New Voices Of Philanthropy

When blogs hit the airwaves

2008-05-14T06:00:00.001-04:00

I was recently on Rosetta Thurman's blog talk radio show. Rosetta is a fabulous blogger who had the recent fortune of meeting at the COF conference. The description of the show and a link is below, you can listen to the show there or download it as a podcast:

We're gonna shine the spotlight on 3 emerging leaders in philanthropy: Melissa Johnson at
NCRP, Trista Harris at the St. Paul Foundation, and Faith Bynoe mostrecently at the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. We'll discuss how they alllanded jobs at foundations and what the grantmaking experience is like.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rosettathurman/2008/05/12/How-to-Get-a-Job-in-Philanthropy

COF Conference Coverage from Chris Cardona (that's alot of C's)

2008-05-12T06:00:00.002-04:00

Chris Cardona, from the Venture Philanthropy Fund is one of my favorite philanthropy thinkers and an all around nice guy. Chris did conference coverage for a variety of blogs and he did a great summary of the conference for the Doing Giving Differently blog.

From Chris:

The Council on Foundations is the trade association for organized philanthropy. Its annual conference generally draws about 2,000 people. Given that there are maybe 10,000 foundation staff in the whole country, this is a big number. CoF also holds sector conferences for family foundations, community foundations, and corporate foundations. This year, it combined them all into one big event. It also made a conscious, if not entirely successful, effort to attract more funders from abroad. As a result, the attendance this year was in the neighborhood of 3,500.

After a few days back home, here are some reflections:

Institutional philanthropy is in the midst of a full-fledged identity crisis.
The “next gen” is the place to be.
We’re only beginning to scratch the surface of engagement with our counterparts in other countries.
Strategic philanthropy is important, but don’t underestimate charity.
It’s not clear to me that most foundations are ready to engage with giving circles in a meaningful way.

For Chris' full post go here.

'Millennials and the Moment'

2008-05-11T17:35:00.001-04:00

Entering the 'Millennials and the Moment' session, I scanned the room and noticed a much wider and well-distributed range of generations in the crowd. After a few days milling around in the Gaylord, I realized that I now recognized many in the once-indiscernible herd of philanthropists.

The panelists Cassie, Eddie, Andrew, and Carmen maturely reflected on their leadership experiences. Particularly striking points below:

Cassie started Campus Climate Challenge and hosted a conference of over 6,000 environmentalists featuring Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.
Eddie started an organization for improvement of public housing in Oregon - at the age of twenty.
Andrew, a young City Councilperson from Tallahassee, wanted more opportunity to network with other young elected officials so he started an organization that now serves over 400 young elected officials.
Carmen is the Vice President of USSA a student-led and -run organization that advocates for educational equality.

Other than talking about their specific experiences, the students made the salient point that ours is the most diverse generation in US history and that it is up to us to reverse the polarization perpetuated by past generations.

THANK YOU

2008-05-08T08:06:00.003-04:00

A gigantic thank you to all of New Voices of Philanthropies guest bloggers at the COF Conference. Your varied perspectives created a great picture of what was happening at the conference and is much appreciated.

A big hello to all of the new readers of the blog that were introduced to the site at the conference, there are new posts every Monday and Thursday and you can find some background on the blog here and you can subscribe to our RSS feed here.

There will be continuing coverage of the conference by me and our fabulous guest bloggers. I would also like to hear your perspectives of the conference in the comments section below. What was a highlight of the conference for you? What did you learn? What lessons will you use? What ticked you off? (Hint: the thing that ticked me off happened at the diversity plenary...more to come on that later)

Philanthropy 2.0

2008-05-05T20:12:00.003-04:00

I'm blogging live from the philathropy 2.0 event sponsored by the Case Foundation, EPIP, and 3rd Wave. Packed, hot, techie. About to break a sweat hot.

Just a quick observation. In today's session on faith and feminism, the director of the Women's Funding Network, Chris, pushed me to present my small group's discussion points. Although the rest of the group urged her to speak, she clearly indicated that she wanted me to present because I am an emerging voice in the feminist movement.

This is not the only time this has happened. Today, in the session I co-designed, Luz gave way to Charles and Trista to allow them airtime. This level of collegiality and respect for the voices of young people in philanthropy is new to me. Just by creating it as a focus area of the summit and by hearing leadership frame the conference on Sunday, people are already taking action.

We are not just here to learn, existing leadership is not just here to teach. It is an exchange.

