From the Director: Sept 2011

Dear friends,

Ten years. It is hard to imagine that a decade has passed since September 11, 2001. The philanthropic response to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania resulted in the "September 11th Fund" organized by The New York Community Trust and the United Way of New York City. The response was enormous. During the first year "the Fund" raised over $500 million dollars for the victims—those who lost their jobs, their homes and their lives. It was millions of people like you who shared their generosity of spirit, financial resources and human capital. Let's take a moment to pause and remember.

At that time, "the Fund" and all the contributions raised many issues related to transparency, accountability and donor intent. Were all dollars accounted for, who received the gifts and were the gifts appropriately allocated? Has our philanthropic response to disasters, or giving in general, improved after 9/11 resulting in more effective philanthropy or outcomes? What has been demonstrated is that charity relief in response to a disaster, or strategic philanthropy for systemic change, continues to be vital. And every day, I have the opportunity to see and hear about you in action—your generosity, your kind hearts—in response to these immediate and longer term needs. As Stanford PACS connects scholars, practitioners, and leaders there is much for us to learn and share. Thank you for the unique niche you have encouraged us to fill.

The academic year is embarking and we have much to look forward to at Stanford PACS. We are hosting or co-sponsoring an event every week this fall so I look forward to personally seeing many of you.

Have you visited the new Stanford PACS website http://pacscenter.stanford.edu/ since our June launch? I invite you to spend a moment viewing the home page, upcoming events and recent news coverage as there is much that is noteworthy! http://pacscenter.stanford.edu/news/pacs-news

• Laura Arrillaga–Andreessen, Stanford PACS Advisory Board chair, was featured in  Bloomberg News for her work teaching philanthropy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and her upcoming book, Giving 2.0.
• Ernestine Fu, Stanford PACS undergraduate, was featured in the cover article of an August issue of Forbes Magazine for her work as a social entrepreneur.
• Rob Reich, Stanford PACS faculty co-director, was recognized during commencement weekend for his speech "The Promise and Peril of the New Social Economy," setting the framework for our new research project.  
• Christopher Bryan was interviewed in the Stanford Report and  Megan Tompkins was published in Alliance Magazine, two past Stanford PACS PhD Fellows, both featured for their research.  http://pacscenter.stanford.edu/content/past-phd-fellows

These are important acknowledgements of our growth and impact. As Stanford PACS develops and shares knowledge to improve philanthropy, strengthen civil society and effect social change we are expanding our reach. Stanford PACS connects students, scholars and practitioners and publishes the preeminent journal Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) and our new fall issue became available last week. http://pacscenter.stanford.edu/ssir/ssir-pacs.

Looking ahead: Mark your calendars!

NEXT WEEK: Thursday, September 15, doors open 5:00pm. Program 5:30pm-6:30pm, Levinthal Hall-Stanford Humanities Center at 424 Santa Teresa St, Stanford. Join the authors for a discussion on their new book Give Smart: Philanthropy that Gets Results.  Tom Tierney, co-founder and chairman of The Bridgespan Group, and Joel Fleishman, professor of Law and Public Policy at Duke University will be interviewed by Bill Meehan, PACS Advisory Board member, lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, director emeritus of McKinsey and Company. RSVP here.

September 22, 11:00am PST/2:00pm EST, Stanford PACS is co-sponsoring the next SSIR Live! webinar with the Stanford Social Innovation Review—"Nonprofit, For-profit, or Something in Between?" with Jim Fruchterman, founder and CEO of Benetech. A veteran social entrepreneur, Fruchterman will guide you through the issues you need to consider before choosing an attorney. Your purchase allows on-demand access to the webinar for 12 months. Register now.

September 27 - September 28. Join the annual Nonprofit Management Institute, co-hosted by SSIR and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) at Arrillaga Alumni Center, Stanford University. This two-day conference "Partnering for Impact" will feature thought leaders, scholars, and practitioners including Stanford Professors Frank Flynn,  Doug McAdam and Buzz Thompson. Also experts from the field such as Katie Smith Milway and Peter Kim of The Bridgespan Group, and Fay Hanleybrown of FSG. Added to the program this year is a special screening of the new film to debut on PBS, Saving Philanthropy, with film maker Robby Robinson. Register now.

September 27, 5:30pm to 6:30pm at the Arrillaga Alumni Center, Stanford University. Join us for a special showing of the new 30-minute film to debut on PBS, Saving Philanthropy. The imperative for the philanthropy community to foster managing to outcomes culture is the theme of this program, which will be aired on PBS in December. The showing will be followed by comments from Robby Robinson, executive producer, moderated by Kim Meredith, executive director, Stanford PACS. RSVP here.

October 27, 5:30pm-7:00pm, CEMEX Auditorium at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Be the first to hear during launch week the extraordinary leader Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, Stanford PACS founder and Advisory Board chair, and author of the new bookGiving 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World. Laura is a remarkable leader, teacher, speaker, and philanthropist providing important, accessible insights for givers of all ages, interests, or levels, and whether giving time, networks, or expertise. In Giving 2.0, readers go on a fascinating journey through the fast-changing world of giving and read compelling stories of individual philanthropists. This is the Stanford and Silicon Valley main event for the book launch! RSVP here.

November 17, 5:00pm-6:30pm, Encina Hall, Bechtel Conference Center. Join luminaries and innovators from the field of philanthropy. Steven McCormick, president of The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, former president of The Nature Conservancy, will be interviewed by Alexa Culwell, visiting practitioner with Stanford PACS and past CEO of The Helen and Charles Schwab Foundation and the Larry Stupski Foundation. They will explore the issues facing "Philanthropy in the 21st Century." RSVP here.

Also of note...Stanford PACS is also co-sponsoring the film Women, War, and Peacefeaturing producer Abigail Disney on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 7:00pm-8:30pm CEMEX Auditorium. PBS will bring the five-part series to national television with the first installment set to air on October 11, 2011. Abigail Disney will come to Stanford the day after the premier. The first 40 people to respond to PACS get free tickets! RSVP here.

Join Stanford PACS as we co-host Dr. Paul Farmer for his presentation of "Building A Movement for Global Health Equity" on Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 7:00pm-9:00pm Memorial Auditorium, Stanford University. Dr. Paul Farmer, founding director of Partners In Health, will deliver the keynote address at FACE AIDS annual conference. Dr. Farmer is a remarkable physician, medical anthropologist, and leader. Register now.

As I send my "back to school" greetings to you, I am reminded of this special time of year as we re-connect intellectually and emotionally after the long summer days of reading and exploration.

Thank you for the opportunity to facilitate our time together—whether in person or email. Special acknowledgement to YOU—and our Advisory Board under the visionary leadership of Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, faculty co-directors Rob Reich and Woody Powell, our PACS students, and the University at large.

With you in our incredible Stanford PACS community we have a dynamic opportunity to change the world together!

With gratitude,