PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice is hosting the Benjamin Franklin Leadership Symposium to address "Effective Philanthropy: Measuring Impact" on Wednesday, April 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Prince Theater in the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St.

"After a record-breaking year of $100 million plus donations, including Warren Buffet's historic gift to the Gates Foundation, it's never been more important for philanthropists to answer the question, How do I know I'm having an impact?" Katherina Rosqueta, executive director at Penn's Center for High Impact Philanthropy, said.  The Center is part of the School of Social Policy and Practice.

"The symposium brings together individual philanthropists and instructional leaders striving to answer that question," Rosqueta said.  "They are concerned about investing in programs, practices and interventions that provide the greatest social impact."

The Ben Franklin Leadership Symposium's keynote speaker is Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation and former president of Penn.  She serves on a number of leading non-profit boards, as well as the boards of AMR Corporation, Citigroup and Comcast Corporation.  

Panel moderators include Penn professor of political science John DiIulio of the Center for Public Management, Brookings Institution and Michael Useem, director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management at Penn's Wharton School.

Other panelists are Eric Adler of The Seed Foundation, Melissa A. Berman of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, William H. Eastburn of the Bucks Mont Katrina Relief Project, David Ertel of Bayview Financial, Alan G. Hassenfeld of Hasbro Inc., Eileen R. Heisman of the National Philanthropic Trust, Sheila C. Johnson of the Sheila C. Johnson Foundation, Mark Kramer of FSG, Michael A. Leven of The Marcus Foundation, Milton J. Little Jr. of United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Jacqueline Novogratz of the Acumen Fund Inc., Alan Simon of Omaha Steaks, R. Andrew Swinney of The Philadelphia Foundation and George Weiss of  George Weiss Associates Inc.

Additional information about the Center for High Impact Philanthropy is at  http://www.impact.upenn.edu/.