Explore Upswell
Justice for All: Racial Equity for the Brown and Black Disabled Community
Focus Groups
Twenty percent of African Americans experience disabilities, and yet when we talk about racial equity, their experiences are rarely considered. Among Black and Brown communities, there is a significant disparity in terms of access to knowledge and care, both currently and historically. These communities also are more likely to be diagnosed with “behavioral challenges” than learning or intellectual disabilities. In this session, we will bring awareness to the realities of being disabled while also being a racial minority. Presenters will explore systemic barriers that Black and Brown people with disabilities must surmount to receive critical health care and outline what …
Shifting Power in Tribal Communities To Advance Economic Mobility
Workshop
To support Indigenous youth and family success while honoring tribal sovereignty, communities must focus on shifting power. Power-shifting practices should empower community members to lead, and national intermediaries should be working directly with place-based partnerships. Session participants will learn key lessons from national, community, and Indigenous perspectives — from best practices that school districts and CBOs have taken to respect tribal sovereignty, to creating environments that are more welcoming and respectful of Indigenous culture and tradition. You’ll also learn about grantmaking that explores ideas leading to the common goal of advancing economic mobility. And, you’ll better understand how to create …
Empowering Mothers, Changing the World: The PhilMOMthropy Initiative
Spark Talk
PhilMOMthropy is a program under Motivated Moms, Inc. that celebrates Motherhood + Social Good. It is a combination of Philanthropy which means the love of humanity or the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes; and Motherhood which is not only being a mom, but also the primary example to her children, and an influencer to the world.
Disruptive Innovation in building the Teacher Workforce
Spotlight
This session will highlight how a philanthropic partnership between The Meadows Foundation and Dallas College School of Education led to the design, development and launch of a portfolio of innovative educator preparation pathways that have disrupted the traditional ed. prep landscape. The Dallas College School of Education approach to educator preparation has now been replicated across the state of Texas and across the country – viewed as a scalable solution to increasing access to higher education to historically underserved student populations as well as a solution to addressing the teacher educator workforce needs of diverse communities.
Social Purpose Real Estate to Advance North Texas Biotech and Social Impact
Workshop
Pegasus Park is a 26-acre campus dedicated to innovative companies and organizations across science, technology, health care, and social impact. Pegasus Park offers state-of-the-art facilities and amenities that enable the daily convergence of entrepreneurs, strategic business partners, social impact organizations, and North Texas’ biotech ecosystem. To strengthen North Texas as a globally recognized center for life science innovation, business, and social impact, Pegasus Park’s theory of change is focused on coordinating services and expanding resources across four key themes: physical space and infrastructure, collaborative relationships and human capital, access to financial capital, and opportunities for external/community engagement. Funded by private …
Building a Data-Driven Strategy to Re-Engage Opportunity Youth in the DFW
Workshop
Communities Foundation of Texas will describe the regional mobilization that is underway to better coordinate services for Opportunity Youth. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is home to the largest number of young adults who are disconnected from school and work in Texas. The workshop will highlight data assets and innovative new research from Aspen, The Ray Marshall Center, and the Economic Mobility Systems to better target and track re-engagement interventions that put young people at the center.
Sustainable Philanthropy — Creating and Scaling Impact
Workshop
For nearly a decade, the Sapphire Foundation has been developing an ecosystem of tools, capital, and structures that spark and grow sustainable, scalable impact. Join Chief Impact Officer Salah Boukadoum to find out what’s worked for the foundation and the lessons they’ve learned. If you’re new to impact investing, social entrepreneurship, or sustainable philanthropy, you’ll learn how to start. If you’re experienced, you’ll gain a framework and tools to strengthen your practices and collaborate more effectively with peers. Don’t miss this session if you’re a: funder seeking to achieve more with your resources, nonprofit looking for more sustainability and scale, …
Win Some, Lose Some: Lessons from Nonprofit Policy Successes and Failures
Workshop
Policy and Advocacy
In recent years, nonprofit policy advocates have put a lot of proverbial points on the board. While incomplete, major victories at the state and federal level have advanced the work of nonprofits nationwide. How on earth did a universal charitable deduction come into existence for the first time in decades, and why haven’t those same brilliant advocates been successful in restoring it yet? Most importantly, what steps can we take this year and in 2024 to advance policies that help all people thrive? In addition to getting updates on the latest policy issues affecting nonprofits, we’ll explore the landscape for …
The past few years have been pivotal for philanthropy. In the midst of simultaneous health, economic, and racial justice crises, foundations and philanthropists have shown how flexible they can be to support the immediate needs of communities across the U.S. Despite this, there is still uncertainty about what philanthropy as a sector even is. The sector exists in a narrative vacuum — a space where the lack of clear stories and abundance of ambiguous language allows different groups within and outside philanthropy to fill in the blanks with their own interpretations. As the sector works to respond to legitimate concerns, …