PhilanTopic

Talking Philanthropy: Swanee Hunt, Founder and Chairman, Hunt Alternatives Fund

In the latest installment of their Talking Philanthropy podcast series, hosts Larry Blumenthal and Bill Silberg talk to Swanee Hunt, founder and chairman of the Hunt Alternatives Fund, about the fund's focus on advocacy and transparency. A former ambassador to Austria during the Clinton administration, Hunt also chairs the Institute for Inclusive Security, which works to integrate women into peace processes around the globe, and is the Eleanor Roosevelt Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. She is, in addition, the founder of the Women and Public Policy Program at KSG, on the faculty at the school's Center for Public Leadership, and a senior advisor to the working group on modern-day slavery at the Carr Center for Human Rights.

 

Running time: 00:23:33

(Right-click to download mp3)

Should foundations be doing more to address social issues through advocacy and community organizing? What else can or should they do to "move beyond just writing checks"? And do you agree with Hunt that the "process of social change can be as important as the product"?

Have a topic you'd like to hear Larry and Bill address? Let us know in the comments section below, or drop us a line at mfn@foundationcenter.org.

Talking Philanthropy: Phil Buchanan, President, Center for Effective Philanthropy

In the latest installment of their Talking Philanthropy podcast series, hosts Larry Blumenthal and Bill Silberg talk to Phil Buchanan, president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, about the current state of foundation assessment. A recent survey by CEP, which helps foundations do a better job of evaluating their work, took an in-depth look at the current thinking around assessment of philanthropic work and revealed some interesting trends.

 

Running time: 00:15:44

(Right-click to download mp3)

What do you think? Are foundations moving too far in the direction of data collection and assesment at the expense of innovation? Is the recent passing of Apple CEO Steve Jobs a reminder, as Buchanan suggests, that there's a "real difference" in the way consumer products are developed as opposed to finding solutions to social problems? And where do you think foundation assesment is heading?

Have a topic you'd like to hear Larry and Bill address? Let us know in the comments section below, or drop us a line at mfn@foundationcenter.org.

Talking Philanthropy: Jeff Jarvis, Interactive Journalism Program Director, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism

In the latest installment of our monthly podcast series, hosts Larry Blumenthal and Bill Silberg talk to media expert Jeff Jarvis about his notion of the "radically transparent foundation" -- a concept he put forward in a session at this year's Council on Foundation's annual meeting. Jarvis, who is the director of the interactive journalism program at the City University of New York's Graduate School of Journalism and author of the BuzzMachine blog, talks with Larry and Bill about the reasons foundations need to embrace this growing trend of "publicness."

 

Running time: 00:14:56

(Right-click to download mp3)

In the podcast, Jarvis says that rather than revealing more information for the sake of revealing it, a "radically transparent foundation" would be "more process-oriented" and would think more collaboratively. It would also find "ways to leverage resources more wisely." What do you think? What are the characteristics of a "radically transparent" foundation?

Do you have a topic you'd like to hear Larry and Bill address? Let us know in the comments section below, or drop us a line at mfn@foundationcenter.org.

Talking Philanthropy: Holly Ross, Executive Director, Nonprofit Technology Network

In the latest installment of our monthly podcast series, hosts Larry Blumenthal and Bill Silberg talk to Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) chief Holly Ross about how philanthropic organizations are harnessing technology to more effectively pursue their goals. Larry and Bill spoke to Holly at NTEN's recent -- and very busy -- annual conference in Washington, D.C.

 

Running time: 00:11:06

(Right-click to download mp3)

Is your organization experimenting with new technologies such as GPS or video? What have you found are the value-adds? Any lessons learned along the way that might help others?

Do you have a topic you'd like to hear Larry and Bill address? Let us know in the comments section below, or drop us a line at mfn@foundationcenter.org.

Philanthropy Chat: Jan Masaoka and Robert Jaquay

To help celebrate the "official" launch of GrantSpace, the Foundation Center's new learning community for the social sector, we're pleased to share two recent Philanthropy Chat podcasts.

In the first, Janet Camarena, director of the center's San Francisco office, talks with Jan Masaoka, editor-in-chief of the online magazine Blue Avocado and co-author of Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability, about how nonprofits can ensure their sustainability in a tough economy and into the future.

(Running time: 19:53)

And in the second, Cindy Bailie, director of the center's Cleveland office, chats with Robert Jaquay, associate director of the George Gund Foundation, about the foundation's strategic priorities, its investments in regional economic development, and its efforts to improve the quality of life for Northeast Ohio residents through collaborations with other grantmakers and community partners.

(Running time: 19:48)

Is there someone you'd like to see featured in the Philanthropy Chat series? Share your suggestions in the comments section below....

Weekend Link Roundup (December 11 - 12, 2010)

Our weekly roundup of new and noteworthy posts from and about the nonprofit sector....

