“…outside resources will be much more effectively used if the local community is itself fully mobilized and invested, and if it can define the agendas for which additional resources must be obtained.” - Building Communities from the Inside Out, John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight, 1993. I’ve been reflecting on how much my early training [...]
Category: learning
The Growing Power of Diverse Philanthropy
A quick plug for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s new report, Cultures of Giving: Energizing and Expanding Philanthropy by and for Communities of Color. The report dives into the world of identity-based philanthropy—“a growing movement to democratize philanthropy from the grassroots up by activating and organizing its practice in marginalized communities, particularly communities of color.” The [...]
Whom do you trust to lead community improvement?
Whom do you trust to lead community improvement? This question keeps rolling through my head as I’m participating in the Growing Social Impact for a Networked World conference. It’s not an easy question. It gets to the heart of a person’s values, upbringing, work history, own sense of self-control, and more. And, it’s a tough [...]
What I Learned About Networks at Summer Camp
What do funders really want from networks? I heard one set of honest answers to this question this summer as I wrapped up consulting for the Lumina Foundation for Education. "Camp" was actually the session “Funder Perspectives on Investing in Networks” that I had the honor to facilitate for Lumina’s partners and grantees in its KnowHow2 [...]
Tony Macklin 