Jenna Anita Nicholas

We can see 👀 that community-led collaborative funds are emerging as powerful tools for driving equity and justice. These funds 💵 unite diverse stakeholders around shared goals, pooling resources to address complex social challenges. By fostering collaboration among donors, nonprofits, and community leaders, collaborative funds amplify impact and drive meaningful change at scale 💬. Community-led collaborative funds prioritize equity and justice, channeling resources towards systemic solutions💡and underrepresented communities. 🌍 By bringing together a diverse array of perspectives and expertise, these funds amplify grassroots initiatives, promote inclusive decision-making, and dismantle barriers to opportunity. 🙌🏽 🙌🏾 🙌🏿 Through strategic investments in areas such as education, healthcare, and economic empowerment, community-led collaborative funds drive tangible progress towards a more just and equitable society. How can we leverage these funds to address systemic inequalities and advance social justice? 🌀 Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! How do you envision community-led collaborative funds shaping the future of philanthropy? #collaboration #PhilanthropicAdvising

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The Hive Fund under the leadership of Erin Rogers, Melanie Allen, and their incredible team is the best of philanthropy. Other funders should take note: ✅ Make multi-year, general operating grants; ✅ Be bold, take risks (philanthropy is society’s risk capital); ✅ Trust the leaders and communities on the ground doing the work; ✅ Use your unique position in the ecosystem to foster coalitions and networks, utilizing grants to incentivize and reward collaboration. Not rocket science, and yet, in so many places it seems philanthropy does not embrace these approaches. #philanthropy #leadership

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As a burnt-out, burning out, soon to burn out 🤼 social sector employee, I cannot understate the #value of this conversation and the deep #research that accompanies the call for #philanthropy to help (#ai is adding to the #overwhelm as the #technology #data #tsunami approaches). 👯 Human-centered must be more than a buzz word. ⚔ Listen to the webinar, read the report: what you can do to support #nonprofit #grantee staff? Topic 🤺 : Nonprofits are crucial in the U.S., offering essential services and tackling tough social issues. During the COVID-19 #pandemic, they played a significant role despite facing many challenges. Four years later, how are these nonprofits doing? What struggles do they still face? How are funders addressing the well-being of these workers?

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We are seeing the early roots-and-shoots of municipalities who are finishing up their uses of ARPA funds, now starting to come to philanthropy to fill the gap. This is part of a larger arc of government more-and-more coming to philanthropy, sometimes under the guise of "public-private partnership" to ask for funding to pay for things that they themselves fully funded just a short time ago. I think as we live through this impending "ARPA cliff" case study, two things emerge to me. The first, we can see how well casted our public dollars were based on the philanthropic need to sustain them. I don't take this lightly. Philanthropy cannot maintain ARPA funding and there is going to be real pain at the local level as these dollars subside. This should be less about philanthropy and more about the challenges in the public side of maintaining our safety net. To that end, my second point, is that in most cities and counties, the safety net is largely publicly funded, often two-thirds of the total cost. The different forms of philanthropy together make up like just under a fifth of the total pie and with the growth of government needing private philanthropy more and more, it's likely a philanthropic 10%. I suspect that one of the biggest lessons of ARPA, like TARP fifteen-years prior, will be that the largest segment of our safety net did not really shift or alter itself to meet our communities' long-term needs. Shiny things were bought with those dollars but the infrastructure behind the service delivery to our most vulnerable stayed, unfortunately, intact. I am nervous about the developing ARPA challenge to our communities and how philanthropy will respond. I hope the moment can be used to have some hard conversations, which I believe are long overdue.

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Associations role in addressing climate change 🔍 "The reason people associate in the first place is to solve big problems." – reflections from my recent Mission: Impact podcast podcast episode with Shelly Cumbie Alcorn Alcorn and Elizabeth Weaver Engel  on associations' pivotal roles in addressing climate change. Every industry, whether directly or indirectly, is affected by by climate change and the environmental shifts it is creating. In facing something as monumental as climate change, it's easy to focus on the extremes — either leaving everything to global entities like the UN or taking individual measures like installing solar panels. However, the real work for associations lies in that critical middle ground where practical, collective action can drive significant change. This is where our expertise and collaborative efforts can truly make a difference We are positioned to implement practical, scalable solutions that can influence entire industries and professions. This involves not only advocacy and education but also setting standards and leading by example in sustainability practices. How is your association or nonprofit leveraging its influence for sustainable impact?

