Welcome breakfast hosted by ACF Official Partner Ruffer
Shake off the commute and meet friends old and new for coffee and an energiser breakfast ready for the day ahead!
Kindly hosted by ACF Official Partner Ruffer
Learning gallery, extended free networking and exhibits
ACF leaders forum offers a unique opportunity for face-to-face connection that many of our members don’t get elsewhere.
Take the opportunity to meet foundation senior leaders and decision-makers in one welcoming space, to inspire and be inspired together as we aim to make an even greater impact on people and planet.
Visit the learning gallery - a digital exhibition for ACF members to share their knowledge, ideas and learning.
We have a thriving membership community of more than 450 organisations across the UK who together cover the full range of foundations, from small to large and operating in many different fields of grant-making, including social change, the environment, research, heritage, education and the arts, across the UK and overseas - we have much to learn from each other!
Keynote address with Q&A (plenary session)
Keynote address from Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Julia King
Crossbench Member of the House of Lords, Chair of the Adaptation Committee of the Climate Change Committee and Chair of The Carbon Trust.
Baroness Brown’s distinguished work, experiences, and expertise in this defining challenge of our time uniquely places her to speak to the significance of the climate and nature emergency and why it requires urgent attention from all parts of society, including foundations.
Baroness Brown will offer compelling evidence about the impacts of climate change in the UK, showcasing how the issues that foundations care about most are already being impacted by climate and nature loss. She will also share her insights into the progress that is being made in preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change and where increased funding and focus by foundations could make a tangible difference.
Members will have the opportunity to ask questions.
Changemaker panel discussion (plenary session)
The changemaker panel will delve into different dimensions of the theme, highlighting the varied and impactful work happening in the climate space and demonstrating that whatever your foundation’s charitable mission and field of expertise, there is a part to play in addressing the causes of climate change and supporting adaptation to its effects.
The panel will explicitly explore interconnected areas of concern for foundations, such as the linkages between the impacts of inequality, the cost-of-living crisis and climate change on communities across the UK.
Hear from our inspiring panellists about their work - showcasing powerful interventions to inspire, focused on where foundations could make a tangible difference.
Chair: Zoe Sprigings
Panellists:
- Roger Harding
- Dominique Palmer
- Kamran Shezad
Inner Development Goals workshop
Join a dynamic 45-minute workshop that focuses squarely on your own personal development journey.
Complementing the leaders forum programme, this session offers a unique opportunity to dig into the often overlooked skills and inner qualities that enable leaders to tackle the world’s hardest challenges.
Current or aspiring leaders will be guided through a series of exercises introducing the global Inner Development Goals framework and identifying applications.
In the fast-paced world of leadership, finding time to reflect is rare. This workshop provides a vital space for introspection, connection, and sharing experiences. Don’t miss this chance to invest in yourself and elevate your leadership journey.
Facilitated by Amanda Powell
Peer reflection circles
Join a 25-minute peer reflection circle – a fantastic opportunity to network with a small group of peers.
Have a knotty issue you’d love some advice on? Keen to digest and dissect the ideas emerging in the plenary sessions? Want to build your networks amongst senior leaders from trusts and foundations?
Draw out key issues, spark new ideas and problem solve collectively. Bring your challenges and reflections to discuss with other senior leaders in an inclusive and welcoming space.
This session is unfacilitated but guided by principles of engagement and some suggested conversation starters.
Collaboration centres
Join a 60-minute collaboration centre - active spaces for group discussion and exploration.
ACF believes that foundations have a vital role to play in rising to the challenge of the climate and nature emergency. As organisations that often have the independence, resources and capacity to take a long-term view, foundations are well-placed to contribute towards the changes, individual and collective, that we will all need to make.
By providing the space to have meaningful discussions on the topic of climate, ACF is supporting members to explore together the collective responsibility of foundations, the barriers they are facing and the potential positive impact of their actions.
