Build Your Base

Paulette is a new voice in the field of philanthropy. She has contributed a great post to New Voices of philanthropy about how she built her base of knowledge in the field. From Paulette:

A colleague of mine sent me this link- http://www.mcf.org/mcf/resource/philanth.htm-to get my opinion. She was planning to use it for the philanthropy course she taught and she figured it was a great ice breaker for her students. As I watched it I had to chuckle at some of the responses given. Then I realized I was probably just as naive about the real meaning of philanthropy as they were when I embarked on this journey.

I didn’t have a clue as to where to begin. So, I began at the beginning. Believe my when I say that Google is your friend. Aside from information received from my various non-profit and philanthropy courses, I sought out other resources and tools I could use in my work. Below is a list of books, websites and other primers that remain a large part of my philanthropy library:

      • “The Insider’s Guide to Grant Making” by Joel Orosz. This was a required text for my philanthropy course and is still my go-to guide. Orosz lays out the work and obligations of a program officer along with background and history of the field. A very enjoyable read.
      • “GrantCraft” This is produced by the Ford Foundation and offers a wealth of information on philanthropy, grant making, mission-related investments and anything else related to philanthropy. If you register on the site you can download virtually all of the guides for free or you can purchase a hard copy.
      • “The Complete Guide to Grant Making Basics” This was originally put out in two parts but the updated version combines both. It costs around $65 as an individual (cheaper if your foundation is a member) but well worth the cost for anyone who wants a grant making 101 course. It covers everything—from reading proposals, to how to conduct site visits and understanding non-profit finances (a personal thorn in my side).
      • Philanthropy and non-profit blogs. I can’t say enough about them. These offer a great perspective on the current trends in the field—Perspectives from the Pipeline; New Voices in Philanthropy (shameless plug but true-this blog was the one of the first I discovered while on my journey); and Tactical Philanthropy. Also, sign up to receive newsletters and blog information from the various foundations. This is a great resource for seeing what social issues other foundations find imperative and where they are putting their money.
      • Philanthropy magazines and periodicals.

While there is no dearth of information available and this doesn’t even cover issue- or policy-related blogs I subscribe to, the above list is the one I found most helpful to build my base of knowledge. I continue to use these sources as well as many others I have discovered. Books and blogs are important but networking is key. This avenue worked for me—after joining a local women’s philanthropy group, I met and now work with one of the program officers. The take-away: Stay hungry and never stop learning. I myself have just scratched the surface.

Paulette Pierre is a Program Officer intern at The Field Foundation of Illinois. She has a graduate certificate in Non-Profit Management and Philanthropy from Loyola University and is currently pursuing her MA in Interdisciplinary Studies at DePaul University.

New Voices- Archana Sridhar

Archana Sridhar is a frequent commenter on New Voices of Philanthropy and I was excited to hear that she was interested in writing a post on what the Obama presidency will mean for philanthropy in communities of color. From Archana:
On Monday, in honor of the National Day of Service, I stood at a table at the local food bank with retirees, grad students, Boy Scouts, and new moms, folding and labeling bags for the upcoming community food drives. Everyone was buzzing over the next day's inauguration and one gentleman even said, "I really feel like things are going to be different." At risk of sounding cliched, my fellow bag-folder was right. Things are going to be different now. The Obama victory ushers in a new era of engagement in philanthropy – particularly among people of color.

