Reimagining philanthropic impact

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Abby Rolland

A law professor for 25 years and then dean of Stanford Law School, Larry Kramer did not anticipate venturing into formal philanthropy. However, when the position of president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation opened, he saw the move as natural.

“In both positions, dean of a law school or president of a foundation, I am responsible for managing a pool of resources. My job is to direct those resources to other people to enhance their work,” Kramer said.

And so far, that’s what Kramer has done with the foundation. He has implemented new programs but also continued improving programs that the Hewlett Foundation already had in place.

“The foundation had been around for 50 years and was in great shape when I arrived,” he said. “It already had good programs and innovative strategies it was pursuing. My job was not to reinvent the organization but to keep the programs it had going and improve them as much as I could.”

Kramer also introduced some new programs, responding to changes in the world. One of those was the Madison Initiative, an effort to address polarization in American democracy.

“We started this initiative to help think about what we could do to mitigate hyper-partisanship and gridlock in the federal government, which has prevented it from doing much of use,” he said.

The foundation also began a program to build a field of policy analysis for cyber security, another growing, significant problem. While the Madison Initiative and cyber security analysis are two new programs, Kramer stressed the continuation of programs that the foundation has supported for years.

“The foundation has long been a funder of women’s reproductive health. Our work has involved supporting organizations that provide women access to family planning and safe abortion,” Kramer said. “We’ve also funded research and training for long acting reversible contraception (LARCs) because it’s very effective. As a result, teen pregnancy has dropped dramatically.

“Now, we’re changing our focus to reconnect the issue of women’s control over their reproductive health to economic well-being and women’s opportunities for productive, fulfilling lives. That is an example of a shift in strategy while still working toward the same long-term goal. We finished what we set out to do in one respect and had to think about what to do next.”

Kramer also stresses the importance of collaborating with other funders and partners, indicating the foundation identifies problems and then finds people who are doing the right work in order to support what the foundation is doing.

“Most of the work we do is either trying to change public policy or the circumstances surrounding it. We realize that in order to accomplish our goals, working with other funders is imperative,” Kramer said. “Collaboration in philanthropy has turned out to be surprisingly difficult, and that’s unfortunate. I do hope though that in the future, people are able to learn from what we’ve learned.”

Kramer says working in philanthropy has also affected his own life. He revealed that initially, his mother questioned his move from the deanship of Stanford Law School to being the president of the foundation.

“She had never heard of it, which is one of the things I like about the foundation; that it’s not about promoting itself,” he said. “But when she looked at what Hewlett does on the website she was really moved, because she understood that it was the chance for me to make a difference in people’s lives.

“Every morning, I can wake up and know that what I’m doing is worthwhile. And if I have any doubts about that, it’s in my power to change it. That is incredibly rare. Few people ever get to say both of those things.”

Want to hear from the next speaker in the 30th anniversary series? You can still RSVP to see Scott Harrison, CEO of charity: water, at the Lake Lecture on March 8 at 6 p.m. at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.

Abby Rolland is the blog content coordinator for the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

What Michelle Obama can teach us about women’s philanthropy

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Andrea Pactor

When Michelle Obama spoke to a sold-out crowd in Indianapolis in mid-February at an event organized by the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana, her message embodied the core essence of philanthropy.

“Assume the best in your neighbors, not the worst … act with decency and with some compassion and with an open heart and nobody can take that away from you.”

So much of women’s philanthropy—from the work Melinda Gates has initiated at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to close the gender data gap, to the transformative change that Agnes Gund is ushering in through the Art for Justice Fund, to the myriad women’s fund and giving circles investing heavily in local communities—is based on Obama’s advice to be “kind and open and generous and compassionate, showing empathy for others.”

The former First Lady also encapsulated six themes that women can embrace to fully engage and maximize their philanthropic efforts.

Michelle Obama speaks to the sold-out crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Role models. Obama said, “The most important role models that you have are right in front of you.” As women in philanthropy, we have to remember that others are watching; our children are watching. Women Give 2013 found that role-modeling philanthropic behavior is important but that talking to children about philanthropy has a greater impact on children’s giving.

