Built Better: A Grantmaker's Guide to Intentional Transformation with M&T Bank

The bar for meaningful grantmaking has never been higher. Community needs are growing, regulations are becoming increasingly complex, and funders are under real pressure to prove their dollars are creating lasting change. For many foundations and grantmakers, the question isn't whether to evolve — it's knowing where to start.

The good news? Meaningful transformation doesn't require a blank slate or a perfect plan. It requires honesty, a clear starting point, and the willingness to move.

Join this conversation with Joe Cassidy, Senior Vice President of Foundation Operations at M&T Bank — a team that has navigated that exact challenge inside one of the most regulated industries. What started as a "wild west" approach to grantmaking has gradually and intentionally evolved into a focused model built on real community needs, honest reflection, and deliberate change. M&T is still in the midst of transformation — from cracking true impact measurement to reducing nonprofit burden — so the questions they're working through are likely the same ones you're facing right now. Whether you're just beginning to rethink your approach or already mid-transformation, there's something here to take back to your own work.

Join us to:

• Learn why spreading dollars across too many priorities was holding M&T back - and how they built the internal alignment to change it.
• Understand why the order of transformation matters as much as the transformation itself.
• See what it takes to push through even "simple" operational changes inside a complex, regulated organization.
• Leave with a renewed sense of permission to build something better - even when you're constrained by regulation, internal politics, history or scale.