Pittsburgh has become a top-flight destination for national and international conferences, the most notable recent examples being the G-20 Summit last fall and the upcoming
World Environment Day conference in June. Our city is a strong choice for major conferences on any topic, but one national conference -- this week's gathering hosted by
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations -- came to Pittsburgh for more than just our world-class facilities and location.
The GEO Organizers took place here this week because Pittsburgh is a hub of philanthropy and nonprofit work. And as their conference draws to a close, they haven't been disappointed. "In Pittsburgh there's definitely a sense of collaboration among Pittsburgh grantmakers, and there is real innovation happening among the nonprofits in Pittsburgh," says Kathleen Enright, GEO's chief executive. "It's just a community that is a great host."
The conference brought together grantmakers from across the nation alongside representatives from nonprofit organizations. One highlight for participants -- site visits to various Pittsburgh locations, including the
McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and
Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse,
Allegheny County Jail,
The Pittsburgh Promise offices and
The Quality of Life Technology Center.
Another highlight, Enright says, was the opening plenary session. "Dev Patnaik from Jump Associates talked about the importance of empathy, not just feeling like you understand what people's lives are like but doing the hard work to gain the deep insight about the people and causes you're trying to work on, so you're better equipped to make decisions on an ongoing basis on behalf of those folks."
The crowd has been enthusiastic, says Enright. "We have about 560 people registered, which is a little more than we'd originally expected."
"People are really welcoming," she says, "and Pittsburgh is definitely a city that promotes that spirit of engagement and welcome."
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Writer: Melissa Rayworth
Source: Kathleen Enright, GEO
Image courtesy of GEO