FIPR 2025 ANNUAL CONVENING
Key Insights from FiPR’s 2025 Annual Convening: Bridging Knowledge to Drive Systemic Change in Puerto Rico
On October 22–23, 2025, we hosted our annual convening bringing philanthropic organizations to do something few sectors ever dare to do: pause the urgency of today to imagine — and begin designing — the Puerto Rico of 2050.
Our shared goal was simple yet bold: to move from reaction to reflection, from analysis to action, and from individual missions to collective purpose — shaping a shared vision of the Puerto Rico we want and our people deserve.
This was not just a meeting. It was a collective design lab — a two-day immersion where imagination met systems thinking, and where philanthropy reconnected with its greatest power: not just to fund change, but to architect it.
Together, we created the space to pause, reframe, and design forward — to see Puerto Rico not as it is, but as it could be.
Through signals, scenarios, moonshots, and storytelling, we stretched from analysis to agency — from observing the system to redesigning it together.
Across two days, philanthropy became what it was always meant to be: a catalyst for connection, courage, and collective foresight.
Because the future doesn’t happen to us we build it and it starts with us today.
Spotlight on Sessions: Practical Tools for Immediate Application
The agenda balanced inspiration with implementation, featuring interactive formats that prioritized participation over passive listening.
Day 1: Building a Futurist Foundation Morning plenaries introduced horizon scanning techniques, where groups mapped emerging trends against philanthropic opportunities.
“We should be exporting our resilience. That’s a future for us.”
-Dana Montenegro (Head of Design & Innovation, This is Courage / SeriouslyCreative / Vantor)
“Puerto Rico 2075 is not a utopia. It's better than that. It's real. Healthy, equitable, creative, optimistic, and sustainable.”
-Ingrid Vila (Founder & CEO, Cambio PR)
“Puerto Rico, sin duda, puede ser el lugar más saludable del planeta, con la expectativa de vida más larga del planeta.”
-María Fernanda Levis (CEO, Impactivo)
Day 2: Collaborative Blueprinting Workshops delved into scenario planning, with participants co-creating “building blocks” for 2050: prioritized actions such as diversified funding models and tech-enabled monitoring systems. The day’s close reinforced accountability through a shared digital repository of resources, accessible via FiPR’s platform.
From Reactive Philanthropy to Proactive Transformation
FiPR’s convening was anchored in three interconnected pillars, each designed to shift the sector from survival-oriented responses to visionary, evidence-based action:
Connecting Knowledge: At its heart, the event emphasized FiPR’s role as a “field builder” and connector. A key takeaway: Philanthropy thrives when siloed data becomes a shared asset, fostering cross-sector alliances that amplify reach.
Catalyzing Change: The urgency of systemic inequities in Puerto Rico—exacerbated by economic disparities and environmental vulnerabilities—was met with a call to agency. Discussions underscored the need to move beyond short-term aid to long-term strategies, and build public support for bold initiatives.
Futurist Mindset: Inspired by horizon scanning and scenario planning, the convening encouraged participants to envision Puerto Rico in 2050. This forward tilt wasn’t abstract; it grounded in tools like backcasting, where future goals are reverse-engineered into today’s priorities, ensuring resilience against foreseeable challenges.
A Call to Collective Agency
FiPR’s 2025 Annual Convening proved that connected knowledge is the catalyst for enduring change. As we reflect just weeks post-event, the invitation is clear: Let’s move from dialogue to deployment – starting in 2026.
Puerto Rico’s future is being built today, one informed action at a time.