Summer is a great time for nonprofit conferences, and I'll be in the house at some fabulous ones:
June 2-4, 2008: Nonprofit Congress, DC. Facilitator, "Trying it On - An Intergenerational Conversation Exercise" & Closing Panelist, "Our Future: A Stronger Nonprofit Sector"
Saw this announcement on the YNPNdc list-serv today -
Mobilize.org is proud to announce the application launch for its Democracy 2.0 Entrepreneur Grant Summit, Money in Politics, to be held July 18-21, 2008, in Denver, Colorado. In partnership with The Sunlight Foundation and Common Cause, Mobilize.org is seeking innovative projects focused towards clean election practices at the local, state, and national level. Participation is free thanks to the great support from our funders and partner organizations.
Mobilize.org is focusing efforts on empowering members of the Millennial Generation to develop innovative clean elections practices, emphasizing the creation of public finance reforms at the local and state level. These types of reforms are intended to give voters more control over the government by making politicians accountable to voters rather than wealthy campaign contributors. Our Money in Politics Grant Summit presents members of the Millennial Generation with the opportunity to identify a need for clean elections practices, and through the use of interactive key pad voting technology and peer to peer dialogue, develop an idea or solution that would address that need, and present a proposal for funding at the summit in Denver in July 2008.Our grant summit winners will each receive a grant, between $3,000 and $5,000 and more importantly, will receive the support of Mobilize.org and our extensive partner network to champion their proposal and create systemic and long lasting change in the way elections are run.
Money In Politics is an issue that has universal relevance. Almost wherever we look, we can see public policy that affects ordinary and disadvantaged people the most being sidelined by elite groups, including special interests and the wealthiest individuals. The Democracy 2.0 Entrepreneur Grant Summits are centered on the idea that all individuals can make a difference and that for real lasting change we need everyone to be part of and create the solution. Every issue is affected by this inequality of power through money in politics. We hope that our Democracy 2.0 Issue Brief “Money in Politics” at http://www.mobilize.org/catalogFiles/12DCfil46.pdf will help Millennials understand how this issue is part of the solution to every issue they care about. Please also review the attached Grant Summit Rules and Application form (deadline is June 15th). You'll find all relevant information related to the Summit at: http://www.mobilize.org/index.php?tray=content&cid=11DC92&tid=11DCtop8.
If you are interested in applying, or have any questions, please email Summit@mobilize.org or call 202.736.5703.
Next week, the Chronicle of Philanthropy will host an online discussion on Tuesday, May 27, at 12noon Eastern time with Allison Fine, an expert on how charities can more effectively engage members of the millennial generation. Allison is the author of a new report sponsored by the Case Foundation called Social Citizens. Check out the Social Citizens paper and blog. I read the entire paper in one sitting, and was amazed at how well it explored the power that young people have in the digital age.
I also had the opportunity to see Allison in person at the Georgia Nonprofit Summit earlier this month, and she really knows her stuff. This is a photo I took of her explaining how Gen Y are natural social citizens.
"Don't let anyone speak for you, and don't rely on others to fight for you."
- Michelle Obama
Out of the thousands of people milling around the Council on Foundations Philanthropy Summit last month, I ran into Diana Church, a Perspectives reader who works at the C. E. and S. Foundation in Louisville, Kentucky. Meeting Diana was so great because she is really just a burst of energy and has a clear commitment to helping her nonprofit peers in her area. That's an exclusive picture I snapped of her at the Summit with my handy-dandy digital camera that goes everywhere with me now :)
Diana shared with me the exciting work she's been doing with Alina Prusak over at the Center for Nonprofit Excellence. They're starting a new chapter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network in Louisville, and attracted 200 young leaders to their first event! Their goal is to engage the young nonprofit professionals in their city as well as the entire nonprofit community with this new group. They don't have a website yet, but check out their Google group!
The great thing that Diana told me that exemplifies the non-hierarchal mindset of the next generation is that she and Alina did not make themselves the formal leaders of YNPN Louisville. Instead, they pushed power to their peers and did not take the titles of President and VP, but let others take up that leadership. I'm excited about what Diana and Alina will do to transform the landscape for nonprofit leaders in their community. And I hope we cross paths again!
Here's more information if you would like to start a YNPN chapter in YOUR city.
Welcome to this week's carnival! It's a day late, but still fabulously full of posts & ideas that answer the questions, "It would be easier to work in nonprofits if..."
Christine H Mallette: "It would be easier to work for nonprofits if we were fiscally sound and only needed to make decisions based on does it fit our mission." (Christine works at Illinois Valley Safe House Alliance in Oregon.)
Adam Pieniazek thinks it would be easier if we knew how: You Can Change the World, But Do You Know How to?
