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Philanthropic foundations and philanthropists have deep influence on the sector in which we work. Again and again, nonprofits and communities have been asking for grantmakers to examine their practices and inherent power. Nonprofits and communities have also been clear that their involvement and leadership in the decisions that impact their communities is of utmost importance. Progress towards this evolution has been slow, but there is a trend from leading philanthropists that is sparking hope.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a client of ours that is elevating community voice to drive impact. Melinda French Gates recently shared in an updated Giving Pledge letter that she intends to focus her philanthropy approach not just on metrics, but also on building trust*. She shared the importance of letting the organizations she partners with, “define success on their own terms.” There is still a lot to unpack here though. For example, how will trust be built to ensure that communities will feel heard and be willing to share, and how will action be
taken based on that listening. These questions are important questions and often arise when we work with clients who aim to garner and act upon community insights. While we work to build trust, sometimes we falter. A key step in community insights work is to prepare for how you will take action based on the insights you hear. The common challenge we see is when those insights come as a surprise and the thing you need to act on requires you to disrupt the status quo. This new realization results in action steps that are at times slow and uncertain.
So I understand this questioning about how foundations and philanthropists will listen, and whether trust can be built between them and those they seek to hear from. Undoubtedly working in this direction will be a challenge that will require different behavior on the part of foundations, and inevitably missteps will occur. Yet, this trend from a leading philanthropist is positive – as understanding, intention, and willingness are the first steps in the change process.
I’m excited to see this twinkle in a wide sky of often top-down strategy. Let’s harness it and help it move forward
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Our heart goes out to all the communities that have been impacted by the crisis in Ukraine. Here are resources for community, partners, and business leaders at large to find ways to care for and support those affected in Ukraine, Russia, and neighboring countries. #StandWithUkraine – We are all interdependent.
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ResultsLab is a woman-owned social enterprise that propels organizations, communities, and networks to the next level of impact through quality design and effective use of data.
We are reinventing impact management by providing strategic design and capacity building for data informed decision-making to organizations and networks that exist to drive change for our communities.
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