By Dionna Anderson
Program Assistant
Philanthropy Northwest

W.K. Kellogg Foundation recently wrapped up their 2012 online giving campaign, the Cultures of Giving Donor Challenge. Located in Battle Creek, Michigan, WKKF is the publisher of Cultures of Giving: Energizing and Expanding Philanthropy by and for Communities of Color, a report which discusses the power of identity-based philanthropy – a growing movement to inspire giving from a community on behalf of that community. The Cultures of Giving Donor Challenge illustrated the power of identity-based philanthropy as over 3,400 donations were made to twenty-two nonprofit organizations, including Philanthropy Northwest members Potlatch Fund and Social Justice Fund Northwest, from April 17-26. This year’s Challenge event raised more than $1.3 million from individual donors. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation matched that amount with a contribution of $915,000 for a total of over $2.2 million in contributions.

“It’s great to see larger foundations like Kellogg put value on donor organizing—by matching donations at all levels, they can increase their total impact while recognizing that everyone can be a philanthropist,” said Zeke Spier, executive director for Social Justice Fund Northwest, who raised more than $73,000 in donations and matching grant from the Kellogg Foundation. The Potlatch Fund, which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, received 83 donations and with the matching grant from Kellogg Foundation will have raised over $55,000. Dana Arviso, executive director for the Potlatch Fund, posted a response to the Giving Challenge on the Potlatch website saying, “While I know that giving has always been central to Native values and traditions, I am still in awe of the generous support shown to Potlatch Fund over the past ten days of the Cultures of Giving Donor Challenge. Your generosity has not only allowed us to secure funds that will go toward strengthening Native and Tribal communities in the Northwest through our grantmaking and capacity building trainings, but has also helped us to raise the visibility of our work to a national level.”

By Mandi Moshay
Communications Manager
Philanthropy Northwest

Philanthropy Northwest has released the 2012 edition of Trends in Northwest Giving today. Trends is our biennial report on organized philanthropic giving the six Northwest states we serve: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. This year’s report is particularly interesting; it examines the $1.08 billion in gifts made in 2010, giving us the first in-depth look at the recession’s effect on giving in our region.

Overall, contributions to nonprofits in our region declined by 23.5 percent from 2008 to 2010. However, not all of the news is bad. Analyzing giving over time, there has been a 20 percent increase in giving since 2006, bringing total giving in 2010 near pre-recession levels. In additional to identifying regional trends, the report also breaks down giving on a state-by-state level. You can download the full report here.

The statistics are fascinating, but we’re also interested to hear your reactions to the report’s findings. Do you have a personal story that ties your organization to the regional giving trends? Would you be willing to share it with your peers? If so, please contact communications manager Mandi Moshay (mmoshay@philanthropynw.org) to discuss the possibility of contributing a guest post to our blog. In addition to guest blogs, we’re working on a series of infographics to help bring the Trends data to life, so stay tuned. We hope to roll out the first in the series near the end of the month.

We hope you enjoy reading the report and we encourage you to share it with your peers in the nonprofit community. We’re happy to answer your questions and discuss the data. Leave your feedback in the comments below, tweet at us (@philanthropynw), or post a message on our Facebook wall to get the conversation started.

By Mandi Moshay
Communications Manager
Philanthropy Northwest

Native Americans in Philanthropy recently hosted their 2012 Native Philanthropy Institute, and as part of its annual award ceremony, recognized Philanthropy Northwest as Partner and Ally of the Year. The Partner and Ally Award was given for the first time this year, and is designed to recognize non-Native organizations that demonstrate a leadership role in partnering with Native organizations. CEO Carol Lewis was on hand at the Native Philanthropy Institute to accept the award.