I had volunteered a bit with the campaign, made my requisite contributions, and certainly felt happy about Obama's victory. But Tuesday was different. After it was all over, I felt strangely melancholy. I realized that I had sometimes told myself there were things I couldn't do, positions I couldn't hold, people who would look at me as an outsider – all because of my identity, race, name, or whatever other limitation came to mind. The President proved that those limitations are not blockades. He proved that we might have to work extra hard, but we're all Americans, and we all have a shot. In terms of philanthropy, I know that this feeling of unity, of possibility, of "Americanness," will translate to our sector. The South Asian Philanthropy Project capitalizes on this excitement and draws more South Asian Americans (whose families hail from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other parts of the subcontinent) into the world of philanthropy and volunteerism. My co-founder and I launched a successful blog (please visit and comment!) and have started research on the state of giving among South Asians. We've had many interviews with South Asian philanthropists and nonprofit leaders – demonstrating their generosity of time and spirit. These conversations have shed light on the issues and challenges we face in inspiring South Asians to become more philanthropically and civically engaged, some of which I hope to write about in future posts. If ever there was a time to reach out beyond what is comfortable to draw in new communities, new volunteers, new donors, and new employees in our philanthropic efforts, that time is now.

Archana Sridhar is a graduate of Harvard Law School, a former Fulbright Scholar, and Assistant Dean for Research and Special Projects at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana. She is the co-founder of the South Asian Philanthropy Project.
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New Voices: Paulette Pierre

When I put out the call for writers for New Voices, I was immediately intrigued by Paulette's description of her career path. I am someone who has known since I was eight that I wanted to work in the nonprofit sector and have been moving at a sometimes breakneck spead to reach my goals in the sector ever since then. Paulette's description of taking a leap of faith and moving to the sector in mid-career quite honestly terrified me a little bit and so I knew I needed to hear more. Below is what I hope s the first of many posts by Paulette:

“Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and build your wings on the way down”- Kobi Yamada

When Trista extended an open invitation for her readers to submit reflections on philanthropy from their own perspective, I hesitated—for about a New York minute. What a wonderful opportunity to engage with those in the field and on the ground! While not a veteran program officer or even a policy expert, I do offer the unique perspective of being a mid-career changer, a woman of color and a newbie to the grant making field.

Here’s a question for all the for-profit folks out there: Have you ever felt the longing to do something of real substance with your life? Something that would bring about true social change? A force stronger than yourself driving you inexorably toward a life of fulfillment? I did and I have never looked back. Two years ago I embarked on a journey into philanthropy that has been both exhilarating and frustrating. I left my job on the trading floor of a commodities exchange after two decades. The environment was toxic to say the least. I knew I wanted something more out of my life and if I had to devote another 20-plus years to the work force, it would be doing something I was passionate about. So I increased my volunteering and this led to a return to school to learn more about philanthropy. It was while I was pursuing my graduate certificate in Non-Profit Management and Philanthropy that I got my current internship (who ever said internships are only for 20-somethings?). Yes, it was a huge risk to take giving up a comfortable salary to exist on a stipend. But I believed it was a greater risk to my long-term happiness NOT to take the chance.

I am now on my third grant cycle with a local foundation and words can’t express how much I love this job! I am fortunate to be surrounded by such a strong supportive staff that guide and mentor me each and every day. It’s been great in that from day one, I hit the ground running (no fetching coffee and filing here). I had my own docket of proposals, I do my own site visits and write-ups and present before our board of directors. But the most gratifying part of my day is the interaction with my grantees. I want to learn and understand their needs and how we can work together for the common good.

I will be chronicling the good and the bad (and there have been many of each). For what it’s worth I will also offer a few tips—resources and guides which have made my transition a little easier. I hope you will enjoy the ride as much as I have.

Paulette Pierre

Program Officer Intern at the Field Foundation of Illinois and currently pursuing her MA in Interdisciplinary Studies (with a concentration in Public Service and Sociology).

Michelle Obama: First Lady!

The following post is from Scott Rooks, who answered my call for writers for New Voices of Philanthropy.. Scott is a nonprofit consultant who writes at Grantfundingonline.com. From Scott:

“It was the best of times , it was the worst of times...” as Charles Dickens declared in his 19th century classic “The Tale of Two Cities”. Never has that opening part of the first sentence been so descriptive of a time period, I believe, as it is now in these United States.

