Pulse Webinar Events

Tricks of the Trade: Fundraising Tips and Strategies for Nonprofits
Internationally recognized, Klein & Roth Consulting will team up with NCRP to give an overview of recent trends in fundraising and outline the most successful fundraising strategies. Presenters will address why diversified funding that includes foundations and individual donors is critical to the financial stability of your organization.

In only one hour find out how to:

• Identify the best prospects – both foundation and individuals – for your organization and cause
• Initiate contact with and cultivate potential funders and donors
• Develop and/or increase individual donor support

Featuring:

• Stephanie Roth, Principal, Klein & Roth Consulting
• Sean Dobson, Field Director, NCRP

Nine Steps to Advocacy Evaluation with a Social Justice Lens
Many organizations are using advocacy strategies to meet their missions. Just like any other work that foundations and nonprofits engage in, advocacy needs to be continually assessed, tweaked and strengthened through a process of evaluation and learning. In the past, advocacy work was considered too difficult to evaluate. However, an ever expanding body of research and experience demonstrates several approaches that are effective when evaluating advocacy.

This webinar offers an introduction to advocacy evaluation through a nine-step process based on Innovation Network's Pathfinder series.

Innovation Network will describe this tool and demonstrate its application for funders, nonprofits and evaluators. NCRP will highlight research and other tools that can help inform advocacy evaluation and bring a social justice lens to the process.

Presenters:

• Johanna Morariu, Director, Innovation Network
• William Fenn, Associate, Innovation Network
• Lisa Ranghelli, Director, Grantmaking for Community Impact Project, NCRP

Additional Resources:

• View NCRP's presentation
• View Innovation Network's presentation
• Listen to the conversation

May 2, 2013
2:00-3:00 PM EST

Fusing Justice and Strategy for Real Results
In recent years, an increasing number of grantmakers have adopted the practice of “strategic philanthropy.” While this movement has contributed to effectiveness, is it limiting philanthropy’s potential impact? Find answers to this question and more at NCRP’s next “Pulse webinar” featuring internationally-recognized expert on targeted universalism and civil rights and liberties, Prof. john a. powell.

NCRP’s recent publication, Real Results: Why Strategic Philanthropy is Social Justice Philanthropy contends that a social justice lens provides a much-needed correction to the often technocratic and top-down approaches of our sector. Based on findings from the four reports under NCRP’s High Impact Strategies for Philanthropy series, Real Results contends that, at their best, social justice philanthropy and strategic philanthropy are, in fact, the same. How do we define strategic philanthropy? How do we ensure that the most underserved among us benefit from philanthropy? Why is funding advocacy and community organizing essential to long-term change and systemic reform? Join Prof. john a. powell and NCRP’s Niki Jagpal as they discuss how to infuse justice into philanthropic strategy with better outcomes for the communities we seek to serve and our democracy.

Presenters:

• Prof. john a. powell, Professor of Law; Professor of African American Studies and Ethnic Studies; Robert D. Haas Chancellor's Chair in Equity and Inclusion; Director, Haas Diversity Research Center

• Niki Jagpal, Research and Policy Director, NCRP

Additional Resources:

• View Prof. john a. powell's presentation
• View Niki Jagpal's presentation
• Listening to the recording

Feb. 27, 2013
2:00-3:00 PM EST

Cutting the Strings: The State of General Operating and Multi-Year Support
Tune in to NCRP's next "Pulse webinar" as we discuss the most pressing issues that grantmakers and nonprofits face in our challenging economic climate.

• Only one in six grant dollars is for general operating support.

• Only one in ten funders reports any multi-year grantmaking.

These findings from NCRP's recent "The Philanthropic Landscape" series confirm what nonprofits have known for years: Despite the benefits of general operating and multi-year grantmaking, long-term, flexible foundation funding can be incredibly difficult to find. Why is that? Why haven't these statistics moved much in a decade of nonprofit and association advocacy? What can be done to encourage grantmaking that builds organizations and not just programs?