Amy Kincaid at Fundraising Breakthroughs says we need to realize that Everyone is a Fundraiser
Jeremy Gregg at the Raiser's Razor urges us to think about Green Giving
Chuck Bean at the Nonprofit Roundtable Blog thinks we need to stop using the word 'sector': Raising Our Image: Part 1 (Don’t Say “Sector”)
Alison Byrne Fields guest posting at PhilanTopic thinks nonprofits (especially foundations) need to use more social media: Foundations and Social Media
I think it would be easier if we engaged the next generation more effectively. What could happen if we hired more 35-year old CEOs!
If you want automatic notification each time the Carnival is posted, sign up here for the feed!
The NAACP may have made one of their best strategic moves in recent years by hiring someone under 40 to lead the still relevant, but ailing civil rights organization. Benjamin Todd Jealous was named President/CEO of the NAACP this week. He is only 35 years old, the youngest leader to ever take the reins of the organization in its 99 years in existence. His appointment is not without controversy, as the NAACP's 64-member board was apparently quite divided, but he made the cut. Benjamin was most recently President of the Rosenberg Foundation- a private foundation supporting advocacy efforts to make significant improvements in the lives of California's working families and immigrants. He also served as Director of US Human Rights Program at Amnesty International.
I'm actually pretty excited to see where Benjamin will take us! As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution proclaims, the "new, young NAACP chief may bridge generation gap." Indeed, Benjamin says he will use his youth to his advantage in leading the organization (my bold emphasis):
Jealous said he will make financial stability a priority for the organization and plans to use his personal relationships with top foundations around the country to build fund-raising. He said he will also focus on supporting the NAACP's nearly 2,000 local units across the country and on using technology more effectively to "pull people into this movement." He points to his youth as an asset in recruiting new members and said he thinks he can work to create consensus among the board's various factions.
Hey now, maybe it's time to renew your NAACP membership...
"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning."
- J. B. Priestley
I know you dear readers are just DYING know my big take away from the biggest, baddest philanthropy summit in the land, so here it is: Foundations have the SAME intergenerational issues as nonprofits. Yep, that's right. We're all in this together, and no one quite has all the answers for supporting the next generation of leaders in foundations or nonprofits. I attended a session on Multi-Generational Philanthropy, the panel pictured above. Jason Franklin (sitting right in the middle) of the Franklin-Weinberg Fund moderated it, and also spoke of his clashes with his older family members regarding their grantmaking that got him voted off the board. Said he was too pushy with his young self. And then you see the junior Buffett there on the left. Too bad I wasn't fast enough to catch ol' Howie B. He dipped out on his Blackberry before this blogger could blink an eye!
Rusty Stahl, executive director of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP), moderated a session on Generational Issues for Foundations. We talked about the fact that all organizations need to have a "talent mentality". Russ Finklestein was there from Idealist.org sharing some interesting data about where nonprofit staff come from: graduate degree programs, service learning programs, Peace Corps/Teach for America/AmeriCorps, mid-career transitioners, and sector-switchers. He also talked about what drives people away from nonprofits: they don't feel valued, they have no opportunity to be creative, they have no control over projects, and they don't think there's a viable career plan for them. Hmm...we sound a little like the corporate world, here don't we? Yet, some foundations actually had some good leadership development practices to share. For example, one foundation drastically improved its retention rates by allowing junior employees to "job-shadow" senior leaders to learn the ropes and by encouraging "stretch assignments" within their culture. They rewarded all this effort with promotions from within because they wanted to keep the good people they already had.
I don't remember who said it, but I wholeheartedly agree, that overcoming generational issues is really about the cultures & values inherent in our sector, not about creating new leadership programs to address it with a band-aid.
But I saved the best for last. The quote of the freakin' day came right at the closing of the session, when Rick Moyers from the Meyer Foundation shut it down with this:
"Nonprofits need to stop treating employees as the cheap gas that fuels our sector." And that, dear readers, was a wrap.
If you want to find out more about what the next generation is doing in philanthropy, check these folks out. All of them were involved in planning the Next Gen Summit events.
"No one who is being himself is going to be approved of all the time. The whole world could love you, but if you do not love yourself, you would not even notice. The opposite is also true - the whole world could disapprove of you, but if you love yourself, you would not even notice. Accept yourself within you and the entire world becomes totally acceptable."
– Bartholomew
Hey, all you nonprofit bloggers - it's my turn to host the Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants! And I get to pick the topic. So, this week's theme is open to everyone who submits a post to complete this sentence: "It would be easier to work in nonprofits if..." I will publish all posts & ideas on my blog next Monday, May 19.
Submissions will be accepted until Sunday, May 18, at 6pm through the blog carnival form, by email at npc.carnival@yahoo.com, or by comments on this posting if you don't have a blog yourself. I look forward to everyone's ideas. See you at the Carnival next week!
"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."