Philanthropy Northwest was nominated by Tommer Peterson of Grantmakers in the Arts. “Philanthropy Northwest seemed like a natural fit, given their history. At the core of this was Philanthropy Northwest’s approach to learning about working in Indian Country,” says Peterson. He cites intentional efforts to begin a journey into Indian Country by listening and learning – by finding opportunities to partner with Native Americans in Philanthropy and Native leaders in a variety of ways, creating spaces for funders and Native leaders to develop relationships, and featuring Native-led programming, including conference sessions, over the years. “This open-minded approach and willingness to learn is what made Philanthropy Northwest seem like an ideal nominee for the award,” said Peterson.

Philanthropy Northwest is excited to continue our work in Indian Country, making new connections, and deepening existing relationships within Native American communities. We look forward to sharing what we are learning and to promoting dialogue in our upcoming report Journey into Indian Country: Lessons for Philanthropy. We hope that philanthropists and foundations will be inspired to learn more about the good work happening with Northwest’s Native communities.

By Mindie Reule
Program Manager, Public Policy
Philanthropy Northwest

Thanks to generous contributions from four foundations, including Philanthropy Northwest member Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a first-of-its-kind online training program is now available to help foundation program staff to navigate the often complicated legal rules associated with grantmaking. The program, Learn Foundation Law, was generated from a partnership between the Gates Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. These four funders came together after identifying a shared need for instructional resources for their program staff that would complement their existing in-house training programs.

The first resource in the suite of free trainings covers advocacy and lobbying rules for private foundations. The interactive course provides program staff with a legal overview detailing how to remain within the law when the grants they fund or activities they engage in involve advocacy or lobbying. I completed the course last week – it took less than an hour and featured “Maya,” a new program officer who lead participants through the training.

The training provided a great overview of the IRS lobbying rules, the difference between private foundations and public charities, and identified distinctions between advocacy and lobbying. At the end of the module you’re given the opportunity to engage in activities that allow you to immediately apply what you learned—something our Senior Learning Manager Sue Bennett tells me is key to adult learning.

I have one note of caution about the training: it says, “As a private foundation employee, you’re not permitted to engage in any type of lobbying.” Philanthropy Northwest believes that there are a few exceptions under which private foundations can lobby, including self-defense issues. Alliance for Justice does a great job of outlining this in their trainings for foundations.

Overall, I think Learn Foundation Law will be a valuable tool for private foundation staff who want to understand the laws that apply to their work. I appreciate how the training highlights the ability of private foundations to engage in an array of advocacy activities that aren’t considered lobbying and especially like the emphasis placed on engaging in public policy to achieve your mission.

By Mandi Moshay
Communications Manager
Philanthropy Northwest

Philanthropy Northwest program PRI Makers Network has officially joined forces with More for Mission to become Mission Investors Exchange. The announcement of the partnership was made today at their joint national conference in Seattle. Mission Investors Exchange will be a resource for foundations and related organizations that use investments as tools to achieve their philanthropic goals.

“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,” explained Peter Berliner, managing director of Mission Investors Exchange. The Exchange will be made up of over 200 philanthropic organizations from across the country, representing foundations of all sizes, from small family foundations to leading national organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Check out the Mission Investors Exchange website at www.missioninvestors.org for more information on the organization and membership. Requests for comments or interviews can be directed to Melanie Audette at maudette@philanthropynw.org or 206-443-8478.

By Pam Cleaver
Partner
Moss Adams

Every year, a quarter of a million Americans walk together in March of Dimes’ “March for Babies,” lending their voices to infants born too soon and so sick they have to fight to survive. As March of Dimes’ largest fundraising event, this annual walk raises money to support these babies and increase awareness of the risks associated with preterm birth. The proceeds support March of Dimes research and programs to help ensure expectant mothers have full-term pregnancies and that all babies are given a healthy start.

Moss Adams has been supporting the walk since 2007. We chose to support March of Dimes because of the awareness the organization brings to the community and the great programs they offer to expectant mothers. This year our March for Babies co-captain was able to share her personal connection to March of Dimes. The organization offered her consistent support and education while she was expecting her twin daughters, and maintained a presence after her babies were born eight weeks early. After hearing her story, along with various stories from others, our office staff decided to join the walk again.

