The Rundown - July 22, 2022
The latest news and notes from the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors
The Rundown - Man on the Moon Edition!
This past Wednesday was the 53rd anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s landing on the moon. It was probably one of the most amazing events humankind has ever seen. The anniversary holds a bit more interest in my mind since, Neil Armstrong’s hometown of Wapakoneta, Ohio isn’t too far from where I live.
A small little city nestled in western part of the state, Wapakoneta is home to the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum, which is a pretty cool place right off of Interstate 75. One of my favorite memories with my son is going to that museum when he was a toddler.
We sat down in the planetarium to watch a movie about the moon landing and as “The Eagle”, the transporter the landed on the moon was coming towards the Moon’s surface on the screen and the music was getting more dramatic, my little guy tugs at my shirt and said, “Daddy, I don’t think they are going to make it.” I told my son, “Well, let’s just watch and find out.” As Mr. Armstrong said, “The Eagle has landed!”
Mythbusters! Philanthropy Style
This was an insightful piece from the Non Profit Pro website. The article goes into how there are two major common misconceptions about philanthropy and what those in the line of work need to do to battle those misconceptions.
The two biggest misconceptions that the piece says exist are:
Donations from everyday givers don’t matter.
Large-Sum donations alone can sustain nonprofits.
So, how can nonprofits help beat back some of this misconceptions? I can’t say it better than the authors of the article:
Gerry Lenfest and his wife, Marguerite, felt a tremendous responsibility as philanthropists to make an impact on the world during their lifetimes and beyond. They also possessed an unwavering belief in the collective power of individuals and communities to solve societal issues. The couple used their influence to encourage others active in big philanthropy and nonprofits to unite groups of people and unleash the power of everyday individuals to give.
More specifically, to accomplish this, the Lenfests pledged a significant portion of their fortune to countless matching gift programs, such as those in their local Philadelphia-area community that supported journalism, K-8 education, museums and more. These matching funds would ensure their gifts would have a lasting impact well beyond their origination by amplifying smaller contributions made by everyday individuals.
A Nonprofit Leader Makes An Appeal
This was a great guest column written in the Tyler (TX) Morning Telegraph written by Zoe Lawhorn. Ms. Lawhorn is the President and CEO of the Women’s Fund in Tyler, Texas and makes an impassioned plea for folks to give. Folks just like you and me.
In Zoe’s words:
Each part of the philanthropic puzzle combines to create critical support for the work of our nonprofits, and yet the individual donor has always been the largest collective contributor.
What is true for Ms. Lawhorn’s nonprofit is true for most nonprofits I know, it is the individual donors that are the lifeblood of the organization!
What I loved about this piece is that it is encouraging folks to just give. Of course, we might expect to see a plug for Ms. Lawhorn’s organization, but it is subtle and plays a secondary role to the power of her earnest message of the power of generosity from individuals. This is a message that just isn’t heard enough!
Better yet, Ms. Lawhorn is spreading her message in her own community. This wasn’t seen in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune or USA Today, it was seen in her local newspaper, in her own community; a message she is sharing with her friends and neighbors. Imagine the impact philanthropic giving would have if we all took the time to write a guest column in our own local newspaper? At the very least, I would guarantee that your words would be printed!
A Report from the Ford Foundation on a New Tool
Two years ago, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and the renewed discussions around racial equity, the Ford Foundation did something they never did, they issued a Social Impact Bond.
Social Impact Bonds are a novel way to fund foundations and nonprofit organizations. According to Investopedia a Social Impact Bond is: a contract with the public sector or governing authority, whereby it pays for better social outcomes in certain areas and passes on part of the savings achieved to investors. Not quite a traditional bond, since repayment is largely dependent upon achieving social outcomes, but investors still receive a payment on their investment and an interest rate return as well.
Two years after offering their first bond series, the Ford Foundation looked back and saw the impact of the bond on those organizations that they fund:
Thanks to this vast collective effort, two years later, grantees across the social justice sphere have outlasted this crisis—and grown, even through it. With increased support, these organizations have enriched the lives of millions—blunting the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the world’s most vulnerable populations.
For some grantees, the social bond ensured survival. The Covid-19 pandemic decimated nonprofit arts organizations, causing job losses three times greater than the nonprofit sector as a whole. In the United States, arts organizations lost over 500 million ticketed admissions—and over 1 million jobs. Organizations run by people of color were hit hardest. Social bond funding kept doors open—and kept art and culture alive.
You can access the full report here!
Question of the Week!
Last week, we asked a fun little question and had a fairly good response; except I know some of our international readers didn’t answer the question. I know our international readers are out there!
This week, is a simple little question as we are dead in the middle of summer:
We are Trying Something New
Perhaps you read our last “Deeper Dive” where we talked about the amazing power of Youtube as a Social Media platform. Well, a reader challenged me and said hey, “Why don’t you start your own channel?”
Okay, challenge accepted. Here is our channel with our first four videos. We had some readers share them on LinkedIn (THANK YOU!) and the response has been positive. Check it out and let me know what you think! Feel free to drop me a line at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com or just comment below!
Here is a link to our YouTube Channel!
Check Out Some New Resources
Pinnacle Strategies has created a new resource! Check out our store here on the gumroad platform. These are the three most popular tools that I am hit up for. Take a look at these tools and of course, if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
What Can We Work on Together?
Did you know that Pinnacle Strategies works individually with nonprofit and public sector leaders to help them solve problems, achieve goals and gain confidence in their roles?
Why?
Because, this work is hard and it’s often a lonely road. Our nonprofit and public sector leaders need people that they can talk to to get solid advice and encouragement to do the work that is in front of them. If you feel that this can be of value to you, or a member of your team, please reach out to pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com and let’s talk.
A Quick Note of Thanks!
Thank you all for subscribing to this newsletter. The subscription numbers continue to grow and from what I am learning, this side job seems like it has “sticking power”. I am not getting inquiries and calls from literally all over the world wanting to partner and work together to create value for you, the non profit and philanthropy leader. I feel very excited about the future of this newsletter and if you have any ideas or comments, please feel free to share them with me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com
I know many of you have shared this with your friends and colleagues and I am very grateful. Thank you! If you haven’t shared it yet…..well, here is your chance….
Ready to Learn Something New?
Spring is a wonderful time to visit Indianapolis and it opens a perfect opportunity to sharpen your skills and meet new professionals in the field. I would encourage you to look at some of the offerings of The Fund Raising School at the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University’s campus in Indianapolis. The professional development school has great programming both on-line and in-person both in Indianapolis and at other sites across the country. Take a look at their course offerings here!
Other Ways to Connect
Our coaching practice has openings starting here in 2022. 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.
Here are some other ways you can keep in contact with Pinnacle Strategies!
Check us out on our LinkedIn Page
Check us out on the Celebrating Leadership Facebook Page.
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