Community Leadership Webinar June 11 2009 Widening the

Community Leadership Webinar June 11, 2009 Widening the Tent: Building Relationships for Community Leadership

Welcome • Second Community Leadership Webinar • Hosted by CFLeads & the Council on Foundations • 200 participants from 90+ CFs

Agenda Lauren Casteel Vice President, Philanthropic Partnerships The Denver Foundation Tom Wilcox President & CEO Baltimore Community Foundation Q&A

National Task Force on Community Leadership • 30 philanthropic leaders • 12 months • 2 frameworks – individual community foundation and field-level

CL Framework Value • Many pathways to community leadership – not prescriptive • A way to unpack complex concepts and processes • A tool for planning that starts from analysis rather than intuition • A tool for taking stock and evaluating progress • A means to target the right actions to achieve desired results • Finally…a definition of community leadership

Community Leadership Definition The community foundation is a catalyzing force that creates a better future for all by addressing the community’s most critical or persistent challenges, inclusively uniting people, institutions and resources, and producing significant, widely shared and lasting results.

Framework for Community Leadership, First Level Building Blocks A. B. C. D. Values, culture and will Relationships Resources Understanding and skills

B. Relationships Building Block First-Level Building Block The community foundation continuously builds the relationships to exercise community leadership.

Building Block B: Second-Level Building Blocks B. 1 The community foundation is positioned to join with or convene those involved in, affected by or concerned about an issue. B. 2 The community foundation engages and supports other community leaders.

B. 1 – Join with or convene a. b. c. d. e. Core expectation for staff & board Nurtures relationships & trust Has access to diverse group of leaders Hands on in neighborhoods Bring vulnerable and voiceless to the table f. Reach outside the community, as needed

B. 2 – Support other community leaders a. Joins other leaders’ efforts b. Builds capacity of community leaders c. Supports new leaders, especially from under-represented communities d. Believes groups should choose their own leaders

Community Foundation Leadership RELATIONSHIPS Lauren Casteel Vice President, Philanthropic Partnerships The Denver Foundation

Second Level Building Block 1. The Community Foundation is positioned to join with or convene those involved in, affected by or concerned about an issue.

Relationships… 1 a. Building and outreach are core expectations for community foundation staff, board and volunteers. How? ? ?

TDF Strategic Plan – Mission: We inspire people and mobilize resources to strengthen our community. – Vision: We envision a community where all residents in Metro Denver have opportunity for a high quality life… The ability to give of themselves and connect with their community.

Our Values • Leadership: -We listen to and learn from our community. • Equity - People.

• Inclusiveness: We practice and champion inclusiveness in our community. We honor diverse strengths, needs, voices and backgrounds of all members of our community.

Accountability: …honor the charitable intentions of our donors…

1 b. The community foundation nurtures relations and fosters trust throughout the community. Listening Campaign

Community Grants Workshops Site Visits Technical Assistance

Donors • Information, support, ongoing education, professional advisors.

Finance = Transparency

1 c. The community foundation has access to a diverse group of leaders through its board, staff, donors, volunteers, grantees and partners. Who? ? ?

• Our diversity spans the spectrum of abilities, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, linguistic differences, national origins, political perspectives and sexual orientation. • Inclusiveness Initiative

• 2008/2009 board “majority minority. ” • All project and grantmaking advisory committees comparable diversity. • Interpreter provided for staff, • classes in ASL or Spanish.

• 1 d. The community foundation is actively and directly involved in those neighborhoods and places where it is doing community leadership work.

(Grassroots Grantmaking)

1 e. The community foundation engages the vulnerable and the voiceless in community problem solving.

Comprehensive Gang Model Community members, nonprofits, government and former gang members coming together in churches and parks.

Members on Advisory Committees and Board leadership.

1 f. The community foundation builds relationships with those outside the community whose connections, resources, interests and abilities may support community leadership work.

• Learning networks, national boards, conferences, among others…

2. The community foundation engages and supports other community leaders.

2 a. The community foundation follows or joins efforts initiated and led by others. What? ? ?