Our team began fundraising in early February with a goal to raise $4,000. Our staff utilized several fundraising strategies including, soliciting family and friends, setting up taco bars, holding bake sales, and conducting a silent auction. Together we were able to surpass our goal and  raised a total of $5,658, which included a $750 corporate sponsorship. The office fundraising concluded with several Moss Adams employees joining together with the community during April 2012, to walk 5.75 miles. We had a great time and look forward to future opportunities to support March of Dimes.

By Mandi Moshay
Communications Manager
Philanthropy Northwest

This morning Philanthropy Northwest co-sponsored Reflections on Philanthropy: The Intersection of Technology, Innovation, and Philanthropy. Along with our fellow sponsors, the UW Evans School, Social Venture Partners, and Washington Women’s Foundation, we were excited to host Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, author of Giving 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World.

Laura’s presentation focused on the ways in which technology has disrupted philanthropy. If you’ve been following nonprofit technology blogs, you know that the sector is framing “disruption” as a positive force that has the potential to shake up the way nonprofit organizations have been doing business to increase their impact. Laura points out that the ever-present nature of technology (smartphones are essentially computers in our pockets) means that we have more access than ever to loads of information. This shift toward more frequent information sharing is beginning to force nonprofits to become more transparent and show tangible evidence of how each gift is making an impact in the world. This democratization of philanthropy is getting more people involved, and empowering even low-level donors to critically evaluate where they focus their giving.

The presentation brought up a lot of really interesting points that we were able to discuss in small groups during the second half of the session. It was interesting to hear mixed reactions from around the room; many people were excited about the role technology plays in facilitating new connections and creating opportunities for collaboration, but several people raised concerns about the negative aspects of technology such as information overload, and the potential to use tech tools to organize for negative reasons (such as the recent May Day riots and vandalism we saw in Seattle earlier this week).

Overall the session attendees seemed engaged and ready to think about new ways to embrace technology as a tool to maximize their impact. If you missed the session but want to learn more, pick up Laura’s new book, Giving 2.0.

By Mandi Moshay
Communications Manager
Philanthropy Northwest

Yesterday marked an incredible milestone in the Northwest nonprofit and philanthropic sectors when over $7.4 million was contributed in a single day for The Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG campaign. GiveBIG is a 24-hour online event that promotes philanthropic giving in the greater Seattle area by providing a pool of funds to proportionally match donations made through the foundation’s online giving center. The 2012 campaign generated more than double last year’s $3.6M in contributions, exemplifying the culture of giving present in the Northwest region. “I have never seen a stronger display of generosity and community spirit than what I witnessed today with GiveBIG,” said Norman Rice, president and CEO of The Seattle Foundation.

Philanthropy Northwest was proud to see so many of our members involved as sponsors of the event including The Boeing Company, Bezos Family Foundation, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, Puget Sound Energy, Safeco Insurance, Seattle International Foundation, The Seattle Times, and Starbucks. These sponsors came together to contribute to a $500,000 “stretch pool” of funds that will be proportionally distributed based on the donations made to each of the over 1,100 participating nonprofits.

The GiveBIG event experienced incredible growth over their inaugural event in 2011, bringing in more than 37,000 individuals gifts this year, with donations coming in from every state in the nation and several foreign countries. Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest received the highest number of individual donations, with 1,217 gifts. The Seattle Foundation will continue to release more detailed breakdowns of donations on their website in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back. Thanks to The Seattle Foundation, the GiveBIG sponsors, and an engaged community for contributing to this monumental day of giving!

