The Philanthropic Leadership Fund Update: 2014
Transcription
The Philanthropic Leadership Fund Update: 2014
The Philanthropic Leadership Fund Update: 2014 The Philanthropic Leadership Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation supports activities that expand the impact of giving throughout the state. Since its inception in 2006, the Philanthropic Leadership Fund has helped donors and nonprofits learn more about community needs, identify and cultivate promising ideas, inspire others to give, and strengthen the nonprofit sector. We’re excited to share with you what we’ve been able to accomplish in the past year through the generosity and vision of the individuals who’ve contributed to this unique fund. Connecting the local food movement with the fight against hunger Our latest Understanding Vermont publication, Local Food For Healthy Communities, explores an interesting challenge: while Vermont’s nationally recognized local food system is bringing health and community benefits across the state, many Vermonters still experience hunger on a regular basis. The report highlights where there are opportunities to connect these two issues to ensure that all Vermonters have access to healthy, local food. The strategies in the report form the cornerstone of the Community Foundation’s Food and Farm Initiative, and the Philanthropic Leadership Fund has made possible broad outreach efforts and local events featuring speakers like former USDA Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, to attract additional support for the Initiative. The Philanthropic Leadership Fund also supports Results Based Accountability training for the Food and Farm Initiative grantees, so that they can set and track goals for the change they effect in the community. Helping nonprofits tell their stories effectively An important part of any organization’s efforts to inspire awareness and grow support for their work is the ability to tell their story clearly and compellingly. This is especially true in today’s world of fast-paced 1 Advancing mission investing news and information sharing and it’s a big part of why the Community Foundation has offered support in this area since 2010. The idea that foundations can use their invested assets to further their philanthropic goals has gained a lot of traction lately, and for good reason. “Mission investing” or “impact investing” offers grantmakers the possibility of generating both a financial and a social return by making capital more available for initiatives that benefit the communities they serve. The Vermont Community Foundation was among the first community foundations in the country to adopt a formal mission investment policy and is considered a leader in the field. This past year, the Philanthropic Leadership Fund, in partnership with the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, allowed the Community Foundation to offer, freeof-charge, a series of 12 storytelling workshops across the state, focused on basic storytelling skills, storytelling through social media, and using storytelling to do community building. The workshops were geared towards organizations that don’t have their own marketing and development staff, or that would like guidance in identifying the right stories for their audiences. This past year, the Philanthropic Leadership Fund made it possible for the Community Foundation’s president to step up as co-chair of the steering committee of Mission Investors Exchange—a group of over 230 foundations that help one another develop and spread the use of these innovative programs— and produce the “Community Foundation Field Guide To Impact Investing”. The skills developed by nonprofit staff in these workshops are helpful in everything from fundraising to reporting back on the difference the organization is able to make in the community. To date, more than 200 individuals have participated in the workshops, and we know from experience that nonprofits continue to need support in this area as the need for philanthropic resources grows. Connecting nonprofits with grant opportunities The Community Foundation is always interested in helping nonprofits find support for their good work, whether that support comes from within our family of funds or from other Vermont-focused foundations. Thanks to the Philanthropic Leadership Fund, we’ve been able to partner with the Foundation Center in Washington, DC since 2007 to make available, freeof-charge, the Vermont Directory of Foundations, an online resource that allows grantseekers to research funding opportunities anytime, from anywhere they have an internet connection. The directory has more than 2,500 users per year, and saves grantseekers time and money that they can better spend on running their organizations. 2 Photo courtesy of Stephen Mease. Supporting community-defined civic spaces The city of Burlington’s proposed plan for redevelopment of the abandoned Moran Power Plant is both ambitious and inspiring, and a last chance to save this remnant of mid-20th century Vermont. Significantly, the city’s plan offers an opportunity to create a public showcase for local food, energy efficiency, and the creative arts, among other things, demonstrating what’s possible with homegrown vision and planning. Support from the Philanthropic Leadership Fund helped move the project through the planning process, as well as supporting architectural, feasibility, and fundraising studies. On Generator’s opening night, kids were particularly enthralled with the Oculus Rift technology. Helping to strengthen nonprofit governance The August 2014 meeting was hosted at Generator in Burlington (pictured above) and focused on the Maker Movement and the rapid growth in focus on creativity in education, society, and the economy—an area that is ripe for philanthropic investment. When