Alyson Wise

Despite the fact that collaborative funds are being talked about as the next big thing in philanthropy, there's still a lot we don't know about their value-add to philanthropy. Often the discussion centers on how they enhance the experience and impact of donors. This new piece from Jennifer Stout draws attention to the importance of examining the experiences of grantees who receive funding from collaborative funds, as compared to their experiences with "direct funders". For The Freedom Fund, our understanding of how grantee partners perceive us largely comes from continuously seeking feedback (more on that here: https://lnkd.in/eEa6u7F6). We also see a big part of our role as identifying and building relationships with groups who have tremendous potential for deep, sustainable impact but who more traditional funders might overlook. As Jen says, we need more research across the field to draw broader conclusions and make the case for why collaborative funds, when structured appropriately, can fill gaps and do things differently.

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We can see 👀 that community-led collaborative funds are emerging as powerful tools for driving equity and justice. These funds 💵 unite diverse stakeholders around shared goals, pooling resources to address complex social challenges. By fostering collaboration among donors, nonprofits, and community leaders, collaborative funds amplify impact and drive meaningful change at scale 💬. Community-led collaborative funds prioritize equity and justice, channeling resources towards systemic solutions💡and underrepresented communities. 🌍 By bringing together a diverse array of perspectives and expertise, these funds amplify grassroots initiatives, promote inclusive decision-making, and dismantle barriers to opportunity. 🙌🏽 🙌🏾 🙌🏿 Through strategic investments in areas such as education, healthcare, and economic empowerment, community-led collaborative funds drive tangible progress towards a more just and equitable society. How can we leverage these funds to address systemic inequalities and advance social justice? 🌀 Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! How do you envision community-led collaborative funds shaping the future of philanthropy? #collaboration #PhilanthropicAdvising

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🏗️Sustainable Development Spotlight! Last week, I kicked off a six-week series spotlighting practitioners and community leaders working in equitable and sustainable development. These testimonials, gathered by the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH) team, feature inspiring stories from around the globe of changemakers working to build healthy spaces, improve infrastructure, and drive health equity. Check out our latest spotlight–it might even spark an idea for your community! Vibrant public spaces are essential for ensuring the social, physical, and economic wellbeing of residents. When designed as attractive, welcoming gathering places for people of all ages, these spaces can foster social interactions, support the local economy, improve resident health, and more. Drawing on examples from Bogotá, Colombia, Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa Penalosa of 8 80 Cities shares about the power of building equitable and inclusive spaces, like parks and public facilities, and how these spaces can transform urban areas. Learn more about equitable city planning and explore other stories on community-led health equity initiatives: https://lnkd.in/eZsuT9bf

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Check out these #socialimpactjobs #jobs.

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DAF is a great way to consolidate your giving into one fund.

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Sounds like an amazing #vacancy to work on the intersection of systemic #riskassessment and #nature. I love their explicit wording: "ASRA is founded on a set of principles including non-human sanctity. Incorporating nature into #riskanalysis is not merely a matter of #environmental #stewardship or human self-preservation. #Naturecentric approaches attribute intrinsic value to all living organisms and ecosystems, independent of their utility to humans. This perspective recognizes the #interconnectedness of all life forms and the importance of preserving the integrity and health of other #species and #ecosystems for their own sake, and not just as a resource for humans. This approach involves evaluating the impacts of human activities on #biodiversity, #habitat #connectivity, and #ecological #processes."

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Check out my first blog post after almost 4 years of working in philanthropy advising. Let me know what you think! “It’s complex, messy, hard, and uncertain, AND we can move our way to a bold future together. Philanthropy must hold onto openness, humility, love, and accountability; without it, it is unlikely that we will meet the full intentions for our work.”

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Evaluators are critical thinkers, who ask (and try to answer) the trickiest questions. I am excited to see more opportunities for Evaluators in #socialfinance, and am so glad this Social Finance primer is helping to connect the dots.

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On the impact of election cycles on nonprofits: "How can orgs engage donors (esp. those in swing states) when the media is saturated with political content and potential donors aren’t engaging with fundraising messaging? This creates a perfect storm where nonprofits risk getting lost in the noise, their messages ignored or, worse, triggering a complete shutdown." Cut through the noise by: - Tailoring & targeting your messaging - Diversifying your outreach - Embracing data-driven decisions. Great article on the Candid blog: https://lnkd.in/g_EYnCCV

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Sharing this with my network as I know many of you are interested in Impact Investing.