Communications/Marketing

On the GiveWell blog, Holden Karnofsky asks readers to help tell the story of VillageReach -- the most effective charity, according to GiveWell's rating system, in "the sector of health systems logistics." As Karnofsky notes, "[F]undraising seems to work best when you can connect a person's gift to a tangible, emotional impact." In the case of VillageReach, however, forging that type of connection has been a bit of a challenge.

In response to Karnofsky's post, Network for Good's Katya Andresen shares a few ideas on her Non-Profit Marketing blog.

Philanthropy

The Giving Pledge campaign started by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates earlier this year made headlines again this week with the news that seventeen more families had taken the pledge. (Read PND's writeup here.) Philanthrocapitalism co-authors Matthew Bishop and Michael Green, vocal supporters of the campaign, write on their blog:

The recruitment phase seems to have built up a considerable momentum, and many more billionaires are likely to sign the Giving Pledge in the coming year. There are two big unknowns. First, will there be progress on the appropriate behaviour front? Currently, all that is asked of those signing up to the Giving Pledge is the promise to give away half their wealth. But the essence of the approach to giving taken by Mr. Gates and other leading philanthrocapitalists is that giving should be thoughtful and make a real difference. The hope is that once a billionaire has committed to the Giving Pledge, the conversation will soon turn to how that giving is being done and whether it is effective or can be made so. The sooner that conversation begins, the better.

Second, will the effort to take the Giving Pledge global succeed? When Messrs. Buffett and Gates visited China recently, they received a decidedly mixed reception, with many of the country's new wealthy making themselves scarce. In March, the two billionaire missionaries of philanthrocapitalism will go to India, where thanks to the country's more established philanthropic traditions they expect to receive a more enthusiastic reception. Indeed, Mr. Gates believes that India could soon be the world’s second most philanthropic country, after America. Well, that is something to wish for in 2011....

On Idea exChange blog, Ashoka's Evagelia Tavoulareas identifies some of the trends made evident by the recent Giving Pledge announcement and suggests, somewhat hopefully, that the initiative may lead to "serious conversations regarding wealth, philanthropy, and development -- and the intersection of all three."

On her About.com blog, Joanne Fritz shares her list of the year's best books for nonprofits. The list includes Sarah Durham's Brandraising: How Nonprofits Raise Visibility and Money Through Smart Communications; Kivi Leroux Miller Nonprofit Marketing Guide: High-Impact, Low-Cost Ways to Build Support for Your Good Cause; The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways to Use Social Media to Drive Social Change, by Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith; and Beth Kanter and Allison Fine's The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change.

Social Media

Guest blogging at Beth Kanter's blog, interactive media strategist Jeff Achen explains how GiveMN, an online giving platform, "harnessed the power of [its] networks" to raise more than $10 million for Minnesota nonprofits in a single day.

In the latest installment of her Social Good podcast series, Allison Fine chats with TechSoup Global community development manager Amy Sample Ward and Big Love Little Hearts founder and executive directory Estrella Rosenberg about how nonprofits are using the social networking site LinkedIn.

Technology

On the new Glasspockets blog, Transparency Talk, Janet Camarena, director of the Foundation Center's San Francisco office, shares a new podcast featuring Philanthropy 2173 blogger Lucy Bernholz on the topic of "how technology is transforming the ways in which foundations communicate and share knowledge."

That's it for now. What did we miss? Drop us a line at rnm@foundationcenter.org and have a great week!

-- Regina Mahone

Back to School With Superman and Friends

(Laura Cronin is director of the New York City-based Toshiba America Foundation. In her last post, she chatted with Boston College Law School professor Ray Madoff.)

Later this month, Inconvenient Truth director Davis Guggenheim will release a new documentary, Waiting for Superman, that aims to bring the contentious education reform debate to a broader public.

The filmmaker and his foundation backers are also using social media to invite viewers into the discussion. The Web site created for the film's launch features a clever tie-in with DonorsChoose, an online giving platform, that enables people who pledge to see the film to direct $5 to a classroom project of their choice. The site also calls viewers to action by urging them to write to their governor, state representatives, etc.

But while you're waiting for Superman to come to a theater near you (it opens September 24), don't overlook another foundation-funded peek behind the classroom door: Testing Teachers, a new radio documentary from American Radio Works that aired last week and is now available online as a podcast, radio stream, or in transcript form.

For me, the most compelling segment of the hour-long documentary, which was funded by the Chicago-based Spencer Foundation, is the description of reform efforts in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that've been spearheaded by the locally based Benwood and Public Education foundations. Among other things, the segment introduces us to Joe Curtis, a master teacher at a local elementary school, and gives us a glimpse of the many factors that get in the way of good teaching.

Kids all over the country will be heading back to school next week. Many of those schools and the teachers in them are excellent; too many others are not. We owe it to our kids to do better. So this Labor Day weekend, take an hour to listen to Testing Teachers and hear what some foundations and education reformers have learned about good teaching and what they are doing to boost teacher effectiveness, in their districts and across the nation.

