What impact can result when a funder collaborative engages deeper and deeper with nonprofits, and keeps challenging how it does philanthropy? The journey of a collaborative catalyzed by the McCune Foundation, a small foundation in New Mexico, led to the design of a platform enabling a wide variety of private and public funders to build capacity and leadership in Native American communities, in ways prioritized by tribal leaders and community members. Henry Rael of the McCune Foundation shares ho...
Jun 22, 2022•20 min•Ep. 21
Creative, high-impact philanthropy is practiced by donors of all types - foundations, donor advised funds, social venture funders, and collective giving organizations. We visit with Sandy Cook, a leader at Impact100 Metro Denver , one of several hundred womens collective giving organizations around the country. Find out why Impact 100 Metro Denver invites nonprofits to step back and consider what they need to make significant shifts in how they work. Sandy shares examples how investing in nonpro...
Apr 22, 2022•9 min•Ep. 20
Creative, high-impact philanthropy is practiced by donors of all types - foundations, donor advised funds, social venture funders, and collective giving organizations. We visit with Sandy Cook, a leader at Impact100 Metro Denver , one of several hundred womens collective giving organizations around the country. Find out why Impact 100 Metro Denver invites nonprofits to step back and consider what they need to make significant shifts in how they work. Sandy shares examples how investing in nonpro...
Apr 22, 2022•16 min•Ep. 19
Galvanized by a statewide landscape scan revealing deep concern for the future of Maine's young people, the board of the Emanuel and Pauline A. Lerner Foundation shifted from a portfolio of annual grants, to a laser-focused, multi-year commitment to a cohort of groups to raise youth aspirations. The Lerner board and staff also focused their own time in building relationships with grantee partners. Executive Director Don Carpenter shares how this big bet inspired the Lerner Foundation board to tr...
Mar 22, 2022•13 min•Ep. 18
Galvanized by a statewide landscape scan revealing deep concern for the future of Maine's young people, the board of the Emanuel and Pauline A. Lerner Foundation shifted from a portfolio of annual grants, to a laser-focused, multi-year commitment to a cohort of groups to raise youth aspirations. The Lerner board and staff also focused their own time in building relationships with grantee partners. Executive Director Don Carpenter shares how this big bet inspired the Lerner Foundation board to tr...
Mar 22, 2022•15 min•Ep. 17
Many foundations want their favorite grantee partners to expand their sources of support. But fewer take an active role in helping partners become more sustainable. The Pascale Sykes Foundation connects partners with many kinds of organizations working in the same field. Jackie Edwards shares how the relationships that result have led to greater coordination, synergy, and to new revenue streams. ** Jackie Edwards serves as Vice President of Strategic Engagement at the Pascale Sykes Foundation . ...
Feb 02, 2022•11 min•Ep. 16
What opportunities emerge when a foundation focuses more deeply? Caroline Wertz of the Scheidel Foundation shares how she spent more time with a smaller number of grantee partners, and engaged them in conversations. Deep listening allowed Caroline to understand challenges that were common to several organizations working in the same field, and identify gaps. This opened the door to opportunities for collective impact, and systems-level change. The journey all started with focusing. ** Caroline W...
Feb 02, 2022•18 min•Ep. 15
The John Gogian Foundation began its philanthropy by supporting individuals and families. As staff learned about challenges facing grantee partners and the field, it shifted its entire approach. Hear how listening deeply to nonprofit partners transformed the way a foundation worked - from supporting programs to strengthening organizations. ** Lindsey Stammerjohn served as executive director of the John Gogian Family Foundation, where she developed deep, long-term relationships with leaders of pa...
Dec 23, 2021•13 min•Ep. 14
The John Gogian Foundation began its philanthropy by supporting individuals and families. As staff learned about challenges facing grantee partners and the field, it shifted its entire approach. Hear how listening deeply to nonprofit partners transformed the way a foundation worked - from supporting programs to strengthening organizations. ** Lindsey Stammerjohn served as executive director of the John Gogian Family Foundation, where she developed deep, long-term relationships with leaders of pa...
Dec 23, 2021•10 min•Ep. 13
Working on health access and economic development on the Texas - Mexico border, Bonnie Gonzalez uses her mentoring and coaching skills to help community members fulfill their goals, and realize their full potential. Hear how a foundation leader plays a mentoring role to build capacity and leadership in her community. ** Bonnie was named founding chief executive officer for Knapp Community Care Foundation in late 2013. KCCF invests in prevention/wellness, direct health services, health related ed...