- Arundhati Roy
Don't forget to tune in tonight for a great show! Join us after you get off work for a fun and engaging discussion about the world of philanthropy. Plus, you might learn something.
How to Get a Job in Philanthropy, Monday May 12 from 6:30-7:30pm EST
We're gonna shine the spotlight on 3 emerging leaders in philanthropy: Melissa Johnson at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, Trista Harris at the Saint Paul Foundation, and Faith Bynoe, most recently at the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. All these ladies are also leaders of EPIP, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy. We'll discuss how they all landed jobs at foundations and what the grantmaking experience is like. You can dial in to join the discussion LIVE at 646-200-3352 with questions or comments!
Meet Trista Harris: Trista Harris on Re-Imagining the Nonprofit Sector
Meet Melissa Johnson: Interview With Melissa Johnson: You Don't Need a Title to Lead
I had the pleasure of meeting Trista Harris this week at the Council on Foundations Summit. As fellow bloggers, we had a great time getting to know each other better and sharing our "industry secrets". I first came across Trista's work last year on her blog, New Voices of Philanthropy and I've been a big fan ever since. It's been a really great resource for me, as someone who is trying to learn more about philanthropy and how young people can play leadership roles in that space. Trista is a Program Officer with the Saint Paul Foundation, a community foundation in Minnesota. Trista provides leadership on the foundation’s initiatives related to civic engagement and philanthropy. She is also responsible for a broad ranging grantmaking portfolio, which reflects the foundation’s interest in comprehensive solutions to community issues. Trista is also currently the Chair of Minnesota Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy and a wonderful advocate for emerging leaders. So you're lucky to meet her, and you can HEAR her on Monday, May 12, 6:30-7:30PM EST LIVE on my BlogTalkRadio show, "How to Get a Job in Philanthropy." Check us out!
RT: How did you make your way into the nonprofit sector?
TH: I have known since I was 8 or 9 that I wanted to work for community change. My mom used to make costumes for a theater in a local community center so I got to see the great work that was happening there firsthand. I have been working for nonprofit organizations since I was 15. Since that first job I have worked for local, statewide, national, and international nonprofit organizations doing a variety of positions that all were about improving the capacity of the nonprofit sector to do better work in and for the community.
RT: What is your current position and day-to-day work?
TH: I am a Program Officer at the Saint Paul Foundation, which is the largest community foundation in Minnesota. I provide leadership on the foundation’s initiatives related to civic engagement and philanthropy. I am also responsible for a broad-ranging grantmaking portfolio which reflects the foundation’s interest in comprehensive solutions to community issues and manage scholarship funds for the foundation. This position has allowed me to use all of the skills that I learned in my previous positions in the sector.
I am blessed to have a job where I get to spend time with some of the brightest minds in the social sector and hear about how they are working to change the world.
RT: What is your educational background and area of expertise?
TH: I received my Master’s in Public Policy degree from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute, with a focus on philanthropy and nonprofit effectiveness, and my Bachelor’s degree in sociology from Howard University.
RT: Do you want to be an Executive Director when you grow up? Why or why not?
TH: When I first started my career I thought that I would like to run a community center that was really a community gathering place where people could get their needs met and become civically engaged in their communities. I am now much more interested in how I can leverage my skills and expertise to help other community leaders do that same work on a larger scale.
RT: Do you think Generations X and Y are stepping up to lead in the nonprofit sector, or are we just waiting for the world to change? How could we get more involved?
TH: I have been very impressed with how Gen X and Y are re-imagining the nonprofit sector. I think that organizations like Kiva and Donors Choose will be just the beginning of a new type of nonprofit that has low overhead and scaleable results. I think Gen X and Y are stepping up in a major way but it isn’t always recognized because it doesn’t look the same as the way that Baby Boomers stepped up in the past.
RT: What would you like to see changed in the nonprofit sector? How can we take action to implement that change?
TH: I want to see a complete shift in how results are measured at nonprofits and in foundations. I think results need to be about positive impact in the community, not by the number of hours that an employee spends at a desk. Flexible work schedules should only be a first step, I hope that results-only work environments are the future of nonprofit work.
"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."
- Audre Lorde
I'm headed back to DC this evening, dead-tired & WAY energized at the same time by all the great people I've met over the past 48 hours, but ready to get up and do it all over again at the last day of the Council on Foundations Philanthropy Summit tomorrow. The audience for my panel "Generation Y in the Nonprofit Workforce" was an interesting bunch that I'll have to tell you about later. Right now I'm trying to refocus my brainpower from nonprofit management stuff to the grantmaking that makes it all come together. The Summit will have hundreds of folks milling around, but I do hope to meet three lovely ladies & Perspectives readers who all work at foundations that have emailed me in the past few days: Mandy Valentine from Detroit, Diana Church from the C. E. and S. Foundation in Louisville, Kentucky, and Mary Migliorelli from the Fieldstone Foundation in Utah. If anyone recognizes my smiling face from this blog, please don't hesitate to say hi! I'll be attending sessions on Multi-Generational Family Philanthropy and Generations in the Nonprofit Workforce: A Critical Opportunity for Funders. It's gonna be a blast, and I'll be sure to tell ya all about it!
