bloggin' on arc...philanthropy and other good stuff http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/ A great exchange for third sector practitioners, researchers, and enthusiasts. Have fun! en Copyright 2008 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:55:56 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2ysb5-20051201 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Building the Bridge Between Philanthropy and Policy Building the Bridge: 
Philanthropy and Policy

 View image detail

I have a burgeoning interest in the role of private philanthropy in public policy.  In the March issue of the New York Times Magazine, I came across an interesting discussion that offers some insight on directing funds to build policy:


 
Vander Ark: There’s one other arena that I’d recommend that our philanthropist invest in, and that is public policy. By law, a charitable foundation can’t lobby for specific legislation. But you can hire people to inform legislators and build public awareness and build alliances, and all that is critical. Those investments will protect and support the investments that you’re making in urban areas, and they will also create the future where the small demonstration models you’re funding can be taken to scale through good public policy. This part of the work is difficult. It is long-term, and the returns are indirect. But if it’s done well, it can be super-high-leverage.
 
 
………………………..
 
Barr: Philanthropists need to take some time to really learn and understand how the policy world works. If they’re interested in disruption, they need to understand that their disruptions won’t ever really take root unless the whole political ecosystem embraces them. In Los Angeles, we’re trying to figure out how to create political will around the idea that every high school in the city should look like a Green Dot school — not that they should all be charter schools but that they all should be run according to the same kind of principles and they should all achieve the same good outcomes. We decided to create a parents’ union. Everybody’s got a union, right? Everybody but the parents. So we got a group of parents together, some affluent and some nonaffluent, all of whom want the schools to change. And the group has now grown to 4,000 people. There are 15 chapters. If we can get a parent revolt going in Los Angeles, that is the kind of political change that can really move the game.
 
Klein: But I wonder how much appetite there actually is among philanthropists for this kind of political advocacy. New entrants into the field don’t usually want disruptive strategies. Building new schools and closing old ones, like Gates did in New York, was to some degree controversial. To do a massive 10-year reform piece, which I assure you will be noisy, you don’t do that without a political cost.
 
Vander Ark: When Bill and Melinda Gates began investing in education in 2000, they were very reluctant to devote any money to policy-related efforts. We did almost none of that for the first two years. But each year thereafter, they became more deeply invested in and sophisticated about public-policy efforts. And by February 2005, Bill was on the stage at the National Governors Association conference, and 35 states signed up for a program to make sure that high schools were preparing students for college and work. That was a big political coalition, and that had a good deal to do with Bill being there. . It was an important political moment in the life of the Gates Foundation, but it took us five or six years to build up the confidence in our ability and our sense that it was the appropriate thing to do.  And that was only half-controversial, right? Taking on some of these other issues — working conditions, teacher pay, school choice — these are enormously controversial. And people new to education philanthropy are typically going to be very reluctant to step onto the third rail with their very first step.
 
Hess: But the reality is that these things won’t change without philanthropy. The problems are too complicated and the politics are too dogmatic at this point. We can’t solve it without outside intervention. We’ll need smart people to invest in solutions that can help illuminate the path forward. At its best, that’s what philanthropy can do.

 

]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/04/building_the_bridge_between_ph.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/04/building_the_bridge_between_ph.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:55:56 -0500 Conference Time! Get on the plane!

 View image detail


 "The Third Sector and Sustainable Social Change: New Frontiers for Research"

Universitat de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain
July 9-12, 2008
ISTR Eighth International Conference
2nd EMES-ISTR European Conference in partnership with CINEFOGO
 
 
check out more info here……
 

hope to see you there!


allyson

]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/04/conference_time.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/04/conference_time.html Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:29:30 -0500 Protecting Our Vernacular Part II  

Charity vs. Philanthropy

View image detail

The Protecting Our Vernacular  post discussed the sector’s responsibility to caution ourselves in using words that describe what we do.  In calling a charitable act philanthropic, we must be sure that certain principles apply:  responsible giving, equity demonstrated to those we serve, and accountability to the general public come to mind.
 
