Panel Session: Meet the Grantmakers
What's on the minds of foundation leaders as they navigate a rapidly shifting philanthropic landscape? Join us for a candid conversation with three grantmakers who bring very different vantage points to this moment in the field.
Moderated by Stacy Palmer, CEO of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, this panel convenes Ruth Jurgensen, Executive Director of the NBA Foundation; Philip Li, President & CEO of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation; and Eric Eckholdt, President of the SMBC Global Foundation. Together, they'll share how their organizations are making strategic decisions, sustaining relationships with grantees, and staying true to their missions at a moment of real complexity.
Whether you're a seasoned development professional or earlier in your career, you'll leave with a clearer sense of how funders are thinking — and what that means for the organizations that depend on their support.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Understanding how foundation leaders are adapting grantmaking strategy in a shifting philanthropic landscape
- Strengthening funder-grantee relationships through insight into foundation decision-making and priorities
- Identifying opportunities for cross-sector partnership and community-centered approaches to sustained impact
AGENDA:
- 9:00 AM – Registration, Coffee + Networking
- 9:30 AM – Panel Discussion & Q&A
- 10:45 AM – Closing Remarks & Networking
- 11:00 AM - Session End
SPEAKERS:
Eric Eckholdt
President
SMBC Global Foundation
Ruth Jurgensen
Executive Director
NBA Foundation
Ruth Jurgensen is a passionate educator and strategic non-profit leader who, throughout her career, has steadily expanded her ability to empower young people, through education, employment, and career advancement. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the National Basketball Association Foundation. She is responsible for the strategic development, creation, and implementation of programs and partnerships that advance the NBA Foundation’s efforts to increase access and support for high school, college-aged, job-ready, and mid-career under resourced youth ages 14-24. She oversees the administration of $30 million in annual grants to hundreds of national and local organizations that provide skills training, mentorship, coaching, and pipeline development impacting over 800,000 youth. Prior to this role, she was the Chief Executive Officer at Prep for Prep in New York City, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization focused on leadership development and expanding educational access for students of color. Ruth has more than a decade of experience serving in senior leadership positions at independent schools including Francis W. Parker School in Chicago and Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School (LREI) in New York City.
Philip Li
President & CEO
Robert Sterling Clark Foundation
Stacy Palmer (Moderator)
CEO
Chronicle of Philanthropy
