PSIJ Health Edition Launch

Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal welcomes you at an informational evening to celebrate the launch of the fall special Health Edition of Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal (PSIJ), which will be available for online viewing during the reception. The first publication dedicated to social innovation in the Delaware Valley, PSIJ focuses on the Philadelphia region’s current and emerging leaders of social entrepreneurship, nonprofit organizations, foundations and social sector businesses, and on the principles they have developed to create, manage and promote social change. For more information on PSIJ, visit www.philasocialinnovations.org. The launch event takes place on September 26th from 4:00pm until 7:00pm at the Radisson/Warwick Hotel, 220 South 17th Street in Philadelphia. The session's keynote speaker is Dr. G. Terry Madonna who is the Director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College. RSVP, not required but preferred, to tine@philasocialinnovations.org.

Become a Smart Donor

Have you ever given to a nonprofit organization and were not entirely sure how your contribution was used? Are the nonprofit organizations you support in line with what you value? If they are not, have you asked yourself, why? Do you know what a 501(c)(3), a donor advised fund and a private foundation are? Have you made contributions when catastrophes occur like the earthquake/tsunami in Japan and were not sure how to provide meaningful support? If you have asked yourself these questions, then please join this discussion with other interested donors and learn the basics of becoming a smart donor. I will be teaching three classes through the Mt. Airy Learning Tree in October. Click here for more information and to register for the class.

Do More Than Give

Do More Than Give by Crutchfield, Kania and Kramer is about catalytic philanthropy. The idea behind catalytic philanthropy starts with two main premises:

1. Donors have something valuable to contribute beyond their money. The clout, connections, business know-how, and political savvy that foundation leaders, business executives, and many individual donors possess are key resources in advancing causes – resources that nonprofits often lack.

2. We all inhabit an increasingly complex and globally interdependent world that is changing with unprecedented speed. Although social and environmental problems have been with us throughout human history, today’s challenges are of a whole new order.

According to Do More Than Give, there are 6 practices which can be employed by donors who really want to make an impact in the issues they care about.

1. Advocate for Change: Systemwide change is rarely achieved without a range of advocacy efforts including raising awareness, educating the public and lobbying.
2. Blend Profit with Purpose: Social entrepreneurs are finding that business models that blend profit with purpose can scale up to address social problems more rapidly and sustainably than traditional nonprofits. Catalytic donors are learning to tap into the power of business as an engine for advancing the greater good.
3. Forge Nonprofit Peer Networks: This is about forging partnerships and relationships – nonprofits, corporations, foundations working together across a spectrum in order to achieve collective impact that no single organization could ever deliver alone.
4. Empower the People: Don’t treat individual community members as recipients of charity. Instead view them as essential participants in the process of solving problems for themselves. Solicit individuals for ideas and involve them.
5. Lead Adaptively: There is an important skill to learn and use – the ability to see changes and opportunities in their environment and to orchestrate the activities of key players to advance their cause.
6. Learn in order to Change: This is about building systems that enable donor and grantees to learn about what’s working and what needs to be fixed in real time in order to advance a cause. As a result, they build learning organizations.

The Philanthropy Column

The latest edition of The Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal has been released! The Summer edition focuses on Partnerships Toward Collective Social Impact; Community Impact Strategies; and Generational Leadership Targeting Social Entrepreneurs. It also includes my first Philanthropy Column which explores and better defines the growing industry of philanthropic advising. I asked fellow advisors in the Greater Philadelphia area to weigh in on the profession and share their views on the changing needs and interests of their clients. I would love your feedback on the article so please feel free to comment!

First Loan to a Kiva Borrower

I just made my first loan through Kiva (www.kiva.org). I lent money to a woman farmer named Maricel. Marciel lives in the Philippines and is married with 2 children. Her oldest child is only 5 years old. She is a farmer working in Sta. Josefa, Agusan del sur. She has been growing rice for 5 years. She earns 5,000 PHP per month doing this farming. She requested a loan of $250 to purchase seeds, fertilizers and other farm inputs. In the future, she hopes to improve her business and be able to sustain her family. 8 people lent Marciel the money she needs and my loan put her at $250.