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Five things I love about my role as a climate policy impact consultant & solopreneur: 1. Leading with my values: Integrity, equity, and authenticity guide everything I do. 2. Never-ending learning: Constantly reading, researching, and staying curious about the ever-evolving climate landscape. 3. Building strong relationships: Working at the speed of trust – it's the most effective way to drive positive change. 4. Amplifying Indigenous voices: Uplifting Indigenous-led stewardship and climate solutions is crucial for a sustainable future. 5. Connecting the dots: Showing how Arctic climate change impacts the rest of the world and vice versa. Being a solopreneur in this space isn't always easy, but the impact and the freedom to work in alignment with my values make it so rewarding. 🌎

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Great to see the Financial Times highlighting the power of collective philanthropy! The article ends with a powerful quote: "I think we will look back, one day, and say that [collaboration] is the most significantly impactful change in philanthropy." I couldn't agree more. If this article leaves you wanting to learn more about how pooling capital can help maximise impact, read about our #UBSCollectives here >> https://from.ubs/6041lXjxR. #shareUBS

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Thanks for the great conversation, Lane! Check out this podcast to hear my thoughts on effective giving, solidarity with the poor, and stored charitable assets. If you have thoughts on anything we talk about, would love to talk with you about that! Leave a comment or shoot me a message.

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I'd add that this is a chance to work with a fabulous team including Moriah Jacobs and Lucas Donavan-Lafuente--and a powerful and insightful leader, in Eva Hernandez! This is a great job focused on what's needed right now to solve big #environmental and #climate issues. That's because the big wins we need this decade require greater alignment, capacity, and influence, not just good policy ideas. In fact, across so many issues from climate to conservation, there are good ideas and plans that frame "what" we need to do. Too often what we don't have is the shared influence to translate ideas into action. Mosaic is focused on building the bigger coalitions, new voices, and shared tools essential to boost the collective power of environmental, climate and environmental justice advocates. If you want to be at the center of that critical work, there's no better job.

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💡 ⚡ 👊 "All of our research indicates one key truth: FIELD CATALYSTS ARE AMONG THE HIGHEST-LEVERAGE INVESTMENTS PHILANTHROPY CAN MAKE when it comes to equitable systems change." (caps are mine) YES!...The Bridgespan Group we couldn't agree more! Here we share some reflections on running NCP's Economic System Change Lab...and playing a field catalyst role in support of leaders working day and night to transform the economic system so it actually works for more people--and the planet--and not just a privileged few. "The New Capitalism Project (NCP) Lab has been an experiment in how to incubate a set of inter-related ideas for action and bridge them towards a group’s shared vision for a transformed economic system. From the outset, the NCP Lab has focused on cultivating deep connections and trust among a range of leaders in service of supporting more connected and systemic ways of working together. We believe this kind of collective leadership and coordinated action are critical enabling conditions for driving system health. What we also know is that investments in enabling conditions such as these are hard to “projectize” and therefore harder to fund; and the qualitative and emergent nature of their impact often does not fit well into typical grantmaking reports." Read on if you're interested... https://lnkd.in/eUnzNhn8

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🌍 As the Climate Investments National Director in the US at. Dream.Org, I'm acutely aware of the disproportionate impact of climate change on communities of color, both domestically and internationally. By championing global capital and policies like the Invest in Biden agenda, we can address environmental injustices and uplift marginalized voices on a global scale. 💼 Investing in climate resilience and green technologies not only safeguards vulnerable communities in the US but also empowers similar communities worldwide. By prioritizing equitable access to clean energy and sustainable infrastructure, we can bridge the gap between developed and developing regions, ensuring that no one is left behind in the transition to a low-carbon economy. 💡 The Inflation Reduction Act and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund are not just about mitigating climate change; they're about fostering social and economic justice. By centering the needs of communities of color in our policies and investments, we can create pathways to prosperity that transcend borders and generations. 🔗 Our influence extends beyond policy prescriptions; it's about amplifying the voices of those most affected by climate change and empowering them to shape their own futures. By fostering collaboration and solidarity among diverse communities, we can build a more inclusive and resilient world for all. Let's harness the power of global capital to uplift communities of color in the US and beyond, creating a future where environmental justice is not just a goal, but a reality for all. #EnvironmentalJustice #GlobalSolidarity #CommunityEmpowerment 🌱🌎

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Survey fatigue is real! Thanks to PEAK Grantmaking for hosting a session on how funders are leveraging the data we have at Candid to benefit rather than burden the field through a collective impact approach that reduces application length, reporting, and survey profliferation. Check out highlights, advice, and lessons learned from my latest Candid Insights article: Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e6fnhDRj

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Philanthropy has a vital role to play in systems change - funders can have more impact when they listen and invest in the ecosystem's strategy and strategic capacity, rather than doing it all themselves. FSG (H/T Noa Gafni's colleagues) have produced a great resource and guide on this that is essential reading! https://lnkd.in/gGq9rDzG Do this and, in my view you'll build: 😃 TRUST - More trust and confidence with your grantees 💡 OPPORTUNITIES - Use the wisdom of the network to understand the lay of the land / spot the opportunities ✨ DIVERSIFICATION - Embrace multiple players and threads of work in a policy-change ecosystem 🏃‍♀️ NIMBLENESS - Makes the ecosystem much stronger at vital strategy pivots.

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Wondering if impact accounting is just more of the same? Is it feasible? It is useful? Just wondering what it actually is? Answering these questions has been a journey for me as well, along with plenty of others figuring it out. Check out my piece in ImpactAlpha about the promise of impact accounting and the progress that has been made over many years by many organizations...

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