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2025 Statewide Conference
October 21–22, 2025
Statewide Conference on Philanthropy
Join us in Green Bay for the 2025 Statewide Conference on Philanthropy—Wisconsin’s largest gathering of philanthropic professionals.
Registration closes Wednesday, October 1.
Conference Overview
Join us in Green Bay for the 2025 Statewide Conference on Philanthropy—Wisconsin’s largest gathering of philanthropic professionals. This biennial event brings together grantmakers and sector partners from across the state for two days of learning, connection, and inspiration.
Designed around member priorities and sector trends, the conference is a space to explore bold ideas, gain practical tools, and build meaningful partnerships that strengthen philanthropy across Wisconsin.
Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned leader, this is your opportunity to reflect, recharge, and reimagine what’s possible.
Conference Objectives
- Create space for bold, forward-looking conversations about philanthropy’s role in a changing world
- Spotlight place-based innovation and community-centered approaches from across Wisconsin
- Advance equity and trust-based practices through shared learning and lived experience
- Foster meaningful peer connections across roles, regions, and foundation types
- Share practical insight and strengthen alignment between strategy, values, and action to advance more authentic, effective grantmaking
Agenda At-a-Glance
Detailed schedule linked here – full session details coming soon.
Day 1
- 10:00am: Pre-Conference Sessions
- 1:00pm: Welcome & Opening Keynote
- 3:00pm: Breakout Sessions
- 4:45pm: Lambeau Field Reception
Day 2
- 8:00am: Fireside Chat & Annual Meeting
- 9:45am: Breakout Sessions
- 12:15-2:00pm: Closing Keynote & Reflections
- 2:15-3:00pm: Post Conference – Essential Conversations
Featured Programming
Opening Keynote – Leading with Purpose in a Time of Change
Marcus Walton, President & CEO – Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
Marcus Walton, President & CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, will open the 2025 Statewide Conference on Philanthropy with a powerful reflection on the role of philanthropy in strengthening democracy at a time of disruption and possibility. A nationally respected voice for equity, leadership, and systems change, Marcus will create space for candor, connection, and renewed purpose—inviting participants to lean into complexity, embrace courage, and consider new ways of showing up in this work. This keynote will illuminate the opportunities that arise when philanthropy leads with empathy and care, moving beyond simple answers to embrace the complexities that shape this moment. Drawing on Wisconsin’s unique identity and diversity as a source of strength, this session will set the tone for the days ahead, offering clarity, momentum, and a shared commitment to philanthropy as a force for resilience, renewal, and a more equitable future.
Fireside Chat – Public-Private Partnerships in Practice: Lessons from Watertown
Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation
What happens when philanthropy, private sector, government, and economic development align resources around a shared vision for community well-being? In Jefferson and Dodge Counties, partners are proving that collaboration can create durable change where it matters most. In this fireside chat, Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation will be joined by their state, county, and economic development partners to share their community’s journey of working across sectors to impact three goals: Expanding access to an ecosystem of housing; increasing access to early childhood education; and advancing mental health with a specific focus on youth. More than a story of outcomes, this conversation is about the process: the trust built, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned along the way, along with what is next. Attendees will leave inspired with insights they can carry back to their own communities, and renewed energy for the power of partnership to drive systemic change.
Closing Keynote – Investing in Local News Initiatives
Dale Anglin, Director – Press Forward
Local news connects us to each other. Like sidewalks and streetlights, it is an essential resource for strong communities. It’s how we know when and where to volunteer, what’s happening in our schools and city councils, and even what to do on the weekend. However, as once-thriving local newsrooms have shrunk and disappeared across America, this vital public resource is at risk. Press Forward is a nationwide, nonpartisan philanthropic initiative with 36 chapters in cities and states across the United States. This includes Press Forward NE Wisconsin led by the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation. Collectively, this work strengthens communities by reinvigorating local news. This session will focus on understanding how local leaders, newsrooms, and philanthropy are collaborating to strengthen communities by revitalizing local news. You will hear viewpoints from national and local leaders that tie directly into best practices by sharing the local journey.
Registration
October 21-22, 2025
Registration closes Wednesday, October 1.
Resch Expo | 840 Armed Forces Drive | Green Bay, WI
- Registration Rates:
- Standard Cost: Member $425 | Non-Member $475
- Discounted pricing available for multiple member registrations
- Pre-Conference (optional add-on):
- Member $25 | Non-Member $50
- You must be registered for the full conference to attend
- Peer Dinners (optional add-on):
- Member $35 | Non-Member $50
- You must be registered for the full conference to attend
Lodging
Stay with us in Green Bay!
A discounted group rate of $139 per night (plus tax) is available at Lodge Kohler, Legacy Hotel, and Hotel Northland, and $135 per night (plus tax) at SpringHill Suites.
