NPO Conversation on May 25 at GMA Foundations

We invite leaders of nonprofit organizations to join us periodically for a brown-bag lunch discussion about issues, ideas, and concerns in the nonprofit and philanthropic community. The meetings are a time for us to move beyond the usual conversation between foundations and nonprofit organizations.

Each session focuses on a particular topic, and reservations are required. Guests will learn a little more about GMA and a lot about their peers’ perspectives on important issues.

Topic for Conversation: Trauma-informed programs

Integrated programs addressing the whole-person provide new and innovative approaches to working with youth and their families to end the cycle of trauma. Recent developments in neuroscience demonstrate the positive effects of such interventions. As these trauma-informed programs gain traction, and there is a growing interest among funders, we would like to learn from your experiences.

Our informal discussion will be organized around several questions, similar to these:

Continue Reading »

Notes from an NPO Conversation at GMA Foundations
Last month we were joined by leaders from non-profits working to advance policy change in Boston and Massachusetts. Our guests explored with us the challenges facing advocacy work as well as the building blocks to effective advocacy that set the stage for progress. We were particularly interested in learning about communicating these challenges and successes with funders.

From teen pregnancy to voter turnout, organizations advocate for legislative and policy agendas that will improve the lives of individuals and families, recent immigrants, low-income communities, and everyone in between. The message for funders? 1) Don’t lose sight of the individuals and families who need these changes, and 2) Patience is key.

Key Themes
Continue Reading »

NEWS AND INSIGHTS

GMA’s Michelle Jenney with activist Gloria Steinem

“And because it [slavery] is a political subject, it has often been tauntingly said, that woman has nothing to do with it. Are we aliens, because we are women? Are we bereft of citizenship, because we are the mothers, wives, and daughters of a mighty people? Have women no country, no interests staked in public weal, no liabilities in common peril, no partnership in a nation’s guilt and shame?”

At a sold-out event in Boston on October 7, 2013, “How Women Become Political,” guest speakers revealed how they were inspired to engage in politics whether as activists, campaign volunteers, or candidates for office.  Held to commemorate Angelina Grimke’s speech, the event was also an occasion to inspire girls and women to follow Grimke’s example.

Continue Reading »