Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation

Nurturing a Culture of Curiosity, Inquiry, and Innovation

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ConnectionsBy Andy Carroll, Exponent Philanthropy

As funders seek to leverage their resources for impact and change, many ignore a powerful asset right under their gaze. This hidden asset is the donor, board member, family member, or staff person who possesses curiosity—the drive to venture out into the community or field to listen, talk with people, and learn.

From interviews with over a hundred small-staffed funders around the country, I have learned that these inquisitive people are the ones who discover insights that take their foundation or philanthropy in a new direction, to a new level of impact. They are the ones who, by talking with people from diverse walks of life, convening grantees and community agencies, attending public meetings, or going to conferences, find out something that changes the game for their philanthropy. 

These individuals take the initiative to reach out and talk with board and staff of nonprofit organizations, other foundations in their region or field, beneficiaries of social services, university researchers, business leaders, government officials, social workers, journalists, teachers, parents, students, volunteers.

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Going Public With Your Giving

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By Hanh Le, Exponent Philanthropy

Some philanthropists decide to operate in the public realm early on. But others go public at some point over time, often when they feel compelled to act. However it emerges, going public can be a pivotal transition point and a bold act of leadership.

The Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation quietly awarded grants in the area of homelessness for several years. Frustrated that the funding appeared to have little impact, the board reconsidered its approach.

Said Executive Director Leslie Cheu, “We asked, ‘Could we have a bigger impact if we brought more people—both agencies and funders—to the table?’ We joined the local Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness group and worked side by side with service providers and other funders who cared about homelessness. We supported awareness activities and joined with other funders to support initiatives that targeted the root causes.”

“Although we initially felt a bit exposed by publicly showing our grantmaking interest in homelessness,” continued Cheu, “it was the best way to engage others in the issue. ‘Going public’ has paid dividends in stronger relationships across all community sectors and the development of several supportive housing programs that are making a real difference in homelessness in our region.”

Philanthropists go public in ways big and small.

Openly gathering, sharing, and spotlighting information:

  • Posing questions to a wide variety of individuals, groups, and institutions
  • Supporting or commissioning research and sharing the findings 
  • Raising awareness by writing letters to the editor, using social media, or talking with key stakeholders 
  • Confronting wrongdoing, waste, or mismanagement

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Scanning the Landscape in the Information Age

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By Lisa Philp, Foundation Center

“After reading the Scan 2.0 guide, I recognize that many things that we do can be considered scanning, even though I had only viewed them as “knowing our communities.” — Leslie Cheu, Executive Director, The Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, Troy, NY

“Thoroughly understanding the systems dynamics of the fields in which we are granting is fundamentally important. To understand, we need to ‘scan the landscape’ routinely and effectively. Without making the effort to scan, we run the risk of flying blind in our grantmaking.” — Mary Anthony, Executive Director, 1772 Foundation, Pomfret, CT

To increase your impact as a small foundation, you may find it necessary to look for targets of opportunity—places where your foundation’s support could be especially influential, where its resources could help develop a new direction or innovation, or where you might be able to join forces or align your funding with others in order to accomplish something bigger than you could do alone. Finding those opportunities and understanding how a given field or community works are often referred to as “scanning the landscape.”

Scans can be tailored for different needs such as finding a strategic direction, hearing from key constituencies, understanding emerging issues, mapping the funding environment, or synthesizing information and finding gaps. In this age of information overload, an increasing number of funders are feeling a need to scan more or less continually and are using technology tools to streamline and simplify the process. Continue reading →