Mergers Are What’s In This Summer

The National Council of Nonprofits, the nation’s largest network of nonprofit organizations, and the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest (CLPI), a recognized leader in nonprofit advocacy training, jointly announced today that they are joining forces, with CLPI transferring its training materials, curriculum, and other program content to the National Council.

Florida Philanthropic Network and Donors Forum of South Florida Announce Merger

Donors Forum of South Florida has merged with Florida Philanthropic Network. The merger, which was approved by the two organizations’ boards of directors in early May, brings together the two largest philanthropy associations in Florida. The organization will maintain the Florida Philanthropic Network name and logo, and will continue to be led by FPN President and CEO David Biemesderfer.

“We are delighted to welcome even more South Florida foundations and corporate grantmakers into Florida Philanthropic Network,” said Steven Marcus, Board Chair of Florida Philanthropic Network and President and CEO of the Health Foundation of South Florida. “Their presence will enable FPN to provide an even stronger, more unified voice for the state’s philanthropy sector.”

As a result of the merger, Florida Philanthropic Network will open a South Florida office with locations in both West Palm Beach and Miami by early June, and will have a staff person working on the ground in South Florida to meet the needs of FPN’s members in the region.

PRI Makers Network and More for Mission Are Now Mission Investors Exchange

PRI Makers Network and More for Mission are joining forces to become Mission Investors Exchange, a resource for foundations and related organizations that are using investments as tools for achieving their philanthropic goals.

Mission Investors Exchange will be made up of the more than 200 philanthropic organizations, including foundations of all types and sizes. Peter Berliner, managing director of Mission Investors Exchange, explains,

“The new organization reflects the growing interest among foundations in using a range of financial strategies, including both below-market and market rate investments in their philanthropy. Mission Investors Exchange will provide a central forum where diverse views are shared and new partnerships are formed.”

Meet Phil Anthropy!

Recognizing a need for more family-focused resources, Indiana Grantmakers Alliance’s Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Indiana (YPII) has developed a family philanthropy gift box that will bring philanthropic concepts directly to youth and their families in a concise, thoughtful and creative way.

“Phil and His Family’s Adventures in Giving” is a gift box of resources that will provide youth and their families a language for giving and serving that connects to philanthropic experiences and the building of stronger communities. The gift box introduces characters, stories, and activities that will help families incorporate the spirit of generosity into their everyday living.

Thanks to a grant from Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Indiana Grantmakers Alliance will provide a complimentary copy of this “gift box” to each regional association. The YPII team spent the last 3 years researching, creating, developing, and beta-testing this resource with community foundations, family foundation youth generations, and corporate employee volunteer/CSR programs, as well as individual families. Through the Pulliam grant they will partner with local and statewide organizations that work with after school and in school programs to provide families with gift boxes and take them through hands-on learning experiences.

If your organization is interested in family philanthropy trainings and ordering gift boxes for your youth and their families, please contact Eileen Ryan. An informational PDF flyer is available.

LPnet BETA Launch

The LearnPhilanthropy prototype has officially moved out from “behind the wall,” and is now the BETA version is available to all atwww.learnphilanthropy.net.

The site is still a work in progress. The catalogue connects to a couple of hundred resources and not the thousands it will grow to encompass. There are  26 early adopter providers, with many, many more to come as LearnPhilanthropy grows.  There are still bugs to be corrected, and features to improve.  And there are sections that are now mostly placeholders (frameworks, collections, ask the experts).  But we’ve judged it strong enough to want lots more eyeballs on it.

Please share this latest version with your friends and colleagues, and especially newcomers to the LearnPhilanthropy journey. We encourage you all to explore what’s there, search for resources, create a profile, and leave us feedback on the site’s feedback form or via online surveys, which we’ll send out periodically.

RA CEO Transitions

Last week, two regional association CEOs announced their departures. Betsy Nelson, president of Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers, will retire at the end of 2012 and Sushma Raman, president of Southern California Grantmakers, will leave SCG in July to attend a mid-career Master’s program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Both these leaders will be sorely missed by the Forum Network. We thank them for their invaluable contributions over the years and wish them the best in their future endeavors.

Since 1990, Betsy has led ABAG to a leadership role in the region and within the Regional Association of Grantmakers movement nationwide.  Her expertise in facilitating partnerships and collaboration and in enhancing family dynamics through philanthropy has been a key component in the growth of the organization.

 

Over the past five years, Sushma has shepherded SCG to become the sophisticated, responsive membership association it is today. SCG has steadily enhanced member services, programs, fundraising strategies, public policy work, operations and communications. With Sushma at the helm, membership has grown by 12 percent and membership retention rates have exceeded 95 percent. During her tenure, SCG’s operating budget increased to approximately $1.6 million, with several major foundations and corporations providing general operating support and sponsorships for the first time in SCG’s history.

Register Now for the 2012 Annual Conference

Registration is now open for this year’s annual conference for the Forum network that will take place on July 23-25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the Omni William Penn. We hope you are planning to join us for this great opportunity to network and learn with your regional association peers. The conference will kick off with lunch on Monday, July 23, and conclude with lunch on Wednesday, July 25.

An impressive lineup of speakers will inspire you and teach you, beginning with Dr. Peter Ditto’s opening presentation, “Why Can’t We Get Along?” Ditto will examine our increasingly divided and polarized world where civil conversation between those with opposing views is increasingly rare, and discuss ideas for what can be done to solve these issues in the workplace. The Bush Foundation’s “The Art of Hosting” workshop will provide participants with successful meeting facilitation strategies to have conversations that matter. Jeffrey Davis will delve into “The Creative Mindset at Work” with engaging, story-rich presentation and activities that challenge the idea that “creativity” is the sole province of artists and suggest instead that creativity involves a certain mindset, series of habits, and conditions in service of flexible, effective problem-solving. Our closing speaker, Teressa Moore Griffin, will help you “uncover the truth of who you really are” and motivate you to live and lead with a spirit of purpose.