Beyond the Summit: Global Philanthropy for Local Resilience
March 11, 2026
Stanford University
Global aid is entering a period of structural realignment—with significant implications for philanthropic capital.
Amid geopolitical instability, public funding retrenchment, and increasing calls for locally led development, the global aid architecture is being reshaped in real time.
On March 11, 2026, Stanford PACS hosted Beyond the Summit: Global Philanthropy for Local Resilience to examine strategies that strengthen resilience, institutional capacity, and long-term impact.
Drawing on emerging scholarship and field-based experience at Stanford and beyond, the convening examined:
- The implications of shifting public funding and multilateral priorities
- Capital strategies that enable community-led systems to scale sustainably
- Cross-sector partnerships that move beyond traditional aid paradigms
Speakers
Program
8:00 am | Breakfast & Arrival
8:30 am | Welcome & Opening Remarks
Priya Shanker, Executive Director, Stanford PACS
8:40 am | Evidence-Based Strategies to Strengthen Local Resilience and Scale Impact
Kim Starkey, President and CEO, King Philanthropies
Katherine Casey, The RoAnn Costin Professor of Political Economy and Faculty Director, King Center on Global Development
Drawing on decades of experience and research, this session explored how sustained philanthropic investment can advance durable, locally led solutions in communities facing extreme poverty. Speakers shared lessons from King Philanthropies’ portfolio, highlighting approaches to strengthening institutional capacity, ensuring accountability, and scaling impact without compromising local ownership.
9:40 am | Break
9:50 am | Breakout Sessions
➤ The Future of Locally-Led Development
Shaheen Kassim-Lakha, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Don Gips, Strategic Counselor and CEO Emeritus, Skoll Foundation
This session introduced a new collaborative philanthropic initiative designed to reimagine global aid by shifting decision-making authority and accountability to local leaders. Speakers outlined the strategic rationale for this transition, emerging partnership models, and practical pathways for funders seeking to support locally anchored systems at scale.
➤ Maternal and Newborn Health: Navigating the Post-Aid Landscape
Kedar Mankad, Senior Officer, Global Policy and Advocacy, Gates Foundation
Kim Meredith, CEO, San Francisco General Hospital Foundation
As global health funding contracts, maternal and newborn care systems face mounting pressure to sustain progress independently. This session examined how the landscape is shifting, where gaps are emerging, and what targeted philanthropic investments can do to reinforce locally led health infrastructure, quality of care, and long-term resilience.
10:35 am | Break
10:45 am | Sustaining Impact: Building Resilient Systems
Craig Silverstein, Founder, Echidna Giving and Dean of Infrastructure, Khan Academy
Mary Obelnicki, Founder, Echidna Giving
Isabelle Hau, Executive Director, Stanford Accelerator for Learning
Our closing session explored the role philanthropy can play in advancing locally led resilience and expanding economic mobility in a changing global aid landscape. Leaders from Echidna Giving shared insights from their work in global education philanthropy, reflecting on how funders can support locally rooted solutions, the importance of collaboration in building durable change, and why lasting impact often requires sustained, long-term investment.
11:45 am | Closing Remarks: Opportunities for Deeper Learning and to Get Involved
Priya Shanker, Executive Director, Stanford PACS
12:00 pm | Lunch & Networking
Hosted at Stanford University, the Beyond the Summit Salon Series is an intimate, interactive forum for philanthropists and changemakers to share ideas, exchange strategies, and explore actionable responses to today’s rapidly shifting philanthropic and nonprofit landscape.
Beyond the Summit: Global Philanthropy for Local Resilience was made possible with support from DAFgiving360, Gates Foundation, and Next Legacy.