Leadership for the Next Generation

2008-05-05T18:48:00.002-04:00

Next generation, emerging practioner, 'newbie'. Many of us who read and contribute to this blog fit under one of those categories, either because we're young or we're not so young but new to the field. So what can we do to fit in the category of LEADER? What are the strategies of getting to the corner office with (as one of my grad school professors would say) "the big leather chair"?

This was the topic of the session Cultivating the Next Generation of Foundation Professionals. Moderated by Yolanda Alindor from the San Francisco Foundation, panelists Luz Vega-Marquis (Pres/CEO, Marguerite Casey Foundation), Charles Fields (Program Officer, Marguerite Casey Foundation) and our own Trista Harris discussed the strategies and philosophies for young philanthropists who are cultivating their careers.

Rusty started out with some informal polling of the room, asking questions about how many generations were represented in the various foundations attendees worked for and how many agreed with the current issue of the leadership gap. He also gave some historical content that demonstrated how foundations are often the last to see how important tit is to recognize talent in hiring considerations.

Luz provided a lot of insight from the perspective of a CEO who truly believes in hiring young people and helping to develop their careers in philanthropy. She emphasized that she sees this as ensuring the "dna" of the foundation is maintained through the next wave of leaders who will carry the organization's mission over the long haul. Her passion for diversity in the field comes from when she started out in philanthropy and saw no one like her in the where organization she worked. She discussed the reality of distrust between the generations and encouraged young philanthropists to seek out opportunities to get to know the senior staff and Board members by reaching out to the best in these individuals--in turn they will be willing to share.

Charles described his experience as a fellow through the San Francisco Foundation's Multicultural Fellowship Program. He encouraged CEOs to be thoughtful about creating a "good back bench" who can move the agenda forward. He also noted that institutions need to have value around diversity, not only ethnic but also generational. When asked about the importance of life experience for those trying to become leaders in philanthropy, he said that working on the ground gives insight and credibility in one's foundation work. He encouraged attendees to find mentors in their institutions who they connect with.

Trista also encouraged finding a mentor, in addition to seeking activities outside of one's comfort zone. She advised more experienced foundation staff to tell young staff about the unwritten rules of the foundation and helping them navigate the landscape. She also encouraged young staff to write down goals and recognize that the older generation want to leave a legacy and begin to learn from them.

All three presenters emphasized branching out and seeking the opportunities to grow and learn within the field, both through experience and from those who came before us. The big leather chair awaits all of us, but it's up to us to take the initiative to begin the path to occupy it.

A New Generation of Foundation CEO's

2008-05-05T17:40:00.003-04:00

Personal journey? Professional mission? How do new CEO's find their paths?

This session focused on the personal journeys of three young and/or new CEO's. Jamie Merisotis talked about his move to Lumina instantly making him smarter, taller, and prettier... something everyone new to the field experiences. He went on to discuss how he is always looking for new avenues to make scalable change. His career has been in creating educational opportunity and Lumina was the obvious next step. While not an emerging leader anymore, he is the youngest CEO of one of the 50 largest foundations, and as such, he still carries the mantle of young leadership.

Monique Mehta from the Third Wave Foundation talked about her move to CEO as part of her journey from social services and volunteering as a high school and college student to moving into the corporate sector, becoming a volunteer, then a law student, finally coming full circle to Third Wave. While hers was a personal journey, it sounded like her turning point was her volunteer work after college. She found a personally compelling mission which put her on the CEO path. Now she works with her colleagues to make sure that she and her foundation have a seat at the table.

Perhaps the most compelling story was Nathanial Williams. He talked about his five year plan to become a foundation CEO, which happened a couple of years ago, but more importantly he talked about his background, both his family background and his educational experiences informing what he brought to his job. Because of his focus, I think he gave the most concrete path to executive leadership.--becoming part of national networks, taking on board work and taking leadership roles in everything he did. His career is clearly personal, but like Jaime he has had a relatively narrow focus area-- in youth leadership development and organizing.

Other key learnings from this session include: taking advantage of the fact that as a young person, you will be underestimated--excel when you can, marshall your resources when you can't. Create a "kitchen cabinet," that is, smart, accomplished colleagues and friends that will give you good, sometimes tough, feedback. No one climbs the executive mountain alone. And lastly, reclaim philanthropy. It doesn't mean rich, it doesn't mean old and it doesn't mean white. it means "love of mankind," we can embrace the term and redefine it.

Athena Adkins is a senior manager for community relations at Travelers and membership chair for the Minnesota chapter of EPIP

I AM NEXT GEN

2008-05-05T09:22:00.002-04:00

EPIP is having a huge impact at this conference. The "I am next gen" and I support next gen" stickers (available at the Next Gen lounge in Resource Central) have been a big hit.