A few days ago, I had the pleasure of discussing with a sector-challenger the differences between charity and philanthropy.  We frequent a for-profit restaurant where on more than one occasion, a man that we perceive to be homeless comes every evening to collect a packaged meal.  We were discussing the field when we made the observation, and my buddy offers that since philanthropy is essentially caring for mankind, the contribution should be considered philanthropic.

Being the accountability obsessed practitioner that I am, I battled (fork and knife in hand!) about why it’s charity…not philanthropy.  I scored a couple, and so did he…but we finally agreed on a few things:


1.        The restaurant does not have the publicly defined mission to distribute unused food and materials to those less fortunate. 
It’s not philanthropy.
2.       The restaurant does not contribute food to a specified community in need. 
It’s not philanthropy.
3.       The restaurant does not maintain records of its charitable contributions, and therefore cannot offer to the general public accurate records of its benevolence. 
It’s not philanthropy.
4.       The restaurant will likely not assume responsibility if any health-related problems should occur as a result of consuming the food. 
It’s not philanthropy.
5.       The restaurant does not ensure that the service provided will be continued on a regular basis. 
It’s not philanthropy.
 
On any given day, the service can stop.  It’s not reliable.  It’s not responsible. 
It’s not philanthropy.


In my sincere efforts to carry the torch of effective use of our vocab, I’m happy to pass along some information about the  International Encyclopedia on Civil Society. With Helmut Anheier and Stefan Toepler as co-editors, the work will be published by Springer in 2009.  Be sure to look out for it.  

let's keep building!

allyson


 

]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/04/protecting_our_vernacular_part.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/04/protecting_our_vernacular_part.html Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:58:00 -0500 From Proverb to Process

On Building Self-Sustainability

where it matters the MOST

 

View image detail

give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. but if you teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime.

if you give a woman a fish, she will feed her family first and might possibly go hungry.

if you teach a woman to fish, she will feed her family, open a fish market, and build her community's economy until outside forces take away her fishing rights or pollute the lake.

if you help a woman buy the lake, she will feed her family, enlarge her fish market business, build her community's economy, and keep the lake environmentally clean and have something to pass on to future generations.

 

]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/04/from_proverb_to_process.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/04/from_proverb_to_process.html Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:51:32 -0500 PHILANTHROSHIP OPPORTUNITY…JUST IN FROM AGM OF BOSTON March 10, 2008 

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD—

View image detail

Associated Grant Makers of Boston, MA is pleased to announce that applications for the 2008-2009 Diversity Fellowship Program are being accepted.  Although the racial and ethnic demographics of our communities continue to change, it’s clear that the professional staff and trustees at many foundations are not reflective of this diversity.  The Diversity Fellowship Program seeks to increase diversity in the field, meet the interest of emerging leaders wanting to get into philanthropy, help prepare them, and open doors for Black and African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans. 
 
 AGM needs your help to identify and encourage potential candidates to apply for the 2008-2009 program year.  We expect your suggested candidates will come from the nonprofit and corporate sectors with evidence of community or volunteer experience.  Candidates will be considered based on knowledge, commitment, experience, and skills.  This program is open to United States Citizens or Permanent Residents with at minimum a Bachelor’s Degree and three years of experience.
 
 The application and important Frequently Asked Questions sheet can be found on the AGM website at www.agmconnect.org and the application is due by 5pm on Thursday, April 10, 2008. Those with further questions should send an email to tdowley-blackman@agmconnect.org.
]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/03/philanthroship_opportunityjust.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/03/philanthroship_opportunityjust.html Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:26:27 -0500 I'm a New Voice! February 27, 2008

View image detail

I love the idea of philanthroships (a fellowship or internship in philanthropy)... I'm on one now at Fondazione CRT in Torino, Italy (www.fondazionecrt.it)....  I was chatting with one of my colleagues in the field, Trista Harris, who is a Program Officer at a community foundation in Minnesota, and she's running a fantastic blog that enables new, emerging, and seasoned professionals in the field to exchange ideas on moving it forward. 

