Now in its sixth year, the International Grantmaking Symposium (IGS) is the premier convening for practitioners, corporate foundations, advisors, and attorneys dedicated to advancing international philanthropy, sharing best practices, and getting updated on the latest rules and regulations governing cross-border giving. The Symposium provides the tools to ensure compliance with domestic and international laws and explores the immediate and long-term implications of current trends on domestic and cross-border philanthropy.
During the coronavirus pandemic, under the auspices of increasing transparency and combating criminal activity, many governments enacted more stringent laws that impact civil society, including laws that restrict the flow of foreign charitable funding into their countries. Other countries have moved in an opposing direction, creating an enabling environment to support the sector with incentives for donors and safety nets for civil society. The IGS will explore the implications of the changing regulatory landscape within the larger context and role of philanthropy.
The global pandemic has also forced donors and grantees to pivot in fundamental ways. Donors are rethinking their approaches to giving, showing renewed commitment to greater flexibility, offering funding for operational support and frontline services, responding to structural racism and rising calls for change, and seeking more collaborative partnerships with grantees to drive and amplify impact. The global pandemic has affected nearly every nonprofit across the globe. While many organizations have been forced to close during the past year, those with sustained operations have shown remarkable grit and determination in the face of new challenges. The IGS will provide a close insight into further key findings from CAF America’s COVID-19 Reporting Series—seven consecutive survey reports since the start of the pandemic—which has generated a wealth of information on the evolution of both charity and donor trends.
This year, CAF America is excited to introduce the inaugural CAF International Worldwide Symposium on Philanthropy (WSP) as a complement to the IGS experience. IGS participants will have access to 18 hours of live streaming presentations for cross-border donors spanning the CAF International network of offices—in Australia, India, Russia, Turkey, South Africa, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and Brazil—to bring a truly global perspective to this year’s participants.
Beginning in Australia, the workshops will run sequentially through the night as the CAF baton moves west, with each country hosting interactive sessions for domestic and international audiences. IGS participants will have the opportunity to engage with each of the WSP presentations as they occur and will have access to the recordings following the event.
This November 8th, the Symposium will be hosted in a hybrid format—with options to participate online or in person—to be sensitive to participant circumstances without forfeiting the high quality for which the event is known. Safety is our primary concern, and we are committed to hosting a meaningful and engaging experience, whether participants choose to join remotely or in person in the Washington DC metropolitan area.
We look forward to seeing you at IGS in November!
Interested in learning more about the International Grantmaking Symposium? We’re here to help.
Please contact either Kinga Ile at kinga@cafamerica.org or Lars Battle at lars@cafamerica.org, or give us a call at 202-793-2232.