Mi3Australia’s Post

Check out Orr Group's latest article to catch up on the latest fundraising campaign trends and strategies for success amidst the current economic landscape. Great insights from my colleagues Amanda Nelson and Piper Hardin following a webinar conversation with The Giving Block. Give it a read!

Gen Z is fast becoming a generation that wants to give as much as they can, whenever they can. They are often choosing to give money to social and environmental causes important to them, with the actual process of growing wealth taking a back seat. Read our CPD here. https://lnkd.in/d3Nwd-uK

Since 2017, Jigsaw's Perspective API has helped over 10,000 organizations enable more engaging discussions online, supporting diverse voices in 18 languages and ranging from small publishers to large social media platforms. Earlier this year, Jigsaw announced the addition of bridging attributes to Perspective, attributes that recognize speech qualities like reasoning and personal stories to keep discussions engaging and productive. This marked the first step in our ongoing mission to enhance deliberative technologies and promote a healthier dialogue online, and we’re eager to partner with the many dedicated organizations already working toward this vision. That’s why we’re excited about some new initiatives that we’re driving in the next few months: - Position Paper: A comprehensive agenda for the field of deliberative technologies, with plans for future research and technical development alongside 20 co-authors in civil society, the private sector, governments, and academia. - Technical Research: A partnership with Google DeepMind to explore how LLMs might help make sense of large-scale conversations by identifying areas of emerging consensus or divergence. - Catalytic Funding: A partnership with Google.org for the Google.org Impact Challenge: Strengthening Democracy in Europe, a €15M open call to fund European nonprofits, civic entities, academic institutions, and social enterprises to help scale initiatives promoting democratic resilience in the region. Take a look at our new blog post for a more detailed look: https://lnkd.in/e_TxsVJ5

With a high-stakes US election cycle underway, its impending impact on social issues and how we work to address them remains uncertain. Join us at NMI 2024 as we provide you with the tools and tips necessary to navigate issue areas that are sure to disproportionately affect leaders across all sectors of society in the years ahead. Prepare for our political future, and help to shape it, with sessions including: What’s Next for Nonprofits? Futurecasting Key Issues in 2024, Navigating DEI Backlash, Issue Politics in 2024, and Making Sense of Uncertainty: Nonprofit Scenario Planning in an Election Year, an in-person only breakout session. Register now: https://bit.ly/NMI_24

Candid's strategic pivot in 2023 towards seeking unrestricted grant support for mission-critical work led to exceeding fundraising targets and gaining operational flexibility. By focusing on lightly restricted funding for impactful initiatives, they raised $2.8 million for sector-wide insights. Their approach emphasizes the importance of flexible funding for nonprofits, encouraging direct engagement with grantmakers for less restrictive, multi-year funding aligned with strategic objectives. Candid's success highlights the value of prioritizing sector-wide impact over donor-driven projects and promotes increased collaboration and trust between funders and nonprofits to explore innovative solutions in the nonprofit sector. Credit to authors: Ann Mei Chang and Aleda Gagarin

This is the most interesting analysis of modern philanthropy's failings and opportunities that I've read for a while - especially in the context of the current election. Worth a read.

"The problem and solution is money. Within and across a coalition of anti-trafficking organisations, USD 20 million could be spent on: Advocating for, training, and collaborating with the television and film industry to produce authentic, accurate portrayals of human trafficking and its intersecting issues, because of the indisputable impact of storytelling in popular culture in cultivating empathy for others and social change. In the long term, this means greater access, resources, and opportunities for BIPOC survivors to get their stories in front of the public. Hiring communications, research, and policy experts who understand human trafficking to craft and amplify accurate, digestible messages about it. Many organisations already do this but need to evolve with changing media trends such as social media, which many young people turn to for news and education. To promote their work, many human trafficking organisations use sensational language and tired clichés about ‘rescuing’ and ‘saving’ victims. It is up to those working directly with survivors to forge new, accurate, norm-setting messages about human trafficking that do no harm. Training journalists on how to make their human trafficking and related reporting ethical and more impactful, because of the media’s influence on public opinion. Drawing on survivor-led messages, media outlets need training and ongoing technical assistance in navigating our complex issues without peddling stereotypes. Some have already started this work, but it deserves substantial, committed financial investment." https://lnkd.in/gfWdsudk

This is an excellent read, which pretty much encapsulates in a concise and accessible manner the very same conclusions I have reached in my own research over the past 20 years. When will we finally change how we talk and measure 'impact'? How many more times will we need to make this point compellingly as in this article?

Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) is launching the Democracy Futures Project to enhance philanthropies' ability to think long-term about American democracy. Recognizing the need to complement immediate responses to current threats, the project aims to equip funders with tools for foresight thinking, scenario planning, and visioning up to 2050. By fostering capacity in these areas, the initiative seeks to strengthen strategies against uncertainty and political polarization, ultimately supporting a more inclusive and resilient democratic future. Scheduled to begin in Fall 2024, the project will address complex challenges and encourage sustained investment in democracy beyond electoral cycles. Listen to the corresponding podcast, and learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gRQaRhhp #NCDD #DemoPart #ListenFirst #DisagreeBetter