TFN2022 sessions are designed to be intersectional, cross-cutting and grounded in racial equity and speak to activism, collaboration and movement building.

Stay tuned for updates on plenary speakers and other TFN 2022 highlights. Check out our full conference agenda here.

Sunday Night at the Movies: CITY RISING: Youth & Democracy

Sunday, March 13 | 6:30 p.m.

We’re continuing a popular TFN Annual Conference tradition for TFN2022! Join us March 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for Sunday Night at the Movies, which will feature movie-friendly snacks and a timely, thought-provoking film followed by a Q&A.  

This year’s film is CITY RISING: Youth & Democracy, a one-hour documentary that follows the stories of youth leaders, allies and organizations as they challenge institutional and systemic issues through civic engagement.

The film dives into the role and work of youth organizations in California, demonstrating how young people are organizing their communities to participate in public policy and make lasting change in pursuit of a more just and equitable future for themselves and the world they live in. More engaged, better trained, better allied, and on the shoulders of a rich legacy, young people are fostering hope for a better future for themselves and the nation.

The effects of these movements are far-reaching, and their voices will ultimately impact the social health of communities across the country and beyond.

About the series: City Rising is a documentary series that examines social justice issues affecting California communities, illuminating the journey of California’s neighborhoods advocating for policy change to improve upward mobility for their communities. CITY RISING is produced and presented by KCET, one of Southern California’s two flagship PBS stations, with support from The California Endowment.

When Waters Rise: Pre-conference Breakfast Convening

Monday, March 14 | 9 a.m.

Join us at TFN2022 for a pre-conference breakfast convening at from 9 to 11:30 a.m. March 14 to learn more about the When Waters Rise network.

The Greater New Orleans Foundation launched the When Waters Rise Initiative in June 2018 by bringing together community foundations and place-based funders to discuss foundations’ roles and responsibilities in contributing to equitable disaster recovery, rebuilding and long-term resilience in coastal communities and geographies most vulnerable to sea level rise and major storms. The informal network of more than 80 funders and partners continued to convene to discuss challenges, share best practices and codify lessons learned well into the pandemic.

Participants have expressed interest in exploring formalizing a network that supports ongoing peer learning and collaboration in disaster response. The Greater New Orleans Foundation, with support from the Ford Foundation, will assess the feasibility of a formal disaster philanthropy and response network by getting a better understanding of the landscape and value-add that a network like this could have for its members.

This is the second TFN Annual Conference to hold space for a When Waters Rise gathering: The Greater New Orleans Foundation hosted a When Waters Rise event at our 2019 Anniversary Conference in Miami, a coastal city facing the threats of sea-level rise and other climate impacts.

We’re thrilled to give our TFN2022 attendees the opportunity to attend this pre-conference breakfast convening to continue the conversation on the West Coast in San Diego.

Playwrights Project — Where Stories Take the Stage

Monday, March 14 | 12 p.m.

We’ll officially kick off TFN2022 a special Opening Plenary presentation by lifting up the voices of San Diego-based performers.  

Playwrights Project, which focuses on the power of theater to connect to universal themes, will explore the issues of climate change, economic opportunity and racial equity. 

The group’s mission is to empower people of all ages and backgrounds to voice stories through theatre, inspiring individual growth and creating meaningful community connections. Playwrights Project programs reach 10,000 people annually, reaching youth in San Diego schools and underserved populations of all ages.

Trust-making: Building Equity, Belonging & Community

Monday, March 14 | 4 p.m.

What’s the difference between “all are welcome here” and “this space was created with you in mind?” How can we build equity and bridge division?

Community Organizing: How Philanthropy Falls Short & How we Can Do Better

Tuesday, March 15 | 9 a.m.

Community organizers work tirelessly to bring about change in the communities they serve. Each win is a step toward building a broader movement for justice, self-determination and transformational change. While foundations increasingly recognize that change starts with community organizing and shifting power, and many share the goals of frontline leaders, the ways that foundations have supported organizing often have caused more harm than good.

Join us for an honest conversation with community organizers and funders as they pull back the curtain on how philanthropic investments have come up short, and share wisdom on how funders can support community organizing differently to much greater effect and impact.

Speakers: 

Leadership in this Moment: What it Takes & What it Looks Like

Wednesday, March 16 | 11 a.m.

In frontline communities across the country, Black, brown and Indigenous leaders are fiercely taking risks and pushing radical shifts, working across silos and sectors, and nurturing the next generation of community changemakers.

They are the first to provide mutual aid and support, to stand up to cascading injustices, to build political power, and to demand change. To meet the needs of the communities they serve, they are helping build movements and modeling new leadership formations.

Yet the painful truth is that these leaders are managing multiple crises with extremely limited resources.

In our closing plenary, we will hear from Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, CEO at the Latino Community Foundation about what people-centered leadership looks like in these complex and uncertain times — and what it takes to fully support these leaders.

Join us to better understand the many ways that philanthropy must step up, shift norms and actively invest in leaders who are building power to demand racial justice, energy democracy, immigration reform, voting rights and other critical issues.

As we come together for the first time in two years, it’s important for us to connect with compassion, humanity and understanding. TFN’s 2022 Annual Conference will offer Critical Conversations, an opportunity to have frank, open, peer-facilitated exchanges of ideas and experiences, and perhaps learn a little bit about each other in the process. 

