Community Leadership Webinar #1 Values, Culture and Will March 13, 2009
Dec 25, 2015
Welcome
• First Community Leadership Webinar
• Hosted by CFLeads & the Council on Foundations
• More than 90 participants
Agenda
• Welcome – Winsome Hawkins• The Making of the Community Leadership
Framework – Mike Howe• Aligning for Community Impact – Steve
Joul• Becoming A Catalyst for Community
Change – Jennifer Leonard• Q & A
Presenters
Mike Howe Chair, National Task Force on Community Leadership
Steve JoulPresident, Central Minnesota Community Foundation
Jennifer Leonard President & Executive Director, Rochester Area Community
Foundation
THE MAKING OF THE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK
Mike HoweChairNational Task Force on Community Leadership
National Task Force on Community Leadership
• 30 philanthropic leaders
• 12 months
• 2 frameworks – individual community foundation and field-level
CL Framework Value
• Many pathways to community leadership – not prescriptive
• A way to unpack complex concepts and processes
• A tool for planning that starts from analysis rather than intuition
• A tool for taking stock and evaluating progress
• A means to target the right actions to achieve desired results
• Finally…a definition of community leadership
Community Leadership Definition
The community foundation is a catalyzing force that creates a better future
for all by addressing the community’s most critical or persistent challenges,
inclusively uniting people, institutions and resources, and producing significant,
widely shared and lasting results.
Unpacking the definition
The community foundation
is a catalyzing force
that creates a better future for all
by addressing the community’s most critical or persistent challenges
inclusively uniting people, institutions, and resources
and producing significant, widely shared and lasting results.
Framework for Community Leadership, First Level Building Blocks
D.
Understanding and skills
A.
Values, culture and will
C.
Resources
B.
Relationships
Building blocks are inter-related
• Not mutually exclusive
• Strengthening one building block strengthens others
• Best strategies address multiple building blocks
First-Level Building Blocks
1. Common good
2. Diverse & inclusive
3. Results-driven learning organization
4. Respectful & transparent
A. Values, Culture & Will
First-Level Building Blocks
1. Grassroots & grasstops
2. Encourage & engage new leaders
B. Relationships
First-Level Building Blocks
C. Resources
1. Internal systems
2. Human resources
3. Donors and investors
4. Business model
First-Level Building Blocks
D. Understanding & Skills
1. Possess and gather information
2. Community change processes
3. Facilitation & communication
4. Knowing when & on what to act
5. Public policy
6. Outcomes & metrics
A. Values, Culture and WillFirst-Level Building Block
The community foundation manifests the values, culture & will to exercise community leadership.
Building Block A: Second-Level Building Blocks
A.1 The community foundation is committed to the common good.
A.2 The community foundation is fundamentally committed and organized to increase opportunity, diverse participation and fairness.
A.3 The community foundation is a results-driven learning organization.
A.4 The community foundation is humble, respectful and transparent.
History of Central Minnesota Community Foundation
• Created in 1985
• Primarily focused on Donor Services
• Limited unrestricted grant dollars
• Focused grant dollars in key areas– Strengthening youth and families– Supporting infrastructure of non profits– Recognizing and appreciating diversity
What Was Missing?
• Community/leadership initiatives had no basis
• No metrics to measure impact in the community
• Not leveraging impact of other funds held at the Foundation
Donor Service vs. Community Service
Donor ServicesOrganization
DiscretionaryGrantmaker
Source: Development Deliberations by Stuart Applebaum
The X/Y Factor
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Increasing Social Capital
Incr
easi
ng
Fin
anci
al C
apit
al
"Discretionary Grantmaker"focus on community building
"Donor Services"focus on donor services
Measuring Community Service – Social Capital• Robert Putnam’s work at Harvard – “Bowling Alone”
– Connections are important– Greater connections mean:
• Better schools• Safer streets• Greater economic growth• More effective government• Healthier lives
• Social Capital increases the productive potential of a community
• Social Capital defines “Community”
• Benchmark Survey– Quantifiable– Comparable– Repeatable
“Without adequate supplies of “social capital” – that is, without civic engagement, healthy community institutions, norms of mutual reciprocity, and trust – social institutions falter and lose efficacy.” – Robert Putnam
Goals of the Social Capital Survey
• Establish a Benchmark Metric for the Region
• Create Community Discussion
• Create a Measure of Health of Our Community
The Social Capital Survey
• “Social Capital” is a method of measuring the value of connections that individuals have to other individuals and to their communities.
• This survey looks at a variety of indicators found, in national research, to be good measures of social capital.
See also: www.communityview.org
A strategy map illustrates CMCF’s ultimate goal of building a prosperous community.
