SD Grantmakers Update
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June 2008 |
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
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Welcome New SDG Member:
Alex Smith Foundation
Apologies for recent technical difficulties: Some SDG members have been receiving multiple copies of recent listserv emails from Nancy Jamison. We are working with our technology providers to resolve the problem and are very sorry for filling up your inbox!
In This Issue
Thursdays with SDG July Program
Join us for 2008's Thursdays with SDG monthly program series. Next month's session:
Pass or Fail? San Diego County Report Card on Children and Families
July 17, 2008
8:30-10:30 am
Location: Casey Family Programs, 3878 Old Town Ave., San Diego, CA 92110
Sandra L. McBrayer, CEO, The Children’s Initiative
Paula Ingrum, Report Card Project Director, The Children’s Initiative
Robert C. Fellmeth, Executive Director, Children's Advocacy Institute
The San Diego County Report Card on Children and Families covers issues of health, safety, economics, access to services, education, and quality of life. Join us to learn about and discuss the overall well-being of our county’s children, youth, and families; national best practices in prevention and intervention; and recommendations for action specific to San Diego. What implications does this research have for your work as funders? Mr. Fellmeth will provide insights from a state perspective. CAI works to improve the status and well-being of children in our society by representing their interests and right to a safe, healthy childhood.
To RSVP for this program, call 619/744.2180 or email programs@sdgrantmakers.org.
Save the Date: SDG Annual Conference October 23
Join us at the premier event for grantmakers in our region: your chance to develop your skills while you network with a wide variety of grantmakers from private, family, public, community, and corporate foundations and giving programs as well as donor-advised funds. More details coming soon!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
9:00am-5:30pm
Location: Joe and Vi Jacobs Center, 404 Euclid Avenue, San Diego, CA
Member & Community Partner News
YOUR ORGANIZATION COULD BE FEATURED HERE! Don't forget to let SDG know what's new with you, from grantmaking to awards, events, and more. We want to share the good news about all of our members. To submit an item for the newsletter, email nancy@sdgrantmakers.org.
San Diego Grantmakers is seeking to hire a part-time Administrative Coordinator. Click here for the job description. Emily Davis is going to pursue her consulting work full-time but will continue to work on select SDG projects.
Also, SDG has an unpaid internship opportunity available now: we are seeking part-time interns for Summer and Fall. Please forward this job description to any interested candidates!
Alliance Healthcare Foundation has named Karma Hartman Bass, M.P.H., as its new President & CEO effective June 23, 2008. Ms. Bass will serve as only the second CEO in Alliance’s 20 year history, following Ruth Riedel, PhD.
A film project funded by the Youth Digital Filmmakers Project of the California Council on the Humanities has been selected to premiere at the prestigious Los Angeles Film Festival on June 29. The documentary "Don't Erase My History" was created by a group of East Bay teens and is about the challenges of growing up LGBT.
The California Endowment is partnering with other California health foundations on the Tools for Quality program, a two-year, $4.5 million initiative designed to help community clinics and health centers serving the state's uninsured and low-income residents adopt technology needed to improves chronic disease care. Click here for more information.
Cymer Inc. is sponsoring an educational and research program, the new Cymer Center for Control Systems and Dynamics, at UCSD. The center is designed to train engineers to improve a wide variety of industrial products and processes. Click here for more information.
Price Charities, in conjunction with local health organizations, is sponsoring the City Heights Farmers Market, now open every Saturday from 9am-1pm at the City Heights Urban Village on Wightman between Fairmount and 43rd Streets.
The James Irvine Foundation has awarded nearly $22 million in grants, including a grant to San Diego's Old Globe Theater. Click here for more info.
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors is seeking candidates for a Vice President position in the San Francisco office. Click here for more information.
The San Diego Foundation has established the Iowa Flood Fund, which will enable San Diegans to donate money to aid The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation in the recovery and rebuilding efforts following the recent devastating floods.
The Science & Technology Working Group of The San Diego Foundation released a report called "What's Working: A Guide to Effective K-12 Math and Science Education in San Diego County." Click here for more info.
