By Stephen Alexander, Exponent Philanthropy

Last month, a poignant statement from my colleague’s essay firmly planted itself in my subconscious: “Vaclav Havel’s message is a powerful yet intimate one, calling each of us to pretend no longer, and to summon the courage to step out, speak out, and live in truth.”

Powerful, isn’t it? This week, as the call shifted to the forefront of my mind, I realized just how powerful this statement really is, and how important it is that we, as philanthropists and as a nation, help each other step out from behind the curtain, speak out against fragmentation and decay, and speak up for the rights, values, and ideals that make our country a land of opportunity.

The call brings to mind three actions that I believe any philanthropist—or citizen—should consider.

1. Model the behavior we want to see. As we know, an active, engaged, and educated civic society is a key component of any prosperous, modern democracy. Thankfully, many funders are leveraging their unique positions to be the bridge-builders we so desperately need to tackle the awesome challenges we are facing and will face in years to come. These funders, many of whom are system leaders, almost always start with listening. They employ core competencies: seeing the larger system, fostering reflection, and shifting from reaction to co-creation.

Read more about system leaders (Stanford Social Innovation Review) 

Whether they recognize it or not, bridge-builders, system leaders, and other change-makers model the behavior they want to see every day. For inspiration, look no further than Kelly Ryan, CEO of Incourage Foundation. Kelly and her colleagues have made a participatory culture their top priority, and their community has taken bold steps to own its collective future, about which Kelly has written on her blog.

2. Lift up leaders with strong moral compasses. These days, it can feel like far too many leaders let capital gains or personal profits guide their actions. Luckily, philanthropists have the ability to develop, encourage, and lift up leaders committed to the well-being of people and communities nationwide. 

Some funders throw their weight behind organizations that develop social-minded leaders. Some nurture and coach grantees, while others invest in leaders themselves. For example, The Ron McKinley Philanthropy Fellowship, launched by the Bush Foundation and the Minnesota Council on Foundations, is a 3-year fellowship designed to bring smart, driven individuals from underrepresented communities into philanthropy by placing them in a grantmaking role at a foundation.

Applications are now open for Exponent Philanthropy’s Next Gen Fellows Program

We need bright, bold, just leaders in decision-making roles throughout all sectors. Let’s have courage in setting an example for our peers to follow.

3. Leap into impact investing. As the Calvert Foundation, KL Felicitas Foundation, and many other funders have shown, impact investing is a viable strategy for philanthropists. Even op-ed columnist David Brooks of The New York Times recently wrote that impact investing is “probably the most promising” of the range of tools that have emerged in recent years to use the markets to address social problems; impact investing, he states, is now entering the mainstream.

Exponent Philanthropy board member Floyd Keene of The Triple EEE Foundation has touted this notion for years. The Triple EEE Foundation became 100% mission invested in 2008, resulting in a 1% portfolio gain during the subsequent market crash, while most portfolios were down 35% or more. Impact investing at other foundations has demonstrated similar resilience. What if every U.S. foundation and philanthropist became impact invested? What message would that send? What change might that catalyze?

And we millennials, by and large, “believe that the main priority of business should be to improve society (Millennials Changing the Investment Conversation).” Let’s have courage in leading a large-scale shift to a new, ethical system of investing founded on principles and values we hold so dear.

Learn more about impact investing at the Global Impact Investing Network or Mission Investors Exchange.

This year, let us all aspire to live in truth. I bet we’ll be surprised by how many others follow in our footsteps.

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.