SCG’s 2024/2025 Family Philanthropy Conference: Bridging Possibilities

In this morning activity, we will build a sculptural bridge that represents our connections and reflects the unique strengths we each bring. Our artwork will show the balance, cooperation, harmony, and even struggles within the group, while celebrating the beauty of working together.

For almost two decades, a small group of family foundations across Southern California have come together to provide each other with peer support, rigorous discussion, and lasting community in service of effective grantmaking. These Family Foundation Information Exchange (FFIX) groups have grown over the years into a thriving philanthropic community. In this panel discussion, SCG's FFIX leaders will share insights from the many conversations they've explored in these groups and how these safe and confidential spaces have helped them build relationships and advance their foundation's work. Jan Kern, SCG's Senior Philanthropy Advisor, will facilitate this conversation, where our speakers will discuss how they have built bridges with their grantees, philanthropic community, and families that have helped pave a path forward for our sector.

Leadership is key in the success of family philanthropy; some would even say it is “foundational”! Over the past twenty years, Carrie Avery and Claire Peeps have inspired our family foundation community as they've led the Durfee Foundation to become one of the most respected philanthropic organizations in Southern California. Rarely do we see a CEO and board chair remain at the helm of a foundation for this amount of time, leading with consistency, intelligence, vision, and care. In October 2024, the extraordinary partnership between Carrie Avery and Claire Peeps ended its lengthy term.Before Carrie and Claire say their final goodbye, they will join the SCG family philanthropy community for an unforgettable fireside chat moderated by Robin Kramer (Smidt Foundation) to share decades of wisdom. They will explore how building bridges has been a cornerstone of their decades-long partnerships. They will also reflect on their legacies and the importance of investing in our common humanity. Finally, they will bestow their sage advice on how the family philanthropy community can be a bridge during difficult moments and help philanthropy imagine new possibilities.