I personally like the best of times half of that declaration. It motivates me to know that this may well be one of the most exciting times in our history. We are on the cusp of the inauguration of the first African American President in our short history and I can feel change in the air! No one exemplifies change more then our soon to be First Lady Michelle Obama.

I first heard Michelle speak on Larry King Live back last year sometime and was so excited because she spoke of change but most of all because she was so positive and inspiring. This week Michelle spoke to me, well it seemed that way because she send You Tube a video message for the citizens of our country. She has declared Monday January 19,2009 as a National Day of Service. How appropriate is that! Martin Luther King Day a day we honor the slain civil rights leader who thought and prayed for change. Well he got it in Michelle Obama, his dream come true!

I hope that you have the day off from work and can honor her request by feeding the hungry some good food, helping the homeless by giving out blankets, take some cans of food to the food bank, help sort clothes at a free clothes store or do something at the many other nonprofit's that need a positive lift that only new volunteers can give them.

I expected nothing less of our soon to be First Lady and she delivered right off the bat. What about you are you going to deliver on January 19th? Let us know how you plan to deliver your service to our great nation by posting a comment.

“It was the best of times...” !

Scott Rooks
Helping Nonprofits to Succeed!
http://grantfundingonline.com/blog

An Additional Source of Donors: Communities of Color

One of my goals with New Voices of Philanthropy is to add to new voices and perspectives from the many types of positions and experiences in the field of philanthropy. I've invited Paul Bachleitner to begin contributing to New Voices of Philanthropy. Paul brings his experience as a foundation and nonprofit fundraiser and his new perspective as a philanthropic consultant living and working in New York City. Below is Paul's 1st post:

I was delighted a couple of weeks ago during a visit to Minneapolis when Trista asked whether I would contribute an entry to New Voices of Philanthropy. We had escaped subzero temperatures to a warm coffeehouse and, after catching up on gossip from our lives, the conversation turned to the economic meltdown and is impact on foundations and nonprofits. Although we talked about a number of wonderful ideas to jumpstart fundraising programs (including some really clever ones suggested by Trista that will be implemented at Headwaters soon), I should've brought up one untraditional source that I've spent much time researching not very long ago; communities of color.
Most of the time philanthropy engages communities of color as recipients- of grants, donations, wanted and unwanted advice. Seldom are they engaged as donors. But people from communities of color have much to offer nonprofits and foundations, not least of which is financial contributions. Reports from the Coalition for New Philanthropy and other observers have noted that giving in communities of color has been know to match or surpass national averages for giving. Much of the giving occurs through vehicles outside of traditional philanthropy, such as churches, giving circles, and event-oriented giving.
My research in communities of color has found that there are plenty of capable professionals, business owners, and other leaders who aren't involved in philanthropy simply because few organizations have engaged them. Nonprofits and foundations looking to navigate these difficult economic times can gain a lifeline by asking leaders from communities of color to become members of their boards, to participate in communities and other groups, and to attend community programs or initiative, especially those that invite gifts of time, talent, and money from attendees. Communities of color are a rarely tapped resource that we exclude from our fundraising focus at our own peril.
For further information:
Check out the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers as a great place to start to learn more about giving in communities of color.
A number of foundations have begun to develop successful funds from communities of color, including The Saint Paul Foundation.
The Chicago Community Trust's African American Legacy initiative and Nuestro Futuro initiative for Latino philanthropy.
The 21st Century Foundation, a foundation established to build African American philanthropy, is engaged in a number of great initiatives to promote philanthropy in communities of color.
The Asian Pacific Fund, a foundation established to build Asian American philanthropy is also engaged in a number of initiatives to promote philanthropy in communities of color.
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors' Cultures of Giving Fund, which was designed to support emerging donor communities to lead, develop, and grow philanthropic resources for community social change causes.
About Paul Bachleitner
Paul Bachleitner is a communications, marketing, and development and fundraising consultant with over eight years' experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors and participated in the Association of Black Foundation Executives' National Connecting Leaders Fellowship in the same class as Trista and Jasmine. For more informations, go to www.bachwriter.com or feel free to contact him by email at paul (at) bachwriter.com.