EPIP also hosted a welcome session to orient 65+ participants to the summit and the generational leadership track. I think we may have had the smallest room in the convention center for this session. It felt a little like the kids table at Thanksgiving but we are not going to let space issues cramp our style. Donna Edwards, a passionate social justice advocate, Executive Director of the Arca Foundation, and future politician provided us withgreat advice on how to get the most out of the conference including using it as an opportunity to find foundations of like mind and spirit to creat powerful funders collaboratives to meet community needs. She challenged us to leverage our connections in the field for the most community impact.

It has been fabulous meeting readers of the blog in person. I'd just like to tell the blog readers that you are the funniest, smartest, and prettiest people at the conference. Keep saying hi.

Jollification in the Caribbean

2008-05-05T09:14:00.002-04:00

Each year ABFE hosts the James A. Joseph lecture as a tribute to ABFE's co-founder. The event highlights an emerging leader, this year the honoree was a fabulous ABFE Fellow Wendy Lewis Jackson from the Kresge Foundation.

The lecturer was Carrolle Perry Devonish, Executive Director of the Anguilla Community Foundation, the fir5st and only charitable foundation in the country. She talked about an Anguillian concept "jollification", which she defined as cheerful giving to your neighbor. An example is a whole neighborhood coming together to help someone pour a concrete floor. Through the act of helping you get to spend time with your community and you know that if you ever need something, your neighbor will be there for you. A community foundation is no more than a method to make jollification a financial resource as well.

He call to action was for more grantmakers to share their skills and talents with the African Diaspora, especially with communities that are translating their long held practices of neighbors helping neighbors into formalized philanthropy models.

Dispatches from the COF Conference

2008-05-05T08:58:00.002-04:00

I got to the hotel on Saturday and to say that it is a large conference center would be a massive understatement. The atrium is probably 14 stories tall and has a small neighborhood of houses scattered inside the lobby for good measure. I have been joking that the Gaylord just built around homeowners that were unwilling to move and then they turned their houses into gift shops.

They are still working on signage for the massive convention center so I have decided to think of getting to sessions as more of a zen-like journey of discovery as I walk aimlessly through the center's massive hallways trying to figure out if the Maryland Ballroom is near the Woodrow Wilson ballroom. I would leave a trail of New Voices of Philanthropy promotional postcards but I am afraid (or hopeful) that the many next gen staff that are here would pick them up and I would be lost again.

A great group of current and future philanthropic powerhouses are providing conference coverage (we already have great posts from Tracey, Melissa, and Jasmine) so check back often for the latest conference dirt or relevant learnings (however you prefer to frame it).

What's in Your Mission?

2008-05-04T23:37:00.007-04:00

Have you ever worked with someone who you swear has a mission to make your life miserable? Every time he or she walks by you they do or say something to just piss you off. Whether or not that person truly has a mission to make your life hell will never be known, but have you ever thought about your own mission?

Sherece West, President & CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, spoke at the first Emerging Leaders Salon hosted by EPIP on Sunday at COF's Leadership Summit and mission was the undercurrent running through everything she said. Her background is one that unfortunately is heard often in the Black community: poverty, alcohol and drug abuse and despairing surroundings. But even in those surroundings, she saw that everyone--from her own family to the crack-addicted mother on the streets--wants to do better for themselves or their children. Her upbringing enabled her to have the resolve to get out of her surroundings and have compassion for family, neighbors and community. She wanted to learn and be open to what others had to say and gave advice to the attendees to do the same.

When she was young she made the decision to make her mission to use her "time, talent and resources to contribute to the eradication of poverty". Everything she has done professionally has been done as a means to fulfilling her mission. She said that she pursues her mission first and her role (past, present and future) in philanthropy is secondary.

When asked how she handles the myriad of issues within poverty and community advocacy, Sherece brought it back to sticking with your mission. She said Doing what I can and how I can is how I stay focused. Focus on what you want to get accomplished and how you use your resources and time to do it. In what she does, she tries to at least leave a legacy where after she's gone from that organization, someone else can advance it further.

Sherece was also asked what her defining moment in her career thus far has been. Again, she tied the story into to working towards her mission. She described a time while she was at Annie E. Casey when a wealthy Black woman in Louisiana expressed interest in Sherece to take the helm of a local foundation. When Sherece saw the neighborhood being served by this foundation, she initially wanted to say no because the situation looked hopeless. But while driving back to Baltimore, she was suddenly reminded of the Bible story Jonah and the whale. Louisiana was God's way of telling her that this was the next step in fulfilling her mission. As life would have it, soon after she arrived, Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana and she was called to take the helm at the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Fund. The initial call to Louisiana was her "defining moment"--this was God's response to her question on how she could be used towards her mission of eradicating poverty.

