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Winter 2007
Giving Trends
Evaluating Advocacy Grants
Is it possible to measure the effectiveness of advocacy grants? Yes, just like any other grants, The Saint Paul Foundation says.
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Trista Harris |
Shared Definitions: One key, according to Trista Harris, program officer, is to have a clear definition of what the advocacy project entails for both the nonprofit and the foundation. "Establishing up-front clarity of language and grant goals, both sides with a common understanding, is the same requirement as for any grantmaking project," she noted.
Clear Purpose: "Fully realize the foundation's goals in making an advocacy grant," Harris said. "A grant may have deeper significance." For example, could Outfront Minnesota's strategy of one-on-one conversations to reach the moveable middle provide a volunteer model for other issues such as racism or funding for education? The Saint Paul Foundation's grant helped test the model.
Break Down Goals: When a nonprofit has a very large goal, it helps to break it down into smaller objectives — measurable steps along the way. In funding the "Confronting Racism: Building Community" initiative in 2006, The Saint Paul Foundation helped ISAIAH, whose mission is eliminating racism, look at how multiple community efforts intersect and affect progress toward that larger goal.
Funder Collaboration: When a foundation's advocacy efforts intersect with other foundations' efforts, it makes sense to work together. Several funding networks share information on advocacy subject areas. Funding collaboratives are a next step. "The Saint Paul Foundation does not fund direct lobbying, but in a collaborative like the Dream Fund, they complement other foundations with different funding priorities and advocacy practices," said Harris.
Effective Communities Presents Equity and Justice Tools
Minnesota-based Effective Communities has spent the last three years benchmarking progress toward greater racial equity and social justice through philanthropy. The result is version 2.0 of "Tools to Assist Progress in Moving Philanthropy Closer to Racial Equity and Social Justice."
With the assistance of a Ford Foundation grant, authors Steven Mayer, Ph.D., Vanessa McKensall Stephens, Ph.D., and Berry Emarita have taken what we've learned and distilled it into three tools: "Moving Past the Silence" helps guide safe, constructive conversations on equity and justice. "Becoming a Catalyst for Social Justice" gives organizations a way to embed values of equity and justice into their plans and practices to produce more progress. "Choosing Promising Ideas and Proposals" helps foundations evaluate the potential of competing program designs and proposals for closing the disparity gaps and bending the trend lines so that our systems and markets work for all people.
Progress is possible, and these tools give philanthropic and nonprofit leaders a point of entry as they grapple with equity and fairness in their community. "So much of philanthropy is still in a charitable mode of giving relief to the needy," the report states. "This is important, but reforming underlying structures offers more. Do we have some responsibility to our communities to make further progress in this difficult arena? We believe the answer is a resounding ‘yes.' " Download the introduction and overview, as well as the three tools, at effectivecommunities.com.
Advocacy Key to Health Reform
Much of the progress in health care reform has taken place at the state level, due in large part to the efforts of state-level consumer advocates, a new study says. "Consumer Health Advocacy: A View from 16 States," released by Boston-based Community Catalyst and funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, expects that trend to continue as reform heats up.
Based on interviews with local and state leaders and surveys of health advocacy groups, the report concludes state-level advocates can ignite change in areas such as Medicaid, State Children's Health Insurance Programs and access to care. Success depends in part on the political and economic environment of the state, the ability of advocacy groups to conduct grassroots organizing, and the availability of funding and resources for advocacy efforts.
To promote stronger health advocacy at the state level, the report recommends building and strengthening state advocacy systems based on local needs, as well as creating a national program to assist with coordination and strategy. Advocates also can build momentum for their causes by working with other groups and states to create issues campaigns, the report says.
More
Information from the
Winter 2007 Edition of Giving Forum
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Thank you to the sponsor of this issue of Giving Forum:
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| $1,000 Supporter |
The Minneapolis Foundation
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© Copyright 2007 Minnesota Council on
Foundations
Reproduction in any form without the written permission of the publisher
is prohibited.
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