Daily Archives: April 28, 2017

When the Christopher Reeve Foundation was considering how to increase support for caregivers who provide home care for paralysis patients, it came up with an unusual idea: Why not create a grant-making program for healthcare organizations so they can offer their specialized support to family members who need to take time off?

The foundation knew that burnout is a frequent challenge for caregivers, especially those faced with caring for individuals with paralysis. It also knew there was a dearth of government funding for such support, and private respite care is expensive.

Sothe foundationlaunched its Respite Care Grant Programlast month to help organizations with an interest in providing fill-in care for family caregivers. The grant program will help fund respite care for at-home caregivers, while providing income for home care agencies that serve as the professional backbone to home care.

While the Christopher Reeve Foundations new grant program sounds unique (and it is), its altruistic goals arent. Philanthropy has been around almost as long as humans have, serving an often indispensable role in ensuring community resiliency.

Plato, in the 5th century B.C., directed his nephew to sell off his farm after he died so the money could be used to support students and faculty at the school he founded.

Roxelana, the wife of the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, used a charitable trustto give support for widows and orphans in Jerusalem during the 16thcentury.

The ethos of philanthropy cuts across all cultures and religions. And its valuecan be found in the literature and founding principles of all major religions, including Hinduism,Judaism, Christianity,Islamand Buddhism.

Here in North America, the concept of providing grants for community improvement has been an integral part of sustainable growth in big and small neighborhoods. The JM Kaplan Foundation, for example, has funded support for human rights, environmental conservation, civil liberties and the arts. And for the smaller but equally important endeavors of the First Nations Development Institute, philanthropy has served as an essential tool to bettering Americas cities, rural districts and families.

But each one of these unique organizations has, at one time or another, faced the same challenging questions: What is the best way to create a funding program that will benefit my target community? How do I determine whom to fund? And how do I build longevity into my program?

How you approach that first question will help ensure your grant program stays strong and successful, said Aaron Dorfman, CEO and president of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.

Determining your priorities before you decide whom to fund is critical to being an effective grant-maker.

We too often see people or organizations with good intentions, who say we just want to help everyone in our community! Well, the fact of the matter is: That is usually not possible, Dorfman said bluntly.

Most grant-makers have very limited budgets in comparison to the issues and challenges they are seeking to address. And so, in trying to help everyone in the community, often philanthropy will end up doing very little good for anyone. So it is a far better strategy to be intentional about which communities you are seeking to help.

The First Nations Institute, for example, developed itsNourish Native Children, Feeding Our Futuregrant program in order to helpNative American communities expand their child nutrition programs. The funding targets children ages 6 to 14 living in Native American communities.

The specificity of the grant program not only makes it easier for grantees to understand the qualifications they need in order to apply (i.e., an existing nutrition program for Native American children), but it also tells donors that the grant-making organizationalready has a fact-based plan for improving the economic conditions in certain communities.

Dorfman also said it is important for potential grant-making organizations to think carefully about the kinds of benefits they want to bring to their communities.

We also see too little philanthropic support in general that is intentionally seeking to benefit the most vulnerable and marginalized communities: low-income communities, communities of color, women and girls, [and the] LBGT community, Dorfman explained.

Ensuring that your grant program will be helpful and useful within your community is also important, advised Dorfman, who said grant-makers are often afraid to step out of their comfort zones and consider projects that may seem bold or even controversial.

I think a mistake grant-makers make is that they dont take enough risk, Dorfman told us. If a few of the grants you are making dont make you just a little bit nervous about I dont know if this is going to work out, then you arent taking enough risk. If you are only making safe bets, you arent going to make transformative change in your community.

The collaborative arts organization South by Southwest, based in Texas, is known for its unconventional grant projects. This years SXSW community grant winners include a mobile child-minding unit for kids whose moms work in film and a project that uses music and camaraderie to help veterans talk and heal from their wartime experiences.

You want to have some of those kinds of groups in your portfolio along with safer, more traditional groups, Dorfman advised.

Designing a grant application process to match and reflect its financial benefits is also important, he explained, adding thatthere is a risk with making the application process too burdensome, especially for smaller grants. Applications should reflect the award that is being offered. Subjecting your grantees to hours of work to apply for a small award can send the message that you arent really in touch with the needs of the communities you are soliciting.

Many applicants have recurrent funding needs. A nonprofit theater program, for example, will probably be looking for funding next year as well if its expecting to continue to grow. Offering multi-year grants rather than single-term funding allows the applicant to look ahead and plan for the future. That look-ahead approach assures a better use of your investment in their project.

The evidence is clear that long-term support that is unrestricted does the most to contribute to impact and effectiveness of nonprofit grantee organizations. And far too few philanthropies provide that kind of funding, Dorfman told us.

He said a lot of corporate grant-makers think that by offering single-year grants (with or without an option to reapply), they are making their funds available to more eligible applicants. The truth is that single-term funding can make it harder and more expensive for startups to survive.

For companies and foundations, building a resilient grant program like many business initiatives often starts with the top leadership of an organization. Dorfman said it is critical to the longevity and success of a grant program that the organizations leadership is fully behind the effort and has buy-in to its continued success.

