Reconnect 2023 in Canada brought together community foundation practitioners to reflect on how relationships, trust and peer exchange shape the field. The gathering highlighted that beyond formal structures, it is the quality of connections and shared learning that enables community foundations to respond to local challenges and strengthen their role in society. The event reinforced the importance of investing in networks as a core element of resilient philanthropy infrastructure.
Reflecting on Reconnect 2023 in Canada, the author shares observations on how community foundations build and sustain meaningful connections across the field. The experience highlights that beyond formal agendas, it is trust, openness and informal exchange that shape collaboration and learning. These reflections point to the importance of investing in relationships as a core element of effective and resilient philanthropy infrastructure.
2023 exchanges bring a youthful dynamic
This piece shows how CF2CF exchanges are injecting new energy into the community foundation field, particularly through youth engagement and cross-border collaboration. Romania’s dynamic ecosystem plays a central role, offering models for fundraising, leadership, and civic participation. The exchanges connect organisations across Europe to share practices, co-develop projects, and address overlooked issues such as rural marginalisation. A strong focus is placed on intergenerational cooperation, helping younger actors step into leadership while drawing on the experience of older generations.
Building a SDG community of practice among community foundations
This reflection explores how community foundations can build a shared “community of practice” around the SDGs. It highlights how participatory learning and peer exchange can shift perceptions, helping foundations connect their local work to global challenges and adopt a whole-organisation approach to embedding the SDGs in strategy, operations and partnerships.
An investment of time and money pays off in Romania
George Gurescu from ARC (Romania) recounts the success of the Community Foundations Development Program, which led to the creation of two new community foundations in Buzău and Vâlcea—raising the national total to 18. Over 18 months, ARC provided intensive mentorship, peer exchange, and financial support, combining trust-based relationships with tailored capacity-building. Local initiative groups, supported by Mott and the Romanian-American Foundation, mobilised residents and diaspora donors to fundraise and form new foundations—strengthening Romania’s community philanthropy movement and expanding its national reach.
