1. Co-investigators and research partners
2. Board members, staff and representatives of grantmaking foundations
3. Other members of the philanthropic community (researchers, non-profits, and charity organization)
4. Academics, including graduate students
The conference is invitation only. To inquire about attending, please contact our symposium coordinator, Nicole Rigillo at nicole.rigillo@mail.mcgill.ca
Conference Programme & Working Papers
The gathering will explore four key themes related to exploring the societal impact of Canada’s grantmaking foundations. Together with academic partners, public, private and community foundation representatives will explore issues, trends and research findings related to the following themes:
• The current landscape of Canadian philanthropy and grantmaking foundations;
• Financing and governance issues for Canadian grantmaking foundations;
• Five case studies on the impact of collaborations undertaken both between foundations, and also between foundations and the partner organizations with which they work;
• A comparative study of international grantmaking foundations with lessons learned for the Canadian context.
Schedule
08:00 to 09:00
Coffee and Registration
09:00 to 09:15
Opening Remarks: Jean-Marc Fontan (UQAM) & Peter R. Elson (Institute of Community Prosperity & University of Victoria)
09:15 to 09:25
Session I: Getting Here from There: A contextual overview of foundations in Canada
Speaker: Sid Frankel (University of Manitoba)
Moderator: Jean-Marc Fontan (UQAM)
(Frankel & McDougall) Foundation Definitions and Identities (Summary)
09:25 to 09:50
Plenary Discussion
09:55 to 10:05
Session II: The Untapped Potential of Available Data for Foundations in Canada
Speakers: Iryna Khovrenkov (University of Regina) & Michael Lenczner (Ajah)
Moderator: Hilary Pearson (Philanthropic Foundations Canada)
(Khovrenkov & Gidluck) Untapped Potential of Data (Summary)
10:05 to 10:30
Plenary Discussion
10:30 to 11:00
Coffee/Tea Break
11:00 to 11:20
Session III: The Governance and Policy Landscape for Canadian Foundations: Issues on the edge of change
Speakers: François Brouard (Carleton University, Peter R. Elson & Adam Parachin (Western University)
Moderator: Peter R. Elson (Institute of Community Prosperity & University of Victoria)
Brouard, F. & Glass, J.. (2015). Emerging information and reporting issues for grantmaking foundations: A preliminary discussion in a Canadian context. Working Paper #1. Montréal: LaboMTL.
Brouard, F. & Glass, J.. (2015). Public information sharing and transparency among grantmaking foundations: A preliminary discussion in a Canadian context. Working Paper #2. Montréal: LaboMTL.
Elson, P. R. & Hall, S. (2015). Policy Matters: Grantmaking foundations and public policy engagement. A preliminary discussion on the Canadian landscape of grantmaking foundations and public policy engagement. Working Paper #3. Montréal: LaboMTL.
Parachin, A. (2015). Chartiable foundations and advocacy: Reimagining the doctrine of political purposes. Working Paper #4. Montréal: LaboMTL.
For further research available regarding the T3010, see the following working papers:
Brouard, F. (2014). T3010 Challenges for Research, SCSE-CSES Discussion paper, May, 51p.
11:20 to 12:15
Round Table & Plenary Discussion
12:15 to 13:00
Catered Lunch
13:00 to 13:15
Session IV: Collaboration among Canadian Grantmaking Foundations: Results from five case studies of collaboration
Speakers: Jean-Marc Fontan (UQAM) & Sylvain Lefèvre (UQAM)
Moderator: Luc Theriault (UNB)
(Danis) Case Study – CEGN (Summary)
(El-Jed) Case Study – Community Food Centre (Summary)
(Gravelle) Case Study – Ecofiscal Commission (Summary)
(Longtin) Case Study – Early Childhood Education (Summary)
(Pôle) Vital Signs Case Study (Summary)
13:15 to 14:15
Plenary Discussion
14:15 to 14:30
Coffee/Tea Break
14:30 to 14:50
Session V: International Comparisons: Analysis of trends and issues from the international grantmaking sector
Speakers: Nazita Lajevardi (UCSD) & Nicole Rigillo (McGill University)
Moderator: James Stauch (Institute of Community Prosperity)
Lajevardi, N., Rigillo, N., Rabinowitz-Bussell, M., Stauch, J.. (2015). International comparisons: Analysis of trends and issues from the International grantmaking sector. Working Paper #5. Montréal: LaboMTL.
14:50 to 15:45
Round Table & Plenary Discussion
15:45 to 16:15
Closing Remarks: Future Directions 2014-2015: What do Grant Making Foundations need to Know? How can Research help? Next steps for researchers and partners.
Speaker: Jean-Marc Fontan & Peter R. Elson
16:30 to 18:00
Cocktail