Small Change: Why Business Won't Save the World

The South Asian Philanthropy Project has a great interview up with Michael Edwards, Demos researcher and author. Some excerpts are below:

We are delighted to have Michael Edwards as a guest at the South Asian Philanthropy Project.  Michael and I chatted recently about his new book, Small Change: Why Business Won’t Save the World, and the field of philanthropy in general.

Michael is an independent writer and activist who is affiliated with the New York-based think-tank Demos, the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University, and the Brooks World Poverty Institute at Manchester University in the UK. From 1999 to 2008, he was Director of the Ford Foundation’s Governance and Civil Society Program, and previously worked for the World Bank, OxFam, and Save the Children.

Welcome, Michael!  We’re honored to have you with us.

First off, can you tell us a little bit about your new book, Small Change: Why Business Won’t Save the World?

Thanks Archana, and thanks for hosting this Q and A on your excellent site. I’m looking forward to interacting with your readers.

“Small Change” was written out of my frustration that debates about the purpose and direction of philanthropy were becoming so one-sided – dominated by the idea that business has all the answers, that the super-rich are the new ‘super-heroes’, and that philanthropy is essentially a technical exercise of selecting the ‘best’ organizations to support based on quantifiable data and criteria for ‘investment.’

I come from a background in civil society and international development, so for me the most entrenched social problems like poverty and inequality, violence and discrimination, are always the most complicated and political to solve. And, while new ideas and methods are always welcome in philanthropy, they need to be questioned and carefully- evaluated to see if they really do work in these areas, and I didn’t think that was happening. Instead, questions of deep social transformation and of democracy versus plutocracy were being buried under an increasing wave of hype and adulation.

“Small Change” is a wake-up call, if you like – a deliberate provocation designed to foster more debate, bring in different perspectives, and ensure that older but still-valuable traditions of social movements, community organizing, and bottom-up philanthropy are not forgotten or discarded. I think we will all be better placed to make decisions about philanthropy from a platform like that.

Read the full Q and A here.

Next Gen Fellowship Available

Independent Sector is pleased to announce the second year of the American Express NGen Fellows Program, which builds the capacity of 12 under-40 professionals from IS member organizations to shape the future of the nonprofit community. Visit the IS website to learn more about the benefits of participation in the fellows program, the selection process, and how to apply. Applications are due March 29, 2010. NGen fellows will enjoy a series of exceptional opportunities over the course of nine months, including collaborating with other under-40 leaders, interacting with established mentors, and contributing to IS’s work on nonprofit impact and leadership. Independent Sector will host the 12 fellows at our D.C. offices for a kick-off event in late August, and they will receive complementary registration and lodging to take part in the IS Annual Conference in Atlanta, October 20-22. These experiences will culminate in a six-month group project that advances their leadership skills and contributes to the ability of emerging leaders to collaborate on sector-wide issues.

The American Express NGen Fellows Program is just one part of IS’s NGen initiative, which is designed to deepen the nonprofit talent pool by developing the leadership opportunities and professional networks of emerging leaders. Mark your calendars now for targeted NGen events open to all under-40 leaders in Atlanta October 19-20, and watch for more information on the IS website soon.

Why Capitol Hill Meetings are Important

  Foundations on the Hill (FOTH) is an annual two-day legislative and public policy event in Washington, DC for foundation staff members and philanthropic leaders. We need Next Gen voices at this table! This year, FOTH will take place on Tuesday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 17. The event is co-hosted by the Council on Foundations and the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers.

During the event participants will receive a legislative briefing on policies relating to the philanthropic sector, discuss philanthropic partnerships and initiatives with key Hill staff and administration representatives, learn about the 2010 tax agenda from Joint Committee on Taxation, House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committee staffs, and participate in meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

FOTH is a unique opportunity for next generation leaders to demonstrate the creativity, leadership and power of philanthropy and its impact on American society, particularly during these turbulent economic times.

