The focus of the Grantmakers Without Borders 2006 annual conference will once again be on social change giving, this year stressing issues of grantmaking practice.

Grantmakers Without Borders believes that, to be true to the spirit of social change philanthropy, however defined, a grantmaker must apply social change values and concepts to all aspects of its work. It is not simply a question of what issues are funded or what strategies are employed to address those issues. It is also about grantmaking practice: the nature of relationships between grantmakers, grantees and beneficiary communities; how the business of grantmaking is carried out; and the nature of the grantmaking institution’s internal policies.

Convening in San Mateo, California, from 8 to 10 June, the conference will allow grantmakers from around the world to explore a wide range of grantmaking topics, among which the following are likely to feature:
· The role of philanthropy in social change movements: northern grantmakers are involved in many social change movements, but what is their proper role in such movements, especially when their status is that of outsider?
· Conducting site visits: what practices and procedures might a social change grantmaker employ when conducting site visits if they are to be true to social change values?
· Disaster response: is there something here that social change grantmakers could be doing differently?
· Power in grantor-grantee relationships: who has it, what does that mean for the work at hand, and what can be done to engender an authentic balance?

Additional highlights of the conference will include a trustees-only seminar, a day-long meeting of grantmakers who work in Mesoamerica, an update on grantmaking issues as they relate to the so-called ‘war on terror’, and plenty of networking time.

Registration will begin this month. The conference is open to representatives from grantmaking entities from around the world as well as to philanthropic support groups and individual donors with a significant commitment to the global South.

For more information see http://www.gwob.net

For more information about Gw/oB, contact Executive Director John Harvey at john@gwob.net

Grantmakers Without Borders
PO Box 181282
Boston, MA 02118, USA
Tel +1 617 794-2253
Website http://www.gwob.net