Congress (Day 3 ) - Investing in Connection: The Case for Intergenerational Funding

Thursday 1st October 2026, 9:00am - 12:30pm
University of Strathclyde, Technology and Innovation Centre, 99 George St, Glasgow, G1 1RD

This is a high level, funder-only session shaping the future of impactful investment.

Facilitator(s): Alison Clyde, CEO (Generations Working Together) & Trent Stamp, CEO of  The Eisner Foundation

As communities worldwide face increasing pressures—from rising loneliness to youth mental health challenges, workforce shortages, and stretched public services—the need for smarter, more connected funding solutions has never been clearer. Intergenerational approaches consistently demonstrate that one investment can achieve multiple outcomes across different age groups, building stronger, more resilient communities for the long term. Yet many funding streams remain siloed—supporting either younger people or older people. This limits innovation, duplicates effort, and prevents charities and organisations from designing programmes that bring generations together to solve shared challenges.

This is the moment to rethink the model.

At the Global Intergenerational Congress 2026, our closing funders’ session—Investing in Connection: The Case for Intergenerational Funding—will bring together influential leaders with the power to shape future funding priorities and strategies.

Expect a dynamic and highly interactive session which will include:

A powerful opening on the “why”  - Stories and evidence showing how intergenerational approaches deliver broad, multi‑outcome impact—addressing isolation, improving youth development, strengthening local economies, enhancing wellbeing, and reducing demand on services.

A Global Case Study exploring the work of The Eisner Foundation, one of the world’s leading intergenerational funders, and why it chooses to invest exclusively in multigenerational approaches. Participants will examine the Foundation’s rationale, funding strategy, and the outcomes it is achieving at scale.

Shared by Trent Stamp, who has served as CEO of The Eisner Foundation since 2008 and led its transition in 2015 to a sole focus on intergenerational solutions. Trent is a recognised leader in intergenerational practice, healthy ageing, nonprofit governance, and philanthropy. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, The Washington Post, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and he is a frequent speaker at national and global forums including the Milken Institute Global Conference, SXSW, and the Aspen Institute Ideas Festival. He currently serves on the boards of the Milken Institute’s Center for the Future of Aging, Eisner Health, and Portsmouth in the Community, and previously held senior roles at Charity Navigator, Teach For America, and the U.S. Social Security Administration.

A candid panel discussion involving major UK funders  - Senior representatives including voices from national, local, corporate, and community funding sectors—sharing what they wish they had known earlier, the inefficiencies of siloed approaches, and where opportunities for change lie.

A facilitated, funder‑only roundtable providing a safe space for funders to discuss challenges around risk, reporting frameworks, trustee expectations, internal culture, and measuring multi‑age outcomes. 

A hands‑on design exercise where participants can reimagine a funding stream—moving from siloed, single‑age calls to an integrated intergenerational model —exploring shared measurement, partnership opportunities, and streamlined approaches.

Evidence you can take back to your board - such as data, examples, and value-for-money insights demonstrating the effectiveness, efficiency, and strategic alignment of intergenerational investment.

And finally a clear call to action - from pledges to working groups, participants will leave with practical ways to embed intergenerational thinking into future funding structures.

Why does Intergenerational funding matter:

• delivers better outcomes per pound
• reduces duplication and inefficiency
• strengthens prevention and early intervention
• improves community resilience
• supports innovation and co‑created solutions
• aligns with modern priorities such as loneliness, wellbeing, equity, inclusion, and community cohesion

Most importantly, it allows organisations to design programmes that genuinely reflect how people live—not split by age, but connected by community.

This workshop is exclusively for people who can influence or determine funding decisions, including:

• Private trusts and philanthropic funders.
• Corporate and social investment bodies.
• National and local government funders.
• Major grant-makers and community foundations.
• Senior leaders and trustees with strategic decision-making authority.

This focused group ensures the session leads to meaningful, system‑level change.

Join us to shape a more impactful, connected funding landscape

This session is more than a workshop—it is a strategic opportunity to influence the future of funding. Together, we can move beyond siloed approaches and open funding to initiatives that bring generations together to learn, grow, and thrive.