EDGE Funders Alliance Conference
COME TO THE EDGE
From 17-20 April | New Orleans | US
Out on the edge you see all kinds of things
you can’t see from the center.
- Kurt Vonnegut
Members of EDGE Funders Alliance approach the world through wide lenses, expanding the outer edges of what’s possible. We work across multiple geographies, identities and areas of interest, employing a broad array of strategies within distinct institutional cultures. A kaleidoscope of movement and philanthropic actors, our collective diversity is our greatest strength.
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Our community also dives deep, searching for underlying, structural causes of exploitation, inequality and injustice. Not satisfied with the transactional and palliative, we strive towards the edge of the transformational, to move resources that improve people’s daily lives and help heal the planet concretely, while addressing root causes to transform economy and society over the long term.
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Our gathering in New Orleans advanced efforts to deepen understanding and move us and our community from sincere but insufficient approaches at the center, towards the edges of what is possible and necessary. Together we explored economic, cultural, political, and ecological contours of systemic crisis, learn and draw inspiration from worldwide struggles for people and planet, and work collectively to advance our role as funders, organizers and philanthropic activists, moving ourselves and moving our field.
Thanks for joining us!
"Come to the edge, he said.
They said: We are afraid.
Come to the edge, he said.
They came.
He pushed them and they flew."
- Guillaume Apollinaire
Conference in Numbers
Participants and Sessions
This year, the EDGE Conference had 217 participants, coming from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. In total, 54 sessions took place during the three days and a half. From that, 7 dine arounds, 14 engagement labs and 12 workshops were proposed and organized by participants.
CO2 Emissions
EDGE, like every other actor, is part of the problem as much as part of the solution
3 tons
of CO2
per person
2.3 tons is the sustainability limit p.p / p.a
Climate gas emissions through air travel to the conference were 632 tons of CO2
Survey results
95%
would recommend the conference to others interested in progressive philanthropy
“Because its a space for innovation and new ways of thinking. Everyone is open for new ideas and is ready to talk to you about them” conference participant
84%
believe the conference fulfilled their reasons to attend
71%
said EDGE should retain the format of Engagement Labs
“It is the most interesting one [conference] in terms of the issues and the reflection about funders work.”
conference participant
Reasons for attending
27%
57%
66%
Personal growth & development
Networking
Content and subject matter
“I thought my organization was nimble and took risks and engaged with the front lines, but after attending this conference I see we are actually pretty conservative!
conference participant