• Colorado HIV/AIDS Collaborative

Philanthropic Leadership Committee • Poverty compilation report building on research by others • Invited reflection • Interviewed others - RE: Gaps

Hunger • Feedback from food banks • Critical Needs Fund • Donor engagement • Short-term strategy to meet immediate needs

Policy & advocacy – State system for enrollment - Poverty Reduction Task Force

2 b. The community foundation works to build the capacity of leaders throughout the community.

Coordination with community leadership programs for people of color.

2 c. The community foundation engages and supports new leaders, especially from groups underrepresented in the community’s leadership structure, to succeed and gain influence.

Leadership Training:

Nonprofit Internship Program

Why? ?

Impact Nonprofit Internship Program The Community Donors Nonprofits

Lessons Learned The development of internal and external relationships with all of our stakeholders leverages and enhances our work. In challenging times - it is important to value all of the assets we have available to us in service to and in partnership with our community.

Cool Tool! www. nonprofitinclusiveness. org

VISION, PROGRAMS AND RELATIONSHIPS MAKE BIG THINGS HAPPEN IN BALTIMORE Tom Wilcox President and CEO Baltimore Community Foundation

BCF Relationship-Building Architecture • • Improve credibility in community Create a bold vision Share ownership Support other community leaders’ interests • Create expectations

2001 Strategic Plan Goal V BCF will participate in crafting and articulating a broad civic agenda for the region, which will serve as a framework for BCF’s programmatic work.

Improve Credibility q. Diversify board q. Democratize grantmaking

Diversify the Board • Baltimore a majority-minority city • Needed to strengthen ties in African. American community • 5 of first 7 new board members African. American • Remains high-powered fiduciary board

Democratize grantmaking • Delegated grantmaking to committees • Committees composed of BCF board & community members • Each major initiative has its own board • Staff works for committees • Promotes buy-in and ownership

Create a bold vision q. Unifying theme q. Offer many entry points q. Focused on results, not BCF

Donor-driven grants = 80%

Catch-22 People reluctant to locate / invest in city that’s unsafe, lacking family supports City requires tax base to increase safety, family supports

Baltimore boasts a growing economy in which all have the opportunity to thrive Diversity infuses all grantmaking

Invest in Baltimore boasts a growing economy in which all have the opportunity to thrive Diversity infuses all grantmaking

Invest in Baltimore: Many paths, one vision. Baltimore boasts a growing economy in which Diversity infuses all grantmaking Promoting Baltimore Arts & Culture Environment Diversity Neighborhoods Transportation Education Youth Human Services all have the opportunity to thrive

Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative

Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative • Identified need city hadn’t recognized • Created plan to revive neighborhoods that “could go either way” • Mayor’s Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative • Political cover instant relationship with mayor

Healthy Neighborhoods Inc. Community Development Board • Created Initiative • Used discretionary dollars, raised funds and contributed substantial amounts • Make-up: ½ bank presidents and ½ neighborhood leaders new relationships yield benefits in the community

Healthy Neighborhoods Inc. Payoff: • Originally 6 neighborhoods, now 35 • City provides annual funds for operations and revolving loan fund • City gains millions of dollars in previouslyunrealized tax revenues…

More Payoff…Benefiting Kids • BCF & partner advocacy City applies new tax revenues to fund after-school initiative created by BCF’s Children & Families Committee

The moral All of this was made possible by empowering committees to act on their own.

Create high expectations q. Created an evaluation tool for BCF board performance q. BCF and initiative board members expected to contribute financially, raise funds and advocate Commitment becomes the norm

Lessons Learned • Create shared vision for your community • Create culture of shared responsibility and ownership • Create clear expectations about participation and contribution by volunteers • Create structures for broad engagement

Lessons Learned • Bring in public officials and co-investors at front end • Increase relationship capital by measuring and communicating impact • Give credit away • Keep focus on issues, not political affiliation

Q&A • Press *1 to enter the question queue • To remove yourself from queue, press *2 • Please state your name & community foundation before asking your question • Direct your question to one of the presenters • In interest of time, community foundation staff and board only

Thanks! • For more info about the Community Leadership Framework, visit www. cfleads. org • Archived Webinar available at www. cfleads. org • Watch for Webinar announcements

Community Leadership Webinar Series