Wednesday Webinars at Philanthropy Southwest
Where Southwest funders convene for expert-led learning that moves best practices into action.
The Ecosystem of Place: Catalyzing Community Impact Through Partnership with Faith Communities
April 1, 2026 10am to 11am CST
Across the country, funders are asking deeper questions about neighborhood stability, affordability, and community well-being. Yet many philanthropic strategies overlook the longest-standing form of community infrastructure: faith-based institutions and spiritual communities.
In addition to their social and relational capital, many of these faith-based institutions steward significant land and property assets that present opportunities when thoughtfully activated in partnership with philanthropy.
Join Elizabeth Le'anani Coffee, Managing Director at the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving at Indiana University's Lilly School of Philanthropy, and Meagan Longley, Chief Impact Officer at the Austin Community Foundation, to learn more about this timely topic with practical takeaways for all grantmakers within their own communities across the Southwest.
Meet the speakers:
Elizabeth Le'anani Coffee, Managing Director, Lake Institute on Faith and Giving
Elizabeth Le’anani Coffee is the managing director of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving at Indiana University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She is a facilitator, strategist, and convener, and has led initiatives with universities, congregations, nonprofits, and civic partners across the country.
Elizabeth brings more than a decade of leadership experience in faith-based education, philanthropy, and nonprofit strategy. Shaped by her Hawaiian heritage and rooted in San Antonio, she is known for designing learning spaces that connect theological imagination with social change.
As the former Director of Storytelling at the H. E. Butt Foundation, she led narrative change initiatives across San Antonio, creating collaborative media, convening dialogue cohorts, and elevating community voices through storytelling that fosters deeper understanding and equity. Elizabeth previously worked with Lake as a research associate, engaging with American patterns of giving and gathering for religious causes.
- Indiana University Indianapolis, Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies
- Abilene Christian University, Bachelor of Science in Advertising/PR
Meagan Longley, Chief Impact Officer, Austin Community Foundation
Meagan Longley, a native Austinite, is the Chief Impact Officer at the Austin Community Foundation. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring the Foundation's initiatives have a meaningful and measurable impact. In partnership with a stellar team, her work focuses on asset growth, fund development, donor engagement, grantmaking, impact investing, and community engagement. Meagan received her MSSW at the School of Social Work at UT Austin and did her undergraduate work at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina.