Everything you wanted to know about Interest Groups but never dared to ask

Room: Grand Hall 1

Take this opportunity to discover or find out more about the EFC Interest Groups. Meet with the different Group Chairs and Group Coordinators and learn why EFC members join and support them.

 

 

Endowment Investments: Focus on Risk 

Room: 213

The global financial crisis hit foundations’ assets hard – many in Europe took losses between 10% and 25%; the losses for the majority in the US were even higher; and some foundations had to close down. This has forced boards to take a critical look at how they manage their foundation’s investments - with the issue of risk being at the centre of these discussions. This session will explore the issue of risks and risk management: what does risk mean for long term investors like foundations? How do board members think and learn about identifying and assessing risk in investments? What are the obstacles for measuring and managing risk? What opportunities does a risk assessment approach to portfolio diversification hold for foundations?

Moderator: Ronald van der Giessen, Oranje Fonds

Speakers:

André Betting, Van Leer Group Foundation

Sarah Fromson, The Wellcome Trust

 

 

Beyond the Emergency: Lessons from Disaster Response

Room: 204

The session will examine and compare recent large-scale disasters (such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti) and the international NGO community’s response to them.  Topics for discussion will include the particular social and economic context of each disaster and the needs, both immediate and longer-term, that arose from each situation, how effectively aid is coordinated on the ground among government and multilateral agencies, NGOs, and grassroots actors, and what lessons can be learned from the event that can inform future disaster preparation and response efforts.

Moderator: Rien van Gendt, Van Leer Group Foundation

Speakers:

Joia Mukherjee, Partners in Health

Nicolas Borsinger, Pro Victimis Foundation