Join Grantmakers for Effective Organizations' J McCray, author of Is Grantmaking Getting Smarter?, and NCRP's Kevin Laskowski as they discuss the most recent trends in effective grantmaking and what we all can do to encourage funding with lasting impact.

Featuring:

• J McCray, Chief Operating Officer, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
• Kevin Laskowski, Senior Research and Policy Associate, NCRP

Additional Resources:

• View the Cutting the Strings Presentation
• View J McCray’s Presentation
• The State of General Operating Support
• The State of Multi-Year Funding
• Listen to the recording

Oct. 25, 2012
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST

Transactions – Transformations – Translations: Metrics that Matter for Building, Scaling, and Funding Social Movements
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Join the conversation on how philanthropy can work with organizers to define measures of success that move beyond transactional outcomes (how many people support a policy) to capture deeper transformational changes (support for one policy carries over to new issues). Both are essential to building more powerful movements for change but can be difficult to track and translate in making the case for philanthropic support. Following the presentation, Liberty Hill and others will discuss their experiences of developing and using such metrics to bridge the gap between philanthropy and community organizing.

Learning Objectives:

• What is the often-invisible, less quantifiable work of movement building that is important to measure?
• How should funders best capture this work in an era of evidence-based giving and the need to show a return on investment?
• What are examples and lessons learned from the field?

Featuring:

• Manuel Pastor, Director of USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE)

Additional Resources:

• View the presentation
• Read "Transactions – Transformations – Translations"
• Learn about the presenters
• Listen to the recording

Aug. 22, 2012
2:00 - 3:00 PM EST

Advice from AFJ:The Legal Issues Facing Nonprofits in an Increasingly Political Climate
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Tune in to NCRP's next "Pulse" webinar as Alliance for Justice discusses the most pressing legal issues that nonprofits are confronted with in this intense political climate. Make sure your organization is in full legal compliance in the election year.

Learning Objectives:

• What is permissible election year activity for 501(c)(3)s?
• What documents must an organization publicly disclose...and when?
• How do advocacy rules apply to facebook, twitter, blogs, and MORE!!

Featuring:

• Abby Levine, Legal Director of Advocacy Programs, Alliance for Justice
• John Pomeranz, Attorney, Harmon, Curran, Spielberg+ Eisenberg, LLP

Register here!

Mar. 26, 2012
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST

Leveraging Limited Dollars: How Grantmakers and Nonprofits Can Make the Case for Funding Policy Advocacy and Civic Engagement
Tune in to NCRP's "Pulse" webinar to discuss the newest findings from NCRP on the impacts of foundation-funded policy and civic engagement and share innovative ways that grantmakers and nonprofits are using this information to increase resources for advocacy and community-based problem solving.

Learning Objectives:

• What are innovative strategies to make the case to peers that advocacy and organizing can help grantmakers achieve mission more effectively with limited dollars?

• How have other nonprofits used this report as a tool to inform donors, members and others about the return on investment of advocacy for vulnerable communities?

• What are the features of a new online searchable Impacts Directory?

Presenters:

• Lisa Ranghelli, Director of Grantmaking for Community Impact Project, NCRP
• Sherece West, CEO, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
• Regan Gruber Moffitt, Senior Associate for Public Policy, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
• Rich Huddleston, Executive Director, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families

Additional Resources:

• Listen to the event
• View the presentation
• View the presentation from Winthrop Rockefeller
• Leveraging Limited Dollars: How Grantmakers Achieve Tangible Results by Funding Policy and Community Engagement
• GCIP Impacts Directory
• GCIP Resources
• Building Movement Project
• Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families' Affecting Policy and Programming
• Ripe for Reform: Arkansas as a Model for Social Change

• Arkansas Poverty Taskforce Final Report 2010

Mar. 14, 2012
3:00 - 4:00 PM EST

Cultivating the Grassroots: A Winning Approach for Environment and Climate Funders

Why has the environmental movement not seen any notable policy wins since the 1980s and what can philanthropy do to help address this stagnation?

