Unleashing the Potential of Philanthropy to Solve Problems, with CEO & Harvard Lecturer Jim Bildner

The Social Impact Hub and Philanthropy Australia are pleased to host thought leadership from Jim Bildner, CEO of the global venture philanthropy firm Draper Richards Kaplan (DRK) Foundation, in our virtual event “Unleashing the Potential of Philanthropy to Solve Problems: Innovative Funding Models to Maximise Impact”.

This online session presents a unique opportunity for Australia’s philanthropic leaders to explore the progressive funding approach the DRK foundation has employed; focused on finding, funding, and supporting bold solutions to global issues, and catalysing innovation.

The event will explore:

• The importance of identifying high potential social innovations that can scale;   
• The significance of making intentional investments via patient, unrestricted multi-year funding to nurture sustainable and scalable impact ventures;
• The value of coupling capability building with funding, including technical support, board representation and leadership development to drive organisational growth and success;
• The variety of impact investments that foundations can undertake to maximise the various ‘tools in the toolbox’ and catalyse other capital, beyond grants;
• How partnerships and networks drive collective, collaborative action and address systemic challenges effectively; and
• Insights into the future direction of philanthropy and the imperative for urgency in addressing pressing social and environmental challenges.

Drawing on his extensive global experience at Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation as well as a trustee of The Kresge Foundation and the Nonprofit Finance Fund, Jim will distill his decades of wisdom acquired from investing in and supporting early-stage social enterprises.

Who should attend?

• Foundation trustees, family office representatives, advisors and staff of philanthropic entities.
• Institutional investors interested in learning more about the for-purpose investment landscape.
  • If your organisation is looking into grantmaking;
  • If your organisation is a grantmaking foundation and wanting to maximise the impact of your funding.

FACILITATOR & SPEAKER

Jessica Mendoza-Roth | Founder & CEO at Social Impact Hub

Jessica is the Founder and CEO of the Social Impact Hub. The Social Impact Hub advises, educates, collaborates and mobilises capital for impact. Jessica is also a consultant to the impact investment sector, having served as the Impact Strategist for Blue River Group, an independent impact investment services firm, and opened the Sydney office of Impact Investment Group. Previously, Jessica was a Solicitor at King & Wood Mallesons in Sydney. She holds a B.A. and LL.B. (with First Class Honours) from UNSW and a LL.M. from Harvard Law School, where she was the recipient of the R.G. Menzies Scholarship to Harvard, and she studied social entrepreneurship, philanthropy and impact investing.

Adam Ognall | Acting CEO of Philanthropy Australia

Adam is the Acting CEO of Philanthropy Australia, and most recently, he was Chief Executive of New Israel Fund UK, a charity that promotes democracy and equality in Israel and Palestine through making grants and providing capacity-building services to civil society groups. Prior to this he was Deputy CEO of UK Sustainable Investment and Finance (UKSIF), the mission-driven peak body committed to growing responsible and sustainable finance, leading their member services and developing their impact investment workstream.

Until moving to Melbourne in 2021, Adam was also the Board Chair of the award-winning The Bike Project, a charity that supports refugees.

Jim Bildner | CEO and Board Member at Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation; Adjunct Lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School 

Jim Bildner is the CEO of Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation (DRK), where he works with the team to expand and manage the portfolio & pipeline, build the donor and talent base, and develop thought leadership for the foundation. He currently sits on the board of DRK grantees CatchLight, Common Goal, JUST Capital, Mobility Capital Finance, Pérez Art Museum Miami, and The Africa Center. 

He previously served on the boards of DRK grantees CAST, Collaborative for Fresh Produce, EducationSuperHighway, IDEO.org, Landed, OpenBiome, Open Up Resources, Service Year, SIRUM, StriveTogether, TurboVote/Democracy Works, The Earth Genome, The Empowerment Plan, The GroundTruth Project, and Worldreader.

Jim is also an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Senior Research Fellow at the Hauser Institute for Civil Society and the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University.  At the Kennedy School, his research interests include understanding the role of private capital in solving public problems, extending the capacity of foundations to solve complex societal issues and the sustainability of public and private systems when governments disinvest in these systems. His course load includes Social Entrepreneurship/Social Enterprises 101: How to Go From Start Up to End Up, and Social Entrepreneurship/Social Enterprise Deep Dive: How to Operationalise & Scale for Social Impact.

Among his other board affiliations, he is a trustee of The Kresge Foundation, The Non Profit Finance Fund, The Public Citizen Foundation, the Health Foundation for the Americas, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, The Newport Festivals Foundation, Trustee Emeritus at Case Western Reserve University, an Overseer Emeritus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a member of the executive board of WBUR (Boston Public Radio) and an Overseer of WGBH Public TV and Radio.  He also serves on the boards of ROCA, Inc., Baroo, Inc., Fox Islands Wind, LLC, the EBSF Loan Fund, the Island Institute and Coastal Innovation Loan Fund, Blueprint Schools and the Lizard Island Research Foundation in Australia.  He is a member of Young Presidents/World Presidents Organisation and a member of the Chief Executives Organisation.

In his board service, Jim serves on the Investment Committees of boards with aggregate endowments in excess of $4B as well as a member of numerous finance, investment and/or audit committees of these boards.  In 2010 he was named Chair of Kresge’s Social Innovative Capital Committee and in 2014 became Chair of Kresge’s Investment Committee.

Jim is an internationally recognised lecturer, panelist, and speaker on nonprofit organisations, social enterprise, capitalisation and the institutional role of philanthropy in solving complex societal issues.  His prior experience includes 22 years in the private sector including as a consultant at Deloitte and serving as the CEO of two public companies. Jim’s government service includes serving as a legislative aide and speechwriter in the United States Senate, a run for the NJ State Assembly, election to two terms as a Selectman in Manchester by the Sea and an appointment by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services to the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Jim has written numerous articles, op-ed pieces and commentaries for newspapers, magazines and radio including NPR’s Morning Edition, The Boston Globe, The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Hampshire Daily Gazette and Inc. Magazine.  A lifelong sailor and pilot, he has published two recent books, A Visual Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast, published by McGraw Hill in May of 2006 and A Visual Cruising Guide to Southern New England, published in November of 2009.

Jim earned his AB from Dartmouth College, his MPA from Harvard, his J.D. from Case Western Reserve School of Law and an M.F.A. from Lesley University.  He is a member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  In 2008, Jim was awarded the Dartmouth Alumni Award for service to the College and to his community.

As a purpose-driven intermediary and B Corp, Social Impact Hub offers a suite of capacity and capability building business services for organisations and individuals. Through expert advice, education, mobilising capital and ecosystem building, we help changemakers design, demonstrate and scale impact. If you would like to find out more about our work, please get in touch.

As the national peak body for philanthropy, Philanthropy Australia is a not-for-profit organisation working to achieve a generous and inclusive Australia through more and better philanthropy. Our members include trusts, foundations, families, individual donors, professional advisors, companies, intermediaries and not-for-profit organisations. We provide advocacy, networking, services and resources to the philanthropic and not-for-profit sector, as well as information and research for the Australian community.