7 Unique and Innovative Funding Initiatives

October 10, 2014October 8, 2014 / Exponent Philanthropy / Leave a comment

By Lauren Kotkin, Exponent Philanthropy

Innovation is everywhere. Did you hear about DC philanthropists who bought an estate in a well-known DC neighborhood? They converted it into an incubator for entrepreneurs. Who would have thought?

The 2014 National Conference Host Committee gathered last fall in DC, site of this month’s conference, to brainstorm funding innovations in the region. How are funders working together to meet needs and solve problems in new ways? Some suggestions became conference site sessions, where participants will have an opportunity to head into the city to learn about collaboration and change in four DC neighborhoods.

Other examples are coming to the conference in the form of a DC Innovation Fair—a way to showcase seven creative and replicable funding initiatives:

Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington

Community Wealth Building Initiative

DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative

Early Care and Education Funders Collaborative

Raise DC

Washington AIDS Partnership

Washington Regional Food Funders

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Slam Poets, Jazz Musicians, and a Dozen Other D.C. Artists We Want You to Know

September 19, 2014September 17, 2014 / Exponent Philanthropy / Leave a comment

By Lauren Kotkin, Exponent Philanthropy

When we plan conferences around the country, like the 2014 National Conference next month in Washington, DC, we take great pride in showcasing our host city and its local arts scene. See below for a sense of what we have in store for National Conference attendees, and be sure to secure your conference spot before we sell out.

Poetry, movement, music and dance

At the National Conference you’ll get the chance

To see, hear, feel, and experience the arts

When local performers are on stage from the start

Of the conference until the tail end.

Spin, tap, pluck, speak, jump, bend

You’ll find inspiration, your spirits will soar,

For isn’t that the heart, the essence, the core

Of the arts?

For personal expression, for learning, for fun

In private, in public, for you, for everyone

For those who are young and those young at heart

To paint with colors, notes, words, motion

Show the spirit’s true emotion

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Tackling More Than You Think You Can

September 11, 2014September 9, 2014 / Exponent Philanthropy / 4 Comments

By Hanh Le, Exponent Philanthropy

Veronika Scott, founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan in Detroit, is the youngest recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award from the JFK Library Foundation and Harvard University. She received an IDEA Gold Award from the Industrial Design Society of America and is one of Crain’s 20 in Their 20s. CNN named Scott one of its 10 Visionary Women for 2014.

She’ll share her story at the closing plenary of Exponent Philanthropy’s 2014 National Conference.

Scott built The Empowerment Plan around a single idea: to design a coat specifically for the homeless that transforms into a sleeping bag and is given out across the United States to those living on the streets. That idea has now transformed into a system of empowerment in which homeless women are paid to learn how to produce coats for people living on the streets, giving them an opportunity to earn money, find a place to live, and gain back their independence.

About more than just a product, The Empowerment Plan breaks the cycle of poverty and invests in those that need it the most so they can create the life they want for themselves and their families.

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Have You Heard of the Sammies?

August 29, 2014August 27, 2014 / Exponent Philanthropy / 2 Comments

By Lauren Kotkin, Exponent Philanthropy

Most people know the Emmys, Tonys, and Grammys, but have you heard of the Sammies, the “Oscars of government service”?

According to the Partnership for Public Service, the organization that administers the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal, the medals are given to “outstanding federal employees who have made a significant difference in the lives of Americans.” It’s fascinating to learn about this year’s Sammie finalists, the work they are doing, and what inspires them to public service.

Given that some 14% of the DC-metro area workforce are federal employees (surprisingly, only the fourth most concentrated of U.S. metro areas), most DC-area residents know at least a person or two who works for the government. I’m not alone in knowing several: a senior grant manager at the IMLS, economist at the ERS, educator at SAAM, statistician at the GAO, attorney at the DOL, managing director at OPIC, and, of course, the familiar face at my neighborhood USPS. It is my own alphabet soup of friends and acquaintances.

At Exponent Philanthropy’s upcoming 2014 National Conference, October 30 – November 1 in Washington, DC, we’ve asked colleagues at Grantmakers for Education, Grantmakers In Health, Grantmakers in the Arts, and Environmental Grantmakers Association (GFE, GIH, GIA, and EGA, respectively – our own philanthropic alphabet soup!) to invite federal colleagues with whom they and their members have emerging or established relationships to join us for topical learning labs on Engaging With Government.

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Walk and Talk Washington’s Past and Present at the 2014 National Conference

August 6, 2014August 4, 2014 / Exponent Philanthropy / 3 Comments

By Lauren Kotkin, Exponent Philanthropy

Like many people, places, and things in Washington, D.C., our 2014 National Conference hotel, the Washington Hilton, has its own Wikipedia page. You can read about its architect, current owner, and historic events that occurred at the hotel. It even shares the hotel’s nickname, the Hinckley Hilton, referencing John Hinckley, Jr.’s attempt to assassinate President Reagan as he exited the hotel 33 years ago.

Not only does the conference hotel boast a history, but the neighborhoods around the hotel do as well. Until the late 1800s, everything north of Dupont Circle was rural. In fact, Grover and Francis Cleveland bought a home in what is now called Cleveland Park, one mile up Connecticut Avenue, at a time when the area was still “sprawling farmland with views of the distant Potomac.”

The District has a rich history of growth and change that many visitors miss and that continues today.

