This Week On Beth's Blog: Growing Social Impact in A Networked World – A Grantmaker's Gathering on Networks

On October 17 and 18th,   I will have the honor of participating in an interactive convening, hosted by GEO and the Monitor Institute focused on how funders can increase their impact by supporting networks and embracing more open and collaborative approaches to grantmaking.   Attendees will explore concrete examples and tools that grantmakers can use to tap the power of networks and increase peer-to-peer learning among grantmakers who are experimenting with networks.   The conference program and schedule is here:
The conference is using social media to engage people beyond participants attending the face-to-face event.   Here’s a number of ways that you join the conversation about philanthropy and networks.
1.   GEO and Monitor Institute will offer a live Web stream of the first conference session on Monday, October 17 from 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. PDT.  (Register here and instructions on how to participate in the live stream).   Here’s the description:
Net-Centric Grantmaking: Challenges and Opportunities
A number of grantmakers have invested considerably in network approaches, intentionally and not. They are teasing out what’s working and are grappling with significant challenges and questions as they do this work. Hear from foundation leaders about their own experiences with embracing a network mindset, supporting and catalyzing networks and sharing and investing in network learning.

Speakers:
• Kathleen Enright, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (moderator)
• Stephanie McAuliffe, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
• Steve Downs, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

2.      I will be live blogging the conference, but since I can’t cover it all, I’ve enlisted an awesome live blogging team of grantmakers and others attending the conference who will share what they learned about networks and philanthropy in guest posts on this blog!    You’ll be able to learn in real time with grantmakers and engage in a conversation in the comments.   So, in the next few days expect a series of thought-provoking guest posts about networks, grantmaking, and philanthropy.
3.     The conference network of 140 attendees will be actively tweeting using the hashtag #netfunders.  You can follow the conversation and join the discussion by also using the hashtag #netfunders.
Want to take a deeper dive?  Check out these posts for background:
Networked Funders Wikis
Working Wikily