On June 3, the San Diego Women's Foundation invested $223,000 in grants to local non-profit organizations working to build resiliency in middle-school aged youth. Grantees include Barrio Logan College Institute, Kids Korps USA, SAY San Diego, Tariq Khamisa Foundation, and Vista Community Clinic. These new grants raise the SDWF’s total investment in the San Diego region to $1.5 million granted to 45 community partners over the past eight years.
San Diego Workforce Partnership has promoted chief operating office Mark Cafferty to become the new chief executive. Click here for a related San Diego Union-Tribune article.
Robert McNeely, executive vice president and manager of corporate community development for Union Bank of California, received the Community Reinvestment Act Award from the Greenlining Institute.
Dixie Newman will be leaving WebMD Health Foundation and The Rose Foundation on July 15th in order to become the Executive Director of Strategic Development at San Diego Hospice and The Institute of Palliative Medicine. Congrats, Dixie! WebMD Health Foundation is thus seeking a new Executive Director--contact Nancy for more info.
The Westreich Foundation is partnering with Words Alive to create an annual Words Alive/Westreich college scholarship for six deserving at-risk students from Lindsay Summit, Monarch School, Toussant Academy and Casa de Amparo.
Giving USA 2008 Released
From PND: "U.S. charitable giving reached an estimated $306.4 billion in 2007, exceeding $300 billion for the first time, a new report from the Giving USA Foundation finds. According to Giving USA 2008, which is researched and written by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, every type of public charity saw gains in donations received during 2007, while giving to foundations decreased. The report attributes the increase in giving to charity largely to the strong stock market performance in the first half of the year, overall growth in the economy as measured by gross domestic product, and increases in corporate and personal income as reported at the end of the year.
While giving to foundations decreased, grantmaking by foundations increased, to $38.5 billion, according to data provided by the Foundation Center. In recent years, a growing number of households and individual donors have established foundations and are using them as vehicles for their charitable giving; foundations now account for more than 12 percent of all giving. At the same time, giving by corporations in 2007 increased by an estimated 1.9 percent, to $15.7 billion. Giving by living individuals, the largest source of charitable giving, increased 2.7 percent in 2007, to an estimated $229 billion (a decrease of 0.1 percent when adjusted for inflation); the figure represents nearly three-quarters of all giving in the U.S. The report also estimated charitable bequests at $23.15 billion, an increase of 6.9 percent before adjusting for inflation."
Advocacy and Grantmaking
There is widespread recognition in the field of philanthropy today that one of the best ways to leverage dollars and create change in systems is to add advocacy and public policy work to the grantmaker "tool box." Some foundations are nervous about doing advocacy because of the important rules and regulations involved. Others are engaging in advocacy funding as an important strategy for widespread and long term impact. On June 3, SDG hosted a program on "The Role of Advocacy in Grantmaking" featuring speakers from Alliance for Justice (AFJ). The AFJ Nonprofit Advocacy Project (NAP) and Foundation Advocacy Initiative (FAI) work to strengthen the voice of the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors in important public policy debates by giving tax-exempt organizations a better understanding of the laws that govern their participation in the policy process. For those who couldn't attend this event, click here for the Power Point: “Role of Advocacy in Grantmaking.”
Additionally, there are several other resources on this topic that may be useful:
- Atlantic Philanthropies has a new FREE report called Investing in Change: Why Supporting Advocacy Makes Sense for Foundations. It provides an overview of foundation funding for advocacy, including profiles of campaigns, tips for effective support, questions foundations should consider before committing to funding advocacy, and challenges and risks.
- On July 15, the Forum and Atlantic Philanthropies are hosting a FREE related webinar: "How Funders Can Choose to Manage Advocacy Campaigns." The webinar will take place from 11-12:30 Pacific Time and will feature a panel of foundation officers with extensive experience in advocacy from The Pew Charitable Trusts, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies, and Alliance for Justice. Click here to register online.
- Also, Independent Sector has compiled a series of election resources for nonprofit organizations.
