By Stephen Alexander, Exponent Philanthropy

Join me to explore the values and visions of emerging leaders of a social-minded generation. Below is an excerpt of my recent conversation with Alexandra Toma, executive director of the Peace and Security Funders Group (PSFG), a network of philanthropists and funders investing in conflict and national security issues; and Sally Smith, managing director of The Nexus Fund, which works to build and strengthen the global community to end mass atrocities. Alex and Sally are both participants in Exponent Philanthropy’s 2014 Next Gen Fellows Program.

Why do you think there are so few funders supporting peace and security?

Alex Toma, executive director of Peace and Security Funders Group

Alex: This is something PSFG is working on. One challenge is the way we talk about these issues. That genocide persists around the world is an uncomfortable and overwhelming idea for most people. We need to put our heads together and think about how we can make peace and security issues relatable to more people.

Sally: I see two issues here. First, people don’t like to hear depressing stories. We work on depressing matters, but I think there’s a way to tell more positive stories about how people are solving these problems. It’s something Alex and I discuss frequently. Second, people don’t understand that they can really make a difference. Mass atrocities and genocides can be prevented in many cases. It takes a lot of effort on multiple levels, but it can be done. We can make a big difference if we step up and work together. If people knew they could truly make a difference on something that seems so insurmountable, I have faith they would want to be a part of that.

What trends in philanthropy do you see that excite you?

Sally Smith, managing director of The Nexus Fund

Sally: Innovation and technology. Sure, they’re buzz words, but new tools are being developed at a rapid pace, and it is an exciting time to find new ways to be more effective using these tools. Edutainment (education meets entertainment) is another. For example, in Rwanda there’s been an ongoing soap opera for 10 years. Its underlying message is that you shouldn’t hate others just because they are different from you, but it doesn’t beat you over the head with the message; it’s presented subtly in the form of a story. I’m also excited by how social media is changing the way we connect and share information. It’s helped break down a lot of silos in my field.

Alex: I’m really excited that people are starting to see the nexus between issues. For example, take climate change. Many people are now realizing that climate change leads to land grabs, which triggers conflict, oftentimes with associated atrocities and human rights abuses, potentially leading to destabilization of a region. Follow this path, and it leads you to power vacuums, increase in militancy, and so on. It’s all connected. It’s exciting to see those bridges being made when even 10 years ago there were little to none in existence. And it’s exciting to see funder affinity groups using those connections to do something different and do it together.

What resources, networks, and organizations should philanthropists know about?

Sally: Definitely the Nexus Global Youth Summit. There is a beauty in the passion, the energy, and innovation that young donors bring to the table. It’s a great place for young philanthropists to connect with other change makers, become inspired, and combat the isolation that can come with being separated from your peers geographically.

Alex: One challenge is learning from what has been tried in the past. I believe it’s critical to build bridges between the Carnegies, Fords, and Rockefellers of the world and young philanthropists—both in age and experience. I hope that PSFG can provide a space for those that are new to philanthropy to learn from institutional philanthropies. By bringing together new funders and old funders we can shake things up. It’s also important to ensure you’re not duplicating efforts and that you build on past successes. For example, Nexus just launched a Working Group on Human Trafficking, and it will be important for this group to coordinate with the concerted group of funders already working on this issue.

For funders interested in collaboration, what strategies would you recommend?

Alex: I actually wrote a paper on this with when leading the Connect US Fund. We wound down the donors’ collaborative a few years ago, but to give back to the community we published several tools for convenors and donors, including:

• Lessons in Collaboration: A Tool for Convenors (white paper)
• Lessons in Collaboration: A Tool for Convenors (PowerPoint)
• Best Practices for Effective Donor Collaboratives (white paper)
• Building An Effective Donor Collaborative (PowerPoint)

Sally: Rule number one is putting aside your ego—both personal and organizational. Collaboration is much more difficult if people are focused on who’s getting the credit or the top billing, and I’ve seen it derail campaigns time and time again. The goal is to make progress on the issues you’re working on, not bring prominence to your organization. Remember why you’re doing this work.

Philanthropists are well-positioned to play the role of convener. Paying for a coordinator or facilitator, funding a collaboration process, or simply providing meeting space are all great strategies for philanthropists to employ.

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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 currently serves on the board of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network’s DC chapter. Follow Stephen on Twitter @salxndr and Exponent Philanthropy @exponentphil.