Thanks to Lindsay Goldman, Emily Hinsey, Jasmine Lacsamana, Rigo Saborio, and Latrice Williams for their contributions to this post.
Grantmakers In Aging (GIA), the nation’s principal community of funders dedicated to strengthening policies, programs, and resources that benefit people as they age, is bringing its annual conference to Long Beach this fall, creating a vital opportunity for similarly focused organizations throughout California and the country.
This is a time of intense uncertainty and profound challenges given the constant stream of threats — not only deep funding cuts and altered policies but also threats to the continued existence of crucial programs serving older Americans. And so the ability to share information, foster connections, and inspire action at the GIA conference October 21-24 has never been more important.
At the core of Archstone Foundation’s mission — expanding access to coordinated care and increasing the availability of high-quality health and social services for older Californians and their caregivers — is a commitment to doing our work in ways that enhance justice, foster equity, promote diversity, and honor inclusion. If you attend the conference, you are sure to be with many others who are holding fast to those same values. And you will have the ability to join funders, thought leaders, and changemakers interested in:
- Influencing policies and leveraging funding to nurture the connections between improving our lives as we age and solving the challenges posed by economic insecurity and systemic barriers impacting physical health and well-being, disability, race, gender, and lack of community.
- Scaling collaborations and co-investments to maximize impact.
- Advancing more equitable philanthropic practices in funding strategies and operations, championing aging-related issues, moving beyond dialogue to tangible investments and change.
Our shared values will inform the discussions we have, the partnerships we forge, and the solutions we develop in conversation with one another and with our community. And then we can use what we learn to branch out — broadening networks, deepening relationships, and growing investments in aging.
Why the Conference Matters More Than Ever
For more than 40 years, the GIA Annual Conference has been a premier source of knowledge, connection, and motivation for funders who care about aging. It is designed to benefit the broadest possible array of people committed to doing more to improve our lives as we age: employees, board members, and consultants representing large foundations with national reach, small philanthropies with local focus, governmental agencies at all levels, and even entrepreneurial businesses. The three days will provide engaging and actionable content and generate ideas for programs, interventions, communications, and advocacy efforts in your communities.
I recall sitting in a hotel at my first GIA conference — in Baltimore 20 years ago — gleaning insight from new colleagues about how to structure an upcoming grantee convening; their input helped me quickly improve the meetings I arranged. A few years later, when Archstone Foundation sought to develop a funding initiative to support behavioral health best practices for older adults, I came home from another GIA annual conference armed with booklets (yes, actual paper), providing insight on evidence-based programs – and connections for a network of I could contact for advice and input. Those resources and connections were important in shaping the Foundation’s late-life depression care program.
Such is the power of GIA meetings — they bring expertise, experience, and passion together so more can make a difference.
Be Part of the Process: Propose a Conference Workshop
As the local host sponsor, Archstone Foundation will be thrilled to welcome our colleagues to Long Beach. But we need your input to make this the most impactful conference yet.
You can help shape the program by submitting a proposal for a conference workshop — 45 minutes of action-oriented exploration of a specific funding scenario. This is an opportunity to share your knowledge, highlight innovative approaches, and contribute to a collective vision of a just and inclusive world where people of all ages are valued and engaged. Whether you are a long-time GIA conference attendee or new to the community, your voice and expertise are essential in shaping the conversations and experience of this year’s conference.
March 24 is the deadline to submit a workshop proposal.
There are also still opportunities to become a conference sponsor.
The challenges facing older adults — and the philanthropic sector’s role in meeting them — are more complex and urgent than ever. The GIA Annual Conference provides an unmatched opportunity to collaborate, learn, and act. By bringing together funders from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, we can forge innovative solutions and drive systemic change.