2008 Western Heart of Philanthropy Retreat
SDG members are invited to participate in a unique professional development opportunity with your peers from across California: the 2008 Heart of Philanthropy Retreat.
Thursday – Saturday
August 7–9, 2008
Commonweal Retreat Center
Bolinas, CA
Effective philanthropy involves skill, knowledge, competency, organizational effectiveness, and solid planning, as well as solid relationships based on trust, respect, and integrity. It is a balancing act of heart and head. As we go about doing our work, how do we find the time to reflect on the reasons for doing this work? Where is the heart in philanthropy? The Heart of Philanthropy retreat is based on the work of Parker J. Palmer, noted author of The Courage to Teach, activist, and co-founder of the Center for Courage & Renewal. The Center works to foster personal and professional growth through retreats that offer the time and space to reflect on life and work in the company of skilled facilitators and colleagues. The result for many participants is inspired and renewed commitment to their work and to new dimensions in leadership.
Click here for more information. Register now–the deadline for registration July 1. The fee is
$650 for members of SDG, SCG, and NCG, and $800 for nonmembers.
How to Use SDG Listservs
San Diego Grantmakers networking listservs (email discussion groups) are designed for interactive discussions with your colleagues and as a way to gain new information from the experiences and knowledge of your peers. List members are encouraged to exchange ideas, raise questions as a way to problem-solve, share news, and make announcements. Current SDG listservs are:
Membership:
Members
Corporate
Family
Working Groups/Collaborations/Other:
Child Welfare Funders
Coming Home to Stay
Education
Homelessness Working Group
Workforce Development
Women
To Send a Message: All subscribers can post to their respective listserv. Type listserv name in the "To" line (listserv names/addresses can be found on the members-only section of the SDG site--you will need to log in to view them. Contact Phyllis for username/password information if you need it). You can send attachments through the listservs. Please identify yourself with a signature tag in all messages.
To Send a Reply: To reply to the entire list, use the "reply all" button. To reply only to the sender of the email, use the "reply" button.
To Unsubscribe: Send an email to phyllis@sdgrantmakers.org asking to be unsubscribed. Include your name, organization, e-mail address and specify which listserv(s) you want to be removed from.
***DISCLAIMER*** Discussions on the SDG listservs do not necessarily reflect the official opinion or endorsement of SDG. Do not rely on any Internet forums for advice on important legal questions; such forums are not a substitute for the careful legal advice of a competent attorney retained to discuss a specific situation.
Legislative Update: Extend Charitable Giving Incentives
From Independent Sector and COF Legislative Network: For the last two years, charitable organizations have had the opportunity through several federal tax incentives to expand their services to individuals and communities by generating donations from individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and by encouraging corporate donations of food and book inventories. These incentives expired at the end of 2007, and Congress must take action to permit continued use of these tax provisions that have enabled more charitable giving to communities in need.
The House of Representatives has already passed the charitable incentives as part of a broader package of expired and expiring tax provisions that benefit individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Last week, the Senate again failed to end debate on the House-passed tax extenders bill (H.R.6049). The vote to end debate on the bill did not succeed as the proponents fell short of the 60 votes needed to end the filibuster. Five Republican Senators—Norm Coleman (MN), Susan Collins (ME), Bob Corker (TN), Gordon Smith (OR), and Olympia Snowe (ME)—and 47 Senate democrats voted to end debate so a roll call vote could be taken. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) announced that he was in negotiations with members of the Senate to try and work out an agreement to pass H.R.6049. The charitable community must now reach out to our Senators to impress upon them the urgency of restoring these valuable charitable giving incentives. Take action by signing on to Independent Sector's letter urging Senators to reinstate the charitable incentives and by calling or emailing your Senators directly.
Opportunity for Your Grantees
The International Social Action Film Festival, a worldwide, multi-city film festival launching on September 11th, is looking for 8-10 minute films about the work local social action organizations are doing in our community to screen at its San Diego venue. ISAFF also wants to make these organizations an active part of the three-day festival, providing opportunities to engage the community in their work and generate funding for their programs. If the organizations you support would be interested in becoming a part of this film festival, contact Ron Schultz at rschultz@isaff.org for more information.