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Woah--great Stanford Social Innovation Review article https://lnkd.in/gMguNnvw by Mark Kramer and Steve Phillips: "Where Strategic Philanthropy Went Wrong." They argue that "strategic philanthropy" has been ineffective at solving urgent challenges in our society. We operate on the model where the wealthy decide how to allocate charitable resources (which causes to fund, which programs to fund) when what we should be doing, is allocating resources to those affected by challenges and empowering them to make their own choices: "Instead of making choices for other people, philanthropists must learn to empower individuals economically and politically to make choices for themselves and then celebrate their successes to inspire others, thus opening a far more pivotal role in fast-tracking widespread, lasting social and environmental progress." "Carnegie’s belief that the wealthy are wise because of their wealth and those in poverty are ignorant because of their poverty laid the foundation for a persistently paternalistic approach to philanthropy that endures to this day. No wonder philanthropy’s track record is as underwhelming as it is." This ties back to the themes we discussed at the Ensemble Capital Management Tactical Philanthropy Panel (Sara Lomelin Dwayne Marsh Jaimi Cortes, MBA Adam Pisoni Sean Stannard-Stockton, CFA, CAP Shilpa Andalkar, CFP®, CDFA® Ludo Thomasson, CFP®) on Collaborative Funds--one great way that (even) individual donors can give their money to let "others" decide how to allocate the resources--especially when the Funds are curated by folks from the communities the nonprofit recipients are supporting. Check out a database of 400+ collaborative funds here: https://lnkd.in/g55YQ5Ha

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I was a webinar guest (hosted by The Chronicle of Philanthropy) where we discussed shifting institutional project-based funding to flexible gen-ops support. I knew I had a great case study to share . . . (Webinar link in 1st comment) We shifted the STRATEGY: ⬅️ From: Ask for what they’ve given in the past + a little more ➡️ To: What we truly need to accomplish our mission We shifted the APPROACH: ⬅️ From: Leading with Application conversations ➡️ To: Leading with an Investment-level conversation (removing roadblocks) We shifted the ASK: ⬅️ From: Project-based, restricted funding with specific and time-consuming deliverables ➡️ To: Gen-ops support through a mission-aligned relationship with flexible, lower-lift reporting The RESULT: ⬅️ From: $400K over two years ➡️ To: $1.4M over two years --- Last thing…. People often ask me why I’ve focused my business on helping nonprofits learn how to secure REALLY HARD-TO-GET gifts like general-operating revenue. Ummmm….because they’re not actually that hard-to-get! There’s a path to take and a process to learn. But, too many teams spend their hours over on events, appeals, campaigns, and applications. Do one thing for me in 2024. Invest in your team learning how to take this path and apply this process. You'll see the flexible #money you've been leaving on the table for years.

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Hello #nonprofit #funders - this report is for YOU! 🤩 If you're looking for examples of innovative grantmaking 💰 that can bring organizations together to collaborate and solve complex problems this report is a rich 🎁 treasure trove of information that will change how you think about grantmaking. If you've ever felt a twinge of "ick" 🤢 because your grantmaking strategies are set up to make organizations compete, here's a breath of fresh air. Funders: you can nurture collaboration! 🤝 How you do that takes careful planning and a constellation of authentic relationships. There are also pitfalls to avoid! I hope this report is necessary reading for every grant maker who finds themselves in a position to move nonprofit missions forward.

