relationship-based funding

Fri Mar 10 10:56:39 PST 2006

Diane,

I understand your questions.  No, to my knowledge our idea has not yet been
tried, and many of the technical & process details are yet to be worked out.

We intend to invite our wonderful regional community foundation to be a
co-convenor of the experiment, and donor-advised funds are one good starting
place.  The idea is that there are some potential donors who would value
having a more active and direct role in the synergy and development of local
projects they support, and to develop an ongoing collaborative relationship
with the people "on the ground."  (These are the philanthropists who may be
weary of people being only interested in their money and not their whole
selves, their wisdom and vision and full presence).  The centerpiece of the
process will be a 2.5-day OST that brings together potential donors and
project folks around a specific theme (in our case related to the broad idea
of sustainability).  There will be some pre-work done among both "groups"
prior to the event.  The drafting of State of Grace Documents among the
collaborators on any specific project will take place at a follow-up event
designed for that purpose.  Then the State of Grace Documents will become a
vehicle for bringing folks together on a regular basis (perhaps quarterly)
to share progress, stories, & challenges, to renew commitments (or not), and
to continue to develop the project together.

In the context of the dominant societal paradigm around money & power, the
intricacies of how philanthropy currently happens all have their proper
place.  But as methodologies like open space and State of Grace Documents
continue to show us, where there is passion and common purpose, there is
always a simpler way.

Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Diane
Brandon
Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 6:54 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: relationship-based funding

Chris, can you give a real or imaginary example of how this (State of
Grace Documents as relationship-based alternatives to grants & other
traditional funding mechanisms.) might work? The non-profit work I'm
part of receives grants from "Community Foundations", where "donor
advised funds" are granted to projects. In the "relationship-based
alternatives", would the donor have their funds in their own
investments, and work on a State of Grace document as a sort of MOU
(memorandum of understanding) between them and the project or program
they are funding? How would they not have many organizations seeking to
do this with them? The community foundations serve as intermediaries,
to save the wealthy person with a mission in mind from having to
organize those seeking funds, and from having to know all the
investment/donor laws, etc.

I like what you're suggesting, but I'd love to hear some further
descriptions, pros and cons. Is anyone doing it yet?

Diane Brandon (coordinator of a regional coalition that uses
participatory methods like FS, WC, AI -- and OS soon)

PS Melinda Salazar, who I mentioned some time back on this list, and
who is now a member, is having Steve Cochran facilitate her OS on
Teaching Peace at the high school in Durham NH on April 1.

On Mar 9, 2006, at 6:29 AM, Chris Weaver wrote:

> Thanks, Harrison & others, for the welcome when I posted a few weeks
> ago.  It's lovely to be remembered after a couple of years off-list, &
> delightful to see the online community thriving away in its inimitable
> way.
>  
> A couple current highlights & interests:
>  
> I continue to work with youth, particularly teenagers.  I'm working
> with some wonderful folks to develop a new form of "community-based
> indigenous education."  I promote a return to the ancient idea that
> the initiation from childhood to young-adulthood is a key moment for
> the vast living intelligence of nature to re-enter the consciousness
> of the human village.  Our youth can do this and are doing this for
> those who notice.  Open space is a really good tool for
> intergenerational, inclusive "culture creation," so that the youth can
> be widely and deeply honored and supported in their role, and welcomed
> back properly by the Elders and the village.  (Our project weblog will
> soon be up ~ I'll let y'all know.)
>  
> Last week (thanks to Patricia Haines & the list) I attended the open
> space convocation of the US Partnership for the UN Decade for
> Education for Sustainable Development at the EPA campus near
> Raleigh, North Carolina.  All I can say is that Steve Cochran has done
> something extraordinary, the unfolding of which will make itself known
> on this list and far beyond in the weeks & months to come.  Harrison's
> post about the new climate change research brings the opportunities
> around open space and the Partnership into an even sharper focus.
>  
> I am championing one initiative that came out of the convocation,
> which I am excited to mention, although it's in early development. 
> Inspired by my sketchy recollection of Michael Herman's "Giving
> Conference" in Chicago a couple years back, I'm working with Maureen
> and Zelle, Patricia, & others on a new way to bring potential donors
> together with grassroots sustainability project leaders, using open
> space, and resulting in State of Grace Documents as relationship-based
> alternatives to grants & other traditional funding mechanisms.  If all
> goes well we'll pilot this in North Carolina (probably here in
> Asheville) by summer.
>  
> That's my news from the Northamerican southeast highlands, as the
> birds call in the dawn from the Atlantic.  Enjoy your day, everyone.
>  
> Chris Weaver
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