Moving Forward with “Mixed Company”
August 21, 2014
Donors Forum is on the leading edge these days. We are integrating funders and nonprofit organizations into the same programs. It’s very exciting. The planning forum for Member Network co-chairs held on Aug. 6 is evidence of this. The co-chairs are embracing the strategic plan that Donors Forum’s Board put into motion. It’s very encouraging to see how they are carrying this new plan of Donors Forum forward.
The Leadership Planning Forum showed the variety of approaches members developed to better integrate and strengthen the relationships of funders and nonprofit organizations. These include:
1) inviting nonprofits to group sessions so their voices can be included in discussions;
2) involving nonprofits in planning sessions;
3) holding sessions that can help nonprofits better understand how different types of funders operate; and
4) building conversations that can help funders and nonprofit organizations talk about ways to build stronger, more transparent, and equitable relationships.
This integration is only beginning, of course. It will take continuing work to find the right ways to build combined opportunities for funders and nonprofits while also providing them opportunities to have discussions that cover issues particular to each group.
There are still questions, though. How will Donors Forum and its Member Networks best design sessions and other activities to build and sustain relationships between the funders and nonprofits? The fact that Members are so willing to tackle these issues and move forward toward the future is very encouraging.
The optimism of group co-chairs was clear by the words and phrases they shared to summarize the kinds of outcomes they expect to see in the next year. Here are some terms they used:
- inclusiveness
- exploration
- collaboration
- interconnectedness
- deliberate learning
- diversity
- education
These words and phrases the positive outlook co-chairs are bringing to their efforts. They play a key role in building stronger relationships between all Donors Forum Members.
The leadership that co-chairs brought to this conversation was energizing. I’m excited to see the full range of Donors Forum Members gain leadership opportunities and use these opportunites to continue the work of building a new kind of organization that can be a model for others to follow.
~ Ernest Vasseur, Executive Director, Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County and Secretary, Donors Forum Board of Directors