Members Coming Together
Our members value the time they spend together; GRANTMAKERS of Oregon and Southwest Washington honors this by offering a series of dynamic programs, workshops, and events that address community issues, explore solutions, celebrate successes, and outline best practices.
Third Thursday Monthly Programs
These educational lunchtime programs explore a range of topics including:
- Core Competencies of Grantmaking
- Current Philanthropic Issues and Trends
- Community Concerns and Funding Interest Areas
GRANTMAKERS staff and members of the Program Committee identify the issue areas and develop the programs, calling on regional and national experts to serve as speakers. We are dedicated to continually improving both the quality and accessibility of these programs. To view a current event offerings please access the calendar on the right hand side of the screen. To view a sample list of past programs click here.
Programs are also offered through our Learning Exchanges and Affinity Groups.
Conferences & Summits
Regional Conferences
Held bi-annually, conferences are a chance for funders from around Oregon and southwest Washington to come together and explore regional philanthropic issues. Conferences involve multiple plenary and breakout sessions, cover a broad range of topics, and focus on the grantmaking community.
Summits
Starting in 2007, GRANTMAKERS of Oregon and Southwest Washington plans to begin using one-day summits to convene funders, service providers, and policy makers. These summits will be chances for the community to explore the breadth and depth of a single issue.
Skill Building Workshops
GRANTMAKERS offers a one-day workshop for new grantmakers or those wishing to refresh their skills: Grantmaking 101. Generally offered once a year, the workshop covers: analyzing financial statements, a review of legal issues, grant proposal analysis, and the nuances of grantseeker/grantmaker relationships.
In response to member request, GRANTMAKERS also offers periodic Skillbuilding Sessions. These sessions give members an opportunity to spend time focusing on specific skill sets. Past sessions have focused on everything from effective research via the web to exploring evaluation techniques.
Special Events
Members of the grantmaking community generously share information and speakers with one another. From time to time, a member bringing a consultant or speaker to town will offer to make that person available for a special gathering for GRANTMAKERS. Members may also host Member Briefings to introduce a research report or to focus in-depth on a specific topic for a targeted group of members.
Social Events
Each year, GRANTMAKERS hosts one or two social events because we know some of the best connections are made when members are simply enjoying themselves. Whether it’s hip cuisine at an eatery with a cause or cocktails & a cutting edge documentary - funders really do know how to have fun!