Originally posted at GIFT Exchange.

This month I am writing about what cori parrish at North Star Fund calls “the human side of donor programming.” Here I focus on progressive major donor programming, such as donor workshops and conferences. This is something I have experience with, having attended and helped to design programs and retreats at Resource Generation. To me, the work has been about building community and developing ways for donors to connect with each other and with people working in movements for social justice. I think feeling a sense of connection and community creates happier people, and happy people tend to give more, and people tend to support what they feel connected to. I hope this will help demystify donor programming and create conversations and opportunities for partnership. (more…)

Filed under: Donor Organizing, Wealth Redistribution in Action by copley
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Two RG’ers discuss grassroots fundraising and RG. Re-posted from Theo’s new column at GIFT Exchange, the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training’s blog.

Greetings! This is my first official post to the GIFT blog and I am grateful and excited to be writing here. In this post, I interview Monica Raye Simpson about her experience with the GIFT Internship for people of color.

Monica is a skilled grassroots fundraiser, facilitator, board member, performance artist and mentor. She is Development Coordinator at SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective in Atlanta, GA. SisterSong works to amplify and strengthen the collective voices of Indigenous women and women of color to promote reproductive justice through securing human rights. Monica also serves on the board of Resource Generation.

How did you get involved with the GIFT internship?

GIFT reached out to organizations in North Carolina in an effort to further their work in the South. I was excited to have an opportunity to gain more knowledge and gain a support system of mentors in the field. I gained the skills I was looking for as well as a peer network of other fundraisers of color. (more…)

Filed under: Featured, Money Stories by copley
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RG’s national organizer, Nicole Lewis, reflects on her experience at the Council on Foundation’s Next Generation Retreat. Reposted from the blog Re: Philanthropy.

Simply put, we all want to be heard. But, we don’t always know how best to communicate. During a session on the art of effective communication as part of The Council on Foundations Next Generation Retreat for Family Members it became clear that the Next-Gen, though seated in their place at the proverbial table, are struggling to be heard. Next Gen Retreat participants shared stories of philanthropic challenge and triumph. In some cases, explosive conversations grounded Next-Gen involvement for several years. In others, the Next-Gen was able to move important resolutions forward. In cases of communication-gone-wrong the common thread was unclear. Perhaps these young trustees were working with a particularly difficult family member? Maybe they had not presented their case well? Maybe this work is, well, just difficult? But, when I turned my sights towards the more successful conversations, I could hardly tease a common theme either. There was something I was missing. I mused on what the potential blocks may be. The answer did not come to me until later that evening.
(more…)

Filed under: RG News by resourcegeneration
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