Tune in to NCRP's next "Pulse" webinar to discuss how philanthropy can contribute to long-term solutions and protect our imperiled planet by funding the grassroots and building a robust movement that combines top-down and bottom-up strategies to win on these issues.

Presenters:

• Sarah Hansen, Author of Cultivating the Grassroots: A Winning Approach for Environment and Climate Funders
• Millie Buchanan, Program Officer, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation
• Bill Gallegos, Executive Director, Communities for a Better Environment

Additional Resources:

• Listen to the event
• View the presentation
• Health and Equity: Finding Solutions Upstream
• http://www.wherewelivefilm.org
• Presenter biographies

Jan. 24, 2012
4:00 -5:00 PM EST

Affordable Care Act: A Defining Issue of Our Time & Philanthropy's Role

Tune in to NCRP's next "Pulse" webinar to discuss ways philanthropy can engage in the current, decisive phase of the battle over the Affordable Care Act with Dr. Robert Ross and other health care funders.

Presenters:

• Robert Ross, M.D., President & Chief Executive Officer, The California Endowment
• Terri Langston, Author "Towards Transformative Change in Health Care"
• Sara Kay, Director of Health Programs, Nathan Cummings Foundation
• Jeanne Lambrew, Deputy Assistant to the President for Health Policy

• Affordable Care Act Research Summary
• Health Care Reform Survey
• Amicus Brief filed by The California Endowment

• Key Findings of California Latinos from The California Endowment

Pulse Event: "Fusing Arts, Culture and Social Change"
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
This NCRP “Pulse” webinar explores the organization’s report on how arts and culture philanthropy can increase its responsiveness to marginalized communities. Presenters will discuss the overarching issues, challenges and opportunities for action in the arts and culture funding arena.

Presenters:

• Holly Sidford, President, Helicon, and author of "Fusing Arts, Culture and Social Change"
• Justin Laing, Program Officer, The Heinz Endowments
  
  

Listen to the event.

View the event presentation.

Read bios of the presenters.

NCRP Pulse Webinar: Inside Scoop - Secrets to Raise More Money from Foundation

Tune in to the next in NCRP’s series of “Pulse” webinars to learn from foundation insiders how nonprofits like yours can raise more grant dollars. Attendees on the webinar will also share best-practice insights with each other. In just one hour, you’ll learn valuable tips about how to:

• Grow a list of good prospects
• Initiate contact with and cultivate potential funders
• Plan calls and meetings with funders, including site visits
• Effectively communicate with funders during the grant process
• What to include in a standard proposal to a foundation
• How to keep foundations updated on your work
• And more!

Presenters:

• Kim Patton, Training Coordinator, The Foundation Center
• Mary Sobecki, Program Officer, The Needmor Fund

Event Materials:

• View the presentation
• Listen to the conversation
• Seizing the Moment: Frank Advice for Community Organizers Who Want to Raise More Money
• Grant Writing Tips
• Grant Writing Red Flags
• Sample Proposal
• "Drawer"

This event is for NCRP members only. Register now!

Not yet an NCRP member? It's quick and easy. Join Now!

Every year, foundations provide billions in grants for education. Yet, there is an equity crisis in our schools. American schoolchildren – especially those from vulnerable communities - remain trapped in a continuous cycle of inequities in educational access and opportunities. How can philanthropy be more effective at deploying its limited resources to help reform and improve our nation's school systems?

Last fall, NCRP's report Confronting Systemic Inequity in Education: High Impact Strategies for Philanthropy challenged grantmakers to help break the cycle of persistent inequality by focusing on the needs of students from marginalized communities and supporting efforts that seek to influence education policy in the country through advocacy, community organizing and civic engagement.

Join the report's authors Kevin Welner and Amy Farley for a vital discussion of philanthropy's role in education reform:

• How can an equity lens that prioritizes underserved communities and emphasizes civic engagement make a difference?
• How can foundations begin to implement these approaches?
• What are the challenges and rewards faced in doing so?