Philanthropic Headlines
Chronicle: California Foundations Back Compromise to Defeat Diversity-Disclosure Measure
"A coalition of 10 big California foundations has headed off controversial state legislation to require big grant makers to disclose information about the diversity of their giving, staff members, and boards by pledging to spend millions of dollars to strengthen organizations that serve minority and low-income people." Click here for a related Sacramento Bee article, and click here for SDG's Diversity and Philanthropy site (member login required).
MSNBC: Rockefeller 2.0: Gates Relaunches Philanthropy
"As Bill Gates formally leaves his day job at Microsoft to start work full-time at his family foundation, all eyes in the nation’s $300 billion philanthropy sector are focused on the man that many in the field now call 'the Rockefeller of our time'.”
Chronicle: Philanthropist Pleads Guilty in Fraud Case
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Henry Samueli, one of southern California’s biggest philanthropists and a co-founder of the Broadcom Corporation, pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court to making a false statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission about his involvement in an alleged plan to reward his company’s employees by manipulating stock options, reports the Los Angeles Times."
New York Times: Tax Laws Popularize the Small Foundation
"The number of smaller foundations and other charities...has exploded recently. According to the Urban Institute’s National Center for Charitable Statistics, there were 76,849 private foundations — of all sizes — at the end of 2005, the latest year for which data is available. That represents a 49 percent increase over the number in 1995."
San Diego Union-Tribune: Most Approve of Job Charities Doing
"An overwhelming majority of San Diego County residents thinks local charities deliver quality services, but nonprofits should do a better job explaining how they work, according to a new study to be released." This article reports on the USD report “The Appreciated Sector: Public Confidence in San Diego County Nonprofit Organizations.” A few SDG members attended the release of this report; we will be talking about its implications for grantmakers in future SDG programs.
Financial Times: Philanthropy section
A collection of columnist Sean Stannard-Stockton's philanthropy-related articles.
USA Today: Our View on Charitable Giving: Honor Donors Intent
Ignoring donor intent "threatens to discourage wealthy individuals from giving money and complicate the business of philanthropy for generations to come."
PND: U.S. Foundations Report Lower than Average Return in 2007, Study Finds
"Foundations in the United States reported an average annual return of 9.9 percent in fiscal year 2007, down from 13.7 percent in 2006, a new report from the Commonfund Institute finds." Also, click here for the Chronicle's coverage of the study.
Resources
Free Tax Seminar for Nonprofit and Exempt Organizations
Monday, July 7, 2008
9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Registration at 9:00 a.m.)
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego CA 92110
Hosted by the Office of State Controller John Chiang. Register beforehand by contacting Karen Chang,
(866) 305-9991 or e-mail kchang@sco.ca.gov. For more information, call (213) 833-6010.
Philanthropy and the Economy: New Section on SDG Website
Because this is such a hot topic in our sector (according to Giving USA, giving rose just one percent last year due to the sluggish economy), SDG has created a new section on our website to collect information and resources relating to the impact of the economic downturn on philanthropy.
Charity Navigator Charitable Sector Profile: San Diego
This annual study examines the financial practices of the 50 largest charities in San Diego. Click here for information about fundraising costs, CEO pay, and comparisons to national figures.
Book: Grassroots Philanthropy by Bill Somerville
In this book, Bill Somerville draws from more than three decades of experience as a foundation executive to provide a diagnosis of why philanthropy often fails to meet its promise. More important, he offers an action plan to make it fleet, effective, flexible, courageous, and (dare we say it?) fun! He provides vivid success stories and frank appraisals of failures. In short, he engages the face, voice, and most of all, the human heart of philanthropy. Martin Lehfeldt of SECF says this book "should be required reading for every first-time foundation employee and board member" and that it is "especially valuable for the staff and boards of small-to-medium sized foundations, especially those with a local or regional focus." Click here for a related article.