a Community Foundation fundholder approached us with an idea to strengthen the boards of Addison County nonprofit organizations, the Philanthropic Leadership Fund stepped up to partner with the United Way of Addison County and provide matching funds to present workshops on governance, strategic planning, and monitoring financial indicators of health. Workshops were held every other month, attendance was sometimes standing room only, and the resounding feedback on the post-workshop evaluations was “more, more, more!” This has inspired the fundholder and the Community Foundation to work with capacity building groups like Common Good Vermont and Marlboro College to develop more programming to meet this need. Fostering collaboration for greater access to postsecondary education In partnership with the J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation, the Philanthropic Leadership Fund supported the McClure Foundation’s fifth annual education summit to discuss accomplishments, challenges, and opportunities related to building access to college and career education. For the first time in summit history, the fall summit of 2013 took the shape of a learning seminar for Vermont-based funders and grantmakers with an interest in workforce education. Keynote Speaker Lawrence Miller, then Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, joined panelists from leading nonprofits and state agencies to discuss the roles of funders and the business community in encouraging workforce development and opportunities for work-based learning. Bringing grantmakers together Since 2009, the Leadership Fund has supported the Vermont Funders Network, which brings together local and national grantmakers who do a significant amount of grantmaking in Vermont, to share information and find new ways of working together. At the February 2014 meeting, Vermont funders had the opportunity to hear from staff of the state’s federal delegation about issues in which legislators and grantmakers can work more closely together. 3 We gratefully acknowledge all the generous contributors who have made a gift to the Philanthropic Leadership Fund since its inception. If you would like to learn more or make a contribution, contact Patrick Berry at 802-388-3355, ext. 248 or [email protected]. Anonymous (7) The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation Arnold-McKenna Fund Autumn-Harp Foundation Fund* Avada Fund* First Years Fund* R E & M V Fontaine Family Foundation Forest Park Realty Corp Claudio D. Fort Foundation Source Hildegard Bachert Bay and Paul Foundations Lois M. Beardwood Stephen C. Biklen Katharine Blanchard Blue Ridge Fund Seth and Christine Bongartz Deb Brighton Aaron J. Brondyke Jonathan N. Brownell Paul A. Bruhn Jane E. Bryant Brian T. Byrnes and Bernard S. Schlager Walter Cerf Community Fund Judith R. Chalmer Champlain Title Company of VT LLC Richard M. Chapman Carol S. Clawson Community National Bank Compton Foundation Stuart and Lucy Comstock-Gay Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust* Charles R. Cummings, Esq. Staige and Marnie Davis Dew Construction Corp John and Sandra Dooley III Doug Fund Eagleridge Fund Jan S. Eastman Peter and Lisa Espenshade John and Jane Ewing Carl and Judy Ferenbach David F. Finney Fountain Fund Charles Gamper Fund* GDS Legacy Foundation, Inc William E. Gefell Lois B. Gordon Charitable Remainder Trust Natalie Grant Great Grandmother Fund Luther F. and Sally S. Hackett Blair Hamilton Energy Efficiency Memorial Fund The S & C Harvest Foundation, Inc. John Hawkins Jeffrey H. and Deborah K. Hayes The A.D. Henderson Foundation The HF Fund High Meadows Fund* Honey Pot Fund Kathy Hoyt James T. and Deborah C. Hunt Robert D. Ide David and Eleanor Ignat Fund Johnson Family Foundation* The Kelsey Trust Ellen Kahler Margaret Kannenstine Karlson Family Foundation Robert M. Kaufman Jane and Donald Seymour Kelly Fund at New York Community Trust Susan H. Keniston A. Jay and Carol Kenlan John Killacky Claudia and Peter Kinder Charitable Fund Susan A. Kireker Memorial Trust Kokoro Fund Stephen S.and Linda M. Kornbluth Landmann Family Fund* Donna M. LaPerle Gale Lawrence River-bankers Fund Tom M. Roberts The James E. Robison Foundation Kimberly Rock Howard E. and Susan W. Rood Rowell Family Fund Suzanne H. Leiter Ann C. Livingston Fund Sam Lloyd and Jesse Lapham Education and Technology Fund Localhost Fund Andrea Long Lawrence H. Mandell and Marcie A. Andres Jessie Mazar J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation Lois H. McClure* J. Michael McGean Elizabeth Page McRae Fund* Ruth and Peter Metz Family Foundation Michael’s Fund The Harvey L. Miller Family Foundation Daniel and Cecile Moran New Castle Fund New Visions Foundation Patricia P. Motch David W. and Mary K. Otto Ourmont Fund Permanent Fund for Vermont’s Children, Inc. Julie Peterson Ernest A. Pomerleau Prospect Hill Foundation of the Community Foundation of New Jersey David G. Rahr Rainbow Fund Betsy Rathbun-Gunn Thomas P. Salmon Bruce and Margaret Seely Kristen R. Sharpless Snelling Family Fund* Snow Angel Fund at Fidelity Charitable Sallie Soule Elizabeth Steele Stettenheim Foundation Dorothy A. Stone Sustainable Future Fund Peter D. Swift and Diana McCargo Charitable Gift Fund Takoradi Fund Tane Family Fund Teepeejay Fund Russ Testa* Ronald E. and Margaret S. Thompson Charlie and Mima Tipper United States Department of Agriculture United Way of Chittenden County Vermont Conservation Fund Tim R. and Mary M. Volk Dorothy C. Weicker James G. and Catherine D. Wheeler Richard and Katharine White David A. and Peggy Williams Whittington - McLendon Fund Robert E. and Margaret S. Woolmington Christine A. Zachai 3 Court Street, Middlebury, Vermont 05753 www.vermontcf.org 4 * Founding Supporters
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