United Philanthropy Forum’s annual conference

The United Philanthropy Forum’s 2019 annual conference will be the nation’s largest gathering of regional and national philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs). It brings together the leadership and staff of all PSOs working to advance, inform and support the nation’s philanthropic sector. It’s the only conference where we can delve into our unique role as CEOs and staff of regional and national PSOs, connect with others in similar roles, and explore how we can work together to increase philanthropy’s impact.

Media Impact Funders will be organizing two special opportunities for conference-goers:

• Throughout the conference, participants will get a chance to experience the VR film Traveling While Black, produced and directed by Academy Award-winner Roger Ross Williams. The film, which takes place at Ben’s Chili Bowl, a famed Washington, D.C. restaurant that joined the Green Book list in 1958, serves as the backdrop to visitors who sit and share a moment of honest discussion, reflecting on their experience of restricted movement and race relations in the U.S. Experience these stories that strengthen bonds among communities by bringing these hidden histories into our modern collective consciousness.
• On the second day of the conference, on Tuesday, July 16, from 5:45-7 p.m., join us for Clips and Conversation with Family Pictures USA. It’s a new three-part series premiering on Aug. 12 on PBS. Producer and host Thomas Allen Harris travels across the country, meeting people whose family photos reveal our nation’s history, diversity and common values. Family photos of everyday milestones—marriage, childhood, a new car, a growing business—provide a visual portal through which to examine the roots, surprising connections and provocative parallels that shed light on our collective past and our shared future. Each episode of Family Pictures USA begins at a community photo-sharing event, where people present images long stored in photo albums or stashed away in dusty boxes. Using these pictures as a starting point, Thomas engages participants in conversation, guiding them through stories of hardship, perseverance and love. During our session, we’ll talk to Thomas about his project and watch a few clips from the series. He’ll also engage in a special photo-sharing event with all attendees. Don’t miss this incredibly moving experience.