So what's your mission? What compels you in what you do in life and/or work? That person at your job may have a mission in life to piss you off everyday, but at least he has a mission. What's yours?

Blogging from Philanthrapolooza: How Media Impacts Life Outcomes for Black Men and Boys

2008-05-04T21:55:00.007-04:00

“You can’t have social justice until you have media justice” – Dori Maynard, President, Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

Hello New Voices readers! My name is Tracey, a guest blogger from BlackGivesBack, a blog dedicated to philanthropy in the black community. As most of you know, the Council on Foundation’s Leadership Summit – the largest-ever gathering of leaders in philanthropy from the U.S. and around the world - began today at the beautiful Gaylord National Resort in Prince George’s County, Maryland, just outside of our nation’s capital. Although my schedule is jam packed this week, I wanted to definitely be a part of this unprecedented event, so I attended a couple of sessions today, one of which was the ABFE (Association for Black Foundation Executives) sponsored session titled How Media Impacts Life Outcomes for Black Men & Boys.

Moderated by veteran African American journalist Tony Brown, host of the longest running PBS show Tony Brown’s Journal, the session featured three panelists who discussed the cultural, political and social impact of the media on black communities. The panelists were: Dori J. Maynard, President of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education; Makani Themba-Nixon, Executive Director of the Praxis Project; and Steve Montiel, Director of USC’s Annenberg’s Institute for Justice and Journalism.

So why should we care about this topic?

Ms. Maynard began the discussion by giving examples on why we should care:

“The census shows us that 80% of white Americans live in segregated neighborhoods....so what that means is for the most part, that we don’t go to school together, we don’t go to church together and we don’t eat in neighborhood restaurants together – so what we learn about the black male is from the media.

People of color, and black men in particular, continue to be overrepresented in stories about crime, sports and entertainment and underrepresented in stories about business, lifestyle and everyday life.

So when you read a story that says 28% of all black men at some point spend some time behind bars and that story does not address what the other 72% of black men are doing, it makes a difference on how black men are going to be judged when they’re going out on job interviews or just walking down the street.”

She went on to say: “You can’t have social justice until you have media justice. Until we correct the images of African Americans in mainstream media, it’s going to be almost impossible to change public policy around issues of crime, education and healthcare.”

How can funders and philanthropy effect change in this area? One place to start is by supporting organizations and programs working everyday to expand the number of people of color working in the field. Ms. Maynard discussed her newest program at the Maynard Institute, the Media Academy that trains entry level journalists of color. She stated that studies show journalists of color leaving the field after five years because there’s no career advancement and they’re not feeling challenged. She shared the story of an alumnus from the program who is now the editor of the Oakland Tribune. She says he’s making a difference in the way that the paper reaches out to communities – by setting up a satellite office in West Oakland, an under reported community that needed more media coverage. Mr. Montiel shared the Justice in Journalism Fund that provides modest support to journalists who want to do in depth journalism.

Other ideas raised by the panel on ways philanthropy and funders can address this issue is for funders to look at what you’re currently supporting. Do an inventory on what your foundation is supporting related to diversity in media and compile a wish list on what you want your foundation to support. Also, create a committee comprised of philanthropic leaders and organizations to create media equity, using funders that have experience in funding media projects in relation to race and racial justice to assist. Suggestions on what funders can do in their local communities: Funders should look to their local media, get to know who the players are, form relationships, and then convene meetings in their communities with these journalists to figure out where the gaps are and how they can help facilitate them.

In news related to today’s panel discussion, Tony Brown shared with the audience that advertising giant Procter & Gamble is asking America whether they should change their advertising on MTV and BET. He read from an article that appeared in the NY Daily News last month:

“The household-products monolith doesn't like its ads appearing in television or radio places that could tarnish the P&G image, and there have been complaints for years that MTV and BET traffic too heavily in videos that degrade women, glorify violence and drug dealing, overemphasize sex and portray black men primarily as thugs.

So P&G has taken the unusual step of setting up a toll-free number, 1-800-331-3774, where anyone can vote "yes" or "no" on whether the company should "change our advertising" on MTV and BET. While there's no option for an explanatory message, P&G will accept faxed comments at its consumer relations department, (513) 983-2881." Read article here.

