Innovation, Education & Community
Building community and expanding knowledge is what the Impact 100 Education Event is all about. On Tuesday, June 27, members and guests gathered together at Terwilliger Lodge in Montgomery to hear about the latest innovations in philanthropy from distinguished local experts.
As our lead speaker, Rasheda Cromwell from Greater Cincinnati Foundation explained, anyone that gives to nonprofits dedicated to changing outcomes, is a philanthropist. Rasheda challenged us all to think of ourselves in this way and to learn about the power imbalances that often exist in the relationship between funders and the receiving nonprofits. Improving this power imbalance is a major reason for a recent innovation known as trust based philanthropy. Rasheda expanded on this concept and concisely explained the values and practices that are the foundation of trust-based giving.
Our next expert was Ross Meyer from Interact for Heath. Ross shared his insights into the journey that Interact has taken from traditional funding to creatng trust based relationships. Though they are far from finished with their work, Interact’s experience thus far sheds light on the process of building trust and focusing on transparency. As Ross pointed out, when both par&es are transparent, it is easier to pivot when necessary and s&ll ensure good outcomes. The passion that Interact has for trust based philanthropy is compelling and based on personal and organizational values.
From the beneficiary side, Christie Kuhns from Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, brought home the real impact that can be realized from trust based giving. She painted a vivid picture of the horrific situations that the staff at Urban League are called to address. Then Christie described the difficulties of attracting and retaining staff members when very few grants allow money to be spent on employee benefits and training. Trust based philanthropy promotes unrestricted, mission-based funding empowering nonprofits to allocate grants where they can have the greatest impact.
We closed our education program with lively discussion between our audience and our outstanding speakers, led by Clare Blankemeyer. Thanks to all that participated and especially to our accomplished presenters! For further education on this topic, please visit www.trustbasedphilanthropy.org