Book your stay with Lodge Kohler (0.7 miles from venue)
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Book your stay with Legacy Hotel (0.3 miles from venue)
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Book your stay with Hotel Northland (3.4 miles from venue)
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Book your stay with SpringHill Suites (0.4 miles from venue)
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Pre-Conference Sessions
Optional add-ons available to full conference registrations. Use the link under the bullets to see full session descriptions and register for the session. Pre-conference sessions run concurrently – please only register for one per person.
Practical Applications of AI in Philanthropy
- Discover how AI can streamline grantmaking and reduce admin burden
- Explore real-world use cases—summarizing reports, drafting emails, spotting trends
- Learn practical tools you can start using right away
- Understand key considerations around ethics, equity, and data privacy
- Walk away with ideas to enhance impact without losing sight of your values
In Real Time: A Responsive Conversation for Philanthropy—and Where We Go From Here
- Get grounded in national policy and sector trends with Matthew L. Evans of United Philanthropy Forum
- Explore how philanthropy can be a stabilizing force in a time of disruption and division
- Hear from Scholz Nonprofit Law on the most pressing challenges funders must understand today
- Connect with peers to reflect on the evolving realities of our sector and the uncertainty reshaping our work
- Surface shared questions and perspectives to support leading with clarity, courage, and connection
Conference Breakout Sessions
Here’s a first look at some of the engaging break-out sessions you can anticipate:
October 21 | 3:00-4:15pm
Playing the Long Game: What is Philanthropy’s Role in Public Policy Change?
Join a conversation on how to turn bold ideas into lasting policy wins—and how funders can work within coalitions
to drive change for children and families.
Strengthening What Matters: Trust, Partnership, and Nonprofit Capacity Building
Hear directly from peers on how they work with nonprofits to understand capacity needs and invest in ways that
support long-term strength.
Holding Ourselves Accountable: Trust-Based Philanthropy in Practice
This session offers a candid look at what it takes for a foundation to live out trust-based values and measure success beyond traditional metrics.
October 22 | 9:45-10:45am
Dignified Transitions: Supporting Nonprofits Through Endings with Care
Learn how to help organizations end well—protecting trust, preserving community knowledge, and reducing harm
when change is unavoidable.
Legacy with Heart & Soul: Keeping Wealth Rooted in Community
See how foundations can use transfer of wealth data to engage donors, support advocacy efforts, and build local investment—especially in rural and under-resourced areas.
In Right Relation: Practicing Indigenous Values in Philanthropy
A conversation on rethinking funding relationships through Indigenous values and funder collaboration with tribal communities.
October 22 | 11:00am-12:00pm
Power, Partnership, and Patience: A Long-Term Approach to Community-Led Change
Explore real examples of building power with communities, and leave with tools to foster deeper collaboration
and systems change.
Funding with Intention: Using Landscape Insights to Shape Philanthropic Strategy
See how data and landscape insights can sharpen your grantmaking decisions and help you invest where it matters most
Sustaining Ourselves, Sustaining the Work: Wellbeing in Practice
Explore approaches to supporting the wellbeing of both philanthropic staff and the nonprofit sector.
Role-Based Peer Dinners
These dinners are designed to bring together members in similar roles for deeper connection, candid conversation, and peer support. Space is limited and advance registration is required. Eligible participants will be able to sign up during conference registration.
Community Foundation CEOs & Executive Directors
Corporate Foundation & Corporate Giving Program Staff
Interested in Sponsorship?
To learn more and discuss our exciting conference sponsorship opportunities, please contact Karla Lodholz, Director, Resource Development & Member Relations, at 715.573.8797 or klodholz@wiphilanthropy.org.
Thank you to our Sponsors
FAQs
This conference is designed for foundation professionals—staff, trustees, and board members from private, corporate, community, and family foundations. We also welcome nonprofit leaders, public sector partners, and others who collaborate with philanthropy or want to better understand its role in Wisconsin communities.
Q: Can I attend the conference virtually?
No, the conference is in-person only. This intentional choice allows WPN to prioritize our commitment to connection, learning, and relationship-building through a unique opportunity to bring our full network together face-to-face every other year—serving as both a grounding point and a spark for our virtual offerings throughout the two-year cycle.
Yes, please contact Karla Lodholz (klodholz@wiphilanthropy.org) with any interest in being an exhibitor or a conference sponsor.
Yes. The 2025 conference celebrates the power of place, drawing inspiration from the Greater Green Bay Area. While the region provides a lens for learning, the conference remains statewide in scope—designed to support and strengthen philanthropy across Wisconsin.
All registrations are eligible for transfer to another person at your organization. Cancelations must be requested in writing before Friday, October 10th and will receive a refund less a $100 cancellation fee. Any cancelations received after that date will not be eligible for a refund but may still be transferred to another person. Contact Michele St. Amour (mstamour@wiphilanthropy.org) regarding cancelations and transfers.
Q: Is there a dress code for the conference?
The recommended attire for the conference is business casual.
For any questions not answered above, please email admin@wiphilanthropy.org.
No Solicitation Policy: WPN events are designed as spaces for peer learning and connection among philanthropic professionals, and we ask that all participants agree to refrain from solicitation of any kind during the event.