Nov 23, 2021•15 min•Ep. 12
A small foundation with four staff amplifies its work by engaging dozens of community members from all walks of life - government, business, civic, and nonprofit. Diane Brown explains how she and colleagues structure the work of volunteers, and make participation meaningful and fulfilling. As an example, the foundation collaborated with nonprofits and city leaders to establish a social purpose grocery store in a neighborhood without access to fresh food. ** Bio: A life-long resident of the Bingh...
Nov 23, 2021•14 min•Ep. 11
Michael Weinberg reflects on what he learned working in a successful advocacy coalition over several years, and shares tips for how foundations of any size can lay the ground to catalyze significant policy-level change on issues they care about. *** Bio: Michael Weinberg is a Policy Officer at the Thornburg Foundation . His previous roles include program evaluation manager for New Mexico’s Legislative Finance Committee, public school teacher, and principal. Michael earned his doctorate in educat...
Oct 04, 2021•14 min•Ep. 10
A coalition is a powerful way for a group of foundations to learn together and build skills to do advocacy. Each member brings a different and valuable perspective. Michael Weinberg shares how a group of funders he brought together in New Mexico on early childhood got involved in advocacy, built relationships and trust with the state's legislature, and helped catalyze long-term public investments in the state's children and families. *** Bio: Michael Weinberg is a Policy Officer at the Thornburg...
Oct 04, 2021•19 min•Ep. 9
Over the course of 12 years, the Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation in Hawai'i convened a group of organizations working in a new approach to education focused on the environment. Over time, the foundation and its partners nurtured and developed this emerging field through peer learning, developing different models of program delivery, and demonstrating impact. Organizations around the state are taking notice, creating the potential for larger numbers of children and youth to benefit. Learn how convenin...
Aug 09, 2021•16 min•Ep. 8
Catalytic funders work to understand the ecosystem of their issue or community. They find out what grantees need to perform well and be strong and sustainable. Doug Bauer talks about how listening also allows him to understand the relationship between the nonprofit and public sectors in New York State, and how engaging with diverse organizations connects him to this big ecosystem. By engaging constantly with other funders and networks, Doug becomes an active participant in the policy landscape, ...
Aug 09, 2021•20 min•Ep. 7
A powerful thing happens when philanthropists demonstrate humility through listening and respect - they earn trust. Trust allows funders to learn how they can support grantees to do bold, ambitious work. Trust also builds relationships with partners who are essential to advocacy and systems change. Phil Li, one of the country's foremost champions of a trust-based approach to philanthropy, explores how power dynamics undermine trust, and offers first steps to building strong, mutually beneficial ...
Jul 29, 2021•16 min•Ep. 6
Small, place-based foundations are uniquely positioned to make change in the policy arena. In this three-part Podcast, Michael Weinberg chronicles the Thornburg Foundation's move into advocacy, the first steps, the unfolding journey, and what the advocacy coalition ended up accomplishing, which surpassed expectations. Michael explores how successful advocacy work is grounded in research and data, collaboration, and focused persistence. Part 2 will be published in June. *** Bio: Michael Weinberg ...
May 06, 2021•12 min•Ep. 5
The Gifford Foundation is small, but its dedication to listening gives it a very big presence in Syracuse, New York. Executive Director Sheena Solomon sees listening to community members and building trust as a mindset; she calls it "Proximity." Proximity empowers Sheena and her staff to be better at the capacity building work they specialize in. Sheena wants to know what nonprofits' real needs are, and she wants to hear directly from diverse community members. Learn how Proximity helps the Giff...
May 06, 2021•16 min•Ep. 4
A challenge for people with promising ideas is to have someone believe in their work and offer the first grant. Philanthropy has the freedom to provide this risk capital, and small foundations excel in early-stage funding, backing ideas that later attract the attention of large foundations and government. Meet a small funder whose purpose is to find creative entrepreneurs in the environmental and energy fields, and provide early support -- plus the encouragement -- to begin turning powerful idea...
Apr 28, 2021•11 min•Ep. 3
A challenge for people with promising ideas is to have someone believe in their work and offer the first grant. Philanthropy has the freedom to provide this risk capital, and small foundations excel in early-stage funding, backing ideas that later attract the attention of large foundations and government. Meet a small funder whose purpose is to find creative entrepreneurs in the environmental and energy fields, and provide early support -- plus the encouragement -- to begin turning powerful idea...
Apr 23, 2021•11 min•Ep. 2
Small foundations have the agility and openness to make bets on new ideas and mavericks, and help revitalize entire fields -- while unleashing creativity and sparking new collaborations. Meet a funder who became so knowledgeable about their field, that they could see the potential of a completely new way to do the work. Mary talks about the power of this "Insider/Outsider" role, and how her foundation nurtured and spread the new idea. *** Bio: Mary has served as the director of the 1772 Foundati...
Apr 19, 2021•12 min•Ep. 1