I am very happy to contribute some pieces on philanthroshipping to her blog in a series called 'New Voices'......check it out at

 http://www.newvoicesofphilanthropy.org/2008/02/new-voice-allyson-reaves_18.html

 

]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/02/im_a_new_voice.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/02/im_a_new_voice.html PHILANTHROSHIPS Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:04:27 -0500 PRESENTATION: Venture Philanthropy  

 vP
Hey folks!!!
 
I just figured out how to upload files using this software (duh!)…..I’ll be making a few of my funky powerpoints available throughout the week. 
This one’s  on Venture Philanthropy………
Download file
]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/02/presentation_venture_philanthr.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/02/presentation_venture_philanthr.html Research Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:59:57 -0500 Hobbies? What hobbies? "let the beauty of what you love

be what you do" 

Jalal ad-Din Rumi....

Just got back from Firenze, where I spent a beautiful weekend with my lovely sister, Jillian, and we had such a great time.  While in Italy, I’m certainly making the best of my philanthroship experience, and I am so happy to be in a position that allows creative freedom with my work.  I’m working on getting come collaborative projects off the ground here….we’ll see how things turn out.  I’d like to keep directing my career creatively, and if things work out the way I hope, that’ll be the course of action.
 
Regarding philanthropy, I haven’t been involved with the foundation’s programming, but through writing and researching, I’ve been able to learn so much.  I don’t even have a title, but I’ve been introduced to so many things, I might have trouble if I had to pick one for myself.  Instead, I’ll borrow from G. Bruce Boyer…..

 
A hobby, I take it, is something one loves,
but is unable to make a living from doing.
I'm an integrationist: :
I love my work,
and integrate everything I do into it.
http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/2006_01_01_archive.html
 
 
Posted from The Sartorialist, whose experience in shaping his working world has certainly left an imprint on me.  Although I’m not in the same industry, his demonstration of creativity, persistence, patience, and time are very inspirational.

]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/02/hobbies_what_hobbies.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/02/hobbies_what_hobbies.html Out of the Box Ideas Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:42:33 -0500 GOOD READ: Making Social Investment Decisions - What do we need to know? Febuary 26, 2008

Alliance Magazine


I’ve just finished reading Making Social Investment Decisions:  What do we need to know? By David Bonbright.  In the article (Alliance Magazine…read more at http://www.alliancemagazine.org/free/html/dec07e.html,  he makes several valid points:
 
  • The trick to getting impact measurement right at ‘the organization’ is to move out of the organization into the larger ecosystem in which the organization lives.
  • Measuring social change requires a friendly pluralistic model in which qualitative, quantitative, perceptual and empirical data can be assembled into a comprehensible whole.
  • The responsibility of measuring social change work is two fold:  one is to directly measure the outcomes.  The other is to measure the changes in the system around the problem being addressed – measuring system impact. 
  • The resolution will be an ecosystem-level mechanism that captures, analyses, aggregates, compares, and freely publishes organization results for all.
  • From Paul Brest (President of the Hewlett Foundation) in his introductory essay to the Hewlett Foundation’s most annual report, components for the type of information that is necessary for solving important social problems:
    • Basic organizational and financial information
    • A description of the organization’s goals and strategies for achieving them
    • Indicators to trace the organization’s progress towards its goals
    • Evidence of actual impact, where available, and lessons learned.
    • Reviews of the organization by its beneficiaries and other constituents

 
ME:  What good is a system of measurement if no one sees it?  
 
Bonbright suggests that ‘a powerful expression of constituency feedback – particularly where internet usage is highest – is for those who know about an organization to publish their reviews on a public  platform.’
 
He adds that ‘the trick may be to invest in the creation of infrastructure such as open communities of practice and performance measurement commons that accelerate bottom-up processes of joint venturing, merging, imitating, and above all learning.’ 
]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/02/good_read_making_social_invest.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/02/good_read_making_social_invest.html Good Reads Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:45:09 -0500 Protecting Our Vernacular February 19, 2008

 

View image detail

 

So I just finished an article in the December 2007 issue of Alliance Magazine (unfortunately it’s not listed as a free article at http://www.alliancemagazine.org/free/ ), but it basically aired the frustrations of an organization obtaining a ‘philanthropic status’ and how ‘philanthropy’ should be embedded in a society (as in...enabling each society to define philanthropy for itself) rather than having it applied (as it has historically been done) as a globally accepted and understood classification of activity. 
 