At the conclusion of the panel session, Tony Brown announced for the first time in public that after 40 successful years, his show Tony Brown’s Journal will cease due to funding at the end of this month. He stated that he has contributed $500,000 in personal funds to the program and he can’t continue to do so. He said the show was a privilege for him and the greatest blessing he could ever have.

On the web:

The Maynard Institute: http://www.maynardije.org/
The Praxis Project: http://www.thepraxisproject.org/home.html
USC Annenberg Institute: http://www.justicejournalism.org/index.html

Social Justice Philanthropy: Where is the Movement?

2008-05-02T16:53:00.001-04:00

On the heels of what will be one of the biggest gatherings in a long time of established foundations in the U.S., the field of philanthropy continues to be called into question. Where are philanthropic dollars going? Who are philanthropic dollars benefiting? Is change a real goal of these dollars? If so, what does that change look like?

The Council on Foundations is kicking off its annual conference in a big way on Sunday, May 4th, just a heartbeat away from America’s capital at the Gaylord National Resort on the National Harbor in Maryland. “Philanthropy’s Vision: A Leadership Summit,” is intended to attract many of the philanthropic leaders that help to shape the future of philanthropy. With new and interesting tracks on issues like diversity and inclusiveness, generational leadership, and rural philanthropy, it appears that this conference may broach the conversation and many values of social change in a way that has never been seen before.

But for those CEO’s, program officers, thought leaders in the philanthropic field who think, work, fund, and behave in ways that always embrace social justice values, they are not so sure how deep conversations may go. In an effort to maximize the seemingly prime opportunity to take advantage of issues like diversity, community change, and looking beyond to the next generation, the Social Justice Philanthropy Collaborative is holding a reception to help organize like-minded leaders in the field. This reception will help individuals NAVIGATE the conference, BUILD relationships and commitment, and STRENGHTEN the network of progressive funders and allies.

At a time where societal change is outpacing the ability to respond alone to community needs, it is imperative that every foundation and organization working within the field of philanthropy come together to network, strategize, and build collaborative action to truly achieve real change. This reception marks a pivotal moment of reinvigorating the movement.

So, in a hallway near you, COF participants, look for folks with the buttons, the stress balls, the candy, and the social justice guide to navigating this Summit so you can see where the movement is.

Go to www.changingfunding.org for more information!

Special Guest Blogger Melissa Johnson, Field Director
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP)

Philanthrapolooza is here!

2008-05-02T08:08:00.002-04:00

The Council on Foundation's annual conference is finally here. This blog will be providing extensive coverage of the conference events, with a special focus on the Generational Leadership track. Guest bloggers include:
Jasmine Hall Ratliff, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Jen Kramer-Wine, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy
Melissa Johnson, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Athena Adkins, Travelers
Brittany Buckingham, Gates Foundation
Martha Shershin, William Randolph Hearst Foundations

Check back here often for the latest coverage. If you are not attending the conference, you can still participate by continuing the covnersation in the comment section. You can also post messages to our bloggers if you have specific questions about the sessions that they have attended or if you have specific sessions that you would like covered, let me know if the comments section below. If you are attending the conference feel free to email me at tristaharris (at) gmail (dot) com your own posts about the sessions that you have attended and I will post them with the rest of the conference coverage. I'll be moderating the Susan Barresford Emerging Leader Salon on Sunday and will be speaking on the Cultivating the Next Generation of Foundation Professionals panel. Stop by and say hello!

Hiring a Wife

2008-04-29T12:21:00.003-04:00

I got some eye opening advice last year when I asked a friend about work-life balance. She said that the only way that she had seen a woman with children succeed at the top levels of an organization, without a stay-at-home husband, was when women hired a wife. I had never heard of hiring a wife (outside of the occasional mail-order bride news story) so I was confused. What she meant was hiring someone who handles the worry and responsibility of managing your home.

Initially I got pretty ticked off. How unfair is it that men just go off to work and don't worry about keeping their home life running smoothly? Is this just another case of the rich getting richer because they can afford to hire the help that allows them to achieve more at work?

