Category Archives: Andy Carroll

May 23 2013
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Andy Carroll, Leadership

Leadership Is Available to Everyone

By Andy Carroll, ASF

Andy Carroll at National Conference

ASF’s Andy Carroll talks leadership with conference attendees

When we see people in philanthropy speak out, advocate, and mobilize communities, it’s natural to assume they are inherently different from us. We marvel at their boldness. We assume they are extroverted. Full of charisma. Fearless.

Yet we now understand that deciding to act boldly is the culmination of a journey that, for the individual or foundation, began months, years, or sometimes decades ago. All the passion, listening, sense-making, analysis, and insight that ultimately moved the leader to act is invisible to us. We only see the action.

ASF has talked with dozens of you over the past 2 years in a listening project on leadership. We affirmed that small-staff philanthropists provide leadership on critical issues, especially in local communities and at the state level.

This is exciting and important. Continue reading →

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Mar 05 2013
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Andy Carroll, Leadership

Small Foundations Embrace Advocacy to Catalyze Change

By Andy Carroll, ASF

Andy-CarrollThis post, based on research by ASF Senior Program Manager Andy Carroll as part of ASF’s Leadership Initiative, was originally featured on the Bolder Advocacy blog. An initiative of the Alliance for Justice, Bolder Advocacy equips nonprofits and foundations with the knowledge and tools to advocate effectively.

People who believe in advocacy as a strategy for change wonder: “How can we encourage more foundations to use advocacy?’”

The experiences of small-staff philanthropists offer new ways of thinking about this challenge, and can spark ideas and inspiration. The defining characteristic of small foundations is their unique approach to philanthropy, which is agile, responsive, passionate, and grounded in their communities.

Some small-staff foundations arrive at advocacy after years of frustration funding direct services and not seeing progress. They shift to advocacy because they’re passionate about their chosen issue, have followed it upstream to understand the role of policy, and feel a sense of urgency to make impact. Funding organizations that advocate and lobby becomes a natural next step.

Continue reading →

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Dec 19 2012
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Andy Carroll, Leadership

Philanthropy and Complex Problems—Part II Being Real, and Stepping Into Leadership

By Andy Carroll, ASF

Andy-CarrollHow can foundations address problems that are tangled and complex? This is the question posed in Part I of this article.

Problems caused by divisiveness and political gridlock as well as competing interests and values often slow – or stop — the work of funders and their grantees. Examples of complex problems include government cuts to human service programs –which only exacerbate needs and costs — and overlapping and duplicate services by nonprofits.

The irony is that foundations are uniquely positioned in our society to take on complex problems. This is what a classic article called “Leading Boldly” by Ronald Heifetz, John Kania, and Mark Kramer reminds us.

Let’s take a look at the ideas and opportunities offered by “Leading Boldly.” Continue reading →

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Nov 16 2012
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Andy Carroll, Leadership

Philanthropy and Complex Problems, Part I: Being Real about What is Daunting

By Andy Carroll, ASF

In the wake of the recent election campaign, I’ve been thinking about our country being divided, and things being “stuck.” We know that by collaborating we could accomplish big things, but we still don’t come together. Conflict, disagreement, and gridlock are common in our national discourse, at a community level, and also within organizations, friendships, and families.

Sometimes it seems like humanity, in the words of one popular songwriter, is a “bunch of whining, fighting shmoes.”

The important work of many small foundations–to build opportunity, promote health, reduce hunger and suffering, and protect the environment—is often undercut or compromised by disagreements between competing factions. And divisiveness is only one among a set of “complex problems” that ensnarl the work of foundations and the nonprofits they support. Another complex problem is culture that is embedded and resistant to change.

I don’t think complex problems are acknowledged openly enough. Many funders who keep asking how they can have more impact eventually come up against challenges that are too big for them to solve alone. Continue reading →

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Aug 01 2012
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Andy Carroll, Leadership

A Perfect Role for Foundations: Finding and Spreading Solutions

By Andy Carroll, ASF

One of the most sought-after goals in philanthropy is finding effective solutions to society’s problems. Foundations are well positioned to accomplish this. Free from the pressure of pleasing customers, voters, and shareholders, foundations can focus their money and knowledge on supporting people and organizations testing new approaches to pressing social and environmental issues.

As many have said, philanthropy can be thought of as the research and development arm of our society. Foundations doing R&D are usually portrayed as supporting start-up programs, social entrepreneurs, and research of various kinds.

But what if some powerful solutions have already been invented, and are waiting to be used? What if some solutions don’t need development; they just need more people knowing about them and using them?

In a recent article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy called Regional Grant Makers Hold the Key to Containing Health-Care Costs, Mark Kramer argues just this—that powerful innovations created in local communities can be spread with promotion and networking—and that small foundations have just the skills and resources to make that happen. Continue reading →

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Jun 14 2012
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Andy Carroll, Grantmaking

What the Law Requires When Making Grants: The Answer May Surprise

By Andy Carroll, ASF

Many people say the U.S. government imposes too many regulations and too much paperwork on our economy. Although everyone doesn’t feel this way, it’s a pretty common refrain.