 
The author offers that ‘even burial is very much a philanthropic event.’ 
I’m sorry….but unless the bereaved can:
 
 
A) Transparently measure the social impact of putting somebody in the grave;
B) Accept donations during the funeral and direct them to the local community foundation, or
C) Carry out the deceased person’s bequest  to benefit a local NPO,
 
 
Ain’t nothing philanthropic about a funeral. 
 
I say all this to support my belief that we must protect our philanthropy based-vernacular.  We can’t just throw words like ‘philanthropy’ around to describe conditions that really aren’t well….philanthropic. 

The word ‘philanthropy’ adds a certain degree of credibility to an organization’s activities.  It means that the organization’s intentions and actions are honest, measurable, and able to be supported by excruciatingly painful mounds of paperwork. 
 
Econ heads would be outraged if folks threw around terms like bull and bear markets to describe purchasing tendencies at the local produce stand.  
 
They protect their language….that way they can trust the institutions that use it. 
 
 
]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/02/protecting_our_vernacular.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/02/protecting_our_vernacular.html Out of the Box Ideas Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:35:25 -0500 Adjusting the Climate in a Work Environment

February 5, 2007 

 View image detail
Think back to the interview for your current job.  In hindsight, I’ve discovered that in these precious moments, you have the opportunity to define your professional goals, communicate them to the person that can get you there, and you create an environment that will bring you closer to where you want to be in this field – even if it does not directly benefit the organization hosting your interview.
 
So I sat in my interview seat ready to wow my (hopefully) future President/CEO and convince her to hire me as the newest (and youngest) staffer on board. 
 
I know you’ve had this question… ‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years?’ And you probably prepared an answer for it. 
But me? Man, I must have skipped THAT page in my interview prep book. 
I knew I wanted to do something international. 
I knew that I wanted to be of service. 
And I knew that I wanted this job.
 
So I replied very confidently (but without much thought), ‘I want to be in a decision making role at an institution that strengthens international philanthropy.’  There I sat, butt as heavy as lead, in my interview for the  Program Associate position at my local community foundation.  Entry level…and community foundation….and I want to be a leader on the international level?!!?!?!?!!?  
 
It wasn’t a well thought out answer, but it was the biggest mistake I’m glad that I made.
 
Keeping those in my work environment mindful of my goals kept me mindful of my goals, too….and as soon as I met our incoming President/CEO, I shared my vision with her.  Fortunately, she has the sort of spirit that encourages her team’s success, even if it means that sometimes, the team has to change players. 
 
I was fortunate to work in an office in which I could comfortably express my desires for my future in the field- while it was initially a mistake, I was at peace with articulating my goals with everyone….and those relationships propelled me to advance to the next stage.
]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/02/adjusting_the_climate_in_a_work_environment_.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/02/adjusting_the_climate_in_a_work_environment_.html Out of the Box Ideas Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:50:40 -0500 Participating in Civil Society January 15, 2008

View image detail

 

 

Please pardon that this post does not relate to philanthropy….but it does relate to civil society, and one would not exist without the other. Also, please forgive that the voting dates are relevant in the United States....but please note that the significance of having a voice is universal............



I just sent in my absentee ballot vote for the South Carolina Presidential Primary Election (not held until later this month,  but I wanted to make SURE my vote counted!!!). 


I learned that Georgia's primaries were bumped up a month....I know you're all on top of these kind of things.........just wanted to send along a friendly reminder.......


Here's the Presidential Primary calendar for all the States:
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legismgt/elect/2008_Pres_Primary_Calendar.htm


Tell your friends!

Ciao!
Allyson

 

 

 

]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/01/participating_in_civil_society.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/01/participating_in_civil_society.html Diversity & Leadership Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:27:26 -0500 Back from Writer's Hiatus January 14, 2008

 Hey folks!

