Steve Orr

A must-read post by my colleague Kevin Bolduc! "But as a sector we really need to avoid the continual temptation to assume that we’ve found a transformative new philanthropic approach, or even that there is a single one out there to find. That’s particularly true when that assumption becomes a distraction to the very hard work of understanding the performance of organizations using various approaches — new and old — and improving their implementation! I’ve been around philanthropy long enough to have seen the “next great approach” emerge again and again. Think back to venture philanthropy, social impact investing, collective impact, giving while living, and, more recently, trust-based philanthropy. Each, at moments, has been touted as the “new” approach that could be used by every funder to increase their impact. Even though I think each did bring something fundamentally important to philanthropy, more nuance is required: these are tools that work better and worse depending on the goals and the context of change you’re after."

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Are you a donor? Grantmaker?  Do you have 10 minutes? Help our colleagues at 21/64 and the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) gain valuable insights on how you engage philanthropy consultants or advisors to advance your giving. Click here to start the survey >> https://lnkd.in/ejBbSgt7

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Are you a donor? Grantmaker? Do you have 10 minutes? Help our colleagues at 21/64 and the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) gain valuable insights on how you engage #philanthropy consultants or advisors to advance your giving. Click here to start the survey >> https://lnkd.in/gu_e_PEY

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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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The Far Side of Fundraising Tip of the Week Transactional fundraising leads to high rates of donor loss. Most organizations lose 4 out of 5 first-time donors. The more rapidly and impersonally we secure support, the more we sub-optimize giving potential and the more rapidly donors depart. High rates of donor attrition, coupled with the continue contraction of giving households, spell long-term disaster for most nonprofits. Don't follow the transactional lemmings as they plunged into the sea. Adopt sustainable practices. You may be in the minority but you will help your organization survive and eventually thrive. This one requires that you closely to see who stands out in adopting sustainable practices.

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If you are a philanthropic consultant or donor advisor, please take a few minutes to complete this benchmark survey! 2024 Philanthropy Benchmark Survey - Insights on the role of Consultants & Advisors in Advancing Giving

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Now is the time to complete the survey and we need you! 🙌🏾 Every response makes a difference in helping us better understand the role of consultants and advisors in helping grantmakers advance their philanthropy. Before it’s too late, share 10 minutes of your time now to complete the National Philanthropy Benchmark Survey >>> 📋 https://lnkd.in/e-Y9QPs9 #NNCG #NNCGisWE #philanthropy #consultants #BenchmarkSurvey #GetInvolved #SubmitYourResponses

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Are you a donor or a grantmaker? Help our colleagues at 21/64 & the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) gain valuable insights on how you engage philanthropy consultants or advisors to advance your giving. Click here to start the survey > https://bit.ly/49FGn76

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Entrepreneurship is one of the most viable economic pathways for the formerly incarcerated to break free from the recidivism cycle. At New Profit, we will invest in 10 organizations led by justice-impacted social entrepreneurs through the #UnlockedFutures Cohort. These organizations will transform how we approach the impacts of incarceration and remove barriers to capital for justice-impacted individuals and communities. The deadline to submit a discovery form is Thursday, 7/18. You can learn more here: https://bit.ly/3S4yK4g

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Does your company distribute grants? run employee engagement programs? do other social impact work? What about measuring, managing and tracking the effectiveness and impact of its CSR work? The Corporate Measurement & Evaluation Community of Practice is conducting a benchmarking survey to understand the state of M&E across the corporate landscape - who is doing it, how, why and what tools and approaches are being used. If you are directly responsible for measuring and reporting on the impact of your companies CSR work, or you have visibility into it, we'd like to hear from you! https://lnkd.in/gv9Deiwi Please note, We have taken special care in crafting the survey so that we aren’t repeating information that can be found elsewhere. This benchmarking will complement that done by ACCP and CECP.  The responses are 100% confidential and data will only be reported in aggregate.  More information on the Corporate Measurement & Evaluation (M&E) Community of Practice in comments.

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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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4 Components of a Culture of Philanthropy "Development staff are always included in organizational decisions. Program staff play an active role in relationship building. Fundraising and engagement are inextricably linked. Transformational relationships take priority over transactions." More insights and explications of these points can be found in this important article by Claire.

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Inclusive philanthropy matters. Have you ever been at a fundraising conference or training and realized that critical voices are missing? We see it everywhere, and this gap highlights the urgent need for inclusive philanthropy – where everyone’s voice is heard and valued. Thanks to a recent introduction from Sterrin Bird, CFRE (thank you!) I have gotten to know Tesha McCord Poe and her incredible work. She is doing so many wonderful things in our space but I'm particularly excited about a new offering - The Academy. On September 27, 2024, her company Joy-Raising is hosting a day designed to equip you with the skills and insights needed to incorporate an inclusive lens in your philanthropy efforts. Here’s what you’ll gain: Inclusive Strategies: Learn to craft events and solicitations that truly resonate with diverse communities, refine your messaging for broader impact, and enhance board engagement. Expert Insights: Hear from leaders who are actively creating more inclusive philanthropic practices. Community Building: Connect with fellow changemakers committed to inclusivity and social impact. If you're interested, there are some great earliest (love that) and early bird discounts available as well, so snag one quickly! You can learn more and register here! ➡️

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For anyone beginning a new strategic initiative or strategic planning process, this article is a wonderful resource. Congrats to Marilyn Darling and Veena Pankaj for the recently published "Seeding Impact: Shifting from Orchestration to Emergence." Full article at https://lnkd.in/eHD6QMcm #impact #strategy #strategicplanning #emergentlearning #systemschange

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