Social Capital
Financial Capital
Example metrics:Social capital surveyNumber of CVIEW users
Example metrics:Social capital surveyNumber of CVIEW users
Example metrics:% dollars staying localTotal endowment
Example metrics:% dollars staying localTotal endowment
Prosperous Community
Engaged People
Connected Resources
Poor Community
High Financial Capital Growth, High Social Capital
Growth
The strategic plan supports growth in both social and financialcapital. The Vision is:
• Engaging People,
• Connecting Resources,
• Building Community.
The redesign work was to align the work of the Foundation to the two-pronged strategy
• Strong donor services• Relatively small,
“scattered” grant making
• A desire to be more “strategic” and understand impact
• Criteria with common philosophy
• Benchmark of social capital metric
• Clearly defined role for CMCF (as catalyst, observer, or participant)
• Start, Stop, Continue… • Venture Philanthropy
Community Programs Committee – Original Purpose
ORIGINAL PURPOSE: “to study and propose the role the Central Minnesota Community Foundation should play in bringing individuals and community resources to bear on significant community issues that lead to building a better community.”
CURRENT FUNCTIONS: 1. Provides the vehicle by which the
Foundation exercises leadership on the key important issues facing the community.
2. Assess and monitor community needs and assets as well maintain inventory of who is doing what in the community.
3. Recommend community foundation involvement on key community issues and determine approach of being observer, participant or catalyst.
4. Recommend priority focus areas for the unrestricted grants of the Foundation
5. Recommend grants from the Community Foundation
Community Programs Committee -- Resources and Tools
• Influential and engaged volunteers• Unrestricted grants ($100,000 per year)• Neutrality of the Foundation • Access to Donor Advisors with Funds at
CMCF• CommunityVIEW – Interactive web-based
tool to connect people and issues in the community
In determining CMCF involvement, we will use the following criteria:
Address Community Needs: 6. How does it address community needs?
7. How does it build the capacity of the community to be responsive?
Impact, Results & Sustainability: 8. To what extent is the plan clear, sound,
measurable, and well developed?
9. To what extent is the impact on the community broad-based and long term?
10. To what extent are the results measurable?
11. What is the potential for sustainability?
Resources & Philanthropy:12. How does it stimulate philanthropy?
13. How does it engage other resources?
CMCF’s Role:1. How does CMCF’s participation
add value?
2. To what extent does CMCF have the resources to support the level of involvement chosen?
Build Community:3. Does it build Social Capital?
4. How does it create opportunities for individuals and families to successfully engage with the St. Cloud area economic, political, and social life?
5. How does it expand knowledge and understanding in the community?
Restructure of Unrestricted Grant Making Process
• Committee used criteria to evaluate our leadership initiatives in community
• Solicited grant applications that created “Bridging ” Social Capital
• Committee used “Building a Healthy Community” criteria to rank grant applications using on-line tool, CommunityVIEW
• Committee especially looked at “how” funded applicants measured the building of Social Capital
• Committee now looking at moving to a more focused and intentional approach to grant making by exploring the Venture Philanthropy model.
Timeline
2005-06
Dec 2006
2006-07
2006-07
2009
July 2003 Grants Committee become the Leadership Committee with revised purpose.
Mar 2004 Social Capital Survey completed as a metric.
Nov 2004Leadership Committee becomes Community Programs Committee (CPC), and considers roles of catalyst, participant, and observer for the Foundation.
Fall 2005 CPC formulates and adopts set of criteria for “Building a Healthy Community”
Criteria used for in-depth evaluation of CMCF initiatives, grant rounds on hold, process is redesigned. CPC grapples with what to invest in, what to let go of…
CMCF holds training for non-profits on what Social Capital is and the new grantmaking process.
CPC utilizes CommunityVIEW for letters of intent (>60) and final selection of proposals.
Continuation of Social Capital as the metric and monitoring of Initiatives. Two grant rounds held, with new criteria, larger amounts, investment and venture philanthropy focus.
A resurveying planned with the Social Capital survey.
What Difference Has it Made?
• Some initiatives discontinued– Agro forestry Fund– Applied Technology Initiative
• Other initiatives enhanced– Women’s Fund– Create CommUNITY
• Future decision making made easier– Community Cultural Arts Plan
Tough Love Advice and Thinking
• Should have done it sooner
• Question of additional metrics in Community Service – Challenging discussion
• Crucial 2nd Level A Building Blocks– A.1 – Committed to effecting change that
advances the common good
– A.3 – The CF is a results –driven learning organization
Tough Love Advice and Thinking Continued• 2 Building Blocks we wished had been stronger
– C. 2. – The CF has human resources to exercise community leadership.
– C.4. – The CF’s business model provides flexible financial resources to support community leadership efforts.
• What would we do differently?– Move process along quicker– Provide more education to volunteers
Conclusion
The Mission of the CMCF is to:
Engage People, Connect Resources and Build Community
This is done by building both Financial Capital and Social Capital.