One arena very free of government requirements is foundation grants to public charities. Many people who work in foundations, and many professional advisors to foundations—attorneys, accountants, and consultants, are not aware of this freedom.

Project Streamline, a collaborative effort between grantmaker and grantee associations, is trying to get the word out. A few years ago, Project Streamline worked with legal experts to find out exactly what the IRS requires private foundations to do when making grants.

The answer might be shocking.

Continue reading →

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May 29 2012
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Andy Carroll, Leadership

Foundation Leadership: Mobilizing Support to Protect Public Health

By Andy Carroll, ASF

One of ASF’s goals in developing a portrait of leadership in small foundations is to identify funders that provide leadership. The Sunflower Foundation in Kansas is one such leader in our field.

According to ASF’s research:

Small foundation leaders have passion and use their foundation’s freedom and access to become knowledgeable about issues they want to influence.

    Led by President and CEO Billie Hall, the Sunflower Foundation is dedicated to serving as a catalyst for improving the health of Kansans. The foundation regularly monitors relevant health legislation in the state capitol.

Small foundation leaders take time to analyze the knowledge they gather to identify solutions and strategies.

    The Sunflower Foundation was aware that proposed legislation to ban smoking in public places enjoyed public support, but had long been blocked by powerful interest groups. The law’s passage would have huge positive impacts on health and could save millions of dollars in care. Sunflower commissioned a poll revealing that 71 percent of Kansas voters favored a state ban.

    The foundation considered its options and concluded that to break the impasse, it was necessary to organize a grassroots campaign to bring citizen support for a ban to lawmakers’ attention. With its ear to the ground, the foundation knew conditions were right for action.

Small foundation leaders develop a vision of the future and a roadmap for how to get there.

Continue reading →

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Apr 26 2012
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Andy Carroll, Leadership

Noticing Nonprofit Redundancy, Taking Action

By Andy Carroll, ASF 

Last month, I interviewed Nan Pugh of Pugh Family Foundation for ASF’s Leadership Initiative. She was amazing—smart, enthusiastic, committed, curious.

One of the themes Nan talked about was that foundations are leaders because they set agendas and set directions. An example she offered was that her foundation is concerned when they receive multiple proposals for the same work, or same kinds of work, from different organizations. For example, in one grant cycle the foundation received seven applications for financial literacy work in its rural community.

The week prior, Scott Brazda of The Stuller Family Foundation e-mailed me to ask about guidance for foundations that see redundancy among nonprofit work and wish to encourage certain grantees to merge or collaborate. I offered a little guidance and recommended Scott post to ASF’s Discussion List.

But Scott’s post—and an influx of great responses from fellow ASF members—came later. Back to Nan.

A few moments later in our interview, Nan mentioned a colleague named Scott Brazda as “a visionary.” She said Scott was concerned about redundancy in their community and was trying to figure out ways to address it. Nan said she wanted to think more about the issue of redundancy and work with Scott and others on it.

I then realized Nan and Scott are both in Louisiana, and it turns out they are good colleagues.

Continue reading →

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Apr 09 2012
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Andy Carroll, Leadership

Small Foundation Leadership: A Portrait Emerges

By Andy Carroll, ASF

Leadership can be defined in literally hundreds of ways. This is why ASF knows we can’t take an “off the shelf” definition of small foundation leadership.

Instead, by taking time to explore leadership in small foundations, ASF will be better able to validate, nurture, and celebrate it. And, by nurturing leadership, our hope is that small foundations will make even more impact and serve as catalysts and changemakers.

In my first post on ASF’s Leadership Initiative, I described why ASF is exploring leadership in small foundations, and how we’re doing it. This post offers a look at the portrait of leadership that is emerging through our almost 40 interviews.

Continue reading →

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Mar 05 2012
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Andy Carroll, Leadership

Leadership in Small Foundations

By Andy Carroll, ASF

ASF is launching a Leadership Initiative.

Does it sound like it’s about being a trustee of a small foundation, or top executive? That is part of it. But our look at leadership is even bigger.

For one thing, we believe every individual working at a small foundation can lead, including founders, trustees, staff, family members, and advisors. We also believe that leadership can happen on an ongoing basis, or for brief periods of time—a month, a week, a day, or even in a moment.

And we believe foundation leadership isn’t about formal authority. When you think about it, a foundation large or small can’t make anyone do anything. And yet, a foundation can have huge influence. Foundations have the freedom to take risks, experiment, speak out, and address the toughest issues facing communities and society.

So ASF is asking fundamental questions: What is the essence of leadership? What does leadership mean in philanthropy? What does leadership mean for small foundations? How do small foundations provide leadership in communities, in their fields, and in society?

Why are we doing this?

Continue reading →

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