Annie E. Casey KIDS COUNT Data Book
National trends in child well-being taken together have improved slightly since 2000, with five indicators showing at least modest improvement, even as more children are living in relative poverty in the United States than in any other economically advanced nation, according to this new report that includes state-level data.
Good Measures: New Approaches to Evaluation
Click here to listen to audio recordings, access speakers' presentations, and view photos from this sold-out Stanford Social Innovation Review event, held May 22.
A Consumers Guide to Grants Management Systems
This 89 page independent Idealware report "Consumers Guide to Grants Management Systems," funded by a coalition of organizations including Solpath, provides a rundown of common features and overviews of 18 systems, as well as detailed reviews, prices, and a comparison chart of nine of the software packages most widely used by grantmakers.
High-Impact Giving Opportunities: Philanthropy that Makes a Difference
Click here to check out Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors' first annual top ten list of under-recognized but urgent philanthropic issues in education, health, poverty reduction and arts and culture.
Philanthropy Annual: 2007 Review
This new publication will help you stay up to date on the issues, trends, and people that shape philanthropy today. In the Foundation Center's Philanthropy Annual, you'll find the most current list of nonprofit academic centers, regional associations of grantmakers, grantmaker affinity groups, and philanthropy periodical editors.
Upcoming
SDG Programs
Click here for a complete listing of SDG Programs.
Thursdays with SDG: Pass or Fail? San Diego County Report Card on Children and Families
July 17, 2008, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. (Light breakfast served)
Location: Casey Family Programs, 3878 Old Town Ave., San Diego, CA 92110
Thursdays with SDG: A National View: Current Trends in Corporate Philanthropy
August 28, 2008, 8:30-10:30 a.m. (Light breakfast served)
Location: AMN Healthcare, 12400 High Bluff Drive, San Diego, 92130
SAVE THE DATE!
San Diego Grantmakers 2008 Annual Conference
MAPPING THE IMPACT OF SAN DIEGO PHILANTHROPY
October 23, 2008
Working Group Meetings
Workforce Funders: July 9
Homelessness Working Group: July 14
Child Welfare Funders: July 22 (Strategic Planning, Half-Day Session)
San Diego Neighborhood Funders: September 5
Family Foundation Exchange: September 9
Click here for more information about all of these SDG programs. All programs are free for SDG members except where indicated.
To RSVP, please call (619) 744-2180 or email programs@sdgrantmakers.org.
Other Events of Interest
BCLC WEBINAR: The Global Food Crisis: Challenges for Corporate Citizens
June 30, 2008
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. PACIFIC
Webinar
Funding Networks that Work
July 16, 2008
The California Endowment Center for Healthy Communities
Los Angeles, CA
Stanford Executive Program for Philanthropy Leaders
July 27 - August 2, 2008
Palo Alto, California
Corporate Community Involvement Conference:
Strategic Corporate Community Involvement – Meeting Business and Community Challenges
(SDG members receive a discounted rate)
July 30 – August 1, 2008
San Francisco, CA
California Grantmakers in the Arts State-Wide Meeting
September 9, 2008
San Diego, CA
Association of Small Foundations National Conference (SDG members can register at the member rate--mention discount code COLLEAGUE!)
September 18-20, 2008
Denver, CO
GEO, Engage for Results: Involving Grantees in Your Grantmaking Strategies
September 25-26, 2008
San Francisco, CA
University of San Diego's Fifth Annual Nonprofit Governance Symposium (SDG is a sponsor)
January 9-10, 2009
San Diego, CA
If you are interested in sponsoring this event, contact Laura B. Stein at (619) 260-7442.
Today, the role of philanthropy is expanding and so are its
responsibilities. This online SDGrantmakers Update is published
by San Diego Grantmakers to help SDG members meet the challenge. Our mission is to connect, educate, develop, and inspire a diverse
group of foundations and corporations to stimulate effective
philanthropy in the San Diego region. For more information,
visit www.SDGrantmakers.org. Copies
of past editions are archived here. Contact Nancy Jamison, 619/744.2180 or nancy@SDGrantmakers.org to suggest article ideas or submit news items, or if you no longer wish to receive these updates.
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