Confidence. Often the Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) hears from women at conferences that they don’t know how to start their philanthropic journey. Obama’s advice to build confidence is straightforward. “What you have to do is just get up. And do it. There is no magic. You only learn by doing.”

Being at the table. Obama was clear that it is important to be at the table, but it is not enough only to be at the table. She said, “You can’t be at the table if you are not prepared.” She followed that with, “There are a lot of people who get to the table, and they’re too nervous to add that value. Because a lot of times, they get to the table and they’re so concerned with not losing that seat at the table.” Whether you’re raising funds or on the board of the family foundation, knowledge, preparation, listening, and confidence are critical to “put yourself in the game.”

Being heard. To a question about how Obama made sure her voice was heard throughout her career, the former First Lady said, “I was loud and persistent. OK, maybe not always loud, but always persistent.” She said that the committees on which you serve make a difference and gave the example of serving on the recruitment committee at the large law firm where she worked to guarantee that the firm honored its commitment to diversity. For women’s philanthropy, this may mean asking to serve on investment, budget, or HR committees to ensure that your voice is heard in these important governance and management areas.

Solving problems. Obama stated her focus is on trying to fix systemic problems; for her, this is a better use of her time. This approach is comparable to comments made by women philanthropists in a recent WPI report, Giving By and for Women: Understanding high-net-worth donors’ support for women and girls.” One interviewee in the report said, “The way I like to describe it sometimes is that it’s like there’s an acid river with a waterfall. And down at the bottom, lots of people are getting burned and lots of people are doing CPR down there. And that is direct giving. It’s really important and vital, right? But at a certain point, I started thinking, we need to turn that spigot off, because this could go on forever.” Another said, “I was really interested in funding organizations that went upstream and try to address the root of the problem.” More women are willing to take risks with their philanthropy to advance the causes about which they care so deeply.

Power. Obama recognizes that women are socialized to put themselves “third, fourth, or last” and that makes it harder to “ask more for us.” She acknowledged that women are everywhere right now. “But if we’re everywhere being quiet, if we’re everywhere being afraid, then we’re not really using the leverage to our advantage.” Some women in philanthropy are finding innovative and creative ways to leverage their assets, their leadership, their experiences, and their power to accelerate the changes they wish to see in their communities and around the world. For more women to step fully into their philanthropic power is the next step in growing women’s philanthropy.

According to newspaper reports, the event raised $1 million to support the work of the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana to create transformative and sustainable change for women and girls.

Perhaps more significantly, Obama challenged the 12,000 in attendance to lead from where they are, to become active, to vote, and to be responsible to the world around them.

When each of those in attendance takes that message to heart and shares it with 10 or 20 others, real change can occur. And that is a real example of the power of women’s philanthropy.

Follow the Women’s Philanthropy Institute on Twitter

Andrea Pactor is the associate director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute.

Forecasting philanthropy in the coming year

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Abby Rolland

For the past four years, the Philanthropy Outlook, a publication made possible by a partnership between the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and Marts & Lundy, a leading fundraising and philanthropy consulting firm, has used a forecasting model to test variables to predict baseline measures of giving for the four sources of giving (individuals, foundations, corporations, and estates) and three subsectors (educational organizations, health organizations, and public society organizations).

This year, however, changes in federal tax policy at the end of December 2017 required a new way of structuring The Philanthropy Outlook.

Anna Pruitt, Ph.D., serves as project manager and writer, and Tessa Skidmore serves as project coordinator and writer for the Philanthropy Outlook at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

“We produce the report and then a supplement to the report that is a guide to the model we use and the different variables that were tested for each source and subsector,” Pruitt said.

Skidmore added, “It’s a very technical model, but we work hard to make sure that people understand the different parts of it and have a good sense of what each of the variables mean.”

Changes in tax policy required the research team to re-examine the report, and they decided to add several new sections this year.

“We decided to provide more context, so we added a section on tax policy. We talk about the four sources of giving, the policy changes that occurred that will directly or indirectly affect these sources of giving, and the implications of that, through a comprehensive literature review,” Skidmore said.