Each session will be led by a facilitator with a deep personal or professional connection to the topic.

Our Mobile Workshops offer a chance to learn from the places and people of our host city, with an emphasis on community power-building and community-led solutions. New to this year’s Mobile Workshop lineup: an opportunity to get your hands dirty volunteering at Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center, an urban farm and community gathering space working to overcome barriers to food access.

Climate change affects us all. But without a doubt, those most impacted globally are the most vulnerable countries and communities.

Extreme weather events, prolonged droughts, sea-level rise, and natural resource limitations are forcing an average of more than 20 million people to leave their homes annually. The impacts of climate change intensify already existing political tensions and conflicts, creating a threat multiplier for the most at-risk. For the climate refugees arriving to the San Diego-Tijuana border, an uncertain future awaits.

See the border. Explore the connections between climate change, ecological resiliency and immigration. Hear from experts on extirpation and extinction pressures to native flora and fauna. Learn about the migrant experience and what the changing policy landscape means for people on the move. Learn why, no matter where you live, the border matters to you.

San Diego County is home to communities that are among the most vulnerable to pollution in the state. This mobile workshop will take us through Barrio Logan, one of the region’s most striking examples of how low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately affected by capitalist-driven, and often racist, planning approaches.

However, this community equally exemplifies the power of organizing for environmental justice — efforts that celebrate a vibrant cultural identity and achieve healthy, art-filled, reclaimed communities. We’ll experience the highlights of this cultural gem, as well as observe the immense impact of global trade at the Port of San Diego. We’ll also examine how the forces of gentrification and displacement are adding to the challenges of this environmental justice neighborhood.

According to The Housing and Transportation Affordability Index San Diego, moderate-income families pay an average of 67 percent of their household income towards housing and transportation expenses alone. This rate rises sharply for low-income San Diego households. Furloughs and layoffs resulting from the pandemic have put increased pressure on families who were already struggling to make ends meet. This is especially true for families of color and families with a female head-of-household, both more likely to experience an eviction. 

This mobile workshop by bus will take participants through rapidly gentrifying City Heights, a vibrant gem of ethnic diversity and powerful community organizing. In this neighborhood, residents are fighting for equitable investments, affordable housing, and livable neighborhoods. We will hear from the community organizers and social justice groups who successfully pushed for the protections, policies and infrastructure to protect the most vulnerable residents from eviction and to ensure that they had dependable and safe transit at the height of the pandemic and beyond.

Within a mere 12-mile span, San Diego Bay’s waterfront boundaries are home to five independent city jurisdictions and some of the region’s most important military installations. These bayside communities are also facing the twin pressures of rising seas and massive growth and development. This tour will take you around San Diego Bay and through communities grappling with the implications and politics of managed retreat in response to rising sea levels and coastal flooding, as well as the potential impacts of a large-scale waterfront development that would include a 1,600-room hotel and 400,000-square-foot convention center. Hear from government leaders about the innovative solutions they are advancing to protect wetland habitats, reduce flooding, and reinvest in surrounding communities.

Ready to dig in and impact our food system? Join us for an afternoon of outdoor, hands-on activities in one of San Diego’s most notable gathering and learning spaces. Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center is a garden and nutrition education facility that inspires communities to champion health equity and food justice. Located in one of the San Diego neighborhoods with the highest barriers to healthy food access, Olivewood is a true community force. Through this volunteer opportunity, we will take a tour of Olivewood’s facility to learn more about their programs, philosophy, and vision!

Then guests will get their hands dirty! Help Olivewood maintain and revitalize key areas of their eight-acre urban farm where organic fruits and vegetables are grown to fill gaps in the local food pipeline.

We’re looking forward to multiple opportunities to connect and socialize at TFN2022!

Welcome Reception
Sunday, March 13 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Join us for light refreshments and a chance to connect and network. Stay tuned for more details!

Theme Dinners
Monday, March 14 | 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Meet up with other attendees at your choice of a TFN2022 Theme Dinner, which will allow smaller groups of attendees to gather. Stay tuned for a full list of “Theme Dinner” dining options! Pre-registration is required.

If you or your organization would like to sponsor a TFN2022 Dinner, please reach out to Lesmarie Nicholson at lesmarie@fundersnetwork.org.

Communities First: Ensuring Racial Equity in Infrastructure Spending

Wednesday, March 16 | 12:30 p.m.

As the nation prepares for the largest federal spending on infrastructure and economic development in generations, now is the time for philanthropy, community, and the public sector to come together to ensure that funds flow equitably, smoothly, and directly into BIPOC communities.

It is no secret that previous federal infrastructure and economic development dollars were weaponized against communities of color, from redlining to “urban renewal” to highway construction to the race-based inequities of the GI Bill and Social Security.

If we are organized, strategic, and unapologetic about the past, present, and future, we will make sure that public money is never again used to hurt communities of color and is from here onwards used to repair harm and to build generational wealth for BIPOC communities.

Communities First, in partnership with TFN, Environmental Grantmakers Association, and Neighborhood Funders Group, invites you to attend a critically urgent funder and federal partnership briefing:

This two-hour session will feature:

• Philanthropic leaders with experience in racial equity funding;
• Public sector employees committed to racial equity and applying equity to infrastructure investments; and
• Movement leaders with big and bold ideas on how reparative and healing infrastructure dollars can truly be.

Join this conversation and join us in putting communities first — now and always.