Karen Robinson

Attention all accessible wayfinding #disabilitytech startups! The Boston MBTA RFP for Accessible Wayfinding Technology is live and accepting submissions through May 22. More info below: The MBTA issued a request for proposals to implement a pilot for accessible wayfinding technology to assist riders who are blind or have low vision in finding their way around an indoor station and locating a busway or bus stop. The MBTA will select vendors and then conduct moderated user testing with riders who are blind or have low vision. The goal of the pilot is to determine whether any of these technologies truly makes it easier for riders to safely, independently, and confidently navigate a transit environment. Interested vendors must be registered and monitor the schedule on Commbuys (https://lnkd.in/e8uu-n7F) to submit a response. All questions can be directed to the Commbuys Help Desk at 1-888-627-8283 or 617-720-319. Bid #: BD-24-1206-MBTA-MBTA-101997 Bid Description: RFP 33-24 Accessible Wayfinding Technology RFP Calendar 4/30, 11:00am - Pre-bid conference 5/10, 2:00pm - Deadline to submit bidder questions 5/22, 2:00pm - Response due date 7/8 (estimated) - Virtual presentations

22

Foundations wondering about how to get started with AI, this podcast is for you! Jean Westrick shares insights and practical advice. #philanthropy https://lnkd.in/gpmxbj69

10

1 Comment

Fascinating to learn in more detail about how participatory budgeting was combined with randomly sampled/stratified borough assemblies in NY. Sounds like a model that needs to be practiced more and awareness of it spread more widely. Community idea generation, borough civic lottery and vetting of ideas, voting, then funded implementation - very cool stuff. Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/gvHvKVzh

24

2 Comments

Storytelling is a key relationship-building tool for nonprofit leaders. Discover Orr Group's recommendations for implementing a successful approach to storytelling with your board to create a shared narrative for the future - especially during times of change where maintaining fundraising momentum is paramount.

1

⌚ I’ll admit, I can get a little carried with trying to save time. Example: Today, I’m attending the NH Center for Nonprofits' annual Conference and Expo, where I’ll be presenting 3 Keys to Making Strategy Matter ( 👋 come say “hi” if you’re here!). There’s a shop near the conference that I’ve been wanting to hit up. My original plan: save a trip by visiting the shop after the conference! 🦉 But then I wised up. I might be able to get to the shop before it closed. But at the end of the conference today, instead of focusing my attention where it belongs (on meeting amazing nonprofit leaders), I’d feel rushed and anxious to get to the shop on time. That realization caused me to reflect: how often do I squeeze in too much, only to get less out of (or put less into) the experience? Running from one task to the next depletes our energy quickly. And we’ll likely be less engaged (sometimes noticeably so) or make a mistake when our energy isn’t 100%. When you feel pressed for time, ask yourself, “would I be better served by squeezing in everything I have planned, or by changing plans?” For instance: 🛌 Take breaks. When my energy is waning, I go on a short walk. The movement and fresh air help get my energy back up. And I often get in some quality thinking time. 🗓 Schedule breaks, transition, and overflow time. Use your calendar to your advantage - build in time to prepare, time to reflect, and time to do…whatever serves you at that given moment. 🕟 Do things later. When you feel pressed for time, evaluate the true urgency of tasks and meetings – and push what you can. 🤷‍♂️ Do less. Some tasks may not require *you* to do them – or, to be done at all. Delegate when possible. And allow what’s not important to drop on the floor. 👉 Your time is precious. But how you expend and preserve your energy will determine how effectively you use that time. ----- 👋 I facilitate strategic planning for nonprofits and coach leaders to put people first to make their strategies matter. Read the original article or subscribe at https://lnkd.in/dZqB6T4v

5

2 Comments

🚨 Nonprofits are facing a crisis with burnout, low wages, and staffing shortages affecting service delivery. Read more below. 🚨 Nonprofits are struggling with: 💸 Low salaries ⏰ Demanding work 🛡️ Lack of support for worker wellbeing These challenges result in: 📉 Inability to deliver critical services ⚠️ Decreased effectiveness and reach The Causes: 💲 Insufficient funding for salaries 🏋️‍♀️ High stress environments 🧠 Inadequate mental health support The Solutions: 💰 Increase funding for staff 🛠️ Invest in burnout prevention programs ❤️ Prioritize mental health support Benefits of Investing in Staff Wellbeing: 👍 Higher retention and reduced burnout 🚀 Enhanced service delivery 💪 Stronger, happier organizations 🌟Call to Action: Philanthropic funders and supporters, we urge you to support initiatives addressing the nonprofit workforce crisis. Let's build a stronger, healthier, and more sustainable nonprofit sector! 🌟 #Nonprofit #MentalHealth #WorkplaceWellbeing #Philanthropy #SupportNonprofits #CommunityImpact

