Winter Meeting for Philanthropy Infrastructure Members – Staying Ahead of the Curve: Philanthropy Infrastructure in a Time of Transitions
The Winter Meeting for Philanthropy Infrastructure Members 2026 will take place on 3 March in Bucharest, Romania under the theme of “Staying Ahead of the Curve: Philanthropy Infrastructure in a Time of Transitions”, hosted by ARC Romania and the Inspire Institute.
We are living through an era of deep shifts: from crossing planetary boundaries to widening social inequalities and rising polarisation and hostility in public life. Across Europe, these pressures create unmet needs and deep anxieties, conditions that can fuel democratic backsliding.
In this fast-moving context, philanthropy infrastructure organisations must stay alert to two things at once: the evolving needs of members and constituencies, and the volatility of the external environment. This dual vigilance has sparked a wide range of responses. Some organisations are hosting working groups or annual gatherings to help funders make sense of democratic trends, some are convening civil society coalitions to counter democratic erosion; others create roles to engage with governments more strategically.
Working across capacity, capability, credibility, connection, and catalytic action, we ask ourselves how might we develop a 5C approach while prioritising? But most importantly, what type of leadership, cultures and competencies are needed to navigate this moment? How do we stay attuned to weak signals and emerging developments, and ensure that we, as ecosystem leaders, embody what the future demands of us today?
The meeting will be the moment to reflect on the shared contexts and positionality as PIOs, on personal and collective leadership and welcome new members to the community.
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