Spring Cleaning at New Voices of Philanthropy

*Image is of Minnehaha Falls, my favorite place to visit in the summer.

Even though it is 15 degrees below zero in Minnesota now (how I wish I was exaggerating), I've been doing some spring cleaning at New Voices of Philanthropy. In the next few weeks, you'll see a new look for the blog. It will be hosted by Wordpress and will have some additional pages but the web address will be the same. I am also adding writers that have varied experiences in the field of philanthropy. From executives, to program officers, foundation fundraisers, consultants, and many other variations on those themes. Each will bring their own perspective but all bloggers are here to help you be your best philanthrophizing self. If you are interested in being a regular or occasional writer for New Voices, send me an email at trista (at) DoGoodGuide.com.

New Voice-Allyson Reaves

As a part of New Voices of Philanthropy's series of articles from other new voices on Philanthropy, I bring you part three of Allyson Reaves' blogs on philanthropy fellowships. Part one can be found here and part two can be found here. From Allyson:

All Aboard the Philanthroship!!!

So we chatted last week about exploring fellowships as opportunities for intense learning and experience gathering. I’m hoping that this week, we can chat more about how to identify the right philanthroship (my corny attempt for a new Webster addition: a fellowship and or internship in philanthropy), how to prepare your boss and organization, and how to make the absolute best of your time as a fellow.

Finding a Philanthroship
• Don’t restrict yourself to just fellowships. I used to think that after I graduated, internships were off my radar. Not so! There are a significant number of respectable internships that pay well and lead to phenomenal job opportunities.
• Google it!! I used every combination that interested me: fellowship + art, fellowship + international, internship + paid, fellowship + Brazil…..(yep….there are some in Rio!)
• Constantly tune into opportunities listed in philanthropy-related publications.

Selecting a Fellowship
• One of my priorities is that the philanthroship pays well. That way, my income can be used as leverage when negotiating my salary for the next job.
• Try to shoot for a fellowship that lasts for a year. That way, you become very famililar with the host organization’s network, it’s main area of programming, and colleagues.
• Find a philanthroship that suits your talents. Also, try to get your hands involved in as many different kinds of projects as possible. That way, you have a tremendous amount of experience condensed into just 1 year of work.

Planning a Philanthroship
• Pursue a philanthroship when you are comfortable with being between jobs. The host organization just may ask you to stay on.
• If your current employing organization wants to keep you as a staff member while you are away, be sure to draw up a contract that outlines expected duties, insurance, continued benefits, accumulated vacation time, and payscale.

After the Philanthroship
• If you conducted research and compiled a useful paper, try to get it published. Circulating the work you completed in your philanthroship could lead to your next big career move.
• Keep in touch with EVERYONE who helped you....people you interviewed in your research, lecturers, other philanthroshippers, etc. Even sending a quick thank-you to everyone after your philanthroship builds what will become a frequently used bridge.

You can read more from Alyson at her blog.

Today’s Chat: If you’ve got some tips, ideas, or other suggestions about how to make the absolute best of your philanthroship, let us know!

New Voice-Allyson Reaves

As a part of New Voices of Philanthropy's series of articles from other new voices on Philanthropy, I bring you part two of Allyson Reaves' blogs on philanthropy fellowships. Part one can be found here. From Allyson:

And They Gave Me 10-15

One of the big things I’m hoping to exchange some information about this week is the idea of ‘philanthroshipping’ (my corny attempt for a new Webster addition: a fellowship and/or internship in philanthropy…cute, huh?). I was sitting at my orderly Program Associate desk at our South Carolina community foundation one day, and I was daydreaming about how I could become specialized in and get my dream job working for international philanthropy (according to most job descriptions in our field, you HAVE to be specialized….but I’m not, and it’s a tad tough to go back to school now)….then I started to worry about the security of my future….retirement…how can I pay back my excessive student loans…….arg!!!!!