“In other words, we’ve taken all of the information that’s been released in the aftermath of these changes and distilled it into the most important factors that fundraisers, scholars, and other practitioners should pay attention to.”

Another new section focuses on three different scenarios that bring together the economic factors included in the model and the new section on tax policies.

“We wanted to give people a sense of how these policy changes would impact the economic factors that go into the model and how they can use and manage the baseline projections,” Skidmore said. “As a result, we present an ‘if/then’ situation; we are starting at a certain point but if they hear that certain things are going on with the economy, then they can know what to expect. It’s a way to bridge the information we’re providing on tax policy and the model, which is primarily focused on the economy.”

The benefit to these new sections, Pruitt explained, is that they not only give fundraisers, scholars, and practitioners a real sense of what they can look out for, but how that might change giving as a result of these different factors moving in different directions.

“The new section on scenarios really brings everything together,” she said.

Overall, the two researchers are proud of the new sections that have been put together.

“We’re doing something unique by bringing in tax policy, the economic variables, and talking about how specifically they might work and what people can look for in charitable giving,” Pruitt said. “The report is useful, applicable, clear, and rigorous, and we think it will be an important tool for fundraisers and other practitioners of philanthropy.”

Check out The Philanthropy Outlook 2018 and 2019

Abby Rolland is the blog content coordinator for the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Secrets to my philanthropic questions and how they’ve been answered

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Abby Rolland

30th Anniversary kickoff — I love history, so it was great to hear reflections from six faculty and staff members who have been an integral part of the school for so long.

It’s been six months since I started working at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. When I accepted the position as blog content coordinator, I had no idea how much the school is involved in. Six months later, you could say I’m happily surprised. Not because I doubted how much the school does, but because I had no idea how much a school could do.

I admit, I’ve always had a powerful interest and passion for philanthropy. Growing up, I saw both sets of grandparents and my parents give their wealth and time to philanthropic pursuits. I volunteered for seven months abroad after graduating college. I worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA, completing a year of service in Indianapolis after that. Then came my transition to working at the school and boy, have I learned a lot.

I’ve learned about the students and alumni of the school, who are incredibly impressive individuals and doing amazing things.

Classes on philanthropy, such as Learning by Giving, engage students in experiential learning and how to be wise grantmakers. I’ve learned about current trends in philanthropy and how policy will impact giving. I’ve interviewed faculty members of the school, who are conducting research on diverse topics such as empathy and technology, the Middle East, foundations, civil society, and democracy, and how to give in times of disaster.

Hurricane Harvey donations — In my first month of school, I quickly saw the heart and passion of students. These donations from the class Giving and Volunteering went to Hurricane Harvey relief.

The faculty members themselves, their experiences in the field, and their diverse research interests offer a broad range of perspectives and approaches to studying and doing philanthropy and fundraising.

The school research team produces fascinating research on poverty in remote areas, giving and religion, predictions on giving in the next year, and the launch of a brand new, interactive GenerosityForLife website where you can measure your own generosity and learn about other scholars’ approaches.

The school’s partners on these projects, such as The Salvation Army and Marts & Lundy (among many more) are invaluable to the school’s rigorous research process.

I’ve read about the Women’s Philanthropy Institute‘s research on women and giving and how giving makes us happy, and seen firsthand accounts of how Lake Institute on Faith and Giving’s seminars and classes offer concrete ways for faith-based organizations to change how they approach giving.

I’ve heard about the transformative process of attending The Fund Raising School’s courses, and attended a fantastic session myself. I’ve attended various events, such as the 30th anniversary lecture series (featuring Nageeb Sumar and Larry Kramer), Tocqueville talks, doctoral dissertation defenses, philanthropy research workshops, and several sessions of school-sponsored events and symposiums.

One particular highlight for me? Speaking with Jean Case, who is the CEO of the Case Foundation and hearing her enlightening views on how to approach philanthropy and life in general.

If you’re thinking, “wow, this school has a lot to offer,” you’re right! I’ve immersed myself as much as I can in order to present a wide range of topics on the blog, but there are so many ways for people to get involved.

