PowerUP! Texas 2026: Impact Austin's History with the Philanos Network
- Impact Austin
- Aug 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 20
This is the second in a series of blogs leading to the 3-day Philanos Conference that will ignite collaboration among women's collective giving groups. PowerUP! Texas 2026 will come to the Hilton Austin on Feb 8-10. With Impact Austin hosting and other Texas giving circles adding strength as co-hosts, PowerUP! Texas is the place to be for inspired learning, collaboration, and community impact. Early registration will open with reduced pricing on September 1. See you in Austin!
We've been with Philanos since its beginning. Since it was the Women's Collective Giving Grantmakers Network (WCGN). Since its founding leadership team included our own founder Rebecca Powers. Since the idea was conceived in 2008.
As long-standing members of WCGN/Philanos, Impact Austin members have been honored to occasionally serve as directors and/or presenters at its conferences. So, it's fitting that four current members - Kali' Rourke, Nicole Genovese, Alyssa Reyna, and Judi McCarthy - are part of the Steering Committee bringing the 2026 PowerUP! Conference to Austin, Texas.
It's also fitting to share some historical context for Impact Austin's prized membership in Philanos, the leading women's collective giving network.
Leadership within Philanos
Known for many years as the Women's Collective Giving Grantmakers Network (WCGN), that network first convened in 2008 as a group of "thought leaders" from eight giving circles around the country. They were organized by Colleen Willoughby, founder of the Washington Women's Foundation and recognized as the founder of the collective giving movement. Rebecca Powers shared her memory about this time: "Colleen gathered a few of the collectives she had mentored in Boise, ID. I attended that [gathering], and it was there that the idea of having conferences was born. Except for Impact Austin, these collectives had formed as a direct result of Colleen Willoughby's mentoring." .
The organizers agreed on a purpose and structure for WCGN: a volunteer-led, virtual organization open to all giving circle/collective giving organizations. The founding leadership team included Colleen Willoughby, Laura Midgley, and Alison Wilson from the Washington Women’s Foundation; Virginia Mills from GIVING WoMN in Minneapolis; Vicky Coelho and Susan Smith from the Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation, Tracy Johnson from the San Diego Women’s Foundation; Katy Peek from the Women’s Fund of El Dorado (CA); Rebecca Powers from Impact Austin; Vicki Sheehan from Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund; and Karen Wilson from Impact Giving (CA). Read more about the history of WCGN/Philanos here.
Rebecca remained among the organizers until she retired from leading Impact Austin at the end of 2010. WCGN established a board of directors in 2011. Former Impact Austin President Rebekah Bonde served on the WCGN board, and she wrote about the experience in an article for the Huffington Post. Rebekah continued on their board as a member of the Washington Women's Foundation. Val Kirk joined the WCGN board from 2018-2021, volunteering as its Treasurer before and after Rebekah Bonde's own service in that role. Val remains on the Philanos Finance Committee today. Former Executive Director Demetria Caston joined Philanos' board in 2023 and still serves, while long-time member Kali' Rourke was invited to join as an ex-oficio member in 2025. Kali wrote, "My current role on the Philanos Board is as a liaison between its Conference Planning Committee and Impact Austin and its hosting role. I am working with a small group of Impact Austin pros to help with everything from speaker possibilities to publicity, conference arrangements, and volunteers. I am honored to work with the warm and witty women of Philanos' Board, and this has been one of the great pleasures in my over twenty years of women's collective giving experience."
But Board service isn't our only hands-on participation with Philanos!
The Philanos Conference Tradition
WCGN's founding leaders agreed that regular communications, learning and sharing of best practices, would strengthen and accelerate the burgeoning women's giving circle movement. WCGN committed to monthly educational calls (now webinars) and regular conferences. Impact Austin was proud to attend and/or participate with programs at all conferences except the gathering in 2017.
2011 San Diego, CA Host: San Diego Women’s Foundation
2012 Austin, TX Host: Impact Austin (volunteer committee below)
IA speakers: Rebecca Powers; Kali' Rourke - social media for giving circles
2014 St. Louis, MO Host: Spirit of St. Louis Women's Fund
2015 Charlotte, NC Host: Women's Impact Fund (blog recap)
IA speakers: Rebecca Powers; Rebekah Bonde - Impact Austin's Catalyst Grant
2017 Jacksonville, FL Host: Women's Giving Alliance (press recap)
2018 Philadelphia, PA Host: Impact 100 Philadelphia (host recap)
IA speaker: Lauren Paver - making a difference in four spheres of influence
2020 Seattle, WA Host: Washington Women's Foundation (takeaways)
IA speakers: Christina Gorczynski - community impact and strategic collaborations;
Susan Palombo - embracing DEI, next gen donors, power dynamics in grantmaking;
Kathy Terry - inLieu giving app
2023 Baltimore, MD Co-Hosts: Women's Giving Circle of Howard County,
IA speakers: Becky Austen - Impact Austin's Strategic Advisory Council;
Demetria Caston - nurturing diversity
2026 Austin, TX Host: Impact Austin and Co-Hosts to be announced soon!
Impact Austin first hosted a WCGN/Philanos Conference in 2012. We reached out to Rebecca Powers to ask how content and speakers were secured for that event. "If I remember correctly, we came up with the content and found presenters from various collectives who could speak to the topics (i.e. membership/grants/marketing/operations/policies). Because I had been involved with other collectives, I knew women and organizations that were especially good at certain things and used that knowledge to identify speakers." Rebecca noted that giving circle leaders were the target audience for early conferences. "We didn't have a ton of Impact Austin attendees at the Austin conference because the topics weren't generally relevant to an individual member. Things are probably different now, especially with plenary and keynote speakers." When asked if current Impact Austin members should think about attending the 2026 conference, Rebecca was very encouraging. "At the conference, you will connect with like-minded women who believe in the power of pooling their resources to effect positive change in the world."
We searched blogs, newsletters, and collective memories for the names of current and past Impact Austin members/leaders attending and speaking at WCGN/Philanos conferences over the years. Whom have we missed?
Becky Austen (2023), Susan Blount (2012), Rebekah Bonde (2015), Mary Campana (2012), Demetria Caston (2023), Chris Cavner (2012), Donna Benson Chan (2015), Lyzz Donelson (2012), Phylis Donelson (2012), Donna Eastman (2012), Liz Fitzgerald (2012), Nicole Genovese (2020), Christina Gorczynski (2020), Laura Green (2012), Cynthia Hoff (2012) Val Kirk (2012, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2023), Carol Lauder (2012), Allison Marshall (2020), Dina Mavridis (2012), Debe McKeand (2012), Susan Palombo (2018, 2020), Lauren Paver (2018), Lorene Phillips (2012), Rebecca Powers (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015), Kali' Rourke (2012), Becky Ruffin (2012), Kathy Terry (2020), and Kathrine Weaver (2012),
The PowerUP! Texas Conference runs Feb 8-10, 2026, in Austin, Texas. Early bird registration runs Sep 1 through Nov 15 and will be found here. Stay tuned to our blog for exciting updates that will further inspire you to attend!
