Maya Norton’s Post

Thank you for highlighting the crucial role Black churches play in fostering philanthropy and empowering African American communities. This connection showcases their resilience and commitment. While the legacy of giving in Black churches is strong, there’s often a lack of understanding of modern fundraising techniques essential for sustained success. Many divinity schools don’t cover fundraising, leaving churches to rely on traditional methods like “passing the plate” or community fundraisers, which are often insufficient today. Modern fundraising requires strategies like timely donor recognition, annual reports, and donor segmentation, which are crucial for targeted engagement. Creating a compelling Case for Support and executing strategic solicitations are often overlooked but foundational to success. These skills are learnable. With the right guidance, Black churches can effectively implement these strategies, ensuring they thrive and serve their communities. Your article is a crucial step in starting this conversation, and I hope it encourages Black church leaders to seek the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in modern fundraising. Black churches must remain sustainable and grow for the well-being of our communities.

Such a powerful conversation with Bina M Patel and Sonia Mathew in collaboration with Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), Chicago Latines in Philanthropy, Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy, and The Chicago Community Trust. Bina's new book, "Say the Quiet Part Out Loud" is medicine. It's a recentering to purpose, a rallying cry to build out collective care, and a-hug-masquerading-as-a-book for "weary but purposeful hearts." Here's the link to get/gift a copy: https://lnkd.in/gpszp7tk. Community is everything in this work.

As philanthropists, we often carry the weight of our organization on our shoulders, striving to maintain control and appear confident in front of our staff and board members. But what happens when we feel overwhelmed, stressed, and unsure of ourselves? It can be difficult to admit to others that we need help, especially when we are supposed to be the ones leading the charge. I remember one time in particular when I had a personal experience that taught me the importance of letting go and allowing others to support me. While flying into the notoriously turbulent Denver Airport, I tried to hide my fear and reassure my 13-year-old twins that everything would be okay. But inside, I was terrified and overwhelmed by all the things that could go wrong. My son sensed my fear and held my hand, reminding me that it was going to be okay. Although I wanted to comfort my son, I had to let go and let him comfort me. Similarly, as philanthropists, we may need to let go of control and seek the help of others, even if it feels uncomfortable. That's where hiring a philanthropy consultant like me can be beneficial. I offer an outside perspective and can provide guidance and support when you need it the most. It's important to remember that we don't have to do everything alone. Sometimes, it's okay to let go and let others take care of us. #Philanthropists #PhilanthropyAdvisors #TrustedAdvisor

Members of Congress want to partner with foundations, but need more clarity on how they work. Step up your storytelling and language with help from a new report by the Council on Foundations and the Center for Public Interest Communications. The report has six science-backed recommendations for how philanthropy can build trust through stories and language: https://ow.ly/rrEk50RaYWl #Philanthropy #Communications #Narratives

For more than 20 years, our organization, The Center for Clergy & Church Support (with partners in 24 states and 6 countries), has helped to plant, grow and enhance churches and nonprofit organizations, as well as train, equip, and strengthen other pastors and leaders in Administration, Community engagement, and capacity building. We also handle basic legal issues, as well as conduct administrative and financial audits. Our overarching mission is to “equip Believers to Transform the World”. We do this by helping leaders discern if they have the gifts and calling to plant a church, ministry or nonprofit organization (Assessment), understand the best principles and practices to plant successfully (Training), make good decisions or, at least, keep from making the big mistakes (Coaching), and figure out how to grow and strengthen what they've planted (Strategic Planning). Please visit our website (clergycenter.org), or view our video below that tells more about us and all that we do, and please let me know if there is anything that we can help you with regarding your organization. https://lnkd.in/gJGp7pai #churchfamily; #churchesoftheworld; #church #pastors #churchleadership #churches

Ricardo Castro took a chance on me when he hired me back when he was Deputy General Counsel at the Open Society Foundations. At the time, Ricardo was looking for a candidate who could commit 2 years to the position due to the steep learning curve. I was honest and explained that I could only commit 1½ years, as I was planning on starting law/grad school in the fall of 2002. He hired me anyway, and it changed my life – not only because of where I ended up working, but because of who I was working for. My father’s sudden death at around this time changed my life’s trajectory and I postponed grad school until later in life. I ended up working with Ricardo for 12 years. We then overlapped for almost 2 years during his tenure at the Ford Foundation. I can say, without reservation, that the years I worked with Ricardo are the best years of my career. I have never met a manager as devoted and invested in their staff’s development and growth as Ricardo is. As the daughter of immigrant parents, born and raised in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City in the 1980s, and the first in my immediate family to attend college, studies suggested that I would become another statistic. Not only am I living proof of the opposite, but I did not achieve this alone. It is the direct result of having worked with Ricardo during the formative years of my career and at a time when I was experiencing profound grief and great personal loss – a time when everything seemed dark and Ricardo’s guidance and mentoring represented light, hope for the future, and positive reinforcement at all times. One of my greatest take-aways from business school is that “Leadership is different [from management]. Achieving grand visions always requires a burst of energy. Motivation and inspiration energize people, not by pushing them in the right direction as control mechanisms do but by satisfying basic human needs for achievement, a sense of belonging, recognition, self-esteem, a feeling of control over one’s life, and the ability to live up to one’s ideals. Such feelings touch us deeply and elicit a powerful response.” (From John Kotter’s “What Leaders Really Do.” HBR). This embodies what Ricardo represents to me and to those who have had the privilege of working with him. Ricardo was a motivating force that inspired my colleagues and me to use our voice, build our confidence, deliver our best work, and to learn about all the areas of the law. As I sat in class during my last semester of business school, I kept thinking of how fortunate I was to have worked with Ricardo and to have benefited from the leadership and mentoring examples he set very early in my career, for it is uncommon to come across leadership of this caliber. Ricardo embodies the best of humanity and what it means to be an attorney – a person of the highest integrity that is committed to fairness and justice. I am thrilled that Hispanic Executive is sharing his story in honor of #HispanicHeritageMonth. 💐

Worth a look, given the implications of the US elections to come: learn the ins and outs of political giving, with starter guidance on the rules/options, budget and strategy, and races. And for a look at the 4B tonnes of CO2 climate impact at the Presidential level, see Carbon Brief's analysis: https://lnkd.in/gN27vGGm

Audentes fortuna iuvat In the realms of Business, The Arts, Philanthropy, Politics, Family/friends, and Academia, there exists a tapestry of interconnectedness. How does your vision align to encompass all these facets? Share your thoughts. #Vision #Interconnectedness #Business #Arts #Philanthropy #Politics #Academia #Community

#HispanicHeritageMonth starts Sept. 15. One way you can support and learn from the perspectives of Latine folks advancing social change is by reading from the contributions of Latine authors. Nonprofit Quarterly has you covered: https://ow.ly/Uw4o50TncGs #HHM2024

Discover the untold story of John Rockefeller's impact on the education system. Learn how he played a crucial role in funding public schools, shaping education as we know it today. Uncover the surprising history behind this influential figure. #JohnRockefeller #PublicSchools #EducationHistory #RockefellerEmpire #Philanthropy #EducationSystem #InfluentialFigures #UntoldHistory #SchoolFunding #EducationImpact