Weekly Reader – October 15, 2018
What we’re reading and recommending this week. We add to this post throughout the week and look for your suggestions in the comments.
Monday, October 15
Sometimes, It Takes Just One Board Member (Marian Conway, Nonprofit Quarterly) A rubber-stamp board of directors is not helpful to any nonprofit. When an organization bends and breaks rules for an extended period of time—long enough that doing so has become part of the culture—it’s no understatement to say that everything lies with what the board of directors does—or does not—do.
Tuesday, October 16
Revitalizing Community Connection (Corey Binns, SSIR) Reimagining the Civic Commons claims it has built the first comprehensive set of metrics that connect the impact of revitalization to things like trust between people, neighbors’ perceptions of safety, and a community’s ability to draw together people of different incomes, races, and backgrounds.
Wednesday, October 17
What Does Wielding Philanthropic Power Ethically and Courageously Look Like? (Kristina “Yna” C. Moore, NCRP Blog) In addition to the need for funders to build grassroots power to activate and engage communities around important issues affecting them, and for them to share their power with those communities by nurturing trusting relationships and co-creating strategies, funders can and need to exercise their public leadership.
Thursday, October 18
From “The Arts” to “Creative Enterprise”: Perspective from the Philanthropic Sector (Gary P. Steuer, Cornerstone Capital Group) By focusing on only one segment of the sector, funders and policy-makers miss significant opportunities to build a holistic, thriving creative community and industry, at both local and national levels.
Friday, October 19
Going All In on Supporting Effective Organizations (Lisa Jackson, CEP Blog) General operating support is the working capital nonprofits need to sustain their day-to-day operations. A lack of working capital can prevent organizations from meeting basic operational needs, like payroll and rent. There is strong case to make for grantmakers to provide general operating support.