Jay Hirschton

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.

27

Watch the complete video of our President and COO, Diallo Smith, alongside other panelists in the full discussion "How Justice Demands Are Changing Philanthropy Dynamics" at the recent Mackinac Policy Conference. https://lnkd.in/gabsk__4

5

Reading an internal Seattle Children's memo today, I was struck by a rec to use sick time for mental health. Which really, I shouldn't be -- physical health *always* includes mental health. But it's still something we don't talk about enough in American workplaces. Knowing that I can take time off to focus on my mental health without any stigma is amazing. Whether it's taking a day to recharge, attending therapy, or simply practicing self-care, I feel supported and understood. #MentalHealthMatters #WorkplaceWellbeing #SupportEachOther

45

2 Comments

💥Here’s my somewhat #HotTake on the role, influence, and impact of well-intended #megadonors on the health-focused nonprofit landscape and the work we need to have funded. What do you think about the big dollars being dropped? Oh… and I’m over the whole, “We don’t accept unsolicited proposals.” So basically you have to know someone or you have to be known to get “in.” When your head is down and in the work, how’s that supposed to work? I put a few ideas in this piece. https://lnkd.in/enbvmnvN

4

What is community power? It's a question that arose from the branding discussion we held with Communities of Opportunity (COO), a partnership between Public Health – Seattle & King County and Seattle Foundation. Read about the important work the COO governance group is doing to achieve #healthequity in our region. bit.ly/COO-Community-Power

5

Check out these #socialimpactjobs #jobs.

18

1 Comment

Part 2! Of my interview with Ludovic Blain, ED of California Donor Table. This one right here is chock full of hard earned reflections. Almost every paragraph Ludovic takes on some important topic in the world of social justice philanthropy, donor organizing and electoral power building, pointing us away from any simplistic analysis and towards a more complex understanding. I hope we can use his boldness to inspire (and agitate) all of us to think and act more rigorously about this work many of us do. I'd love to hear your thoughts. https://lnkd.in/gyFeRzji Quotes to pique your interest... "If unions and progressive elected officials, both of whom are elected (and funded) by large bases, are not amongst the folk we are listening to and following, philanthropy won’t succeed." "The Left is really good at opposition but our power building gets weak the closer it comes to power wielding." "In many ways, the individual donors are less stuffy than many of the biggest foundation boards. And it can be a little bit clearer how to get individual donors to grapple with their privilege, compared to getting the top 2 or 3 levels of a foundation to do so." "What we really need is wealthy donors who understand the medium and long term strategies. We need donors to understand that we invest in places that we are absolutely going to lose for the next two, 4 or 6 years...So the questions become, are we losing forward?" "We have a lot of wealthy white folks who are not really accountable to anybody, so they can literally fund whatever they want (for good and bad). Many wealthy people of color are in a different situation. Their wealth might be mostly due to their income, so they’re accountable and dependent on the wealthier person who’s paying them...it's a weird thing where we have sets of white folks who are more able to be ideologically bold with their wealth, & are motivated because maybe they don’t like their grand-parent who made the wealth in an oppressive way. They are able to do both the right thing (take a progressive stand) & also do the rebelling thing at the same time. A win-win for them! Whereas for the people of color w wealth, they’re often new money, so it's their kids who might be the leftist rebel, but the money hasn’t passed to them yet." "Most (wealthy) donors are white and the country is becoming more and more majority people of color. And more political contestation isn't just between white folks and people of color anymore, it’s also amongst people of color. More and more, doing this work requires racial understanding 501, if not 701. Creating multiracial coalitions that we need to win is going to continue to be very complicated and uncomfortable for everyone, including people of color. I think people should expect messiness, lack of clear ways forward, and very few kumbaya meetings. Almost every step will be hard. Worth it, but almost drudgery. We are making this road by walking."

9

A new episode of RSG Insider is ready for you! Check out this super interesting discussion on LAFCOs with Jim Simon and Carolanne Ieromnimon!

5

🏗️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

10

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.

13

1 Comment

"Trust-based philanthropy" has been a term that has come to mean a lot of different things over the years. My colleagues Kathleen Fleming, Jeff Bradach, Preeta Nayak, and Zachary Slobig unpack this notion of trust, which is often interpreted as an all-or-nothing binary... and therefore can make it feel inaccessible or “non-strategic” for many donors. Our fear is that this chills, rather than encourages, broader philanthropic experimentation with #powershifting (a topic I care deeply about!). This essay and series of responses is more of a provocation (than answers) to help think through: 🕹️ What explains philanthropic behaviors that remain #stuck in a paradigm of #control? 🧠 What #beliefs and #assumptions can donors examine to build greater trust with grantees? The hope is that this encourages more #curiosity, #vulnerability, and openness to greater #experimentation. Feel free to comment and engage!

22

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

9

1 Comment

Funding decisions are only as strong as their process. Traditional funding processes have been around for decades. But are they truly working for nonprofits today? Let’s break it down. Here’s what 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 look like: Opaque Criteria:  ↳Decisions made behind closed doors with limited transparency. One-Size-Fits-All:  ↳Evaluation methods that don’t account for nonprofit diversity. Bureaucratic Hurdles:  ↳Layers of red tape that slow progress. Minimal Accountability:  ↳Little follow-up on how funds are used. These systems often leave community-focused nonprofits struggling to compete. Now, compare this to 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬: Clear Metrics:  ↳Data-driven evaluations that align with measurable outcomes. Customized Approaches:  ↳Criteria designed for different nonprofit missions. Streamlined Access:  ↳Reduced barriers for smaller, impactful organizations. Real-Time Accountability:  ↳Tools like CPAS ensure constant program tracking. Which sounds like it’s built to drive meaningful change? Recently, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was developed by the 5th largest local government in Florida. This RFP has sparked an important conversation around fairness and transparency in funding decisions. It highlights the growing need to evaluate whether current processes truly serve nonprofits and the communities they support. Here’s the truth:  traditional funding rewards familiarity. Transparent funding rewards impact. At the Florida Economic Consortium (FEC), we’ve seen the difference. Using CPAS, we’ve made transparency the foundation of our work. • We track every service and its impact in real time. • We generate reports funders can trust. • We ensure every dollar spent creates measurable outcomes. This isn’t just about data—it’s about fairness. Nonprofits deserve systems that recognize their value. Communities deserve programs with real accountability. The question isn’t 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐬. 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭. The question is: 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞? Repost if you believe transparency is the future of funding. What are your thoughts—how can we improve traditional funding? Rod Love, CEO of CSG Tech Solutions President of Florida Economic Consortium

7

The full child care innovation summit is linked below

9

There are some fantastic insights in this brand new article on embracing ecosystem approaches to philanthropy, from our friends at FSG. I loved this note on strategy development in systems: "Strategy in complex systems must serve as a compass instead of a map, laying out a clear direction and focus for the work and then enabling learning and course correction along the way." https://zurl.co/zrlG #EcosystemThinking #VisibleNetworks #SocialNetworkAnalysis

2