Collaboration centres bring senior leaders and decision makers together to draw out key issues, spark new ideas and problem solve collectively on key areas that ACF members feel are important.
Designed and facilitated by ACF members - grab a coffee and get ready to get stuck in!
Morning collaboration centres
- Making the link between missions and climate and nature
Explore collaboratively how to apply a climate and nature lens to current work without pivoting from existing missions and charitable objects.
Designed and facilitated by: Kris Karslake, Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation
- Using our power
Trusts and foundations have access to conversations and stakeholders that many in the ecosystem do not – explore how this power can be leveraged to rise to the challenge of the climate and nature emergency, and how can it be exercised equitably.
Designed and facilitated by: Bonnie Hewson, Farming the Future and Sarah Benioff, Cripplegate Foundation
- The unique role for trusts and foundations
Explore the meaningful contribution that only trusts and foundations can make in rising to the challenges of the climate and nature emergency.
Designed and facilitated by: Nick Addington, William Grant Foundation
- Empowering future generations
Explore what trusts and foundations can do to develop an empowering infrastructure for young people to drive change.
Designed and facilitated by: Eli Manderson Evans, Blagrave Trust and Dr Asimina Vergou, Co-op Foundation
- Investing for climate - what really works?
Cazenove Charities are delighted to host Dr Ellen Quigley from the University of Cambridge to share her research on how Foundations can effectively take climate action with their investments - cutting through the noise to showcase what really works. This will be followed by collaborative discussions on how to turn theory into meaningful action.
Designed and facilitated by: ACF official partner Cazenove Charities
Afternoon collaboration centres
- How to talk to your board about climate and nature
Explore practical tools and approaches for how to talk to your board about climate and nature. Changing hearts, minds, and hands - what’s worked and what are the common pitfalls.
Designed and facilitated by: Daniela Lloyd-Williams JAC Trust
- Convening others, holding space
Trusts and foundations are well positioned to convene wide ranging stakeholders - explore how to assume this role to advance dialogue, resolve issues and create the space for others to build new narratives to rise to the challenges of the climate and nature emergency.
Designed and facilitated by: Felicity Mallam, Wates Family Enterprise Trust and Jo Kerr Turn2us
- The climate and nature emergency, a social justice issue
Throughout history no significant social change has happened without active social movements. Given the scale of the issue, and the power that is entrenched in the status quo, supporting movement building, network creation and advocacy is one of the most important ways to hold decision makers to account. Explore how philanthropy can support movements.
Designed and facilitated by: Greg Hilditch, Global Greengrants Fund UK and Christine Oliver, Polden-Puckham
- An impactful funder community - identifying and overcoming barriers together
Explore barriers and collectively identify what trusts and foundations need from the ACF community to rise to the challenge of the climate and nature emergency.
Designed and facilitated by: Rachel Heydecker, ACF
- The State of the Climate Transition: Investor Strategies
Explore a framework to help investors work together to set and implement climate-related principles and targets across their investment strategy. This framework leverages Mercer's client experience and research in investing to support the transition.
Designed and facilitated by: Vanessa Hodge, ACF official partner Mercer
Members in conversation with ACF (plenary session)
This plenary session is being co-designed by ACF members and ACF.
It will explore the conversations that ACF members feel it is imperative for senior leaders to be having at the ACF leaders forum 2024.
Some of these may be on the climate emergency but they may also include other interlinked areas such as the cost of living crisis, funder collaboration and diversity equity and inclusion... to name but a few!
Join Sally, Nezahat, Josh and Carol for what promises to be a stimulating conversation!
Panellists:
- Sally Byng, chief executive, Barnwood Trust
- Nezahat Cihan, London Legal Support Trust CEO and chair of Cripplegate Foundation
- Josh Cockcroft, data lead, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
- Carol Mack OBE, chief executive, ACF
Networking drinks reception hosted by ACF Official Partner CCLA
Reflect on the day together with a drinks and light snacks reception.
Kindly hosted by ACF Official Partner CCLA