TVNPA Hosts Philanthropy Forum

American philanthropy is in a state of transition. Tax reform has placed new restrictions on the charitable donation deduction. Donors are increasingly sending funds overseas and authorizing third parties to make gifting decisions on their behalf. Overall giving is on the rise, as the surging US economy has created a new generation of philanthropists, with a strong concentration in the Bay Area. Many local nonprofits have not benefited from this largesse, though. To sustain their base of support and meet the increasing needs of the communities they serve, local nonprofits need to recalibrate their fundraising strategies.

To help nonprofits adapt to the shifting dynamics of today's philanthropy, the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance (TVNPA) is hosting a forum, "Thriving in the New Philanthropy Era." The event takes place Thursday, April 12 from 9am to noon at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore. Admission is $15 for TVNPA members and $30 for non-members. The forum is sponsored by Sapience Nonprofit Solutions.

The forum will feature presentations from three Bay Area based philanthropy experts:

Kate Wilkinson: "Introduction to 'The Giving Code'" Ms. Wilkinson directs Strategy and Project Leadership for Open Impact, a strategic advisory firm that partners with nonprofit and philanthropic leaders to effect positive social change. She was a key contributor to "The Giving Code," a groundbreaking Open Impact study that explored the role of the social sector in addressing the needs of the least well off. She co-founded Chkumbuso Women and Orphans Project, a community based organization in Zambia. She has also served as Executive Director of the National Music Day Foundation and has worked for the Clinton Global Initiative and Skoll Global Threats Fund.

Randy Pond: "Corporate Philanthropy in our Communities" Mr. Pond has served as Board Chair of the American Leadership Forum's Silicon Valley affiliate, National Chair of the March of Dimes Campaign to End Premature Birth, Board Chair of CARE Enterprises, Board Chair of the San Jose Children's Discovery Museum, Board Secretary of the Cisco Foundation, and Trustee and Vice Chair of the Ball State University Foundation. He has also served on the boards of CARE USA, Stanford Health Care - ValleyCare and the Islamic Networks Group. Mr. Pond is CFO at Pensando Systems and has held executive leadership positions with Cisco Systems, Crescendo Communications, and Xerox Engineering Systems.

Jan Masaoka: "Public Policy and the Tax Code" Ms. Masaoka is CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits, a statewide alliance of more than 10,000 nonprofits. She is a leading authority on nonprofits, specializing in board development, business planning and the role of nonprofits in society. She has written three books about nonprofits and founded an e-magazine for nonprofits. Ms. Masaoka was been named Nonprofit Executive of the Year and has been honored eight times as one of the 50 Most Influential People in the US nonprofit sector. She serves on the National Public Policy Committee of Independent Sector.

Ms. Wilkinson will close the forum with "Let's Talk Solutions," to be followed by an audience Q&A.

"We are delighted to feature three extremely compelling and widely respected speakers to explore an issue of vital importance to nonprofits," said TVNPA Board Member and Event Chair Chris Carter. "Our goal with the forum is to give nonprofits actionable ideas to help them find their footing in the new philanthropy paradigm."

To register for the forum go to TVNPA.org.

About the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance: Established in 2014, TVNPA offers nonprofit professionals and volunteers regular opportunities to network, learn, share best practices, and collaborate. TNVPA offers monthly seminars in which industry experts address topics of interest to the nonprofit sector. Examples of previous seminar topics include: Organizational Sustainability, Planned Giving, Board Development, Donor Advised Funds, and Annual Direct Mail Campaign. TVNPA serves nonprofits throughout the Bay Area. For more information visit TVNPA.org.

About Sapience Nonprofit Solutions: Event sponsor Sapience Nonprofit Solutions is a Pleasanton based firm founded by Steve Glavan that provides expert counsel to nonprofits in fundraising, board development, and strategic planning. For more information visit SapienceNPS.com.