I’ve been feeling a sense of gratitude lately. I was out of the office and on vacation for three weeks straight earlier this summer – the longest break I’ve taken since I came to NCRP nearly six years ago. In addition to the obvious benefits of a vacation, I also was reminded of the fantastic staff here. They’re rarely in the spotlight, but the work of this organization wouldn’t be possible without them, and it continued seamlessly in my absence.
So, if you appreciate this publication and our blog, web site, electronic newsletter and social media outreach, you’ve got Yna Moore and Meredith Brodbeck to thank for that. And if you value the cutting-edge research NCRP puts out, it’s because of the great work of Niki Jagpal, Lisa Ranghelli and Kevin Laskowski. If you value our webinars and conference presentations, our Philanthropy’s Promise initiative, or the personalized outreach to our members, know that Sean Dobson, Christine Reeves and Samantha Davis make it happen. If you’re a funder of ours and you appreciate getting well-crafted proposals and reports on time, you can thank Kevin Faria. And supporting all of us with the behind-the-scenes administrative work that is so vitally important to a nonprofit is Beverley Samuda-Wylder.
I’m also grateful for current and former board members of NCRP. And in this issue of Responsive Philanthropy, former board chair Terry Odendahl of Global Greengrants Fund discusses international environmental grassroots philanthropy with coauthor Peter Kostishack. They make the case to grantmakers that funding grassroots groups brings “innovation and creativity to solving the world’s most pressing and complex issues.”
Deborah Ellwood, executive director of CFLeads, looks at community foundations engaging in policy work and the unique attributes that make community foundations particularly helpful to the policy process.
In “5 Principles of Global Feminist Philanthropy,” Kellea Miller, Caitlin Stanton and Esther Lever share their collective wisdom about best practices for global grantmaking for women’s rights.
Stefan Lanfer of the Barr Foundation describes how the Barr Fellowship’s recognition of great leaders and their relationships with each other builds a strong connectivity network. He writes, “When you have a network of gifted leaders bridging across all kinds of differences, powerful change will emerge.”
Finally, our member spotlight highlights the work of the Consumer Health Foundation, a grantmaker that strives to achieve health justice in the Washington, D.C. region.
Our hardworking staff and board could not be as productive without the engagement of hundreds of members, allies and supporters like you, and we want Responsive Philanthropy to be as useful to you as possible. Please email us at readers@ncrp.org to share your comments, suggestions or story ideas.
Thank you for your involvement with and support of NCRP.
Sincerely,
Aaron Dorfman