Marciel came to Kiva through Field Partner, Community Economic Ventures, Inc. (CEVI), based in Bohol. In addition to providing credit for its clients, CEVI provides savings, insurance, and training through regular cluster group meetings.

The processes to register, to view profiles of borrowers and to actually make a loan were seamless. Kiva asks for lenders to "tip" them with each loan in order to help pay for the costs of providing infrastructure. This tip is optional. They do not take a piece of the loan as it goes directly to the borrower.

This service is a great way to get started in microfinance. Kiva makes it easy to select the sector focus of your loan - their featured loans are group loans, housing loans and agriculture loans. There are currently over 1300 loans available. Kiva provides a profile of the borrower, information on the Field Partner and the use and terms of the loan. All Field Partners are rated for their ability to cultivate and support borrowers.

This initiative is about giving a hand up to entrepreneurs working towards better lives for themselves, their families and their communities.

Bolder Giving: Great Teleconference with Diane Feeney

I participated in a teleconference call today sponsored by Bolder Giving and featuring Diane Feeney. Diane's father is Chuck Feeney, the co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers. Mr. Feeney donated his entire business interests to Atlantic Philanthropies and ensured that the foundation would pay-out in his lifetime. Diane and her family set up the French American Charitable Trust (FACT), to fund social justice causes in the U.S. and France. The foundation's focus is funding community organizations and grassroots groups, directly helping people and organizations who suffer from social inequality.

Influenced by her father, Diane guided her family's foundation to pay-out assets in her lifetime. After having donated $54 million to social justices causes, FACT will soon close its doors.

The call was hosted by Anne Ellinger, co-founder of Bolder Giving. The mission of Bolder Giving is to inspire and support people to give at their full potential. Diane described the conversation she and her family had to decide to pay-out the assets of the foundation. She talked about how surprised she was at the 5% minimum pay-out requirement of U.S. foundations AND the fact that the 5% has in some instances turned into a cap. Diane fully believes in the "giving while living" philosophy. Her family made the decision for two reasons: First, they wanted to apply as much money to their programs of interest and second it was a great way for the family to come together and they did not want to open it to the next generation.

The foundation is currently in the process of closing. Anne asked Diane about whether the family will stay connected despite not having the foundation. Diane responded by saying that the process has been positive and actually brought her family together. She is going on to start a giving program with her sister once the foundation is fully closed. Diane is personally interested in women's economic development and it will be the focus her future work.

One of the attendees asked Diane about her own identity once the foundation is closed. The fact that she has found her next step and still has her own personal giving has helped her, but she believes it is important to not solely identify with the donor part of one's self.

Another attendee asked about the impact of closing the foundation on their grantees. They funded about 30 organizations each year over 10-15 years. They informed the grantees 4 years ago about their plans to pay-out the assets of the foundation. They shifted their grant focus a bit and ensured that the grantees had fundraising plans in place. They made two-year grants to help grantees diversify and strengthen their fundraising capacity and capabilities.

I turned the conversation towards impact investing. Diane's foundation did not make many investments, but she does see value in aligning investing with the mission and supporting overall grantmaking.

It is always interesting to hear a person's story and experiences. It was an inspiring conversation taking a different look at the level of gifting, the timing of pay-out and the fundamental philosophies which guide gifting.

Night Out With Meaning, May 4, 2011

Thank you to those who attended Night Out With Meaning on May 4, 2011. A special thank you to Marjorie Margolies for sharing her story! I received many emails of gratitude for the opportunity to hear Marjorie's story and be surrounded by thoughtful women.

Marjorie weaved her experiences as Congresswoman, broadcast journalist, adoptive mother, Director and Deputy Chair of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Fourth World Conference On Women and her recent role as founder and president of Women's Campaign International - a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing participation of women in political, market and civic process in 20 countries.

I received a request to create a Facebook Group to better connect with other women in the room and to continue the conversation. Here is the link to join: Night Out With Meaning.

I look forward to inviting people to the next Night Out in November 2011!