Why should you attend Foundations on the Hill? It is an opportunity to:

1)      Influence legislation

Capitol Hill meetings with your senators and representatives are valuable opportunities to improve legislation that affects the philanthropic sector. These meetings send a message to senators and representatives that their foundation constituents are paying attention, often motivating legislators to get involved with a bill they may have ignored otherwise.

2)      Demonstrate extra commitment to your cause

Constituent meetings with senators and representatives in their home states or districts are routine, as they are convenient and inexpensive. But constituents who travel to Washington, DC demonstrate an extra level of commitment to their cause. Recognizing the time and expense involved in attending meetings on Capitol Hill, legislators and their staffs are more likely to listen and respond to constituents, particularly to those who have traveled far to be there.      

3)      Meet and Build Relationships with the DC policy staff

When you meet with members of Congress in their home state or district offices, you meet their district staff; on Capitol Hill, you meet their policy staff. Policy staffs monitor specific legislative issues—including foundation and charitable sector issues, which are usually handled by the Tax Legislative Assistant. It is policy staff rather than district staff who provide legislators with background information and voting advice on bills.

Capitol Hill meetings are an effective way to educate and build relationships with Washington, DC staffers. Even if your legislator is unable to participate, meetings with policy staff can be extremely valuable. If you convince them to support your cause, they can become effective advocates for the sector. 

Registration for FOTH is $95.  Register for Foundations on the Hill today and take advantage of this opportunity to participate in an intimate discussion with Hill staff and administration representatives about the work that you are doing in your communities. For more information about the program and confirmed guest speakers, visit the Foundations on the Hill Web site.

Read what your colleagues are saying about FOTH. You can follow the conversation on FOTH by visiting the Council's Twitter feed at twitter.com/cof_. Join in by using the hash tag #FOTH in your tweets before, during, and after FOTH.

If you have additional questions, contact Chatrane Birbal, Chatrane.Birbal@cof.org, 703-879-0689, in the Council’s Public Policy Department; or Courtney Moore, Cmoore@givingforum.org, 703-879-0809, at the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers.

Know What You Want (and then ask for it)

Just a head's up: this post is a rant cleverly (or not so cleverly) disguised as a helpful professional development blog post.

I have been to too many meetings, informational coffees, and phone conferences in the last few months where someone has asked to meet or talk with me, probably for a very specific reason, and I have left the conversation being really unclear about what they want me to be, think, or do. Did they want a grant from Headwaters? Maybe. Were they looking for a new position and wanted some advice? Possibly. Did they want me to buy into their nutrient drink pyramid scheme? I don't know because they never made the ask.

Not every conversation or coffee meeting has to have an agenda or a specific ask but many are intended to. If you want something specific to happen from a meeting, properly prepare:

Clarify for yourself what you are looking for. What end result would make you ecstatic? What is the reason that you wanted to have a conversations with this person, instead of the many others that you could have met with? What special skills, experiences, or connections do they have that would help you or your organization?

Do your research. If someone suggestions that you meet with someone, find out why. Do some online research, look for natural overlaps in interests, use LinkedIn or Facebook to see who else this person knows. Are they a connector that could open up a whole new range of contacts for you? Are they a member of the basket weaving society that you are trying to get into?

When you request a meeting make your purpose clear. Tell the person why you think it would be in both of your interests to meet. Give them a few questions that you would like for them to answer. For example: "My long-term goal is a career in philanthropy and am considering getting a Master's degree to help me reach that goal. Was your M.B.A. a help or hinderance when you applied for your position?" or "I'm new to the state and trying to increase my professional contacts, would you be willing to have coffee and give me your perspective on the nonprofit sector here?"

Make the ask. Small talk is great but make sure after you have covered the necessary pleasantries, that you ask for what you came to ask for. Don't wait until the last 2 minutes that you have scheduled to meet to ask your 14 part question, just get in out there early on. That means that the person you are meeting with can keep that purpose in mind throughout the conversation and be as helpful as possible to you throughout the meeting (hopefully).

This rant is over but the conversation is not. What tips do you have for making these types of conversation useful for both parties?