Shared from an August 16, 2021 blog on Exponent Philanthropy. The David and Lura Lovell Foundation focuses funding on changing systems by first identifying issues then identifying partners to ferret out root causes and develop plans before seeking grantees involved in the work.

The 7-step process is outlined in the blog and is something a foundation of any size or staffing can accomplish.

Photo by Joel Filipe@joelfilip

Think back on your own lives as you were starting your working life and careers. Did you have someone helping with daily living expenses such as rent or groceries? And if that wasn’t an option, how would your life be different?

In following a theme of change, let’s take a look at a twist to anti-poverty efforts: providing regular cash payments to those in need.

Enter SEED (Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration). Through a partnership with the Economic Security Project the city of Stockton, CA offered people in need what they needed most: cash. SEED launched February 2019. 125 people were randomly chosen from low-income census tracks to receive $500 monthly, to use as they please. The only mandate was participation in the research element of this project.

Preliminary findings are in and they may surprise you. This blog is inspired by the Nonprofit Quarterly’s article, Stockton Study Shows Power of Universal Basic Income Support written by Martin Levine and published March 17, 2021.

Image by Daniel Cheung @danielkcheung

There is no doubt 2020 has been a year of change. As someone who goes kicking and screaming into something new, I’m determined to embrace change in the coming year. So over the next few months I plan to highlight ideas for doing philanthropy differently that I believe offer good food for thought. I’m starting with “When We Return to Our Foundation Offices, Let’s Make Them Spaces Where We Collaborate With Grantees” by Lisa Pillar Cowan, Vice President of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation in New York City. The arctic le appears in the December 8 issue of Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Image by @Jr Korpa

What is your take on general operating support? And better yet, multi-year general operating support? In this time of COVID, nonprofits are challenged to evolve both in their programs and in their revenue generation. But what about foundations? Shouldn’t funders evolve their thinking and grant making as well?

Image by Steve Johnson @steve_j

Prior to the coronavirus and prior to recent conversations around social justice, Dallas Heritage Village embarked on a project to reinterpret the Millermore House with the intent of telling stories about all people who lived and worked in the Millermore house, including the enslaved.

What is the pivot? Last year, the Village staff revisited historical documentation and archives relating to the Millermore house and its occupants including the 1860 census which stated then owner, William Brown Miller, enslaved 16 African Americans and included names of three couples. Then began the task of identifying the enslaved and those who lived in the cabin and landing on stories the Village will tell.

You have worked hard to build a following of loyal volunteers. What do you do when a pandemic prevents these people from carrying out their work? You pivot. Have you thought about shifting their roles to a virtual setting?

What are your ideas for “Covid-conscious” volunteering?

What do you do when a global pandemic triggers shelter in place orders and prevents gatherings of any size? You pivot. Nonprofits are resilient and performing arts groups are no different. This post contains just a few examples of creative groups showing their inventive sides in response to COVID-19.

Photo by Rob Laughter @roblaughter.

What to do when shelter in place orders shuts down your ability to send nannies into homes to care for the young children of parents dealing with a health condition? You Pivot to virtual communities. Mommies in Need’s staff created content specific to children ages 3-6. The curriculum along with printed materials, activities, toys, etc are delivered to homes of qualifying families and Chromebooks or tablets are provided if needed. But the work didn’t stop there. To provide the parent with a bit of a break, one-on-one virtual sessions are scheduled with nannies and the child - all at no cost to families.