To register, please click here.

View the presentation.

Listen to the discussion.

NCRP Pulse Event: Standing Up for Social Justice: Lessons for Advocates, Organizers, and Social Justice Funders
A number of groups and funders have been the recent targets of well-coordinated and funded attacks on "social justice." As voters head to the polls, new rumblings point to more of the same.

Doug Lakey of the Alliance for Justice joins us to discuss a new collaboration with the Center for Community Change and Media Matters for America to coordinate a rapid response system and develop simple tools to counter such assaults and advance real dialogue on social justice. We'll examine lessons learned from recent attacks, discuss new smears aimed at grantee groups and grantmakers, and look at a coordinated response to prepare for the next wave.

This event is for NCRP members, affiliates, and donors only. Click here to register.

NCRP Pulse Event: Do Nothing about Me With Me
Involving stakeholders in your philanthropy isn't a "nice-to-do" but a "must-do" for grantmakers looking to get a true sense of problems and to be innovative in developing solutions, argues a new report from Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) and the Interaction Institute for Social Change (IISC). Inclusiveness and effectiveness, it seems, are tightly linked.

At the same time, nonprofit leaders tell researchers that grantmakers don't sufficiently involve those working on the ground, closest to problems. A minority of grantmakers (36 percent) solicit feedback of any kind from their grantees.

How can grantmakers and nonprofits make the case for engaging diverse stakeholders? How can grantmakers better involve grantees, community members and other partners in their work? Courtney Bourns, GEO's Vice President of Programs and author of the report, and Joel Ratner, President of the Ohio-based Raymond John Wean Foundation featured in the report, answer these questions and more in this Pulse Event on stakeholder engagement.

Click here for more information and to register.

NCRP Pulse Event: Challenging Racial Inequity: America Healing and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Earlier this year, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation announced a new five-year, $75 million racial equity initiative called "America Healing." Hailed by the likes of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) as the next step in advancing civil rights, the program seeks to improve life outcomes for vulnerable children and their families by promoting racial healing and eliminating barriers to opportunities.

Join leaders from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation for a compelling discussion of racial equity and philanthropy. What motivated the Kellogg Foundation to address historic burdens and disparities? What's next for America Healing? How is the field of philanthropy doing on issues of race?

Presenters:

• Sterling K. Speirn, President/Chief Executive Officer
• Dr. Gail C. Christopher, Vice President -Program Strategy
• Mr. Gregory B. Taylor, Vice President -Program Strategy

This conversation is for NCRP members and supporters only. Click here to register.

Nonprofit organizing, advocacy, and civic engagement have demonstrated impact in improving the lives of millions in communities around the world. More and more foundations are taking another look at these strategies. What role do these social change strategies play at your foundation or in the foundations with which you work? What role could they have? How can those interested in social justice work make the case within and to these institutions to encourage greater investment?

In this Pulse Event, join NCRP Executive Director Aaron Dorfman and Marjorie Fine from the Linchpin Campaign at the Center for Community Change to learn new strategies to advance social justice grantmaking. Discover how to assess where greater investment in advocacy and organizing might help your organization achieve its goals, how to make the case to other decision-makers, and how to motivate sustained change.

This conversation is for NCRP members and supporters only. Click here to register.

Philanthropy at Its Best: One Year Later
One year ago, NCRP published Criteria for Philanthropy at Its Best, challenging grantmakers to strengthen communities with a new series of aspirations for the field. Touching on the perennial debates in philanthropy, Criteria reignited conversations on ethics, effectiveness, accountability, diversity and inclusiveness.

In our first Pulse Event, NCRP's Executive Director Aaron Dorfman returns from a discussion on the Criteria at the Council on Foundations' Annual Conference with the latest buzz on these important benchmarks. He'll review the past year-from Criteria to the Grantmaking for Community Impact Project-and look at the year ahead in creating a more responsive philanthropic sector.

This event is for NCRP members and donors only. Click here to register.