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It's time to REDESIGN systems of power and governance in philanthropy. Do you know any extraordinary board members, trustees, or HNWIs who have an inkling that this is true? 🤔 Philanthropy's status quo is an ill fitting governance system that wasn't designed for social change--it doesn't work well for anyone involved or the outcomes we seek. We need systems that work for the complexity and humanity of the world. The good news is, we can create them. Together. We've designed a highly supported experience to do just that! We're working with the brilliant teams at Intrinsic Labs and Radical Optimist Collective. Click through to see the profile of potential participants we're looking for to take part in Metamorphic Legacy, a bespoke leadership experience to redesign governance. Share this post/the 1 pager with 🦄 trustee unicorns 🦄 you know and reshape philanthropy with us! #philanthropy #leadership #governance #redesign #boardmembers #trustees #HNWIs #creativity #boards #grantmaking #innovation #crappyfundingpractices https://lnkd.in/dXz4zR8X One pager: https://lnkd.in/dR-hGN-T

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Whilst its hard to see that any progress has been made, to the contrary - it looks like 0 progress made and everything got worse, with recent years breaking through the 1.5C targets. We mustn't give up hope that the many initiatives that have been kicked off as a result of these agreements, have prevented worse things from happening... too optimistic? maybe But working in the sustainability and SDG space has never been more exciting, with many people sharing that a just transition to a more sustainable, de-growth and circular economy is, ...possible. The questions is how fast, to prevent worse things from happening (Climate Catastrophy, Ecological Collapse, ...the list is getting longer). Currently the ANNUAL financing gap to the 2030 SDGs is (according to UN estimates), around $4 trillion. This is the same as Germany's or Japan's Gross Domestic Product. This is a staggering number and concept that the money missing to achieve the SDGs is the same as the monetary value of ALL finished goods and services made in Germany or Japan on an annual basis. And yet, the world economy is worth around $100 Trillion, so $4 trillion = 4%. That ...almost...sounds doable? too optimistic? maybe When it comes to asset managers, total discretionary assets under management (AUM) of the 500 biggest managers amounted to USD 113.7 trillion at the end of 2022, down by 13.7% from the end of 2021. The largest, BlackRock, manages $10 trillion and the next biggest 2, Vanguard ($9 trillion) and Fidelity ($4 trillion). Surely, investing into solutions on a planet that is actually liveable with resources being consumed at a sustainable pace is what its at? Otherwise, what will be managed in 20 or 30 years?

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Can y'all help me understand why do power brokers continue to rely on ineffective approaches? Jailing issues away, encouraging fear mongering and the lack of honesty in sharing data or information. Even philanthropy, who is uniquely positioned to empower communities authentically, tend to lean on levers that, by design, have limited capacity for change. There's a growing interest in involving people with lived experience in system adjustments. I say "adjustments" because systems often don't understand accountability; they're designed to be above it. Over the past few years, I've been embedded in the San Francisco community, engaging with those impacted by policies crafted from perspectives far removed from the real issues. We frequently hear calls to clear the homeless from the streets, a move to avoid reminding the well-off of the disparities and the way wealth is currently being distributed. But where are the conversations about those who own multiple units in San Francisco without living here, establishing power while disregarding the families they displace—some of whom end up on those very sidewalks? Leaders need to be balanced in their roles. As servants there should always be consideration of how an approach causes harm to those who don't have the capacity or resources to fend for themselves. The smoke and mirrors need to stop. I recently heard from a community member that made me think. “Leaders can spend millions on campaigns, trips, and even provide safe housing for pandas, while families in SF remain unsheltered.” Involving people with lived experience has always been crucial. How can we ensure that their invaluable perspectives are genuinely integrated into the system, not just tokenized for appearances? #Communityengagement #Homelessness #humanity

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Only 8% of those who know the most about philanthropy's inner workings believe foundations should exist in perpetuity. Can you guess what % believe philanthropy is mostly extractive? Scroll through the slides below to see... It's time to organise and put our insights and knowledge to work to CHANGE OUR SYSTEM! Join our event on June 4th to hear more First Draft Funders survey results and be part of mobilising our community. #philanthropy #grantmaking #equity #justice #foundations #fundraising #nonprofit

