Why do we love to hate do gooders?

I am a constant critic of many philanthropy and nonprofit practices. My husband likes to say "give them a break, they are trying to do something nice." My personal motto is "do good better", so it is impossible for me to "give them a break". But I have noticed that more and more of us are getting stuck on the better part and are ignoring the do good part. This was recently highlighted for me when I was listening to Tiny Spark on NPR. Tiny Spark is a new effort to ignite a debate about the business of doing good. Their latest podcast is about Tom's Shoes and the controversy about who received the shoes. The reporter seemed disappointed that Tom's distibute the shoes to children who already have a pair of shoes. My first thought was "so what?". Kids can't have two pairs of shoes? Last time I checked, Nike or Adidas was not giving a pair of shoes away for everyone that is sold and the Tom's model feels like progress to me. It isn't perfect, but it changes how we look at what is possible. By spending so much time and energy on gaps in new ways of doing good I think we discourage others from trying. The other place where this has come to life for me is Invisible Children and the Kony controversey. My 12 year old daughter came home from school and asked me what I am doing to help the kids that Kony has kidnapped. This is not her regular conversation after school. This started a great discussion and opened up her ability to look beyond herself. It may not have been done perfectly but it started an important conversation about how we are all connected.

I am beginning to believe that there is a continuum of doing good and choosing inaction as we wait for perfection will get us no where.

What do you think?

 

Always be ready for the mike

I went to a meeting this week and was running a little late. I knew it would be a lunch gathering about a project that I lead but didn't have a lot of other details. I was feeling pretty proud of myself for making it just on time when I slipped into my seat. I took a look at the program and was beyond surprised when I saw that I was the second speaker listed. A few years ago I would have broken into a stress sweat and hid in the bathroom waiting for them to go on without me. Instead I continued the great conversation I was having with my table mates and when they called my name I reminded myself to stick to 5 minutes and gave what I hope was an informative and friendly introduction to the program that I lead.

So the key to going from shock to ease in just a few minutes...preparation.  For programs that I may be asked to give an impromptu speech about, I have a 30 second, 5 minute, 15 minute, and thirty minute version that I am ready to do anytime. I also have speeches in the same lengths ready to talk about myself, my organization, my job, the Nonprofit Rockstar book and the future of philanthropy. It isn't as overwhelming as it sounds. I often use the Beyond Bullet Points method to script the outline and the version can get longer as I add details and stories to my key points.

Being a prepared public speaker sets you apart professionally and decreases your need to hid in the bathroom in fear exponetially.

Foundation Leadership: Who Decides?

There is some serious movement afoot in the philanthropic sector. For years there has been talk of a massive leadership transition as baby boomers begin to retire, this transition hasn't happened for a lot of reasons (the economy and retirement investment returns being weak as the main culprits). But we are now starting to see the transition begin in the philanthropic sector.

Hiring a new CEO is one of the most important jobs a foundation board has. There is a another critical stakeholder when it comes to hiring the foundation CEO...grantees. Grantees are often looked at as the recipient of foundation good, rather than a consumer whose needs should be taken into account. Foundations can't meet their missions without the critical work of nonprofits, so their voice should be an important one in the hiring process.

A group of nonprofit and organizations dedicated to the success of the nonprofit sector have written an open letter to the board of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation as they begin their search for a new CEO. The organizations have asked the board to select a CEO who:

-supports general operating grants for nonprofits

-understands the role that race plays in inequity

-supports high impact grantmaking through the support of advocacy and community organizing

-understands the limits of "strategic philanthropy" and will minimize the paperwork burden on nonprofits

I hope this kind of open communications brings the voice of a foundation's most important partner, nonprofits, into a decision that will impact the future of the sector.