Then I realized that I was relieved to find out that there weren't these magical women out there effortlessly hosting a dinner party for 15, after successfully managing a difficult merger at work. Penelope Trunk is a blogger that I admire that seems to be a woman balancing it all, she recently wrote about having to hire a house manager for $50,000 a year in addition to her nanny, cleaning service, and assistant at work. I don't have an extra $50,000 laying around so I have been using the following strategies for the last year or so to spread the wifely duties around:

Negotiate up front with my husband about who does what. I spent many years of my marriage assuming that my husband understood that a laundry basket next to the stairs meant that he should bring the basket downstairs and start the laundry. I have tried to stop assuming he is a mind reader and actually ask when I want something done.
Teach my children to be responsible for themselves. There is a great book called Parenting with Love and Logic that says only one person can really worry about a problem. If I spend my time worrying if my daughter has started working on her school assignment, she doesn't worry about it at all because she knows I have it covered and will nag her at the appropriate time. Letting her be responsible for her own stuff is great practice for the rest of her life and relieves me of a ton of stress.
Buy Time. My husband and I own a dry cleaning and laundry delivery business, despite this fact, we were still arguing about who would do the weekly laundry. We finally decided that it made sense to drop off our own laundry and have it cleaned and folded so that we got that extra time in the day to have fun as a family. There are grocery delivery services, meal assembly stores, and a ton of people that offer housecleaning and yard care on Craigslist. Figure out what things make financial and mental health sense to outsource. I just signed up with a new service Ask Sunday. They handle making appointments, calling around for the best prices, and any other task that can be completed on the phone or online. In the first month of using the service I got through a ton of things on my to do list that had been there for months.
Be efficient with your professional work. I have a great but time consuming job at a foundation, write this blog twice a week, and just started a professional development guide business for Gen X and Y. If I spent my days gossiping about American Idol and sending email forwards I would never get anything done. I try to strategize at the beginning of each day to figure out what the most important thing is that I have to complete and then I do that thing right away. I am also working hard on my delegation skills.

So I don't have a hired wife yet but I think I have some pretty good work arounds until Mary Poppins comes into our lives.

If you have tried to outsource part of your life I would love to hear how it is going for you.

Do you want to be a next gen VIP at COF?

2008-04-28T16:36:00.002-04:00

New Voices of Philanthropy and Emerging Practitioner’s in Philanthropy’s blog EPIPhanies will be providing extensive coverage of the COF conference from the perspective of next generation leaders. We have assembled a great team of bloggers but we are still looking for additional writers. You can write about one session or all that you attend but we are really looking for a variety of perspectives of the conference. Blogging at the conference is a great way to give back to the field and is a fabulous way for you to raise your visibility as an up and coming leader (and get access to some of the quick to fill up Next Gen sessions). The team is filling up quickly so contact me at tristaharris (at) gmail (dot) com if you are interested.

Real Economic Stimulus

2008-04-28T06:00:00.001-04:00

In the next few days Americans will begin to receive economic stimulus checks that are intended to jump start the U.S. economy. Home Depot and Walmart have been salivating at the thought of you plunking down your whole check for a new flat screen TV or a nice shiny stainless steel refrigerator. Some stores are even offering bonuses if you convert your entire check into a store gift certificate. My personal belief is that overspending got our country into this mess and overspending is not going to get us out but the checks are coming so it's time to do some real thinking about how to have the greatest impact with this windfall.

Jaclyn Schroeder is a community minded person that I work with that decided that the greatest way to improve the economy would be to donate her stimulus check to job training nonprofits. I heard this idea and realized that not enough people have been talking about how this stimulus check can be invested in our local communities to have the greatest bang for the buck. Nonprofits are really an economic engine and they have a long term positive impact on our community. Donating to nonprofits that you care about is one way to improve the economy but you could also purchase goods and services from nonprofits to stimulate the economy as well. We have some home remodeling to do and I am planning on purchasing some of the supplies from the Habitat for Humanity surplus store and the ReUse Center, which are both great nonprofits that employ hard to place community members like ex-felons and people with no job history. They also keep excess building supplies out of the waste stream.

Think about if you have the capacity to donate a portion of your economic stimulus check to nonprofits that you are passionate about or if there is a great nonprofit in your area where you can spend some of your stimulus check. Then think about how you can spread this message in your circles of influence. Our foundation's communication's director has been working on developing key messages and getting this idea out to media outlets but I think there is a lot of power in ideas that are spread from friend to friend and from colleague to colleague. I talked to my extended family about this idea recently and I shared the idea with CNN when they asked readers how they were going to spend their stimulus check. The idea will probably have more traction with my family because they (sometimes) trust my judgment and CNN readers don't know me from Eve. So if this is an idea that you can get behind, think about who you can bring along with you. Our communities will be much stronger for it.

