Day Two of the Summit dove deep into community-focused themes, starting with a powerful Morning Plenary at Turnhalle. The session titled “How Perspectives on Community Shape Giving” featured a distinguished panel including Brittany Schulman of Native Americans in Philanthropy, Chantias Ford of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, David Portillo of The Denver Foundation, and Kelsey Simmons of the Ford Foundation. Together, they explored various ways in which our views on communities—whether as resilient, vulnerable, or interwoven—inform and transform philanthropic approaches. Discussions centered on the importance of adopting an abundance mindset to foster more generous and effective support systems.
🏔️ We’re kicking off day 2 of Feedback+Denver with a full house for our opening plenary, “How Perspectives on Community Shape Giving!” #FBLSummit pic.twitter.com/0DnYJPdn9j
— Feedback Labs (@FeedbackLabs) May 16, 2024
Lunchtime brought an equally inspiring session with the Movement Makers Lunch, where leaders like Brenda Sears of Voqal, Councilwoman Shontel Lewis from the Denver City Council, and Feedback Champion Alumni Jordan Reeves shared insights on the power of personal connection in driving collective action. This engaging conversation underscored the importance of genuine listening and connecting deeply with community narratives to amplify impact.
📸: Some photos of our incredible Movement Makers Lunch, led by Brenda Sears, Jordan Reeves, and Councilwoman Shontel Lewis! #FBLSummit pic.twitter.com/22P75uhmib
— Feedback Labs (@FeedbackLabs) May 16, 2024
Throughout the day, attendees engaged in dynamic breakout sessions that challenged traditional paradigms and encouraged a shift towards justice-based and participatory grantmaking practices. From examining power dynamics in philanthropy to integrating community voices in program design and evaluation, the discussions were not only provocative but also actionable
Interesting break down of how @ajlfoundation avoids typical foundation habits when it comes to endowment investments. Instead of parking $ in regular capital markets, most non-grant funds are directed to strategy-aligned impact investing opportunities #FBLSummit pic.twitter.com/guH43WXpZz
— Nathaniel Heller (@Integrilicious) May 16, 2024
The day concluded with a forward-looking session, “From High Tech to No Tech: New Ways of Learning With Community,” where speakers Benny Samuels from AYA Foundation, Valerie Threlfall from Listen4Good, Kelly Zunkiewicz from Impact Florida, and Nazia Hasan from the Colorado Gives Foundation highlighted innovative and inclusive technologies as well as simple, impactful methods to engage with communities meaningfully. The Summit keeps getting better! Stay tuned to see what Day Three has in store.
Wrapping up day 2 with our closing plenary, “From High Tech to No Tech: New Ways of Learning With Community,” led by moderator Benny Samuels and speakers Kelly Zunkiewicz, Sabrina Hargrave & Valerie Threlfall! #FBLSummit pic.twitter.com/jIMXvHQLcL
— Feedback Labs (@FeedbackLabs) May 16, 2024
