Northern California Grantmakers

In a recent blog post NCG member John Esterle, Executive Director of The Whitman Institute, reflected on the findings of  Is Grantmaking Getting Smarter? published this past March by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO).

In 2011 Grantmakers for Effective Organizations heard from 775 foundations about grantmaking practices GEO identified as contributing to healthy and successful nonprofits (general operating/unrestricted grants, multiyear funding, and capacity-building support) With Is Grantmaking Getting Smarter?, GEO reports on the results of their survey.

Unfortunately, the answer to their question is “no.”

Thankfully, the report doesn’t suggest grantmaking isn’t getting any dumber.

But the point that John considers in his blog post is that despite evidence based research from organizations like the Center for Effective Philanthropy, FSG, The Bridgespan Group, Nonprofit Finance Fund, TCC Group, GEO and others touting the benefit of general operating and capacity-building support, it’s still the hardest type of funding to acquire.

…it appears you can amass a pile of evidence about the value of certain grantmaking practices, but it is only when you create opportunities for real listening and dialogue, when you build a different kind of relationship between funder and grantee, that behavior shifts (something to think about when we look at the “impact” of process and relationship-based work).

Read all of John’s blog post online.

Bringing together global thought leaders, investors, philanthropists, entrepreneurs and the general public, the Third Annual Slow Money National Gathering will take place in San Francisco at Fort Mason on October 12-14. At this year’s National Gathering there will sessions focused on mission-related investing and philanthropy.

What Is Slow Money?

As a movement, Slow Money is only a few years old.

“Slow Money is a movement to organize investors and donors to steer new sources of capital to small food enterprises, organic farms, and local food systems. Slow Money takes its name from the Slow Food movement.  Slow Money aims to develop the relationship between capital markets and place, including social capital and soil fertility.” -Wikipedia entry

The upcoming national gathering is the third for the Slow Money Alliance, an emerging network that was launched in 2008 in response to the book Inquiries Into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as If Food, Farms and Fertility Mattered by Slow Money Founder and former venture capitalist Woody Tasch.

Gathering Agenda

The three day conference in San Francisco will feature a host of prominent speakers and educators:

• David Suzuki, the award-winning host of CBC’s “The Nature of Things”;
• Environmentalist Vandana Shiva, named one of world’s most influential women by Forbes Magazine;
• Wes Jackson, founder of The Land Institute;
• NCG member Melissa Bradley, CEO of Tides Foundation;
• Leslie Christian, CEO of Portfolio 21; and
• Scientist turned economist Chris Martenson, whose book and video series The Crash Course has spawned a popular website dedicated to global economic issues.

Along with keynote addresses and townhall meetings, the program includes break out sessions intended to provide attendees—which  include 30 small food enterprises assembled from all over the U.S.,  general attendees who represent an extremely valuable cross-section of investors, entrepreneurs, and farmers around the country, and funders—an extremely high quality opportunity to participate in a live field-building activity.

The planned break out session on mission-related investments will include Elena Pons among its panel presenters. Elena worked as a Research Consultant for NCG member The Springcreek Foundation, where she co-authored “Promoting Sustainable Food Systems through Impact Investing”.

What Is Philanthropy Saying About Slow Money?

Jeff Rosen, Director of Finance at the Solidago Foundation had this to say about Slow Money:

“Slow Money has had a profound influence on our program and mission related investing strategies.  Influenced by Slow Money’s frame, and drawing continually upon their expertise and membership, we’ve been working with a diverse array of stakeholders in our local community to provide catalytic capital to the complete food system. “

The Santa Fe Community Foundation President and CEO Brian Byrnes was impressed by the gather’s diverse participants:

“There was a moment when I looked around the tent at Shelburne Farms to see the wonderful old codgers who have been farming in Vermont for generations, sitting with young environmentalists and food entrepreneurs and New York investment types, all nodding in agreement. Wow.
Talk about being the change we seek. It was a profoundly hopeful moment.”

Learn More

Take a look at the Slow Money National Gathering program agenda online.

Download “Promoting Sustainable Food Systems through Impact Investing” from The Springcreek Foundation’s website online.

Modeling the practice they advocate, NCG member Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors joined forces with The Annie E. Casey Foundation to publish “Supporting Vulnerable Children and Families: Innovative Approaches for Individual Philanthropists and Small Family Foundations,” a report that “looks at new ideas for ways philanthropists can partner across sectors in order to solve some of society’s most intractable problems.”

“This publication is ultimately about partnerships: how individuals and small family foundations can join forces with individuals, organizations, and institutions across the public and private sectors to increase impact. While partnering with foundations or the government is not for everyone, most funders, either brand new to philanthropy or seasoned givers, can benefit from breaking down silos and looking in every direction for like-minded partners.”

The report advocates that during a time when economic stress has resulted in an increase in the demand for nonprofit services, as well as, less available funds directed at individual nonprofit organizations, it will be partnerships that will help organizations address community need and stay afloat.

Read “Supporting Vulnerable Children and Families: Innovative Approaches for Individual Philanthropists and Small Family Foundations,” online.