The Story of Stuff

2008-04-21T06:00:00.002-04:00

I have been doing research on good models of presentations, so that I can stop complaining about the abundance of boring nonprofit presentations and actually do something about the issue. During my research I found this great presentation on the story of stuff by Annie Leonard. Here is a description of this 20 minute presentation:

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever. The video can be found here.

What I love about this presentation is that it uses engaging visuals and a very conversational speaking style to bring an important message to the masses.

Putting out lots of small fires

2008-04-17T06:00:00.002-04:00

I am a big fan of batching tasks, which is doing similar things like responding to email at the same time to increase your efficiency, since you lose time when your brain has to switch between doing tasks. I had a great opportunity to practice batching this week because I was out of the office all of last week for an out of state funeral and when I got back I had a ton of messages. I help manage our foundation's scholarship programs and we are right in the middle of deadline time. Students don't seem to have any questions in the months proceeding the deadline but the night before the online applications are due, the questions seem to come out of the woodwork (Procrastination can be a topic for a future post). Since we have a variety of deadlines, I usually spend the days proceeding the deadline fielding a ton of calls and email. Each answer takes 5-30 minutes as I try to figure out what the student's issue is and address it. Being away for such a long period of time meant that I had hours and hours of problem solving in my in-box. Looking at this mound of work I realized two things:
1) Most of the problems, when looking at them from the 20,000 foot view of my packed inbox were remarkably the same. Students (or their parents) were either having technical issues with on online system that were usually caused by not using the right internet browser or they had very general questions about our scholarship programs.
2) Most had probably already resolved themselves with time or were solved by our super capable scholarship assistant whose contact information was on my out of office email responder.

First I talked to our assistant about what questions she had answered and for those that were left I developed very generic answer templates that were either a technical support answer or a link to our frequently asked question sheet and answered a ton of questions in less than 45 minutes. Now I also have a resource that I can use for future problems and it only takes me a second or two to send it out.

This got me to thinking about other questions or issues that come up repeatedly like when are grant deadlines, how does the grant process work, and is my idea a good fit with the foundation guidelines, that might also benefit from more of a 20,000 foot view.

What are questions that you get constantly that might benefit from a more generic view?

Riding the Wave of Change

2008-04-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

I was reading through some old conference notes and I saw a quote that re-inspired me. One of the speakers was talking about change in the field of philanthropy said "when you see a wave coming, stand up on your board and ride it, instead of sitting still and waiting to get crushed. You'll look like a genius because you rode what was already happening instead of fighting it." I think there are a lot of waves coming that foundations are comfortable ignoring including:

generational trends that are changing the field,
increased regulation of foundations,
the rise of donor advised funds,
increased scrutiny of investments, and
calls for accountability regarding diversity of foundation boards and staff.

How can we, as next generation leaders, ride these waves?

The ROI of Going Green

2008-04-08T21:12:00.002-04:00

Tim Ferris, my favorite raving lunatic, has a great blog post about self interest and going green. From Tim:

Bestselling author David Bach used to use Flonase, Alegra D, and Singulair. He used Advair for almost ten years before he made one change that eliminated all of these medications.

He moved into a The Solaire, a green-optimized building in NYC.

Going green is something we all know we should do, but somehow most of us never quite get around to it, unless an accident or experiment shows us clear personal benefits. David moved into The Solaire for the location, for example, not the green effect.

But what if you could help the world by being self-interested? Self-interest and contribution need not be mutually exclusive, after all.

It can be done…

David should save about $30,000 in 2008 based on simple changes, and those saved expenses can be applied to investments. This is where things get interesting (and compelling); remember that $30,000 in expenses could equate to as much as $50,000 in pre-tax income for some.

Imagine if you could:

• Save $250 per year simply with smart landscaping. Strategically planting trees and shrubs to shade your home can lower surrounding air temperatures during warm summer months by up to 9 degrees Fahrenheit and can reduce wall and roof temperatures by 200 to 400 F, reducing energy costs for cooling and home carbon emissions by 3,952 lbs per year.

• Save $798 a year when you perform regular maintenance on your car to keep it running efficiently. Properly inflated tires, for example, can keep 5,800 pounds of carbon from entering the air each year.

Read the rest here

Sick days and other bad things that I never thought would happen to me

2008-04-03T06:00:00.002-04:00

Today I am out of the office sick. This is not the kind of sick where I don't come in because I don't want the rest of the office to catch my cold and I just work at home and get my family sick. This is the type of dizzy, fever, headache sick that makes it impossible to actually have a focused thought about work. I never thought of myself as a workaholic. I strive for work-life balance, I don't take work home (if I can help it) and I refuse to get email on my Blackberry because I don't want to be one of those parents that is checking email at the T-Ball game. Yet, I have one day where I physically can't think about work and feel completely disoriented. There is probably some sort of epiphany in here about the subtle creep of work into every aspect of our lives but I don't have the energy today to figure that out. If you have any extra brainpower on that topic share your insights below.

