#OpenDialogue 25 Feb 2025. Resilience in a Time of Disasters. Exploring the Tasks of Now for Philanthropy and Civil Society.

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What does effective climate resilience funding look like in an era of rapid, disruptive change? How can philanthropy transform itself to meet this moment?

We share a warm invitation for you to join us in a vital conversation between two leading thinkers in the field: Dr Susanne Moser, a renowned expert on climate resilience and transformative adaptation, and Eva Rehse, Ecosystems Director at WINGS, formerly director of Strategy and Global Integration at Global Greengrants Fund. Susi and Eva will explore philanthropy’s role in addressing the compounding climate and related crises emerging even more starkly in 2025 and explore ways in which to actively build climate (and societal) resilience.

Date: February 25th, 2025
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM GMT (London) / 5:00 PM CET (Paris) / 6:00 PM SAST (Johannesburg) / 11:00 AM ET (New York) / 8:00 PST (San Francisco)
Register for the zoom link

We face a watershed moment in resilience building.

A recent Packard Foundation Climate Resilience Scan, led by Susanne Moser, underscores the critical need for a shift away from incremental changes towards systemic transformation in how philanthropy approaches climate resilience. As he scan notes, the climate crisis demands that we address the “deep-seated drivers of inequity, fostering new relationships and power dynamics, and altering systems to produce fundamentally different and more equitable outcomes.

This conversation explores how communities on the frontline are maintaining resilience in difficult times. Its about the power of communities to adapt, innovate, and thrive, even in the face of immense challenges. It’s about how philanthropy can move beyond traditional approaches to support truly transformative change.

This dialogue aims to explore:

How philanthropy is, and must, continue to evolve practices and mindsets to drive transformative change
Explorations of the strategies and opportunities that philanthropy can follow to accelerate adaptation and resilience building in ways that reflect the ethos of its origins (a love of humanity)
Ways to foster cross-sector collaboration and break down silos in resilience work
Approaches to support frontline communities and build adaptive capacity
Methods to scale proven solutions while encouraging innovation and experimentation

Conversation guides

Dr. Susanne Moser is a leading researcher and consultant on climate adaptation and transformation. Her recent work for the Packard Foundation on “The Tasks of Now: Toward a New Era in Climate Resilience Building” provides a crucial framework for how philanthropy must evolve to meet the accelerating climate crisis. She has over 30 years of experience in climate change adaptation and resilience building, climate change communication, and science-policy interactions across academia, government and non-profit sectors.

Join us for this timely discussion on how philanthropy can become a more strategic and transformative force in building climate resilience. This dialogue is not about maintaining the status quo, but reimagining how funders can drive systemic change and support the transformative action our moment demands.

We encourage participants to review Dr. Moser’s recent report The Tasks of Now: Toward a New Era in Climate Resilience Building prior to the session to enable a rich discussion focused on practical next steps for the funding community. You can learn more about her at https://www.susannemoser.com

Eva Rehse is the Network and Ecosystems Director at WINGS, the global network of philanthropy support and development organisations. She has worked in and with philanthropy for 20 years, most recently in leadership roles in Global Greengrants Fund in the UK and USA. Community and climate resilience have been recurring issues in her work. She is a trustee of the Environmental Funders Network.