Advocacy With a Small “a”—Big Ideas for Small Foundations

Read this post from Jenny Chandler, shared on Exponent Philanthropy’s blog.

http://www.exponentphilanthropy.org/blog/advocacy-with-a-small-a-big-ideas-for-small-foundations/

Bringing Magic Wand ideas to life, and making grantmaking FUN!

Over my years in the philanthropic arena, mostly as a funder, I learned a great deal about nonprofits ranging from start-ups to well established organizations - the work you are doing, and the great needs that exist. I am taking this experience and applying it to what I most enjoy, building the strength and resiliency of agencies along with the funding community.

I am following my dream and launching Laura Duty & Associates, LLC.

My work is focused on bringing Magic Wand ideas to life and on making grantmaking fun.

One of my favorite questions as a funder is asking nonprofit leaders what they would do if money were no object. I love seeing eyes light up and ideas flow. My belief is these leaders and organizations are where support should land. These are the folks who are working on the front lines and know how to be the most effective in their clients’ lives. They also learn from their peers and are incorporating the “best of the best” ideas into their work.

You might ask - how am I supporting these leaders?

My reply - through capacity building and coaching with an eye on developing and incorporating Magic Wand ideas and finding ways to support them over time. I will use these news posts to highlight aspects of capacity building, share interesting articles, and showcase Magic Wand ideas in action.

I hope these posts will be of value to your work, and will spark your own bright-eyed moments. To be kept in the loop, simply provide your name and email in the form below.

I also want to hear from your and your experiences putting Magic Wand ideas into action! Who knows - maybe your story will be featured in the next post. Send me a note, laura@lauraduty.com with your story!

Thoughts from Exponent Philanthropy's National Conference

The intent of these reflections is to provide food for thought to funders and nonprofits alike.

From the opening bell, the group was encouraged to “embrace discomfort, take risks, and listen to a wide range of perspectives”

Over 800 foundations, families, and individuals who give with few or no staff gathered recently in Philadelphia. From the opening bell, the group was encouraged to “embrace discomfort, take risks, and listen to a wide range of perspectives” offered through provocative key note addresses, interactive sessions and site visits, and through exchanging ideas with peers from across the country.

It is has been some time since I attended this conference and I was energized by the content and the people I met. I found attendees were intent upon learning ways in which their dollars can have greater impact and there is a strong interest in focused giving versus utilizing a shotgun approach. What I found most exciting is an appetite for partnering with other funders, nonprofit organizations, schools, governments, community members, and more to thoughtfully and creatively address pressing issues.

Breakout sessions included:

• discussions on moving grantmaking from transactional to transformational,

• taking a hard look at questions asked on applications to ensure the information obtained from applicants is what matters most to the funder and their board,

• digging deep into a process one funder used to move an idea for a community-wide initiative into a reality,

• and a thought provoking spin on organizational effectiveness of nonprofits that includes a deep-dive look at revenue strategies.
  

One of the questions asked was how does this foundation select projects since they are often in the early stages of development. Their answer - leadership.

We were also offered a peek into how one foundation invests in “game changers” or folks who have wild and crazy solutions. You may recognize a few of the grantees - Upstream USA, Kiva, OpenBiome, and The Common Market. One of the questions asked was how does this foundation select projects since they are often in the early stages of development. Their answer - leadership.

The foundation looks for organizations in which founders are involved as it shows a high level of commitment to the idea and its execution, ones in which there is a learning mindset and a focus on data and how it is used or reiterated, and on leaders who are humble and have an interest in looking to others to help solve issues. In my opinion, these qualities translate to all grantmaking and are something nonprofits and funders alike should keep in mind.

Now that I am back in Dallas and have reflected on the conference, I am more determined than ever to partner with leaders of nonprofit organizations who are looking to flush out and implement magic wand ideas. I am also determined to connect with funders and to work with them in unearthing ways to make their grantmaking more fun.

Video: Why Non-Profits Languish

There are many reasons non-profits have trouble getting traction, but there are three that stand above all others. Learn more in the video below.

Video: What is Capacity?

Ask five people the definition of capacity, and you’re going to get three different answers.

Non-profits are passionate about what they do, but you also need strength on the organizational and financial side to support that passion. Learn more - watch the video below.