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.

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.