On January 21st, the Center for High Impact Philanthropy (CHIP) hosted a webinar featuring an overview of the 2026 High Impact Giving Toolkit and a panel discussion with Kat Rosqueta, CHIP’s founding executive director; Kate Barrett, president of the Campbell’s Foundation; Blair Glencorse, co-CEO of Accountability Lab; Alvin Irby, founder and chief reading inspirer of Barbershop books; and Katherine Lorenz, president of the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. The event was introduced by Tony Bowen, executive director of Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund, the platinum sponsor of the guide.
Panelists explored how donors, whether individuals, foundations, or corporations, can maximize their impact amid increasing global complexity.
Kat Rosqueta, CHIP’s founding executive director, shared an overview of CHIP’s updated Four Philanthropic Plays as well as a first look at a new framework, Building Community Resilience.
In the panel discussion, panelists emphasized that lasting change happens when solutions are rooted in local systems and relationships.
“The relationship elements and the trust — and then acting on that trust — are what help us continue doing the work,” said Irby.
Glencorse echoed the importance of community engagement: “Invisible weavers are the individuals that build the routines and relationships that keep local systems functioning, even during times of uncertainty.”
Panelists also discussed the different ways their work spans across CHIP’s four philanthropic plays: direct services, system capacity building, policy and/or advocacy, and game-changing innovation.
Barrett explained how The Campbell’s Foundation works across multiple plays, especially direct services and system capacity through their school-nutrition initiative. “This kind of change does not happen overnight. We tackle everything from infrastructure to menu change to engaging families.”
“Direct services keep people alive; system capacity keeps societies alive,” Glencorse said. “’The old system has broken down, but the new system has yet to emerge… philanthropy has a critical role to play in protecting civic space and strengthening ecosystems.”
Lorenz described how the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation funds across all four plays and how impacts and issues are interconnected, so progress in one area can also benefit another.
A recurring theme: you don’t need deep pockets to drive meaningful change. Local giving circles, mutual aid traditions, and pooled philanthropy all allow everyday donors to contribute to systems-level impact. As Rosqueta said, “Anybody can practice high-impact philanthropy, whether you have a dollar or a million.”
Each panelist closed with a call to action:
- Collaborate: Collective action is more important than ever.
- Experiment: Try new approaches, start small, and be willing to iterate.
- Support people doing the work: Systems are powered by humans.
- Act: Don’t let the scale of need paralyze you; even small steps matter.
As Barrett said in close, “Don’t get overwhelmed by the level of need… there’s a role for everybody.”