2023 FAOG Conference Recap

Maybe it was the tall sinewy palm trees leaning in the breeze surrounding the pool complete with the pink flamingo photo op backdrop for our fellow tourists and conference participants that were filtering throughout the resort or maybe it was the light salty breeze off of the ocean, or the new found connections and re-connections with fellow Community Foundation conference goers, the 2023 FAOG Conference was an unforgettable experience that left participants with cherished memories.

With over 440 conference-goers and speakers representing 161 foundations, the charming Town and Country Resort, in the Mission Valley area of San Diego, served as our welcoming host.
 
The conference began on Sunday afternoon with a 2-hour “Welcome to the Community Foundation World” session, followed by Tech Vendor Demo and Discussions, which gave attendees an opportunity to interact with our sponsors to learn more about the various tools offered to support the Community Foundation field.

The conference officially kicked-off with an all attendee and sponsors happy hour complete with a fun surprise flash mob performed by a local dance group who really wowed the crowd. A beach party themed dinner sponsored by Crewcial Partners followed outside on the lawn of the resort underneath the beautiful clear Southern California sky.

The remainder of the two-and-a-half days were filled with robust, informative presentations centered on Community Foundation issues and trends. The conference agenda followed the similar pattern from the 2021 FAOG conference by organizing the sessions into three tracks: Finance/Operations, Investments, and HR/Leadership. The Whova conference app platform was a huge hit and facilitated even more networking among conference goers with interactive polls, ice breakers, group meet-up opportunities, etc. 

Attendees embraced the theme nights and came decked out in their white attire and donned their glow accessories for the Glow Night dinner and cocktails on Monday night, sponsored by Mason Investments. A fiesta theme capped off the last dinner on Tuesday night, sponsored by Cambridge Associates, with cocktails at sunset and another lively dinner outside.

FAOG would not be able to provide these conferences without our volunteers, so we want to give a huge THANK YOU to all the volunteers who went above and beyond again this year.

We are also very grateful for the support of our 27 outstanding sponsors – these valued
partners are vital in bringing the conference to life.
 
LIST OF SPONSORS

Presenting Sponsor Diamond Sponsors Platinum Sponsors Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors Bronze Sponsors