BECOMING A CATALYST FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE
Jennifer LeonardPresident and Executive DirectorRochester Area Community Foundation
Becoming a Catalyst
• The Importance of Values, Culture and Will
• Internal Preparation Is Key
• Evolutionary, Not Revolutionary
• Critical Role of Strategic Planning
• Changing the Customer
• Changing the Conversation
• The Virtuous Cycle
Hedgehog
Our People are Passionate
We Can Be Best in the World
Economically Sustainable
Community Change Agent
Revised Mission
2000 Version:RACF builds a better community
for everyone through philanthropy…
• By stimulating growth and providing careful stewardship of the community’s endowment
• By engaging donors, recipients, and other partners
• By building upon and mobilizing community assets and resources
2005 Version:
We engage passionate philanthropists in improving our community.
Revised Vision
2000 Version:
We engage passionate philanthropists in improving our community.
2005 Version:
To be greater Rochester’s catalyst for community change.
Our Values (Revised)
2000 Version:• World Class Stewardship• Inclusiveness• Opportunity for All• Foster Personal Responsibility• Personalized Donor Support• Creative Problem Solving• Collaboration/Partnership• Impact/Making a Difference• Independent
2005 Version:• Principled Leadership• Permanent Stewardship• Personalized Philanthropy• Collaboration and Partnership• Systemic Change• Broadly Inclusive • Independent and Nonpartisan
Key Customers (Revised)
• Greater Rochester Community• Philanthropists Committed to Greater Rochester
Community
• Key Partners– Community Leaders– Nonprofits and Community Initiatives– Legal and Financial Advisors– Government and Private Funders– Board, Staff and Volunteers
Key Result Areas (Revised)
• Learning to Make Change
• Focusing for Impact and Engagement
• Telling Our Story
• Broadening Our Circle
• “Did we prepare to be community change agents?”
• “Did we engage philanthropists and community partners?”
• “Does the community perceive us as facilitators of change?”
• “Have we reached and engaged more diverse populations?”
Learning to Make Change
•Outcomes– Frequent, effective community leadership in multiple
areas
– Demonstrable community improvements
– Public policy improvements
•Process measures– Board and staff ready for roles as change agents
– Foundation operation is more sustainable
– Policies and procedures support core mission
– Community partnerships developed
Focusing for Impact & Engagement
•Outcomes– Measurable impact in interest areas
– Our expertise recognized and solicited
– More philanthropists more actively engaged
– Increased resources in interest areas
•Process measures– Strategies for impact and change identified
– Recruitment and deployment of staff
– Knowledge and accountability systems in place
– New ways to engage philanthropists in place
Telling Our Story
•Outcomes– Increased public awareness of Foundation– Foundation seen as change agent, expert and leader– Attraction of philanthropists who want what we do
•Process measures– Foundation “branded” as community change agent – Increased investment in marketing – Culture of storytelling about impact– Internal and external messages clear on mission– Systematized reporting of results to all partners
Broadening Our Circle
•Outcomes– Increased variety of philanthropists– Retention of diverse staff, board, philanthropists – Foundation as place for community philanthropy – Foundation broadly representative of community
•Process measures– New ways to engage philanthropists– Sustainable products allow everyone to be a
philanthropist (without encouraging small funds)– Outreach to specific target markets (geography, ethnicity,
lifestyle, etc.)– Foundation’s inclusive practices enhanced
Timeline (as of 2006)
2006• Refine interest areas• Re-price products• Debate leadership role(s),
oversight• Choose new priority area• Hire program, communications
officers • Restructure Program Dept• Plan marketing campaign• Investigate “next gen”
philanthropist engagement • Investigate technology
(accountability and customer relationship management) tools
• Professional development
2007• Finish repositioning marketing
messages, materials• Launch marketing campaign• Implement at least one giving
circle • Invest in technology tools• Upgrade website to strengthen
community issues, philanthropist interface
• 35th anniversary rollout, including Evening Out
• Consider different event for 2008
Timeline (cont’d)
2008• Hire development officer• Major community leadership
initiative• Add one more giving circle• Focus on grant accountability• Continue telling the story…
“Changing the Conversation”
A vehicle for changeNot a vehicle for donors
Support our community Not support anything you wantMake a difference
Not make a grantJoin our family of philanthropists Not get our services for a low fee
“Changing the Conversation”
Larger funds get more services Not all funds get everything
The work we do Not the business we’re inCommunity philanthropist
Not fundholderCommunity Philanthropy Awards Not Philanthropy Awards
Three Years Later
• Board Development and Makeup
• Board Comfort with Sharing Credit
• Board-initiated Community Indicators Project (Joint with UW)
• Board Focus on Economic Downturn
• We Are “At the Table” Making Change
• Example: Preventing After-School Cuts
Q & A
• Press *1 to enter the question queue
• To remove yourself from queue, press *2
• Please state your name & community foundation before asking your question
• Direct your question to one of the presenters
Thanks!
• For more info about the Community Leadership Framework, visit www.cfleads.org
• Archived Webinar available at www.cfleads.org
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