Just that moment, dum dum dum dummmmmmm………the President/CEO of our foundation walks into my office, slides a paper on my desk….and says she thinks I might be interested.

While I’m thinking that this paper is a synopsis of some fabulous new report in the field, or a copy of an article from one of the field’s publications, it was an application to the Emerging Leaders International Fellows Program at the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (CPCS) in New York City (www.philanthropy.org).

January 2007
Long story short, I sent in the paperwork, held my breath for about a month or so……….and was accepted.

Now I was working (at the community foundation) for the type of President who wants to see her team grow…even if it means benching some players once in a while, and so she let me go with her blessing.

March 2007
After we mapped out a contract that pinpointed duties that I could maintain during the 3 months in NYC, I packed up a few annual reports, left a detailed AWAY message on my voicemail, grabbed some business cards, and got on the philanthroship to the Big Apple.

I want to share that this was by far the most influential span of time in my career so far. This fellowship, based at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, was a remarkable roundtable of consistent dialogue and learning, a tremendous network-building venture, and a flat out awesome intellectual exercise in the field of philanthropic work.

June 2007
I wrapped up the fellowship and I was convinced….. International Philanthropy was what I wanted…but I couldn’t find my shot to the top in South Carolina…and I still didn’t have the experience I needed for the position I wanted.

Just when I was daydreaming again…..in comes an e-mail from the fellowship’s ListServ with an announcement about a program in Italy…………..

The announcement read as follows:

There is a call for applications which makes 20 internships available for non-Italian graduates. The maximum age is 30. The deadline is 30 June 2007.

For one internship, knowledge of Italian is not requested. For the remaining 19 internships, a fair knowledge of Italian is requested. All the details are available in the call for applications (see below).

Again, in the attempt to keep my language concise (I know you’ve read lengthy grant apps before!), I sent over my application.

February 2008
While I’m now working on my Italian, this philanthroship that I’m involved with at Fondazione CRT in Torino (www.fondazionecrt.it) is just what Mr. Advancemeplease suggested- getting some intense experience under my belt so that perhaps one day…I can be considered as a potential job candidate with a specialized area of expertise…maybe 10 - 15 years early!!

While fellowships are usually associated with graduate or doctoral programs, there are a variety of research and work-based programs that are intended for practitioners in their chosen field. Just in case you might be looking for a change of environment, take a look at these programs, and see if they might be a match:

http://philanthropy.org/programs/intnl_fellows_program.html
http://www.abfe.org/abfLinks.asp
http://www.agmconnect.org/About/DiversityFellowship.aspx
http://www.civilsoc.org/announce/jhufel.htm
http://www.efc.be/projects/ifp/#Financial_benefits_for_fellows_
http://www.dukeendowment.org/about/TDEFellowship

Today’s Chat: If you have fellowship experience, please please please, let us know where you were, how it moved your career forward, and….um….any advice for us?

You can read more from Alyson at her blog. Next Monday from Allyson………..Making the Best of your Philanthroship

New Voice-Allyson Reaves

New Voices of Philanthropy is always looking for new writers to share their perspectives of philanthropy on this blog. Allyson Reaves is one of those new voices. Allyson is currently in Italy doing an amazing philanthropy fellowship and I wanted her to share how she got connected to that experience and any other advice that she would have for people trying to break into the field of philanthropy or advance in the field. This will be a three part series from Allyson that will be running for three Mondays. Enjoy! From Allyson:

Your invitation’s in the Mail!

I always slightly tilt my head when I hear a practitioner in philanthropy say ever so nonchalantly, ‘Oh I just fell into the field…..’

