About

SoCal Grantmakers is thrilled to announce the return of our signature professional learning program, Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking, this fall! 

For nearly two decades, SCG has developed and delivered the premier training for early career grantmakers across California. We are proud to continue offering this content-rich, introductory training to foundation staff new to the field (less than two years) and to seasoned philanthropic professionals looking to refresh their core grantmaking skills. 

This year, our Fundamentals program will be in-person and consist of three full-day sessions from October to November. Additionally, our program will include a Visit with A Grantmaker component, where participants will have an opportunity to engage with another foundation and learn about their grantmaking approaches.  

Program participants will dive into an interdisciplinary curriculum designed and led by high-profile leaders in the philanthropic sector and can expect to: 

  • Learn the essential grantmaking skills and competencies most in demand in today’s sector.
  • Engage in transformational leadership training to acquire the interpersonal skills and mindsets needed to be an effective leader in the 21st century. 
  • Develop a professional network of philanthropic peers working across industries and issue areas in California. 
  • Apply their learnings in real-world settings and situations.

Fundamentals is an intimate learning community where all participants are required to be present and engaged in every session. Registrants must attend all three full-day Fundamentals sessions and the Visit with A Grantmaker session to receive a certificate of completion for the program. 

We strongly advise all interested participants to review and hold all session dates to avoid scheduling conflicts. Sessions will not be live-streamed or recorded. Additionally, space is limited to preserve the intention and size of this learning community. We encourage you to secure your spot before the registration deadline on Friday, October 13th, 2023. 

Session Topics: 

  • Foundations As Public Service Institutions: Understanding the evolving Philanthropic Landscape  
  • Grantmaking for a New Age: Crises and Continuity 
  • Establishing Authentic Relationships with Nonprofit Partners 
  • Numbers Tell a Story: Understanding the Basics of Financial Statements 
  • The Balancing Act: Managing Challenges and Navigating Your Personal Philanthropic Journey 
  • Centering Equity in Grantmaking 
  • The Art of Advocacy: Philanthropy’s role in the Public Policy Engagement 
  • Adopting A Compassionate and Philanthropic Career and Lifestyle 

Visit with a Grantmaker 

Your Visit with a Grantmaker session will take place between October 30 to November 2, 2023. Each participant must attend one 90-minute session. Assignments are made based on availability and on a first-come first-served basis. 

Confirmation of VWG assignments will be sent on Monday, October 23, 2023. Due to space limitations and out of respect for our hosts, we kindly ask that no requests for changes be made after assignments are received.  

Testimonials

Quality presenters representing local foundation leadership. It was my first-time hearing from many of the presenters and it was truly an honor to hear from them in this setting.

Loved it! This training was recommended to me by peers from other organizations and it did not disappoint!

This was the smoothest and most thoughtfully run series i've ever seen and you thought through every detail. thank you so much!!

The SCG team is phenomenal and I'm so grateful I had the chance to take this course. Thank you for your work and creating such an educational and safe space. Thank you!

Presented By:

evolve

 

 

 

 

 

evolve is SCG’s suite of programming that champions transformational leadership made possible by the generous support of the Angell Foundation.