The Center for High Impact Philanthropy is actively engaged in the philanthropic and nonprofit community through events including webinars, panel discussions, speaking engagements, and more.
CHIP welcomes requests for speaking engagements and event requests. To invite one of our associates to participate in your event, please submit a request form or call 215-573-7266 for more information.
Upcoming Events
Location: Center City Philadelphia
America at 250: Philanthropy, Place, and Civic Infrastructure
Breakfast panel discussion before the 2026 National Forum on Family Philanthropy Philadelphia.
Philadelphia provides a powerful living case study of family philanthropy’s unique role in American society, how communities mark major civic moments, and what the future of civic infrastructure can be. Beyond the celebrations, what investments, relationships, and institutions are needed to strengthen communities for the long term? And what unique role can place-based family philanthropy play?
Speakers include Tim Durkin, Vice President for Grantmaking at the Connelly Foundation; Chekemma J. Fulmore-Townsend, President of the Hamilton Family Charitable Trust and the Hamilton Family Foundation; Shawn Mooring, Head of Philadelphia Programs at the Lenfest Institute; and Katherina “Kat” Rosqueta, Founding Executive Director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy. The discussion will examine lessons that extend far beyond the region, including the value of deep place-based investment, how funders build and sustain collaboration, and the role philanthropy can play in strengthening civic infrastructure for the future.
This is an invitation-only event for guests of CHIP and registered attendees for the National Forum. If you are interested attending contact impact@sp2.upenn.edu to be added to the guest list.
Location: Center City Philadelphia
November 6, 2026, 10:30 AM –11:45 AM
Expanding Social & Economic Opportunity: Lessons from the Greater Philadelphia Collaborative
This National Forum on Family Philanthropy session will discuss what mobilized multiple stakeholders to come together, the issues they’ve wrestled with, and the assets that have been identified as key to increasing opportunity. We’ll then explore the unique role of place-based, family philanthropy alongside corporate philanthropy, public-private partnerships, and local nonprofits to reverse this troubling decline.
Confirmed panelists: Katherina ‘Kat’Rosqueta, Center for High Impact Philanthropy; Donna Frisbee-Greenwood, The Pew Charitable Trusts; Jodie Harris, CEO, PIDC (Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation); Shawn McCaney, Executive Director, William Penn Foundation.
This is a private event for registered attendees of the National Forum on Family Philanthropy.
Location: Philadelphia
2027 Advising for Impact Certificate Program
Unlock the power of philanthropy with High Impact Philanthropy Academy, a certificate program for individual donors, professional grantmakers, and other philanthropic leaders seeking greater impact. Join our next cohort, beginning on the University of Pennsylvania campus May 2027.
Location: Philadelphia
2027 High Impact Philanthropy Academy
Unlock the power of philanthropy with High Impact Philanthropy Academy, a certificate program for individual donors, professional grantmakers, and other philanthropic leaders seeking greater impact. Join our next cohort, beginning on the University of Pennsylvania campus May 2027.
Location: Zoom Classroom
Everyday Negotiation for Social Impact
Online workshop: The Art and Science of Collaboration
Learn and practice negotiation skills in an online interactive classroom October 1 and 2, 2026. Creating meaningful social impact requires the ability to build relationships, align diverse perspectives, and gain support for ideas that advance a shared mission. This new workshop taught by Dr. Zachary Herrmann builds on one of the most popular modules from CHIP’s High Impact Philanthropy Academy and Advising for Impact Certificate Programs, providing a deeper, hands-on opportunity to develop essential leadership skills.
Location: 356 Stiteler Hall, 37th Walk, University of Pennsylvania campus, Philadelphia
October 6
12 – 1 PM ET
Philanthropy in 4D: A fireside chat with Carra Cote-Ackah
A multidimensional personal and professional journey in philanthropy
Few people have worked across as many dimensions of modern philanthropy as Carra Cote-Ackah, now head of Philanthropy Engagement and Legacy Planning for the Goldman Sachs Family Office. In conversation with Katherina “Kat” Rosqueta, founding executive director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, Carra will share lessons from her philanthropic journey, touching on intergenerational tensions in family philanthropy, the challenges and opportunities of corporate giving, the intersection of wealth and gender, and impact investing. She’ll also explain why she embraces a pluralistic view of philanthropy’s role in society. Space is limited for this free event. Lunch will be served.
