Denver, CO – The Conference of Southwest Foundations, the oldest membership association for grantmakers in the U.S., today announced the organization is now Philanthropy Southwest. The 65-year-old association is made up of more than 200 member foundations in a seven-state area – Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. In 2013, the combined annual giving of foundations in these seven southwestern states was more than $5.1 Billion.
“While our previous name has a great legacy, we long ago moved away from a sole emphasis on an annual conference, from which the association garnered its name,” said John Brown, Philanthropy Southwest Board President and Executive Director of Windgate Charitable Foundation. “As our association has grown and the role of philanthropy has evolved, our leadership agreed the time was right to restate our mission and take on a new name that better reflects the wide range of services we provide and our members’ passion for advancing the public good.”
The Dallas, Texas-based association announced its new name at a spring meeting for members in Denver during a special reception at the History Colorado museum. The reception and name change celebration followed an afternoon of public service. Trustees and staff attending the meeting from foundations across the southwest region rolled up their sleeves to help out in the warehouses at Project C.U.R.E., the largest provider of donated medical supplies and equipment to developing countries around the world.
“Our members are enthusiastic about the name change and our revitalized mission of actively promoting opportunities to exchange ideas, build relationships and advance philanthropic excellence,” said Lucille DiDomenico, long-time Executive Director of the association. “Our long history means that we know how to provide our members with timely information and connect colleagues across the region to help them thrive and succeed in their work. Without a doubt our members are our greatest asset. They generously share their time and expertise with other members, working together toward a better future.”
Philanthropy Southwest also launched its new website today, www.philanthropysouthwest.org. With the Twitter handle of @southwestfdns, the association will encourage strong social media participation during the educational sessions of its meeting on April 10th, which will focus on the role foundations can play as a result of marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington, and how philanthropy is leveraging crowd funding and social media to create meaningful impact.
The meeting’s keynote speech will be delivered by Jeremy Bloom, and will be available via live feed (additional information) and on www.philanthropysouthwest.org following the event. Bloom is the founder of Wish for a Lifetime, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a cultural shift on how we view aging. He also co-founded the marketing software company Integrate, is a three-time World Champion, two-time Olympian, eleven-time World Cup gold medalist, a member of the United States Skiing Hall of Fame, was an All-American football player at the University of Colorado and played professional football for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
To learn more about Philanthropy Southwest, its customized programs, professional development workshops, annual conference, resources and publications, please visit www.philanthropysouthwest.org or contact us.
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Philanthropy Southwest actively promotes opportunities to exchange ideas, build relationships and advance philanthropic excellence.