Approaches to Philanthropy: Lessons in Equity, Collaboration, Evaluation, and More
This blog was co-authored by Marisol Gouveia, Director of Engagement, Indiana Humanities, and Alex Hall, Vice President of Programs, Kosciusko County Community Foundation, who are both members of the Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute class of 2024.
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Our third class day — focused, like the second, on Approaches to Philanthropy — took the cohort to Goodwill Industries on Indianapolis’ Near Westside. There, the agenda began with a trio of guests who walked with us through their individual and organizational philanthropic perspectives.
Embracing Equity through Systems Change
Pamela Ross, vice president of community leadership and equitable initiatives at the Central Indiana Community Foundation, began her journey driven by a desire to see greater representation of people of color in decision-making processes affecting their communities.
Ross walked us through the evolution of her work since 2016, discussing the redefinition of the foundation’s mission and values, dismantling of harmful policies, creation of an equity framework, working with a consultant and, ultimately, turning theory into practice.
“Our focus has been around changing systems that unfairly hold people back. Systems change is huge. That is truly a multi-generational commitment, because just in this room around philanthropy, this is its own system. We need to examine how does the philanthropic system feed into the rest of the systems that we're trying to change,” Ross said.
She emphasized the importance of being human-centered and relational, advocating for a shift towards learning rather than appearing as experts. “The essence of humility and authenticity is really important. You're going to really get into this. People know where you're just showing up or you're here because it's something that has to be done. You get a lot further when you are approaching it like this is a partnership. Like I'm really here to learn.”
“[Grantees] have something you don't have, and that's the understanding of your community, your organization, your work, all of that.”
Learning Through Evaluation
Up next was Jackie Dowd, vice president for evaluation and special initiatives at Lilly Endowment Inc., who delved into the complexities of evaluation within grantmaking and offered a window into the operations and values of the private foundation. She presented an approach to evaluation built upon open, honest dialogue between the funder and their grantees, emphasizing the need to leverage data organizations already have and collaborate closely.
Dowd stressed the importance of humility and learning throughout the evaluation process, framing it as a tool for more than merely assessing outcomes. “Evaluation is meant to strengthen a project, and evaluation design needs to be flexible and responsive to the project. They are more helpful and useful if they have a clear but limited focus.”
Additionally, she provided insights into grant reporting, encouraging concise yet comprehensive reporting that highlights both successes and challenges. “If you aren't telling us what's not going well, then we are losing an opportunity to understand a reality that you're experiencing that would inform our grantmaking and or help us just be sensitive to what might be going on with other grantees as well.”
Community-Centered Corporate Philanthropy
To close out the morning’s program, Dan Peterson, vice president of industry and government affairs at Cook Medical, shared his company’s innovative approach to its work and its philanthropy. He emphasized the advantages of being privately held, which allows Cook to prioritize community impact over financial gains.
Peterson outlined Cook's initiatives aimed at workforce development, affordable housing, and partnerships with organizations like Goodwill. He stressed the importance of creating a playbook for other employers to replicate these programs, aiming to address broader societal challenges.
“We've always been very involved in our communities. One of the things that we've recognized,” Peterson said, “and I think paid more attention to the last number of years, is that we don't just do that by being philanthropic. … We also recognize that businesses, companies, organizations of all types have more to give than just money. We have skills, we have talents, we have in-kind ways of doing things.”
“That's what we've been challenged to do is figure out ways that we, as an organization, can engage with our partners in our communities to really prioritize and deal with the issues that no one person can deal with. And we try to provide leadership there.”
An Up-Close Look at Collaborative Programming
Over lunch, Nick Ison, Senior Director of Philanthropy at Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, shed light on the organization's mission and dispelled two common misconceptions surrounding Goodwill. Contrary to widespread belief, Goodwill isn't a national chain; rather, it's a network of independent 501(c)3 organizations that each pay to use the Goodwill branding. Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana coordinates the efforts of 16 regional chapters in its territory and tailors the programs to suit the respective communities' needs.
While Goodwill is often associated solely with thrift stores, its focus extends beyond retail. The organization concentrates its efforts on three pillars: health, education, and employment. Operating through business operations, schools (including facilities such as Excel Centers and Indianapolis Metropolitan High School), and mission programs, Goodwill provides services ranging from job opportunities to education and health. Their approach involves enrolling individuals in programs, addressing immediate needs through coaching and financial support, and empowering them to achieve personal and professional growth. Through these efforts, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana aims to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those they serve.
“…We are, by definition, working with people who are taking the first steps and have raised their hand and said, ‘I want to pursue this opportunity’… We spend a lot of resources and a lot of time stabilizing basic needs so people can be served,” Ison said. “Our mission is to [then] empower people to move out and move up.”
One example of how Goodwill serves individuals through business operations is through its Commercial Services division, which our Mutz Institute class was able to tour later in the day. This facility, located off East 38th Street in northeast Indianapolis, was not only thoughtful in its development, but also in the execution of its day to day operations as the employees manufacture and assemble dilators and sheaths for Cook Medical. From contracting exclusively by minority-owned businesses to build the facility to intentional hiring practices, this facility has been an anchor project for the surrounding community and has attracted further development by other companies. At capacity, it provides meaningful and important work to around 100 individuals.¬ And emulates Cook Medical’s commitment to engaging with its community and partners like Goodwill in transformative ways.
Relationships Matter: Trust Based Philanthropy
Our final topic of the day, prior to heading to the tour at Goodwill’s Commercial Services facility, was a deep, practical dive into an emerging topic of interest across the social sector, trust based philanthropy (TBP). TBP has been the focus of Arthur Dean Family Foundation’s grantmaking since its inception in 2016. Leading a panel on the topic, Ruthie Purcell Jones, executive director of the foundation, gave her insights into the challenges and opportunities this approach can present. Alongside her were two Indianapolis-based nonprofit partners and grantees of Arthur Dean Family Foundation: Kia Wright, founder and executive director of VOICES, and Crystal Givens, president and CEO of Starfish Initiative.
Anyone who has heard about or read anything on the topic knows that TBP has the potential to be a nebulous and unsettling concept for both a funder and a potential (or current) grantee or nonprofit. However, Purcell Jones and the foundation she leads clearly believe that, while TBP is based on individual and organizational values and assumptions, relationships are key. TBP is also different from traditional philanthropy in its practices, culture, structures, and leadership.
Wright doubled down on Purcell Jones sentiments, saying that the relationships in TBP help her lead VOICES more effectively. In traditional relationships with funders, “[nonprofits] have to prove the worth of the program and then have to prove the worth of the staff… That is what I have appreciated with Arthur Dean. It lets you breathe… and it lets you say ‘Ok, this didn’t work. This is what we thought was going to happen, but it didn’t work.’”
This type of relationship allows funders and nonprofits to learn alongside one another on particular topics, have the flexibility to change course quickly, and helps to eliminate the power imbalance between the two. Purcell Jones, though, admits that foundations will have to consider, review, and possibly revise their organizational values to make the change, but that the change is worth it to help benefit the communities and nonprofits they serve.
Freedom Kolb, CEO of The Milk Bank and current Mutz Institute class member, summarized it well: “Trust based philanthropy turns our community into think tanks… The folks we do have [trust based philanthropy] with is powerful beyond funding.”