Fell? Really? You just fell into the field? Hmmmmm………..Seems like I’ve been trying to knock on..no…knock down the door of entry to the field for a while now….and you just fell….like you didn’t mean to??!?!?!!?!?

It wasn’t until I asked (quite frankly) a very insightful practitioner how I might professionally advance in a field chock-full of leading professionals who keep a tight grip on their leather executive seats for years. No….decades.

So after I asked Mr. Advancemeplease how young folks can direct their efforts to climbing up this ladder while still committing themselves to participating in solutions that address the

social justice, environmental,
arts and culture, education,
health and research, capacity building,
and
community development issues
of YESTERDAY while planning
-strategically and transparently-
the global civil society of TOMORROW,

he responded very succinctly with 3 ideas of how to move forward…..

1) Start at the bottom and work your way up.
Me: Sounds doable to go after an entry level job.…but everybody in my foundation is comfortable in their seats and probably won’t be retiring or moving any time soon….and I’m ready for a promotion!!! This won’t work for me right now.
2) Come in as a consultant…and if all the right opportunities line up, you may possibly be invited to join the team if a vacancy (or a short term grant to underwrite your salary) opens your door of civil service.
Me: Hmmmm…I’ve got college loans out the yin yang…and I need insurance…and a stable paycheck! This won’t work either.
3) Be invited as an expert in a specialized area.
Me: Does that mean I have to have a Ph.D. in something like International Capacity Building with a Concentration in American Diplomacy?
‘No, ladybug,’ Mr. Advancemeplease replied. ‘You’ve got to get some experience-intense experience-under your belt.
ME: Hmmm…well I want to be involved in International Philanthropy…I’ve got the philanthropy part…now I just need to break into the international side. Now how do I get intense INTERNATIONAL experience in South Carolina??????????????

Today’s Question for you: What’s your step-by-step advice on advancing in the field of philanthropy?

You can read more from Allyson at her blog. Next week from Allyson………..Fellowships and Other Ideas of Getting Experience Under your Belt

New Voice- Christopher Scott

A few months ago, I wrote a column inviting readers to become contributors to New Voices of Philanthropy. The intention of this blog has always been to be a forum for the next generation of philanthropic leadership and I now have a column from one of those new voices, Christopher Scott. Christopher is not only a hopeless optimist, he is also a person that is able to get off the dime and make his idea come to life. He is also the creator of the Nonprofit Leadership, Innovation, and Change blog. From Christopher:

From Idea to Action

Have you ever had an idea on how to make a positive difference in the world? An idea on how to eliminate poverty, reduce suffering, and help raise the quality of life for hundreds, thousands, or millions of people. As nonprofit leaders we all have these ideas where we wonder, “What would happen if I could create this?” If you’re serious about turning your idea into something that will create positive change in the world I have few tips for you. The first tip is to set a goal, because this is key, because once your idea has a goal, it’s no longer an idea, it’s now a project with a deadline. It was Diana Scharf Hunt who said, “Dreams are goals with deadlines.”

The second tip is to take action. I know this sounds a too simple, but when I first had the idea of starting A Day of Hope I had no idea how I was going to do it. I was a broke college student without a job and no money. I knew I wanted to make a positive difference in my community and was determined to find a way to make it happen. So I set the goal to deliver 30 baskets of food and turkeys to 30 families for Thanksgiving. Then I started calling and emailing all of my friends and family to ask them to join me. The end result was that we delivered 48 baskets of food and turkeys to 48 families for Thanksgiving.

One of my all time favorite quotes is from Zig Ziglar, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start, to be great.” If you have an idea on how to make a positive difference in the world, start making it happen. Don’t wait until you get a 501(c)(3) number or receive a large grant. Just start now!

Christopher Scott is an AmeriCorps*VISTA Member working at United Way in Modesto, CA. He also helped to start A Day of Hope which is a student based organization that delivers baskets of food and turkeys to hundreds of families every Thanksgiving.