Meeting in November 2009, the WINGS Coordinating Committee took the decision to move the WINGS Secretariat to São Paulo, Brazil from January 2011. The selection process was led by a five-member Transition Committee.

WINGS had a record year for peer learning events, with three events on Effectively Engaging Corporations (held in Mexico City, Hong Kong and the Slovak Republic); one on the Sustainability of Grantmaker Associations and Support Organizations, held in July in Cape Town; and one on the Sustainability of Community Foundations and CF Support Organizations, held in October in San Antonio, Texas. The last drew a worldwide audience with 20 participants from 14 countries in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, North America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Two One-2-One exchanges also took place in 2009. The first was between the Association of Philanthropy Indonesia and a combined team from the Philippines’ Association of Foundations and the League of Corporate Foundations on governance and board development, membership development and financial sustainability. The second, in November, was an exchange between the South African Community Foundation Association (SACOFA) and a team composed of Jane Humphries (Community Foundations of Canada), Katarina Minarova (Slovak Association of Community Foundations) and Ruth Jones (Social Venture Partners International). This focused on how a volunteer-managed association can effectively fulfil its mission.

The WINGSForum 2010 will take place from 18 to 20 November. At a time when the philanthropy sector needs to muster all its resources to become more effective, grantmaker associations and support organizations will have the opportunity to think creatively and deeply about new solutions to the old problems of poverty and growing inequality.

For more information
Contact Director Marissa Camacho-Reyes at info@wingsweb.org http://www.wingsweb.org