Location: Zoom Classroom
Free webinar: Social Impact Collaboration and Influence: Demystifying Negotiation Skills
In best practice, effective negotiation is about collaboration, trust, and finding shared solutions. For social impact leaders, fundraisers, nonprofit professionals, and funders, negotiation skills can build partnerships, align diverse stakeholders, and advance mission-driven work. Join us for this free webinar taught by Dr. Zachary Hermmann and explore how evidence-based negotiation practices can help you strengthen relationships, uncover shared interests, and create greater impact.
Location: Wharton San Francisco,2 Harrison St, Sixth Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105
June 2, 2026, 5:30 PM Reception & 6:00 PM Program
Slow Burn: The Hidden Costs of a Warming World
Join our founding executive director, Katherina Rosqueta, at Wharton San Francisco on January 27th for a conversation with R. Jisung Park, author of Slow Burn: The Hidden Costs of a Warming World.
Dr. Park’s ongoing work examines the effects of extreme heat on workers and labor market inequality, the consequences of natural disasters for human capital, and how policymakers across sectors may design effective and equitable adaptation and resilience solutions.
Introductory remarks will be given by SP2 Dean Sara S. Bachman.
Location: Online
April 29, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Demystifying Program-Related investments: LinkedIn Live Event
Many foundations assume program-related investments (PRIs) are too complex, risky, or time-consuming – but the truth is more nuanced.
Join the Social Finance Institute, the Impact, Value, and Sustainable Business Initiative at The Wharton School (Wharton Impact), and the Center for High Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania for a conversation designed for foundations, donors, advisors, and other leaders interested in deploying capital more effectively in support of social impact.
This one-hour interactive discussion will explore what it really takes to make PRIs work — and why they may be more accessible than many funders assume.
The session will pull insights from recent paper Demystifying Program-Related Investing: Lessons from Recent Adopters, authored by Wharton Impact’s Maoz (Michael) Brown, which draws from interviews with professionals at 36 U.S. foundations that made their first PRI between 2016 and 2023. The paper challenges the conventional wisdom that PRIs are inherently too complex, risky, or burdensome to use effectively. Instead, foundation experiences vary widely based on a small number of practical factors, including how much complexity organizations build into their deals, how they access the capacity needed to execute them, and how well PRIs align with their mission, culture, and internal processes.
This one-hour event will begin with an overview of the paper’s findings, followed by a roundtable discussion and audience Q&A. For a full agenda, visit https://socialfinance.org/event/demystifying-program-related-investing-live-on-linkedin
Location: Online
March 17, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
What’s Ahead for Philanthropy?: Philanthropy Outlook Webinar
Location: Online
March 18, 7:00 – 8:00 PM
High Impact Philanthropy Event for Penn Alumni: Ensuring your dollars go farther
Location: Yale School of Management Evans Hall, 165 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT
Friday, February 6, 2026
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Yale Philanthropy Conference 2026 Panel Session: Meeting the Moment: Proximity and Accountability in Practice
Kat Rosqueta, CHIP’s founding executive director, will host a panel at the 2026 Yale Philanthropy Conference focused on what it means to truly meet the moment in philanthropy.
In a field shaped by unequal access to capital, this session will explore what proximity truly requires of philanthropy today. Together, we’ll examine how funding decisions are made, who holds power and bears risk, and what accountability looks like in practice—drawing on perspectives from traditional philanthropic institutions and community-led models that are reshaping how capital is governed and deployed.
Location: Online
2026 Toolkit webinar: High impact giving and community resilience
In times of uncertainty — economic struggles, health crises, natural disasters, and eroding trust in institutions — it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or even paralyzed. But there is another path: deciding how you can help.
Join the Center for High Impact Philanthropy for an engaging panel discussion and introduction of the 2026 High Impact Giving Toolkit, a free digital resource designed to help donors of all sizes make a meaningful difference.
This webinar will share a first look at our new framework on how funders can support resilient communities. You’ll also learn about concrete examples and best practices to meet basic needs, strengthen systems, support better policy, and spark game-changing innovation for stronger communities, now and in the future.
Who should attend:
Anyone interested in making their giving more impactful: individual donors, professional grantmakers, and philanthropic leaders.