-- Laura Cronin

National Geographic’s Christopher Shearer on Education Funding

Last month, as part of the center's Funding for Education focus month, Patricia Pasqual, director of the Foundation Center's Washington, D.C., office, sat down with Christopher Shearer, director of grantmaking at the National Geographic Education Foundation, to discuss the foundation's work.

(Total running time: 15 minutes, 4 seconds)

In the podcast, Shearer discusses the different types of organizations (corporations, foundations, individuals, and government agencies) supporting educational programs, offers tips for those trying to raise funds, and shares his experience with program-related investments (PRIs).

To download an mp3 version (5.21MB) of the podcast, click here.

And be sure to check out the audio events archive for more Philanthropy Chat podcasts.

-- Regina Mahone

Charles Bronfman, Jeffrey Solomon Discuss 'The Art of Giving'

Last month, Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon, chair and president, respectively, of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, sat down with the Foundation Center's Jimmy Tom to talk about their new book The Art of Giving: Where the Soul Meets a Business Plan. (You can read a PND interview with Solomon here.)

(Total running time: 25 minutes, 23 seconds)

In their chat, Bronfman and Solomon discuss donors' motivational values, donor-grantee relationships, common donor mistakes, and the decision to spend down the foundation's assets. 

To download an mp3 version (17.4MB) of the podcast, click here.

And be sure to check out the audio events archive for more Philanthropy Chat podcasts.

-- Regina Mahone

GEO's Courtney Bourns Discusses Evaluation in Philanthropy

Last month, Patricia Pasqual, director of the Foundation Center's Washington, D.C. office, sat down with Courtney Bourns, director of programs at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, to discuss the new report Evaluation in Philanthropy: Perspectives from the Field. Co-published by GEO and the Council on Foundations, the report examines a number of approaches to evaluation and offers real-life examples of their implementation.

(Total running time: 16 minutes, 27 seconds)

In her chat with Pasqual, Bourns mentions GEO's definition of evaluation: "Asking and answering the questions that will help you improve your practice as a grantmaker." She also explains why GEO and COF decided to publish the report and highlights some of the practices mentioned in it. For example, instead of using evaluation to hold grantees accountable, GEO urges foundations to use it to encourage:

• improvement not just proof;
• contribution not attribution;
• learning with others and not alone;
• going beyond the individual grant; and
• embracing failure.

While the information in the report is geared toward grantmakers, Bourns notes that it can also be helpful to nonprofits:

[GEO] recognizes philanthropy as a system. It requires both sides of the equation: grantmakers and grantees working together....So my recommendation to grantseekers is talk to your funders about what evaluation makes sense for you. What's going to help you gauge your own effectiveness as a grantee? Let your funder know, because they ought to care about helping you answer the questions that will make you more effective....

To download an mp3 version (11.3MB) of the podcast, click here.

And be sure to check out the audio events archive for more Philanthropy Chat podcasts.

-- Regina Mahone

ANNOUNCEMENT: ‘Philanthropy Chat’ Podcast Now on iTunes

Philanthropy Chat, a series of recorded interviews with experts and thought leaders in the field, is now available as a podcast on iTunes. Updated frequently, the series covers a range of topics, from arts funding to emerging trends in grantmaking to the impact of the economic crisis on nonprofits. Subscribe (it's free) and new episodes will be downloaded into your iTunes library as they become available.

And don't forget to tell your friends about it.

-- Regina Mahone

ANNOUNCEMENT: 'Fundraising in Challenging Economic Times' Podcast Now Online

Last month, Janet Camarena, director of the Foundation Center's San Francisco office, sat down with Kim Klein, internationally known educator, author, and fundraising consultant, to discuss fundraising strategies for tough economic times. The podcast is the latest installment of Philanthropy Chat, a series of recorded interviews featuring experts and thought leaders in the field.

(Total running time: 23 minutes, 32 seconds)

Among other things, Klein offered the following advice:

• Nonprofits shouldn't necessarily resort to cutting important programs and services; instead, why not try to raise more money? Too often, says Klein, nonprofits cut programs instead of reaching out and asking for additional help. If there was ever a time to reach out to donors and close supporters, this is it.
• If your board insists on cuts, then suggest some specific things that should be done before any cuts are made.
• Try and put yourself in your donors' shoes. "We have to remember: the vast majority of gifts come from an individual's income, and the vast majority of people remain employed." For big donors who have suffered significant losses in the downturn, your outreach strategy will have to be calibrated differently. Explain that your organization continues to do great work but is making adjustments in light of the difficult economic circumstances. Also consider reaching out to them with volunteer opportunities such as hosting a house party. Donors like and want to hear that they've been critical to your organization's work and success.
• Donors respond well to specifics (e.g., what does it cost per day to keep your doors open). Almost any organization that thinks creatively can describe its work in terms of how much it costs to do a specific thing. You can build loyalty among your donors by helping to educate them about their giving. Being transparent about your organization's finances is a start.

To download an mp3 version (10MB) of the podcast, click here.

And be sure to check out the audio events archive for more Philanthropy Chat podcasts.