The Rundown - January 7, 2022
The latest news and notes from the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sectors
A Community Foundation Leader Opens Up
We have always seen (and maybe we have even been a part of) those articles in local papers where the trusty reporter talks to a local nonprofit leader. This is one of those articles. And this is one of those articles that you should spend about three to five minutes to dig into. I don’t know Erin Belby of the LaCrosse Community Foundation, but I wish I did. She has some really solid insights that all nonprofit leaders should hear:
As a trained auditor with an analytical mind, I’m always trying to find my benchmarks for what’s “good” and “bad.” What I’ve learned working with nonprofits is that there are lots of nuances. Sometimes there’s a connection between revenue and expenses, sometimes there’s not. Sometimes more money in equals more programmatic outcomes, but sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes outcomes are just a factor of community need at that moment, and measures are more a sign of larger systemic issues than organization-specific results.
I wish all of us in the nonprofit and philanthropic worlds had a good understanding of this. Many times in this world, we get caught up in the comparison trap. We often wonder why that group got the big donation and our shop didn’t. We often wonder why they seem to be generating more revenue and our shop isn’t.
The fact of that matter is that all our shops are different. We come to our work with different teams of staffs and volunteers. We come to our work with different donors. We come to our work with different missions and visions We are all doing great work, but the way we do it is completely different. And that is perfectly acceptable.
Our goal isn’t to compare our work and our teams to the other shops we know, because we don’t know those shops. If there is one shop we need to compare ourselves to, it is the one we know the most intimately — our own. If we can be better today than we were yesterday, we are heading in the direction.
Philanthropy and the Democratic Society
This was an interesting article in The Atlantic that discussed a current paper written by Stanford University Political Science professor Rob Reich. Reich argues in part:
“Foundations are free, unlike commercial entities, to fund public goods because they need not compete with other firms or exclude people from consuming the goods they fund,” he wrote in The Boston Review. “And they are free, unlike politicians who face future elections, to fund minority, experimental, or controversial public goods that are not favored by majorities or at levels above the median voter.”
Reich is absolutely right, foundations are in an enviable position to help foster and create social change. They have the ability to make “business decisions” to fund certain organizations over others for the work that needs to be done and given then missions and visions, they can undertake work that is completely necessary and politically unpopular.
But at the end of the day, foundations are funded by people and people are still given the ability to make philanthropic choices. In fact, the exercise of philanthropy at any level is a voluntary act. We can’t expect large donors to forgo the option of creating their own desires for giving and expect them to write checks to fund foundations that either they are unware of or doing work that they don’t find particularly appealing. It just feels that goes against everything the philanthropic world stands for.
Are there efforts and ideas that need to be funded and supported? Absolutely. But many times, simply throwing money at these ideas isn’t necessarily the best route. Spreading these ideas, giving them currency with more individuals is sometimes the best route to go. If ideas are good enough….the funding will find them.
A Canadian Non-Profit Answers the Call
I loved this story from the Aldergrove Star out of British Columbia, Canada. For those unaware, the weather in British Columbia has been one of extremes over the past few months. Back in the summer, British Columbia saw some of the hottest temperatures they ever recorded which lead to devastating wildfires. That was followed in the fall by record-breaking amounts of rain and snow. Now, as the calendar flips to January, the new year has ushered record cold temperatures. The people living in Western Canada just can’t seem to catch a break.
And when people can’t catch a break, where do they turn? Well, they usually turn to the government. But, where does government turn to when there are challenges that they can’t solve? The nonprofit sector.
This story tells of local nonprofits in British Columbia that are working with local governments and schools to provide temporary shelter and housing for those that are battling the extreme weather elements.
Local News You Can Use
Did you happen to catch this profile of a local Troy resident who took his love of basketball and turned it into his love for humanity? This is a great story about Dick Steineman, who is one of the driving forces behind the St. Patrick Soup Kitchen, located on Troy’s East Side.
For those of you lucky to know Dick (and really, who doesn’t?) you are automatically drawn by his persona to serve others. Not a conversation can go by where he isn’t talking about those less fortunate among us and how serving those in need is something that needs to be done.
Thanks Dick for all you do for our community. I am happy to count you as a colleague and a friend in this work!
More Local News You Can Use
Here is a local event dealing with leadership that you may have interest in if you are in the Miami County area.
An Excerpt from the “Tools, Tips and Tricks” Newsletter
The Pinnacle Solutions, “Tips, Tools and Tricks” newsletter comes out every Tuesday and is available for a paid subscription for as little as $7/month. Here is an excerpt from our last version:
My wife recently brought a new spice rack for the kitchen. She doesn’t have an obscene amount of spices (I think we counted 25). When I counted out the 25, I said, “I bet you use 5 or 6 of these half the time and the others the other half.” She kind of gave me a puzzled look and then said, “You know what, you are right.” This is Price’s Law in action.
If you are searching for good information that will help you manage and lead a non-profit agency, please subscribe to the “Tips, Tools and Tricks” newsletter! And of course, as a huge “thank you”, all of our paid subscribers will get a special gift.
Other Ways to Connect
Our coaching practice has openings starting in 2021. If you are interested in working with me to get your nonprofit organization on a track to achieve the big missions you have for your organization, please reach out to me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
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It’s the Season to Share!
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