Make sure there is deep commitment to a grant-making program from the top executive of the corporation, that they understand how this is not just a nice thing to do, but this is in fact essential to the values and the DNA of who the company is and what it stands for in the world.

Dorfman said organizations that see the grant funding program as integral to their corporate culture and identity have a better success at maintaining a strong, resilient program that meets its goals and contributes to its community

And its also important to remember that a grantors responsibility doesnt end when the money is awarded. Encouraging a good rapport with your grantees can have a lasting impact on your programs longevity and success as well as theirs. Keeping an open door and being willing to dialogue with grantees demonstrates that the relationship doesnt end with a check; you are invested in and want to be part of their community endeavor. Its all part of being a good grant partner, Dorfman said simply.

Grant programs have a plethora of online resources at their fingertips these days. The NCRP publishes a list of what it considers to be the top criteria for potential grantors to consider, along with periodic studies and findings about best grant-funding practices.

Peak Grantmaking (formerly Grant Managers Network) also helps with the nuts and bolts of setting up and running a grant program.Project Streamline(part of Peak Grantmaking) helps grant providers simplify and direct their strategy and processes. And for those looking for tips on how to create small community grant programs, Exponent Philanthropy is a wealth of information.

Dorfmans final advice: Keep it simple. Grant funding is a learning process like everything else. Start funding some really good things, and learn as you go and as you grow your philanthropy.

Flickr images Lance Cheung/USDA; George Dutton/USACE

It can often seem difficult for companies with broad national supply chains to engage with every community in which they operate. But it is possible! To establish a genuine connection, its best to focus on an issue that aligns with your companys values. For the Aetna Foundation, that means crafting localized programs to promote healthier communities.

In this four-part mini-series, well unpack how large firms can get down to the grassroots level when it comes to engaging communities around health and wellness. From traditional corporate philanthropy to public-private partnerships, your company may have more options than you may think.

Read the original here:

Microgrants Make Big Impacts for Local Communities - Triple Pundit (registration) (blog)

Appreciate Native American culture

By Jayne Reinhiller | Contributor

Photograph provided by Pax Ahimsa

Growing up in the Dakotas, I consider Native American history and culture a point of pride. From drum circles and dances at powwows to beaded regalia, the diverse cultures of North Americas first inhabitants hold a special place in my heart. However, coming to Indiana, a place with a rich but largely forgotten Native American past, I realized most Taylor students understanding of Native Americans comes from school books and movies like Pocahontas. These sources are incomplete at best and inaccurate at worst.

Now issues of tribal sovereignty and rights like the Dakota Access Pipeline are on the national stage, and we are faced with a profound question: how can we as students of Taylor University learn about the diverse Native American communities around us and treat them with honor and dignity? We can engage in intentional dialogue with members of Native American communities, ask questions and treat traditional cultures with respect.

This is a difficult topic for me to discuss. Although I grew up near the Rosebud Lakota (Sioux) Reservation in South Dakota, I am not Native American. Most of my friends were Lakota, and my family worked in Native American ministry. In many ways, I grew up as a third culture kid between the white community of my birth and the Native American community of my friends and experience. Although I do not belong to the Native American community, I am an ally and advocate for them.

The best way to learn about Native American cultures and issues is to talk with Native Americans. They are not confined to the past or fiction. They are our neighbors and friends. There are hundreds of tribes with unique cultures, and each person has their own experiences. Listen to their stories and ask questions. You may find you have more in common with your Native American brothers and sisters than you expect.

In addition to listening to the stories of our Native American neighbors, it is important to treat their culture with respect. There is considerable debate about the appropriate use of Native American art and cultural elements. Where is the line between appreciating art and disrespectful cultural appropriation? There are many different perspectives on this division and no conclusive answer. However, there are two factors to consider: origin and intent.

The origin of artworks, stories or other cultural expressions helps determine the line between honoring the culture and parody. Native Americans appreciate people who study their culture to understand the significance of religious and cultural symbols like eagle feathers or beading patterns. However, mass-produced items like Indian Halloween costumes or mass-produced jewelry made to look like Native American art lack this reverence. These items are often inaccurate and sometimes racist. Examine the origin of Native American art and seek out reputable sources. The beauty and cultural significance is well worth it.

Your intention while enjoying the art is also important. If you seek out Native American culture to learn, enjoy and understand it, you will find complexity and beauty. Each tribe has different stories, religions and art styles. On the other hand, if you see Native American culture as exotic and come with preconceived ideas of Native American culture as idyllic or barbaric, two extremes perpetuated by Westerns and other popular media, it is easy to conform your experience to these preconceptions and perpetuate stereotypes about Native Americans. As with all interactions, treating Native American culture with respect and dignity creates greater understanding and appreciation.

Examine where your opinions about Native Americans came from and ask yourself, If someone thought this way about my culture, how would I respond? Think critically about your views. Engage the culture with love and care. When you look beyond stereotypes and popular perceptions, you will find beautiful and complex cultures with lessons and stories all their own. So the next time you go to Gas City, home of the Mississinewa Indians, or hear about the Dakota Access Pipeline, think about your Native American neighbors and get to know their stories.

Continue reading here:

Hear the stories - The Echo News