EVENTS OF NOTE

In the field of philanthropy we talk a lot about impact.  A walk around the photograph and art exhibit currently on display at Boston’s City Hall and a talk with the teenaged photographers teaches vividly about the impact of just one life on another.

My Life, My Choice is a small but mighty organization that works to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children – the prostitution of minors. The organization conducts prevention activities with girls at risk, and helps girls and young women in Greater Boston who have been exploited to escape, heal and find new direction for their lives. The hallmark of the model is survivor mentorship by adult women who were exploited as minors, and who have turned their lives around.  I recently met some of the teenagers at a stunning exhibit of their photography. Continue Reading »

SUCCESS STORIES

Collaboration between funders is a tricky business. Working together goes beyond passively making grants to the same organizations or programs. Foundations and their trustees must be able to find common threads in their missions, and sometimes to suspend the procedures of business as usual to make the joint efforts successful. The effort’s reward is in greater effectiveness and scale, not always in lower costs. Continue Reading »

NPO CONVERSATION SERIES

Nonprofit collaboration starts with shared dreams and a lot of flexibility.  Funders included.

Collaborating for greater impact begins with nonprofit leaders who develop wide-reaching social networks, communicate clearly about their mission and objectives, and are flexible about how those objectives are met.  Funders are uniquely positioned to recognize these leaders and create greater impact together.

This age-old concept of collaboration, working together, is worth revisiting, particularly when social change seems to have stalled.  And so, seven nonprofit leaders came to GMA Foundations recently to talk about collaboration at one of our series of lunchtime NPO Conversations.

We were excited and energized by their stories of strategic collaborations.  No formulaic approaches here.  Organic.  Open.  Personal.   We want to run back to our clients – private foundations – and talk about how certain grantees might love working together, how certain organizations might see improved outcomes by linking their services.  But we resist.  How do we know if they’re right for each other? Continue Reading »