Independent Sector

The Pulse: Philanthropy Leaders Air Concerns, DAFs Democratize Giving

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By Andy Carroll, Exponent Philanthropy

I regularly explore trends influencing philanthropy by spotlighting articles, reports, and essays in the media. I cast a wide net, venturing beyond philanthropy and traditional topics to consider a variety of ideas, innovations, debates, and critiques. Read previous posts in the series   

Philanthropy Leaders Air Concerns, Bright Spots at National Conversations

At a series of brainstorming sessions convened by Independent Sector President Diana Aviv to explore how nonprofits and foundations should adjust to upheavals in their working environment, leaders expressed how difficult collaboration is, writes Suzanne Perry in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and that “the whole structure for financing nonprofits is ‘broken.’ ‘Money is driving goals,’ with organizations changing their activities to meet demands for certain outcomes from their donors.”

Participants also named several innovative efforts that are moving the needle. “Minneapolis participants praised the Northside Achievement Zone, an effort by more than 30 nonprofits and schools to fight poverty and improve academic performance in a north Minneapolis neighborhood; successful campaigns to legalize gay marriage and defeat a proposed constitutional amendment requiring voter IDs, which ‘required nonprofits to come together across boundaries’; and the Blue Line Coalition, which unites more than 15 groups working to ensure that a light-rail extension benefits low-income communities.”

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Politics and Philanthropy: Simply Showing Up Isn’t Enough

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By Chasity Cooper on behalf of Exponent Philanthropy

A fitting start to this election day, we share a recap from “Politics and Philanthropy: The Here and Now,” a session held during last week’s Exponent Philanthropy 2014 National Conference. Panelists included Diana Aviv of Independent Sector; Aaron Dorfman of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy; Jonathan Greenblatt of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civil Participation; and Stacy Palmer, editor of The Chronicle of Philanthropy. 

Politics and philanthropy. Two subjects that differ markedly yet depend on the other to work effectively for our society’s citizens.

What is the current landscape of laws and tax benefits, and how does it impact the world of philanthropy? What steps can philanthropists take to make their voices heard by government officials?

“The work that we do at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy doesn’t focus on how policy affects organizations and institutions,” said Dorfman, “but asks a bigger question: How well do we in philanthropy leverage our limited dollars to really incite change in the world? The truth is, the government has enough revenue to play its proper role in society, but nonprofits and charities must be encouraged to look at the bigger picture rather than just focus on their specific causes.”

Palmer agreed. “There’s a growing frustration among both public officials and charities to solve social problems, but both have to be willing to work collectively solve them,” she said. “Foundations have the ability to (and should) help the government do better. Policymakers feel as though they don’t hear from philanthropic organizations enough, and that’s because they simply want to know the depth of what we do.”

Aviv encouraged those in the room to leverage their relationships with public officials in order to voice what matters to their constituents. “Simply showing up isn’t a strategy,” Aviv said. She encouraged philanthropists to take a long view, focusing on building relationships with legislators rather than on a single piece of legislation.

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Doing More by Working Together

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By Diana Aviv, Independent Sector

The commentary below appeared in Exponent Philanthropy’s recent publication Outsized Impact, a report on philanthropy with few or no staff and the trends shaping its impact.

Reading up on philanthropy, I recently was reminded that the ancient Greeks so often got many things right. “To give away money,” said Aristotle, “is an easy matter and in any man’s power. But to decide to whom to give it and how large and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man’s power nor an easy matter.”

Philanthropy, done effectively, is hard work, with quite a due diligence checklist. As donors consider in what arena they want to see needle-moving change, top of mind is likely to be the vehicles—most often, the nonprofit grantees—through which they do their work. It is through these organizations that many funders are able to realize their goals and, in some cases, accomplish even more than they had hoped.

Bringing different resources to the relationship

Donors potentially bring to the table a lot more than financial resources. Donors have the potential advantage of a broad understanding of a given field, knowledge of the various groups working on particular sets of issues, and of the different approaches they use. The most experienced donors have shared that some of the best ways to learn about the work in a given field is to connect directly with the people working on the ground: the doers.

Donors and doers alike inhabit the same broad environment. Doers typically toil in the trenches and that brings them close to the issues, needs, and realities of the challenge they are trying to meet. Donors have perspective, gained from talking to many people and seeing the problem and what needs to be done from many angles. Doers often have the community networks, the experience with what works, and the ability to collaborate in partnership with others. Each brings to the relationship a set of distinctive assets and potential skills that can only make an active partnership between them more powerful. This interdependence is the heart of highly effective work with a combination of vision, perspective, grit experience, and shared passion that brings the parties together even before any formal relationship has been affirmed.

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