By Jane Leighty Justis, The Leighty Foundation, and Andrea Pactor, Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
How can a small family foundation—with a small amount of treasure and large amounts of time and talent—change the culture of volunteer engagement in its community?
Jane Leighty Justis, board chair of The Leighty Foundation, set out to scale this mountain using a distinct assortment of gear. She experienced a powerful and transformative journey to the summit.
Jane’s experience as a trainer in the field of volunteerism contributed to her vision that high-impact volunteer engagement can sustain organizations, accomplish missions, and strengthen communities. Her passion led to creation of The Pikes Peak Volunteer Engagement Initiative, a multiyear effort to increase the effective use of volunteer resources in the Colorado Springs area.
As a philanthropist, Jane knew that today’s nonprofits and funders must engage communities in new ways to meet growing needs. Her goals for the initiative were to:
- Strengthen the community’s ability to leverage volunteer resources as part of a critical strategy to meet its needs
- Convene and build a cohort of organizations and individuals committed to effective volunteer engagement as a necessary element of organizational health and sustainability
- Create a model to share with other funders
Read about the initiative’s impact
Jane funded The Pikes Peak Volunteer Engagement Initiative from her family unit’s discretionary grantmaking allotment. Within The Leighty Foundation, board members’ experience, education, and passions are divergent. To honor this diversity, each family unit receives an annual allotment for discretionary grantmaking. Whereas they often fund in different areas, they unite around the principles of service and stewardship, core values of the foundation’s founder, Ike Leighty.
Jane brought the Initiative’s concept to the board, which agreed with its goals and expressed interest in learning what the foundation’s return on investment might be.
Strength in partnership
Jane’s relational and collaborative approach – common attributes of women philanthropists – contributed to the project’s success. Many grantees expressed their appreciation for the foundation’s willingness to “work in the trenches” with them. By listening intently, Jane became a peer learner with the 25 participating nonprofit organizations. “It felt like a partnership,” Jane said. “All participants experienced the increased impact that results from a small amount of money when coupled with long-term direct support and collaborative effort.”
To keep her fellow board members apprised of the initiative’s progress, Jane prepared quarterly reports detailing the initiative’s process, challenges, and impact. The quarterly reports became a teaching tool “for this model of relational philanthropy,” according to Jane. She also invited representatives from two grantee organizations to attend the foundation’s annual board meeting to discuss the value and outcomes of their experience. Jane commented that “just as a picture is worth a thousand words, it is often inspirational and educational for our board to learn about impact directly from those who serve on the front lines.”
The initiative is in its third year with Jane’s continued involvement. Still energized and inspired, she is now transferring much of the ownership to grantees. Along the journey, Jane developed new colleagues and friends throughout the community. As a funder, she became convinced of the power and value of convening organizations and individuals to invest in big change. Consensus from participating nonprofits is that they have, in fact, moved the needle in the community’s ability to empower volunteers to tackle difficult problems and meet critical needs.
Jane’s next challenge is to share with other funders the return they might expect by investing in volunteer engagement. Her gear kit is packed with the tools that led to success in Colorado Springs: vision, passion, relational and collaborative skills, the power of convening, and direct and ongoing involvement.
Meet Jane and learn more about The Pikes Peak Volunteer Engagement Initiative at Exponent Philanthropy’s 2014 National Conference, when Jane presents the initiative as one of 35 in the Hall of Outsized Impact, Thursday, October 30, 10:00-11:15 a.m.
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