Here's to your health and life-balance,
Trista

Happiness doesn't start at retirement

2008-03-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

Penelope Trunk is one of my favorite career writers. She recently wrote a post about Gen X and Y finding fulfillment before retiring to the lake cabin. From Penelope:

Maybe the reason we’re so bad at saving for retirement is that retirement seems so ridiculous today. The workplace no longer demands that we put off our hopes and dreams until we’ve worked 40 years. And Baby Boomers aren’t exactly retiring in droves either, which makes younger people think that maybe they won’t want to retire either.

This demographic shift in thinking about careers leads to a new way to think about retirement and dream jobs and team work. Young people think their parents—Baby Boomers—missed out on this phase. Baby Boomers worked longer hours than any other generation and there’s a nagging feeling that it wasn’t all that necessary - that we can have engaging, rewarding careers without spending such a large percentage of our life at the office.

In fact, today there’s an intense peer pressure among young people to find the fulfilling dream job right away. This younger generation watched their parents put off their dreams until they paid their dues only to find themselves laid off mid-career, or underfunded for retirement late in their career. So Generation Y is not waiting. Read the rest here.

Jobs in Minnesota

2008-03-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation is looking for a Development Officer responsible for designing and implementing fund development strategies to achieve SMIF’s financial and program goals. Specific areas include endowment & program fundraising, major gift cultivation, partnership development, planned giving, and donor services. A full description can be found here.

The Foundation for Minneapolis Parks (FMP) is looking for an Executive Director. The agency serves as an important nonprofit partner to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB). The foundation's mission, to enhance, support and sustain Minneapolis public parks operated and owned by MPRB for the benefit of the general public, is the cornerstone of foundation activities. More information about the position can be found here.

Philanthrapalooza (Part 2)

2008-03-20T06:24:00.004-04:00

Every day brings us a little bit closer to the Council on Foundation's national conference in DC on May 4-7, and I, for one, am very excited. I know that the words excitement and conference don't usually go together. Convention halls filled with people twice your age with less than half an interest in anything that you have to say is not usually how you might like to spend your out-of-town time but this conference promises to be different. So today I bring you the top 10 reasons why the Philanthropy Summit is going to be the best four professional development days of 2008:

Thanks to the hard work of EPIP, RG, and 21/64 there will be a whole conference track devoted to generational issues (a COF first)
There will be Emerging Leaders Salons which give you an opportunity to have engaging discussions with philanthropy's greatest thinkers like Luz Vega-Marquis (Marguerite Casey Foundation) and Susan V. Berresford (recently retired from Ford Foundation).
There will be an Emerging Leader Reception and I don't want to raise any hopes here, but last year this fabulous event included a macaroni and cheese bar, where you picked your own toppings. This has to be the most innovative thing that has happened to food since the creation of macaroni and cheese.
Right in the exhibition hall there will be a Next Gen lounge where you can get great resources and meet new colleagues from across the country.
EPIP will have a hosted suite in the conference hotel where you can relax with new friends and have some refreshments, instead of the normal evening conference activity of watching Discovery Channel alone in your hotel room.
A Generational Leadership Program Facebook Group has been created. I will admit that I have already hooked my proverbial online social networking wagon to LinkedIn but if you are already Facebook proficient or can even handle more than one social networking site, I commend your multitasking skills and this Facebook group is meant for you.
There are opportunities for you to blog about the programs at the COF conference for New Voices of Philanthropy and EPIPhanies. You can write about one session or ten to provide valuable information to our colleagues nationally and internationally who aren't able to attend the conference. Just contact me at tristaharris (at) gmail (dot) com to get set up.
There will be Next Gen scholarships available to cover registration costs, which will bring many new philanthropy professionals to the conference that might not otherwise be able to attend.
We will be one of the first groups to use the Gaylord Conference center, which is a beautiful new facility that many groups will be using for their conferences, so the next time you have something scheduled there you will already be an old pro.
The biggest reason why I am so excited to go to the conference is because I will be able to meet many of this blog's readers for the first time in person. I think online communities are fabulous and I truly appreciate the great conversations that happen on this blog but there is nothing like meeting people face to face. So if you see me in the Next Gen lounge or if you come to the session where I am presenting, come say hi. I can't wait to meet you.