15

1 Comment

What if nonprofits could leverage their data to demonstrate impact and secure more funding?   Impact Genome’s Head of Product and Senior Vice President, Sandi Boga, M.Ed., joined a panel at the recent Peak Grantmaking Conference, for a session titled: “Transforming the Way Social Sector Data Flows, to discuss just that.   “Our mission is to ensure that the smaller nonprofits are on equal footing with the more established ones and receive their fair share of funding dollars.” By using the Impact Genome Registry, nonprofits of any size can report program outcomes, gain visibility, and share their Verified Impact Report across all funders. “This approach elevates the influence of smaller nonprofits and allows decisions to be made purely based on impact versus relationships.”   Read the full article here > https://bit.ly/4aS98P6 To learn more about the Impact Genome Registry > https://bit.ly/4axWZiE #ImpactGenome #ImpactGenomeRegistry #nonprofit #impactmeasurement #outcomemeasurment

16

If you've appreciated Crappy Funding Practices, here's an opportunity to get involved. As Vu Le summarized: "Behind these posts on LinkedIn are teams of volunteers spending hours communicating with folks who nominate funders, vetting submissions, crafting the call-outs, engaging with social media, developing list of resources, planning meetings and organizing, etc. It’s a lot of work and right now all volunteer-run. We need more people involved. So, if you’re interested in helping out, please join a special meeting we’re hosting on May 14th at 10am PT / 1 pm ET, where we’ll update you on what’s been going on, and present the different options for you to plug into." Registration is required: https://lnkd.in/ea3igpms

12

Are you a donor? Grantmaker?  Do you have 10 minutes? Help our colleagues at 21/64 and the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) gain valuable insights on how you engage philanthropy consultants or advisors to advance your giving. Click here to start the survey >> https://lnkd.in/ejBbSgt7

4

2 Comments

Are you a donor? Grantmaker? Do you have 10 minutes? Help our colleagues at 21/64 and the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) gain valuable insights on how you engage #philanthropy consultants or advisors to advance your giving. Click here to start the survey >> https://lnkd.in/gu_e_PEY

2

Participatory grantmaking breaks down the harmful hierarchies, top-down dynamics, and funder-vs-grantee binaries that dominate traditional philanthropy. Mama Cash’s entire grantmaking portfolio is fully participatory because self-led communities know best what works, and self-determination is radical change. Find out how and why grantmaking can and should become participatory: https://bit.ly/3TzPCQ1 participatory #ParticipatoryGrantmaking #FeministActivismWorks

164

1 Comment

“By developing a futures culture, philanthropy can stay open and flexible and expand its toolbox with new, non-linear strategies and practices to embrace complexity and uncertainty as a feature of our times” Our latest publication, “Futures Philanthropy: Anticipation for the Common Good”, explores how and why philanthropy could play a role in fostering anticipation for the common good and what anticipation looks like when it is put in the service of society and common interests. Download your copy here! #FuturesPhilanthropy https://bit.ly/4dmtNN8

4

Interested in discovering how philanthropy can harness the future-thinking? 📖 In their latest publication, Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association and Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies chart a new pathway for philanthropic organisations to embrace the future as an extensive realm of possibilities ✨ The long-term nature of today's challenges requires us to rethink our way of working, moving from short-term plan to flexibility and innovation. Current practices must evolve to anticipate the common good, enabling communities to thrive towards the future 🔝 Dive into the report to discover how Mercator Foundation Switzerland, Assifero, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation have already implemented a future-thinking strategy. The 3 toolkits provided will also support organisations to start this journey, beginning with introspection and moving into action. https://t.ly/mlaeh #philanthropy #futurethinking #challenges #communities #giving

