By Sara Beggs, ASF 

Don’t you love when reality can be boiled down to a pithy equation, especially one with the power to change the world?

At the recent Council on Foundations’ 2012 Family Philanthropy Conference, John Bare of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation presented such an equation based on the work of Joel Brockner, professor and chair of the management division at Columbia Business School.

It changed the way I think.

Brockner shows that real change won’t occur without a sense of dissatisfaction coupled with a vision for change and a clear process for making that vision possible.

In other words, D (dissatisfaction) + V (vision) + P (process) = C (change)

There is no shortage of examples of this equation at work—everything from our country’s founding to the success of the iPhone are based on these components.

But how does it apply to small foundations?

• D: Foundations that want to see change in their communities might need to step up their roles in communicating why the community should be dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. There are many ways to build appropriate dissatisfaction, such as funding research and publishing the results, convening community leaders to educate them on the issues, or making a grant for a public service announcement.

• V: Some foundations suffer from what the authors of Give Smart: Philanthropy That Gets Results call satisfactory underperformance, or accepting things as they are without really pushing toward what might be possible. (Download a free podcast featuring ASF CEO Henry Berman’s interview with Tom Tierney, co-author of Give Smart.) To break out of this status, leaders need to not only illuminate the issues, but provide a vision for what could be. Helpful activities include uncovering commonalities in the deeper motivations of trustees and staff, orchestrating meetings with other inspired philanthropists or nonprofit leaders, or communicating results from successful programs funded by other foundations.

• P: A foundation may have a vision for what it wants to achieve, but it is critical that the foundation also articulate how change will occur and the roles the foundation, related nonprofits, and the larger community will play. Key to crafting an effective process is understanding the field you fund and basing the plan on external as well as internal inputs.

• D + V + P: Foundations that see a good nonprofit floundering in its fundraising efforts might conclude that the most useful grant is one that enables the organization to effectively articulate the current state of affairs, a compelling vision, and an appropriate process for change. Although not your typical programmatic outcome, it may lay the groundwork for the organization to become a high-performing nonprofit.

Real change is possible within and through your foundation. Just cultivate a little dissatisfaction, a compelling vision, and a thoughtful process, and you’ll be well on your way.

Senior Program Manager Sara Beggs currently focuses her time and energy on ASF’s Getting to Impact Initiative, an effort to equip ASF members with the information and inspiration to achieve greater impact over time. Her greatest philanthropic joy is participation in Blooming Kids for Kindness, a group of ten families that encourage their children to care about their communities and recognize that each can make a difference through local and international volunteer and fundraising activities.