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Fundraising decks are important but only within the context of a well-orchestrated fundraising process. A deck itself is unlikely to directly lead to a term sheet. Rather, it is important to understand how you want to use the deck (or any collateral for that matter) as part of your fundraise process. For example: - Is it to secure the first meeting with a VC? A teaser deck is important. But so is the email snippet and warm referral! - Is it part of a deeper-dive session about your business? Excellent. Is it a deeper dive on product or GTM? And, is the next step a track to a partnership meeting? - Is it a diligence deck? Excellent. Is it more about showcasing the financial plan and key levers? ... what is the ONE thing you want this deck to help you achieve? More tips on fundraising your early-stage round here: https://lnkd.in/gvWYaCwk #startups #venture #fundraising

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🌍 As the Climate Investments National Director in the US at. Dream.Org, I'm acutely aware of the disproportionate impact of climate change on communities of color, both domestically and internationally. By championing global capital and policies like the Invest in Biden agenda, we can address environmental injustices and uplift marginalized voices on a global scale. 💼 Investing in climate resilience and green technologies not only safeguards vulnerable communities in the US but also empowers similar communities worldwide. By prioritizing equitable access to clean energy and sustainable infrastructure, we can bridge the gap between developed and developing regions, ensuring that no one is left behind in the transition to a low-carbon economy. 💡 The Inflation Reduction Act and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund are not just about mitigating climate change; they're about fostering social and economic justice. By centering the needs of communities of color in our policies and investments, we can create pathways to prosperity that transcend borders and generations. 🔗 Our influence extends beyond policy prescriptions; it's about amplifying the voices of those most affected by climate change and empowering them to shape their own futures. By fostering collaboration and solidarity among diverse communities, we can build a more inclusive and resilient world for all. Let's harness the power of global capital to uplift communities of color in the US and beyond, creating a future where environmental justice is not just a goal, but a reality for all. #EnvironmentalJustice #GlobalSolidarity #CommunityEmpowerment 🌱🌎

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The article by Valerie Conn and Sofia Michelakis' highlights the growing trend in fundraising: funders are now actively seeking contributions from their peers to amplify their initiatives, moving beyond traditional grantmaking and donor collaborations. This "funders fundraising" approach allows funders to tackle complex issues like climate change and social justice more effectively by leveraging additional resources. While it offers benefits such as resource efficiency and strategy validation, it also presents challenges, including potential funding diversions and equity concerns. As funders consider incorporating fundraising into their strategies, it's crucial to engage with communities, assess internal capabilities, and maintain transparency to ensure the approach aligns with their mission and promotes equitable outcomes. #philanthropy #fundraising PQ (Philanthropy Quotient) Solutions

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The learning is hot at #ImpactPS24 The Impact Partners Network gathers folks that work in the social sector ecosystem to innovate new approaches and use the power of community to drive solutions for us / by us. #nonprofits #nonprofit #philanthropy #impact #collaborativeLearning Aimee Cubbage and Mandy Kutschied, SHRM-SCP shared knowledge about #eq and #emotionalIntelligence (in the Multiverse) Self awareness Self regulation Intrinsic motivation Empathy Social skills Leaders who have empathy outperform those without by 40% ☀️ Rubin Singh of OneTenth Consulting explored the unique technology challenges facing nonprofits today … and why tech implementations fail and how we can do better. NTEN and Institute for the Future Great technology requires great people. Sam Adiv and Sam Dorman remind us in their session: “Collaborative Greatness”: Building Thriving Client-Partner Alliances This summit brings together an incredible collection of humans. We don’t need dreamy data or cutting edge tech stacks. We need collaboration and strategic alignment. First. (#downwithRFPs) Institute for Nonprofit Practice Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP Global) Garvin Maffett, Ed.D. Julie Michelle Morris Technology Association of Grantmakers Salesforce Microsoft Nonprofit Leadership Alliance LinkedIn for Nonprofits BPOZ Brand Leadership Three Little Birds Agency

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Prime Coalition has long taken a different tack to climate finance compared to its for-profit brethren. It makes the usual venture-style investments in startups through Azolla Ventures and also helps philanthropists direct their money to climate-related projects that it deems high impact. Trellis Climate follows the latter model with a focus on middle stages, where capital has grown scarce. #climatetech #climateVC #climatefinance

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