But I want you guys to get involved, too! Let's continue the conversation about the next generation of philanthropic leadership on Monday, May 12 from 6:30-7:30pm EST LIVE on BlogTalkRadio. I want to hear your questions and comments about leadership in the grantmaking field - how in the hell DO you get a job at a foundation? I'm delighted to be joined by three super special guests, all women of color working in foundations. Check it out, tell your friends, and we'll "see" you on the show Monday, May 12!
How to Get a Job in Philanthropy, Monday May 12 from 6:30-7:30pm EST
We're gonna shine the spotlight on 3 emerging leaders in philanthropy: Melissa Johnson at NCRP, Trista Harris at the St. Paul Foundation, and Faith Bynoe most recently at the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. We'll discuss how they all landed jobs at foundations and what the grantmaking experience is like. Callers are encouraged to dial in to join the discussion with questions or comments!
I met Melissa Johnson last year by happenstance, as all good fortune begins. We were in the same session at the DC Foundation Center listening to a talk about passing the torch to the next generation of nonprofit leaders. Melissa introduced herself as the Co-Chair of EPIP, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, and we exchanged cards. Since then, I have had the pleasure of being able to work with Melissa in her fairly new role as a Field Director for NCRP, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. We've talked about issues facing emerging leaders over the noise in Union Station, collaborated on leadership projects for my organization, and celebrated together the change we're making in DC for young people who want to work in the nonprofit sector. Melissa is a valuable colleague, supporter and leader of leaders. I'm proud to introduce her to you dear readers as someone you really need to know.
The Georgia Center for Nonprofits really knows how to put on a show. After walking through a huge exhibitor hall with folks representing companies from Coca-Cola to Opportunity Knocks to Bank of America, we were guided into a large meeting hall that was set up like Kanye West was about to perform on stage. I couldn't tell if I was here for a conference or a concert! But all the fancy lighting and sound was set up for the keynote, Karen Beavor, President/CEO of the Georgia Center and Allison Fine, author of Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age. Karen first shared the impact of the Center's programs on nonprofit leaders in room who came up to give testimonials about how their work has been affected. Then Karen said something that absolutely blew me away:
Allison Fine was a real treat to hear her talk about the challenge of nonprofits in the connected age - this time of increased technology & web tools. She assured us that we don't need to know about every facebook, Myspace, Twitter new thing that comes out, but we need to understand the importance of using the internet to work in more networked ways and leverage exisiting online communities to get our mission and message out there. Unlike our traditional mode of operating, we should not seek to control the flow of information, but encourage two-way conversation to "push power to the edges." She explained that nonprofits typuically have a "listening deficit" - meaning we push information out, but don't allow ways for people to connect or engage with us in the process. Many organizations have blogs, but for some reason do not allow comments, fearing that someone will say something negative about them. But this is what nonprofits need to get used to in this new era of everything being so open online - go with the fow instead of fighting it. We need a new kind of nonprofit leadership that is embraces transparency and dialogue because top-down just doesn't work anymore. "It takes more than money to change the world. We need a movement."
-Sheila C. Johnson
This week, Perspectives From the Pipeline is in Atlanta for the Georgia Nonprofit Summit, speaking about Generation Y in the nonprofit workforce and learning about nonprofit management from some amazing nonprofit leaders in the South. It was wonderful to be able to come into town a day early to spend some time with my grandfather, who lives not too far from where the conference is being held. We had a nice BBQ and it felt so nice to be "home" for a while - the way I always feel when I come down South even though I'm from Ohio. People are really a lot nicer than in hustle bustle DC I tell ya. Once I'm done here, I'm zooming back to DC for the Council on Foundations Summit, where I'll be meeting some bigwig philanthropists who are also engaged in next generation leadership. I'll be meeting Howie Buffett, yes billionaire Warren's son, who's putting it down with Resource Generation at the Summit. Big ups to the COF Summit organizers, who invited this blogger as press to cover some of the programs related to next generation leaders and set me up to interview some great folks while I'm there.
Lots of exciting things to report on this week, and I can't wait! Since we're talking about philanthropy, you can be also be on the lookout for interviews with Trista Harris, Program Officer at the St. Paul Foundation and Melissa Johnson, Field Director at the National Center for Responsive Philanthropy on this blog this week. Then, on May 12, check us out on on BlogTalkRadio talking about how young people can get their foot in the door in the grantmaking field. More about that later...now I'm off to meet some Georgia nonprofit leaders!
