By Stephen Alexander, Exponent Philanthropy

Join me to explore the values and visions of emerging leaders of a socially minded generation. Below is an excerpt of my recent conversation with Jessica Gonzalez, program officer with Allegany Franciscan Ministries in Palm Harbor, FL. Jessica participated in Exponent Philanthropy’s inaugural class of Next Gen Fellows. 

What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

We don’t have an endless supply of dollars. It’s really hard to say no to good nonprofits, hard to have difficult conversations. As foundations are thinking about how to use their funding more strategically, it has become increasingly important to have those difficult conversations. People are so attached to their mission in the nonprofit world that sometimes they take the rejection personally.

What does the Millennial generation bring to the table?

I don’t see it as “this is what we bring” versus “this is what they bring.” It’s about working together. It’s about coming up with new ways to move the bar forward and advance the mission.

We find so much inspiration outside of the office. For other generations, perhaps they get inspiration at the office. I get ideas at the gym, watching the World Cup, etc. We may not prefer the typical 9-5 job, but we’re going to get the job done. And we’ll continue to work past 5 p.m. We have conversations about seemingly random topics, and while it doesn’t sound applicable to work, more often than not it does lead back to something work-related.

What trends do you see in philanthropy that excite you?

Funding can be used for things that are little more risky, but have the potential to be really exciting for nonprofits. For example, helping nonprofits  think about earned income strategies and social entrepreneurship. The funds aren’t always going to be there, so foundations are helping nonprofits think about becoming self-sufficient. Is that actually possible? Perhaps not, but it’s important to think outside the box.

Funding collaboration is big. We encourage organizations to think about how they can work together. One organization is in the process of developing a tool to market and sell to other communities. It would help to make them self-sufficient and bring revenue back to the community. If they can get it off the ground, they’ll be able to help other organizations with branding by guiding them in the development process.

Philanthropists also are getting out into the community, especially younger philanthropists. They don’t just want to write checks; they want to be out there.

How do we bring about more collaboration?

Exponent Philanthropy’s 2013 CONNECT Conference was one of the greatest things I participated in. The time there for networking was so beneficial, especially when we broke out by location. It’s so important to have that time for foundations and philanthropists to come together to make connections face-to-face. Sometimes we get so caught up in our work that it’s hard to take the time to talk to other funders. That was my all-time favorite activity of any conference I’ve been to.

In Florida there’s a statewide funders network, and most regions have funders forums. It is so important to connect and dialogue.

What is your vision for philanthropy?

It would be amazing to work myself out of a job. Foundations, like nonprofits, don’t often think about working together. For nonprofits, it’s a competition. They see it as a competition for dollars.

For foundations, a huge issue is the common application. If we’re all working on health, why can’t we ask all the same questions? Nonprofits shouldn’t spend hours working on our grant proposals. Let’s check the ego at the door and focus on the nonprofits.

Related resources

Millennial Voices in Philanthropy: Caroline Mullis

Voices From the Field, an Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) blog series

Program Manager Stephen Alexander designs sessions for our educational programs and coordinates content production with the goal of delivering the best service possible to the Exponent Philanthropy community. Before coming to Exponent Philanthropy, Stephen worked with Thomson Reuters, Jones Lang LaSalle, and two small nonprofits in Washington, DC. Stephen serves on the leadership team of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network’s DC chapter and is a member of the Next Gen Now giving circle in Arlington, VA. Follow Stephen on Twitter @salxndr and Exponent Philanthropy @exponentphil.