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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropic institution, believes that every life has equal value. Its work has reduced inequities and improved lives around the globe. Indianapolis native Patty Stonesifer, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will join Diana Aviv, president and CEO of Independent Sector, in discussing how philanthropy can transform health care in surprising ways. Discover how efforts in our local community can effect change around the world.

When: Monday, November 05, 2:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Where: IUPUI, University Place Conference Center and Hotel Auditorium, 850 W. Michigan St., Indianapolis, IN 46202

Admission is free; pre-register by October 26. Presented by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and Spirit & Place.

Questions? Call 317-278-8946 or e-mail prestonl@iupui.edu.

In July 1996, Indianapolis native Patty Stonesifer was named as one of the 25 Most Influential People in America by Time Magazine … and she has gotten a lot more influential since then. Today she is the CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a $24 billion endowment fund that hands out more than a billion dollars a year to “improve access to advances in global health and learning.” Prior to this appointment in 1997, Stonesifer was a consultant to DreamWorks SKG and held a senior vice president position at Microsoft. Stonesifer is a founding board member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. She also serves on the board of The Vaccine Fund, which helps to provide vaccines to third world countries. Stonesifer has also served on the U.S. delegation to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on AIDS. Stonesifer donates both time and resources to a number nonprofit organizations and serves on the board of regents of the Smithsonian Institution and the board of directors of Amazon.com and Viacom Inc.

How important is her foundation? For the sake of the world’s poor, probably more important than all but a handful of countries’ foreign aid. Not everyone thinks she is doing the right thing. In “The Challenge of Global Health,” a January/February 2007 Foreign Affairs article, Laurie Garrett claims that many charitable organizations, including the Gates Foundation, harm global health by diverting resources from other important local health care services. For example, by paying relatively high salaries at AIDS clinics, the foundation diverts medical professionals from other parts of developing nations’ health care systems; the health care systems’ ability to provide care diminishes (except in the area the foundation funds) and the charities may do more harm than good. The Los Angeles Times criticizes the Foundation’s investment record. All items worth discussing.

Want to know what Ms Stonesifer will discuss? Check out a few of her recent speeches:

Brown University Commencement (May 27, 2006) “I’m counting on Brown graduates, because our hope for the world rests not only on science, but on the commitment to humanity that gives science its meaning. That’s what I think sets this place apart, and that’s what I want to talk about today…”

Magazine Publishers of America (October 17, 2005) “You can force us as citizens to really see the problem. You can analyze and promote the solutions that are already available. And you can hold governments—ours and others—donors and recipients—accountable. You can make us say, “We know what the problem is, we know what the solution is, and we can make this change.””

U.S. Fund for UNICEF (June 23, 2005) “I’m here today to talk about our shared goal: how we can save millions of young children who die needlessly every year. Of course, UNICEF cannot do this alone. The United States government can’t do it alone. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation certainly can’t do it alone.”

Diana Aviv is the president and CEO of Independent Sector, the national leadership forum for America’s nonprofit organizations, foundations, and corporations. Collectively representing tens of thousands of charitable groups in every state across the country, Independent Sector’s mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the independent sector. A noted expert on the major issues affecting the national nonprofit and philanthropic community, Diana is a frequent speaker on the accountability and transparency of nonprofit organizations, the financial state of the nonprofit sector, the role of civil society in democracy, and civic engagement.

Important stuff. If it sounds interesting, check out the Public Conversation the day before. You also should learn about possibly the most important program the Gates Foundation funds, the IU-Kenya project: hear project leader Joe Mamlin on AIDS and Poverty in Africa October 23, and attend the IU-Kenya gala celebration October 13. More importantly, see the grassroots side of global philanthropy at the mapping of Indiana’s connections to the world November 17: you can make a big difference even if you are not Bill Gates or Patty Stonesifer.

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 3rd, 2007 at 3:24 am and is filed under Events, Foreign policy, Health & Medicine, Technology, Science, Business, Africa, Poverty, HIV/AIDS, Philanthropy, Citizen Diplomacy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.