It could range from taking the seminars offered by Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, to attending a lecture (free of charge I might add) about philanthropy, to learning about diversity and philanthropy in a webinar presented by The Fund Raising School.

I’ve been so intrigued by all I’ve learned that I’ve enrolled in the graduate certificate program, and am now better understanding the multiple facets of fundraising and questioning civil society’s role in democracy-building.

I might add that I’m able to take two classes (one online and one in-person, although you can take all online if you prefer) and work full-time, which has been manageable for me.

There really are so many ways to learn about and get involved with the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. What I’ve listed is not the extent of what the school does, and there is also so much to look forward to as well.

In the next six months, Lake Institute will host Scott Harrison of charity:water as part of the Thomas H. Lake Lecture series, while the school will host Joel Fleishman of Duke University as part of the 30th Anniversary Speaker Series, ARNOVA-ARCOSA Fellows from Africa will share their experiences, multiple courses by Lake Institute on Faith & Giving and The Fund Raising School will be held, the Women’s Philanthropy Institute will continue releasing relevant and engaging content, and most importantly, students will graduate and become alumni and make an impact in the community. In August, a new cohort of bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. students will arrive (in person or online) and change the world.

So, learn about and take advantage of the opportunities provided by the first and only school of philanthropy in the world.

Do you have a story you’d like to share with the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy? Post it here, or send an email to amrollan@iu.edu

Abby Rolland is the blog content coordinator for the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

The joy of giving and a middle school dance floor

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Anne Brock

By Chad De Jager

My relationship with the church budget was as complex as a middle school romance.

The interest is natural

By God’s careful design, some things inside us wake up in adolescence. Our parents and gym teachers tell us, “It’s natural” (as if those two words satisfied all my confused questions). Similarly, when the treasurer shares the monthly statement a natural interest wakes up inside of me. I’m curious. I have questions.

“Are we on budget? How is our YTD (year to date) spending? Should these numbers cause concern/comfort?”

As pastors, we know it’s not about the money, but we also know about the monthly bills, the costs of programming and the salaries of our co-workers. The interest may be natural, but the confusion seemed unavoidable.

Confusion over a first step

Middle school romance is marked with awkwardness. It’s hard enough to understand your sixth-grade self, much less try to relate to another human being.

“I don’t want to look foolish, but I really want to meet that person. Who should take the first step?”

As a pastor I often felt similarly awkward with money talk. Am I supposed to initiate, facilitate or avoid this conversation about money? I studied divinity and ministry leadership, not accounting or business. For most of my ministry career, I was interested in our financial position, our weekly offering and our financial plan for the future, but deeply unsure of my relationship to it. On one hand, I didn’t want to over-step the limits of my role as pastor. On the other hand, I didn’t want to avoid a place where people needed a pastor to lead.

Get on the dance floor

The victors of the middle school dance are the confident and the willing. It’s not really about your ability to dance, it’s about your willingness to be on the dance floor with others. And, when the willing get on the dance floor, they almost always find themselves in the company of others.

My money-mindset transformation happened when I was willing to get past my confusion and get on the dance floor. It was on the floor that I found people with financial expertise, new friends who coached me to read financial documents with insight and the freedom to explore what could be.

I entered the Creating Congregational Cultures of Generosity (CCCG) process with significant trepidation. We were a congregation with real anxiety around money (particularly having enough of it) and I fit our mold. It was the uncomfortable encouragement of an elder (who happened to be a banker) that pushed me to look into the process.

“I believe we can do more than apologize for taking people’s money on Sundays,” he said. “I think we can teach them about the joy of giving.”

I knew he was right and that my discomfort around money was wrong. Money, like most of God’s gifts, is a gift meant to be used faithfully and joyfully as God intended. My silence added to my congregation’s confusion about money. The CCCG process gave me a theological foundation for the conversation and the courage to get on the dance floor with others.

It has been 18 months and we haven’t done much, yet much has changed. We talk about money as a gift from God. We celebrate God’s faithfulness in little and big ways. We see financial giving as an act of worship and a step of faith. And, together, we are discovering the joy of giving.

Chad De Jager is a pastor with Christ Community Church in Lemont, Illinois. He lives in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife and four children.