At this fall’s 2014 National Conference, we will offer one-hour Early Riser Walks with conversation each morning—another way for participants to connect with and learn from our host city.

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Make No Mistake: Philanthropy Is About More Than Money

July 25, 2014September 24, 2014 / Exponent Philanthropy / Leave a comment

By Lauren Kotkin, Exponent Philanthropy

What is the definition of “giving?” Has the term become synonymous with nothing but money – rather than the giving of an individual’s time, talents and skills? And what about the word “philanthropy?” Has it, too, become indistinguishable from the giving of only money? Are philanthropy and giving just about money?

—e-Volunteerism, Volume XIII, Issue 2, January 2013

Today’s philanthropy is not just about giving money conclude authors Susan Ellis and Rob Jackson after tracing philanthropy’s history and evolution: “Our goal should be to encourage the widest possible spectrum of giving and philanthropy, getting people to participate as they can, when they can, while helping our organizations to see any form of gift as support worthy of appreciation and cultivation.”

For example, according to the Corporation for National & Community Service, one in four Americans volunteered in 2012, accumulating 7.9 billion hours of service worth $175 billion. See a state-by-state comparison of the value of volunteer time or search by volunteer job.

At Exponent Philanthropy, we too believe that philanthropy comes in non-dollar form. Its why we’re excited to incorporate service as part of each National Conference.

This fall’s 2014 National Conference will include two opportunities to give back:

Service Project With City Year DC

On Saturday morning, November 1, from 8:30-11:30 a.m., City Year DC invites conference participants to join its staff and corps members for hands-on activities in one of City Year’s partner schools. Participants will work in small groups on projects to benefit the school and its students. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear stories and ask questions about City Year’s impact and the students it serves.

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Learn With Peers at the 2014 National Conference

June 24, 2014 / Exponent Philanthropy / 7 Comments

By Lauren Kotkin, Exponent Philanthropy

Peer salons are back! Back at our 2014 National Conference, that is. They’ll take place on the second day of the conference, Friday, October 31, from 4:00-5:00 p.m. Curious to know more? Here is a Q&A with Senior Program Director Janice Simsohn Shaw, who is planning these fun, interactive sessions.

What are peer salons? Peer salons are roundtable conversations on topics important to you. They are facilitated by your philanthropic peers who are content knowledgeable but not necessarily experts. We’re still identifying facilitators; if you are interested, feel free to contact me.

What are the peer salon topics?

Communicating and Speaking Out
Competitions and Prizes and Awards, Oh My!
International Giving 201
Legacy Gifting
Program-Related Investments
Rural Philanthropy
Scholarship Programs
Strategies for Working With Diverse Communities
VERY Small Funders

Why offer peer salons? Year after year, our National Conference participants tell us the conversations they have with colleagues are the most educational and enjoyable parts of their conference experience. So we’re creating a lightly structured environment for those conversations to take place.

But why not bring in an expert? I sometimes think participants have what I fondly call “a humility complex” – you all have so much more experience, wisdom, and knowledge than you give yourselves credit for. The opportunity to share that wisdom in a small-group setting is really important and a huge part of what makes our National Conference unique. And frankly, the advice a fellow philanthropist will give you, in most cases, is bound to be more relevant, realistic, and practical than advice from anyone else. Plus, hearing how others do their work can swiftly steepen your learning curve and save you hours of time.

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What Does It Take to Rebuild a Neighborhood? 2014 National Conference Site Sessions

May 21, 2014June 24, 2014 / Exponent Philanthropy / 8 Comments

By Lauren Kotkin, Exponent Philanthropy

The riots of 1968 destroyed many parts of the District of Columbia; buildings were left in rubble and residents moved away leaving vacancies across the city. This 1979 map, from a report by the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development, marks neighborhoods then considered “sound” or “distressed.”

Fast forward 25 years. The good news is some distressed neighborhoods are now sound. The not-so-good news is others remain the same. Still others are in transition. What happened over the past decades to allow some distressed neighborhoods to rebound while others wait for development? How did redevelopment come about? By whom? Why?

At Exponent Philanthropy’s 2014 National Conference, participants will get a chance to venture into four DC neighborhoods and ask those questions themselves.

My colleague and I met with site session hosts earlier this month in preparation for the conference and to learn more about the city we call home. The four site sessions are in neighborhoods not rated sound in 1979, although some were in transition then, and one is arguably fully transitioned today. Change came to some places after many years of ongoing hard work, advocacy, conversations, creative thinking, bold leaders, and dollars from philanthropists, nonprofits, government, businesses, and urban pioneers.

Here’s a snapshot of our visits. Won’t you join us at the 2014 National Conference to learn more?

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What You Will Find in Washington, DC at the 2014 National Conference

April 15, 2014May 20, 2014 / Exponent Philanthropy / 2 Comments

By Lauren Kotkin, Exponent Philanthropy

“Washington is broken. It’s time to fix Washington.” These words are usually spoken by those who come here to govern the country. But they don’t actually live here.

Who does live here, in the District of Columbia? I do, along with several Exponent Philanthropy colleagues, more than 600,000 people in the district proper, and six million in the region. And I think we’d all say a lot is working in Washington.

This fall, October 31–November 1, Exponent Philanthropy is bringing its highly regarded National Conference to Washington, DC. Fuel your passions. Challenge your assumptions. Join the anticipated 1,000 participants in our nation’s capital, home to a robust nonprofit and philanthropic community. Learn more and register today

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