Great Falls Forum: Soul-Searching Philanthropy

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Great Falls Forum: Soul-Searching Philanthropy

The 25^th season of the Great Falls Forum kicks off on Thursday, October 13^th, with a panel discussion entitled “Soul-Searching Philanthropy,” featuring Gabriela Alcalde MPH, DrPH, Executive Director, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation; Leila DeAndrade PhD, Vice President of Community Impact, Maine Community Foundation; Phil Walsh, Executive Director, Maine Initiatives; moderated by Adilah Muhammad, Founder and Executive Director, The Third Place. This free, public program will take place from 12 noon to 1 PM in Callahan Hall at the Lewiston Public Library and will also be streamed live via Zoom and the Lewiston Public Library Facebook page.

Philanthropy is undergoing an evolution. From the ways people are giving, to the changing relationships between donors and recipients, the new ethos of charitable giving is reconfiguring the roots of philanthropy. The power dynamics of yesteryear that empowered donors to select which issues get what attention is shifting. Community-centric models that demand a more collaborative approach to identifying and addressing community needs are working to ensure that power between donors and recipients is both shared and balanced.  These practices are still evolving, with varied application across institutions.

This Great Falls Forum panel will discuss how these shifts are impacting policies and practices in Maine-based philanthropies and what this means for the ways philanthropic resources are convened locally. Panelists will provide perspectives on giving based upon the evolutions taking place within their own institutions and provide insights into practices that hold the most promise for tackling Lewiston’s most pressing issues.

Admission is free to all Forum events and reservations are only required if attending via Zoom. The Zoom link will be posted to the Library website and Facebook prior to the event. The onsite program is a bring-your-own, brown-bag lunch event. For more information, please contact the Lewiston Public Library at 513-3135 or LPLReference@lewistonmaine.gov.

The Great Falls Forum speaker series is co-sponsored by Bates College, Lewiston Public Library, and the Sun Journal. The Lewiston Public Library is located downtown at 200 Lisbon Street at the corner of Pine Street.