5

Really appreciate this group of 60+ changemakers who assembled tonight to write to our legislators about transmission reform for the U.S. power grid. If you want to read on, see a quick summary below from the Climate Changemakers action alert on why this matters, then check out their post for how to take action. Why we need to add capacity to the U.S. electric grid? Demand for electricity is increasing and the current grid structure cannot support the expected electrification of enormous swaths of our economy as we try to rapidly decarbonize. Electricity demand also naturally increases each year as a byproduct of tech-heavy economic growth. There’s already more clean energy waiting to connect to the U.S. power grid than the total generation capacity of existing power plants. Grid capacity isn’t the only reason for that backlog, but the grid simply can’t handle that excess generation without expansion and modernization. How can we advocate for this issue? -Congress can pass federal laws that address key issues affecting building new transmission, like requiring transferability between regions, making it easier to permit new lines, and granting more regulatory authority to the federal government. (SITE Act, BIG WIRES Act, CETA) -State utility regulators can use their regulatory authority over electric utilities to improve how they use existing transmission lines. They can incentivize practices that reduce grid stress, like the use of grid-enhancing technologies or better demand management. -State governments can tighten requirements on utility regulators and approve transmission siting and permitting requests quickly.

20

1 Comment

Harvard Climate Action Week is coming! This is always an exciting opportunity to hear directly from climate experts, leaders, and stakeholders as they work to address the complexity of the climate crisis. There will be in-person events as well as offerings for online participation. #HarvardClimateActionWeek #ClimateActionAccelerator #SalataInstitute #Sustainability #ClimateCrisis

2

Happy #AdminProfessionalsDay! Want to show your admin some appreciation AND support local nonprofits? Send an e-card! How it works: Select an e-card design for your recipient, add your custom message, and make your $3 donation. Recipients will receive the e-card immediately unless scheduled for a later date. And be sure to check back for new featured e-cards! As an all-volunteer-run organization, we know how much a little ‘thank you’ can go a long way. Click the link to get your e-card!

4

❓ Has the recent explosion in big bet philanthropy left doers facing an imposing funding cliff? A recent Stanford Social Innovation Review article by Matthew Forti and Claire McGuinness from One Acre Fund challenges donors and doers alike to rethink collaboration, helping big bet philanthropy lead to even bigger social change down the road. They contend that a funding cliff often comes at precisely the moment doers are ready for a next phase, which is crucial to achieving their social change ambitions. This post-big-bet phase is one where the rate of impact growth will far exceed the rate of resource growth, which should make it a highly appealing investment opportunity. 📚 Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/eAKgj6iR At EYElliance, we support stronger collaboration between big bet donors and their doer recipients to create sustainable momentum for however long the long haul is to reach their shared social change objectives. #BigBetPhilanthropy

9

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our new digital download: "Nonprofit Capacity in a Nutshell - A Guidebook for Improving How You Do What You Do." 🌟 In 2024, understanding and enhancing your organization's capacity is more critical than ever. That's why we've condensed years of expertise and research into a two-volume set that's designed to be your ultimate guide to nonprofit excellence. This guidebook bridges the invaluable lessons from the Merit® Nonprofit Professional Development online learning platform with practical, actionable advice for real-world application. What's Inside? 28 Core Nonprofit Capacities: From fundraising to strategic planning to implementation to accountability, discover essential strategies to increase your effectiveness and impact. Real-World Insights & Actionable Advice: Learn from the experiences of successful nonprofit leaders plus a leadership psychologist, and immediately implement proven techniques. Alignment with Impact Capacity Assessment Tool & Korn Ferry Leadership Architect: Ensure your learning coordinates seamlessly with these powerful tools for organizational and personal development. Designed to benefit all nonprofit professionals—whether you're well-versed in the field or just beginning your journey—"Nonprofit Capacity in a Nutshell" offers an invaluable resource for anyone looking to make a meaningful impact. Volume 1: https://lnkd.in/eh3vmPP3 Volume 2: https://lnkd.in/e7-7DPWH... Now available for download, this guidebook is your first step towards unlocking the secrets to nonprofit excellence. Empower your organization, elevate your mission, and transform your approach to nonprofit work today. Dive in and discover how you can drive positive change within your organization and the community you serve. 🌍✨ #NonprofitExcellence #DigitalDownload #NonprofitCapacity #ProfessionalDevelopment #MakeADifference

2