By Derrick Feldmann, Philanthropy News Digest

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Recently, I put my finger on a social sector trend that's been lodged in my brain but that I was having a hard time articulating: call it nostalgia.

Let me give you an example.

In many of the conversations I've had over the last year or two, people usually express a clear interest in changing how we engage with social issues and causes. They want to see Americans give more, volunteer more, vote more, or otherwise be more civically engaged, and they have certain expectations about what that looks like and how it should happen.

In many of these conversations, the person I’m speaking with often "benchmarks" the change they'd like to see, and that benchmark often references the past, as in "Derrick, Americans used to give more," or "Derrick, Americans used to know more about the way our political system works." They often cite statistics to back up their point and then will say, in so many words, "We need to return to…" and will launch into a narrative about a time when "we were less polarized as a country," when "people were more willing to help a stranger in need," when there was no "us and them, only we."

Now, it's not my job to argue with people and point out where they might need to rethink some of their ways of looking at things, and I'm not going to do that here. Read more.

By Ben Paynter, senior writer, Fast Company

Last fall, Melinda Gates pledged to spend $1 billion over the next decade to help close the gender equality gap. She explained that nonprofits battling women-specific issues are radically underfunded. (They get about $1 for every $5 spent on arts programs or $10 put toward higher education in general.) And 90% of that goes toward one cause area: reproductive health.

Gates has specific ways she’ll spend the cash, such as promoting professional advancement, pushing for more diversity in fields that are reshaping society (like tech and politics), and encouraging others to use their own financial influence to the same end. For others who might heed that call, though, there’s a knowledge gap: How many organizations are trying to make that kind of change anyway? What do they look like, and what areas are most chronically underfunded?

To assist in that, the Women’s Philanthropy Institute launched the Women and Girls Index, a public database of the country’s charities dedicated largely to women’s causes or that are female-led collectives trying to make change from their own perspective. To build it, the institute analyzed available public 990 tax filings by group name, mission statement, and program descriptions. Read more.

By Jan Breiner Frazer, managing member, Planningplus, LLC

Planning plus+ LLC partners with our clients to strategically achieve tangible results, meaningful impact, and a dynamic corporate culture for current and future success. Our core competencies include strategic and operational planning, board development and committee alignment, leadership development, and building the HR infrastructure. As a result of 30+ years of experience, we have developed a number of our own and unique approaches to working with clients.

  

Here is an idea for you to consider: Are board-term limits always a good idea?

Read any books or articles on board governance and the issue of term limits is always addressed. Best practices indicate that board members should have 3-year term limits, allow a year or two off the board, and then they can apply for another term. But is that always a good idea?

In our years of consulting with nonprofit boards, we consistently find that the most significant challenge for the organization is (and always has been) money – keeping the bottom line profitable to be able to serve more in need, recruit and retain employees, upgrade old facilities, add technology, etc., etc., etc. While the executive director is typically the chief fundraiser, along with a chief development officer, boards generally have some type of committees to support those efforts, such as resource development, marketing, public relations.  

But from a board member’s perspective, knowing you have only signed on for three years how much long-sustaining work can you really get done? Read more.

United Way of Central Indiana approved three community-based organizations for accreditation, which will be added to its network of 84. New Hope of Indiana on the city’s Northwest side, which became an independent nonprofit in 2014, is one. CICOA and Family Promise of Hendricks County are the other two. Read more.

Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity kicked off its 2020 Women Build project with the goal to build two homes in 12 weeks on the Near-North area of Indianapolis for two women and their families. Women Build was established in 2014 and has raised nearly $800,000 since its inception. To read more about the effort, click here.

The Indianapolis-based Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation is expanding statewide. Participants spend 12 months learning about what is going on in Indiana, how the state stacks up to its neighbors and the rest of the country, and identifying problems and opportunities in which they could make an impact. Fellows then develop proposals to address specific problems and pitch to the foundation. Applications are being accepted for this year's cohort until March 15. Learn more about the program by clicking here.

Nominations are open for American Express Leadership Academy’s NGen Fellows program until March 15. Designed to rapidly advance the capacity for 12 next-generation leaders’ applications are open to changemakers age 40 and under. Self-nominate or nominate someone else. Questions can be emailed to [email protected]. Details here.

TechPoint Foundation for Youth needs volunteers for the Indiana State Robotics Championship on March 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Over 13,000 people from across Indiana and relies on almost 500 volunteers to make it a success! Volunteer slots vary on role and time. Commitment: 2 hours. For questions contact Andrew Fulton at [email protected] or 317-640-6742 or visit the website.

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