Minneapolis may be the birthplace of the legendary Prince, but hundreds gathered there this week for a different reason – the biennial Grantmakers for Effective
Organizations (GEO) conference.
The GEO National Conference, hosted by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations in partnership with Minnesota Council on Foundations, brings together 800 grantmakers from across the country to make connections, hear fresh ideas and explore more efficient and effective ways to grow their impact.
Here are our key takeaways:
Culture is inextricably linked to effectiveness
Culture was the focus of the opening session at GEO with the key takeaway being that effectiveness starts from within: a positive internal culture is crucial for effective philanthropy. Culture starts within an organization but it also radiates outward through behavior and perceptions. It permeates everything, and yet we are often not aware of it. Creating and maintaining healthy, productive foundation cultures is a key step on the road to effectiveness.
Diversity in philanthropy matters
It comes as no surprise that diversity is on our list. Everyone is talking about the lack of diversity in philanthropy. It’s always going to make our list because it’s an issue that needs to be addressed. Over the past few years, there has been meager progress in race and gender representation among staff and boards of philanthropic institutions. As Sylvia Yee, vice president of programs at Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, pointed out, it’s important to hire diverse staff who can empathize with communities. For organizations to truly connect with people from all backgrounds, they need to develop teams that can stand in someone else’s shoes. Lack of racial and gender diversity in philanthropy widens the understanding gap between philanthropy and the communities meant to be beneficiaries.
Transparency 2.0
Transparency 2.0 is all about moving from one-way communications to authentic two-way conversations. It’s important for foundations to not only share information, but also engage in a dialogue. We believe one of the best ways to do that is through social media. Social media allows you to connect with community leaders, grantees and beneficiaries. Foundations should utilize social media to share stories about their work and impact, gather feedback to better understand the needs of the community, and show support and appreciation for the work of grantees and other organizations.
There’s a direct link between equity and effectiveness
“A movement is not a flash of light — it is a flame, a torch passed from one generation to the next and every so often we are blessed with moments where the smolder transforms to blaze again and we’re forced to race down the path of progress.”
This powerful video kicked off the plenary on equity. Many of the issues foundations are working to address are directly linked to inequities in communities — in other words, there is a clear link between equity and effectiveness. Grantmakers must play a role in addressing inequities in their communities in order to make progress.
What were your key takeaways from #2016GEO?