I've been away from the creative writing board for a few months.....ok...more than just a few. I've recently gotten knee deep in my 12 month Master dei Talenti project at Fondazione CRT in Torino, Italy. During my time away from the blog, I've collected some great ideas for future topics, finished some 'Good Reads,' and I've gotten to be involved in some really cool projects.
I'm working on some new posts to be up in the next week or so. In the meantime, check out some very special accomplishments in the field.....

DECEMBER
From The MacArthur Foundation's In Focus:
The MacArthur Foundation will honor former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan with the first MacArthur Award for International Justice, Foundation President Jonathan Fanton announced today in a speech at the National Press Club. The new award provides Annan with $100,000 for his own work and invites him to suggest an additional $500,000 in support for an eligible nonprofit organization working on international justice issues.  Read the full story.

NOVEMBER
From Indiana University's IU News Room:
INDIANAPOLIS - As a part of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University's 20th Anniversary Celebration, Indiana University President Michael McRobbie will award IU's highest honor, an honorary degree, to three national and international nonprofit sector leaders during a special academic convocation Nov. 5th in Indianapolis.

 

  

Can't wait to share more!!!!

 allyson r.  

 

]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/01/writers_hiatus.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2008/01/writers_hiatus.html International Philanthropy Mon, 14 Jan 2008 05:28:44 -0500 Philanthropy and Disasters  People Make the World go Round

 

 Please be sure to check out today's posting on www.newvoicesofphilanthropy.blogspot.com.  The conversation focuses on the role of philanthropy in times of crises.  After the collapse of the bridge on Interstate 35W in Minnesota, practitioners all over the world have the opportunity to evaluate and prepare their response practices should something of this magnitude (or larger) occur in their community. 
A significant role of philanthropy is to build and maintain a civil society, and the involvement of philanthropic organizations is absolutely critical in re-building the community after an event like this.

In realizing that there are many forms through which philanthropy is represented, I am most familiar with the work of community foundations, and I feel very strongly about the role of cfs in times and situations like this. In order to uphold our charge of responding efficiently to the changing needs of a community, community foundations can direct their immediate work to effectively address the most pressing needs. Some community foundations have done meaningful work in preparation for and recovery from disastrous events – some acts of duty involve funding, others don’t.

Here are a few thoughts:

1. Responsible Convening: by convening the frontline, relief, and recovery organizations in a community, cfs can have an active role in guiding the community through the process of recovery.

2. Information Gathering: As a result of convening, cfs can assess the current situation and gather vital information from all constituents involved.

3. Effective Partnering: By partnering with relief organizations such as Red Cross and United Way, cfs can utilize all their resources (staff time and expertise, community relationships, familiarity with the community, etc.) in a combined relief effort.

4. Resource Collecting: I work at a cf where we have a memorandum set up with the town to accept contributions from all over the world in the event of a natural disaster. We hope that we will not have to implement it, but it’s certainly a centralized and valuable plan.

5. Message Delivering: With the community’s leaders, cfs can develop a message about the current situation and then deliver it to the national philanthropic community. Whether the call is for collecting contributions or requesting guidance on more logistical matters, the philanthropic world is very tightly knit, and cfs in a community where disaster strikes certainly have a high degree of leverage in calling national leaders to the table.

I hope this is a meaningful post, and I look forward to adding more. 

Best,
Allyson
]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2007/08/philanthropy_and_disasters.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2007/08/philanthropy_and_disasters.html Blogs to Catch Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:58:41 -0500 IDEA: Strengthening relationships between Foundations and Nonprofit Organizations

 Helping Hand

Community Foundation Day at An Organization - Each month, a combination of 5-10 board and staff members of the foundation could partner to volunteer at an identified organization that received a grant in the most recent cycle.  This would not only strengthen the foundation’s relationship with organizations, but it would also build the working relationship between board and staff by enabling them to work together towards a similar passion. 

]]> http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2007/07/idea.html http://arcinternationalconsultants.com/blog/2007/07/idea.html Out of the Box Ideas Tue, 24 Jul 2007 08:26:45 -0500