Teleconferences

Obama's First 100 Days
Election Insights
Investing to Re-Balance a Warming World
Disaster Recovery in Myanmar
Investing in Financial Education

Arabella Insight Teleconference Series

Arabella Advisors periodically hosts teleconferences on timely issues for philanthropists. With both issue experts and donors on the panels, the teleconferences offer both an in-depth view and a donor perspective on a
wide range of issues and current events. Arabella Insight Teleconferences
are often coupled with Issue Briefs on the topics discussed.

Arabella Insights: The Impact of Obama’s First 100 Days on Philanthropy

April 28, 2009 | Download a recording (mp3)

Philanthropists and their advisors have had a wait-and-see approach to President Obama’s far-reaching pledges of reform. Now, with his senior leadership team in place, his first budget proposal released and several addresses to the nation under his belt, we have a strong basis for understanding if his promises are translating into action and how philanthropic strategies might adjust to support new initiatives and foster even stronger ideas.

We are pleased to host an Arabella Insights Teleconference: The Impact of Obama’s First 100 Days on Philanthropy. Several leading authorities and many of our closest partners will discuss proposed changes to the tax code, calls for foundations to partner with the government and initiatives in the President’s priority areas of education, energy and health. Before taking your questions, our experts will share up-to-the-minute news on the latest ideas coming from the White House and offer ideas for how philanthropists could most effectively respond.

Speakers:

Steve Gunderson, President and CEO, Council on Foundations
Tim Walter, CEO, Association of Small Foundations
Leslie Crutchfield, Coauthor of Forces for Good and Senior Advisor, Arabella Advisors
Andy Rotherham, Publisher, Education Sector
Jonathan Lash, President, World Resources Institute
Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Eric Kessler, Principal and Managing Director, Arabella Advisors (moderator)

We are very pleased to have the following cosponsors:

Election Insights: The New Administration’s Impact on Key Issues

November 10-14, 2008

Arabella Advisors is pleased to host its post-election teleconference series: Election Insights. Timed for the week after November 4th, these calls will give philanthropists an understanding of how the election’s outcome is likely to affect the context of their giving. Calls will feature a grant maker, policy expert, and political representative from the winning party, and each was planned in partnership with a leading grant-making association.

Visit the Election Insights page for a schedule and list of speakers.

Investing to Re-Balance a Warming World

July 22, 2008 | Download a recording (mp3)

Evidence of climate change impacts is growing, countries are discussing development of a successor treaty to the Kyoto protocol and the United States is actively debating the issue. This teleconference offers a current look at climate change, providing donors with background information, trends, challenges and opportunities related to the issue. An issue brief on this topic is available for download (pdf).

Speakers:

Philip Clapp, Managing Director, Pew Environmental Group
Michael Northrop, Program Director, Sustainable Development, Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Bruce Boyd, Principal & Managing Director, Arabella Advisors
Eric Kessler, Principal & Managing Director, Arabella Advisors

Disaster Recovery in Myanmar

May 12, 2008 | Download a recording (mp3) or summary (pdf)

May 16, 2008 | Download a recording (mp3) or summary (pdf)

Arabella Advisors held two emergency teleconferences immediately following the Cyclone Nargis disaster which hit Myanmar in early May. Relief NGO, governmental and multilateral leaders around the world provided an up-to-date status report of the situation. Experts in disaster philanthropy reflected on lessons learned from past disasters as participants considered their own approach to assistance.

The first teleconference briefed donors on relief and recovery needs and effective philanthropic strategies in response to the crisis. The second teleconference offered an update on the situation in Myanmar, as well as donor response in the wake of the earthquake in China which occured immediately after the Myanmar disaster.

May 12 emergency teleconference speakers:

Eric Kessler, Principal & Managing Director, Arabella Advisors
Rashid Khalikov, Director, UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance
Kurt MacLeod, Vice President for Asia and Eurasia, PACT (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)
Rein Paulsen, Senior Director, Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs, World Vision
Sam Worthington, President, InterAction

May 16 update teleconference speakers:

Marcus Prior, Public Affairs Officer, Cyclone Nargis Reponse Team (Bangkok, Thailand)
Jonathan Mitchell, Emergency Response Director, CARE International (Geneva)
Wyndham James, China Country Director, Save the Children (China)
Ronna D. Brown, President, New York Regional Association of Grantmakers
Regine Webster, Arabella Disaster Philanthropy Advisor

Investing in Financial Education

April 30, 2008

This teleconference was produced in partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, one of the country's leading foundations in the field of helping low-income and working families build successful lives for themselves and their children. Experts from the Casey Foundation staff and grantees provided an overview of the field and advice on how to become involved. An issue brief on this topic is available for download (pdf).

Speakers:

Irene Skricki, Program Manager for Assets and Savings, Annie E. Casey Foundation
Kevin Jordan, Director of Family Income and Wealth Building, Annie E. Casey Foundation