By Candace Winkler
President & CEO
The Alaska Community Foundation

The Alaska State Legislature recently heard legislation that would establish an endowment program which would create a mechanism to provide public dollar-for-dollar challenge funds for endowments across Alaska. The Endow Alaska Grant Program, introduced by Alaska House Majority Leader Alan Austerman was developed in an attempt to encourage the growth of community-based endowments across Alaska. The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF) has been a strong proponent of this legislation and we believe it provides a pragmatic way to encourage and grow individual philanthropy and invest in Alaska’s future. While the bill was favorably received by both parties, it did not pass due to lack of time during the recent legislative session. Representative Austerman plans to re-introduce the legislation next year and is optimistic about its chances for passage.

Many of us in the nonprofit world are aware of Alaska’s low levels of individual giving and believe that the legislation, if passed next year, would incentivize growth of private gifts to charitable endowments and would help build a culture of philanthropy that extends far beyond the dollars raised. Alaskans have a clear understanding of the value of endowments given the impact the Alaska Permanent Fund has on our lives. We know the value of preserving principal for future generations and future needs. The concept of supporting local community foundations or affiliates also resonates with Alaskans who value local control and connection to place.

At ACF we’ve seen first-hand the potential of a program like Endow Alaska. ACF is a statewide foundation that was established 16 years ago and, to date, we’ve invested more than $30 million supporting causes that matter to Alaskans. In partnership with the Rasmuson Foundation, ACF has successfully implemented a capacity-building initiative for community foundations and affiliates, similar to the Endow Alaska program. This was an efficient and effective way to inspire community engagement and local philanthropy, where we matched approximately $1 million in local funds. Within a four-year period, our affiliates and partners have collectively raised $4 million for their permanent endowments. Thanks to support from the Rasmuson Foundation, ACF will be expanding to three to four communities as early as this fall to establish new community foundation affiliates. We know this model works and we are encouraging all Alaskans to get involved and support their local community foundation or affiliate. Communities that do not have a local community foundation should contact ACF to start the conversation.

By Mandi Moshay
Communications Manager
Philanthropy Northwest

On Monday Philanthropy Northwest hosted our Annual Family Philanthropy Day gathering at the Palace Ballroom in downtown Seattle. A group of over two dozen representatives from Northwest family foundations came together to network, share knowledge, and get a sneak peek of the findings from our 2012 Trends in Northwest Giving report examining gifts made to Northwest nonprofits in 2010 (the full report will be available on our website in mid-May). The mix of trustees and staff, family and non-family, and representatives from large and small foundations made for lively conversation enjoyed by all.

The first portion of the program focused on the results from our Trends report and some interesting data specific to family foundations. We can’t reveal too much until the report is released, but we can say that the value of family foundations, no matter how small, was reaffirmed by the data. With the median gift amount for 2010 coming in at approximately $8,000, we’re provided with evidence that a strong collective impact can be made by a diverse community of local funders contributing grants of all sizes. The revelation that 59% of all dollars contributed to the region in 2010 came from family foundations highlighted the potential for this subset of the grantmaking community to create a real movement if they chose to focus their investments in a particular area. The conversation continued into the afternoon as attendees were broken up into small groups to discuss some of their unique challenges including struggles surrounding family dynamics and difficulty in defining success for your foundation.

If you’re a family foundation representative and weren’t able to make it to Family Philanthropy Day, there’s plenty of upcoming opportunities for you to get resources and connect with your Philanthropy Northwest peers. Our full Trends in Northwest Giving report will be available for download on our website in May 1, so check back soon. But the knowledge sharing won’t stop with the report’s release. We will have a whole series of blog posts and other communications to stimulate discussion around the Trends data to help each and every funder understand how they fit into the overall landscape of philanthropy in our region. You can also join us for one of our upcoming National Center for Philanthropy Teleconferences: “At the Wheel – Women in Philanthropy” on May 10 or “Celebrating Milestones in Family Philanthropy” on June 14.  If you’re hungry for some good old fashioned face-to-face networking, make plans to attend our Annual Conference and Membership Meeting October 1-3 in Walla Walla, WA. Registration will be open next week!