GEO 2014 National Conference

Get Into a Network Mindset

/ Exponent Philanthropy / 2 Comments

By Emily Wexler, GEO, and Hanh Le, Exponent Philanthropy

As grantmakers and nonprofits look for ways to collaborate more effectively, many are working with and through networks to achieve greater impact.

The Sunflower Foundation works with a network of 29 health care safety net providers committed to integrating medical and behavioral health systems.

Said President and CEO Billie Hall, “We see networks as a forum for learning and dialogue—bringing together diverse organizations committed to a common goal. The willingness to share experiences and strategize solutions, the collective voices, and the leadership that emerges from such a network can be the catalyst for change.”

Because networks are by definition loosely controlled and emergent, understanding how to effectively support them can be difficult for many philanthropists. The successful use of networks for collective action is typically guided by a “network mindset,” which consists of four main principles: 

Continue reading →

Throw Off the Shackles – You Do Have Enough

/ Exponent Philanthropy / 2 Comments

By Sara Beggs, ASF

In a world in which philanthropy battles some of society’s greatest ills, we’re tempted to adopt a scarcity mindset—not enough money, not enough time, not enough staff. And the corollary: there are certainly not enough resources for learning and evaluation!

It’s time to throw off the shackles of this mindset and instead think of what you can do.

Do your best to learn, and be satisfied even if your approach is small and piecemeal. John Bare of the Arthur M. Blank Foundation and formerly a Knight Foundation evaluation staffer once told me: “No one does textbook evaluation. Just do what you can with the resources you have.” Funders with few or no staff rarely have the resources to take on exhaustive evaluation efforts, but that doesn’t mean learning has to go by the wayside.

Continue reading →