Sutapa Balaji

🏗️Sustainable Development Spotlight! Last week, I kicked off a six-week series spotlighting practitioners and community leaders working in equitable and sustainable development. These testimonials, gathered by the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH) team, feature inspiring stories from around the globe of changemakers working to build healthy spaces, improve infrastructure, and drive health equity. Check out our latest spotlight–it might even spark an idea for your community! Vibrant public spaces are essential for ensuring the social, physical, and economic wellbeing of residents. When designed as attractive, welcoming gathering places for people of all ages, these spaces can foster social interactions, support the local economy, improve resident health, and more. Drawing on examples from Bogotá, Colombia, Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa Penalosa of 8 80 Cities shares about the power of building equitable and inclusive spaces, like parks and public facilities, and how these spaces can transform urban areas. Learn more about equitable city planning and explore other stories on community-led health equity initiatives: https://lnkd.in/eZsuT9bf

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This recent piece by FSG argues that foundations committed to systems change need to take an ecosystem approach guided by the principles of trust based philanthropy to inform strategy development, program implementation, and learning and evaluation. This reorientation takes funders from positioning themselves as central to positioning themselves as one component of an ecosystem. This results in, among other things: Strategy development moving from being developed internally to being co-created with ecosystem partners; Strategy implementation expanding beyond siloed grantmaking for organizations to support for collaboratives and community-led solutions; and Learning and evaluation expanding beyond grant-level outcomes and accountability with proscribed outcomes to co-developing systems level outcomes and learning. The authors provide helpful examples and frameworks for each stage of the strategy lifecycle. For those of you who fund in systems change, what resonates with you?

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Are you a donor or a grantmaker? Help our colleagues at 21/64 & the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) gain valuable insights on how you engage philanthropy consultants or advisors to advance your giving. Click here to start the survey > https://bit.ly/49FGn76

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Are you a donor? Grantmaker?  Do you have 10 minutes? Help our colleagues at 21/64 and the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) gain valuable insights on how you engage philanthropy consultants or advisors to advance your giving. Click here to start the survey >> https://lnkd.in/ejBbSgt7

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Are you a donor? Grantmaker? Do you have 10 minutes? Help our colleagues at 21/64 and the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) gain valuable insights on how you engage #philanthropy consultants or advisors to advance your giving. Click here to start the survey >> https://lnkd.in/gu_e_PEY

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Earlier this year, the Climate Assessment Tool I put together with the team at Mercy Corps Ventures was launched (https://lnkd.in/dDNunRFu). The tool is designed to help our startups assess the risks their businesses and consumers faced from climate change, as well as identify the opportunities they might be able to tap into as the environment changes. Initially, I included a section where founders and startups teams were encouraged to consider how climate change might impact different segments of their customers, including (and in particular) women. The aim was to “spark awareness” of the differentiated experiences of customers, and over time help them cater to those customers better. The version of the tool that was shared to the wider ecosystem was a lighter-touch edit, to make the tool more accessible - so it doesn’t include those more open-ended questions. But it's still super valuable for Enterprise Support Orgs to have that conversation with founders, even in a really light-touch way. Questions I had thought to ask founders were: - Where (geographically) are your biggest groups of customers? What % are men vs women? And what are the climate risks in those regions that could affect those groups (using the useful regional risk profiles on Climate Links https://lnkd.in/dYa7euYw)? - Do certain customer groups use your product/service in a way that might be impacted by climate changes? Why? How would that change their interaction with the product/service? - What roles do women play in the creation of your product? Are they working in regions that are more / less exposed to climate risks? I asked these questions to try to scratch the surface of what’s actually happening around gender equality, moving beyond “counting women” to understanding qualitative gendered outcomes. It’s heartening to see some institutions thinking about this too, such as the World Bank’s recent release of their new corporate scorecard that is an “important milestone in the World Bank Group’s efforts to focus on outcomes, rather than inputs” (https://lnkd.in/d7zb8nWg). Though these are still largely quantitative indicators on the surface, they do allow for the World Bank and partners to start to ask questions about access vs use of services, and the actual economic impacts of gender-equal policies. Which is a step in the right direction. I'm particularly interested in the explicit indicator around gender equality: “people benefitting from greater gender equality, of which (%) from actions that expand and enable economic opportunities”. Climate related side note — super excited to see MicroMentor has launched a cool new 3-part series focusing on climate resilience for small businesses! https://lnkd.in/dXMvJhbf

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If you are a philanthropic consultant or donor advisor, please take a few minutes to complete this benchmark survey! 2024 Philanthropy Benchmark Survey - Insights on the role of Consultants & Advisors in Advancing Giving

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It's time to REDESIGN systems of power and governance in philanthropy. Do you know any extraordinary board members, trustees, or HNWIs who have an inkling that this is true? 🤔 Philanthropy's status quo is an ill fitting governance system that wasn't designed for social change--it doesn't work well for anyone involved or the outcomes we seek. We need systems that work for the complexity and humanity of the world. The good news is, we can create them. Together. We've designed a highly supported experience to do just that! We're working with the brilliant teams at Intrinsic Labs and Radical Optimist Collective. Click through to see the profile of potential participants we're looking for to take part in Metamorphic Legacy, a bespoke leadership experience to redesign governance. Share this post/the 1 pager with 🦄 trustee unicorns 🦄 you know and reshape philanthropy with us! #philanthropy #leadership #governance #redesign #boardmembers #trustees #HNWIs #creativity #boards #grantmaking #innovation #crappyfundingpractices https://lnkd.in/dXz4zR8X One pager: https://lnkd.in/dR-hGN-T

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I am excited about the growing trend of impact investing in philanthropy. This approach goes beyond traditional donations, as it seeks to generate social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. Impact investing is transforming how we think about philanthropy and creating sustainable, long-term change. Impact investing has immense potential to address global challenges, yet a significant portion of committed funds remains undeployed, highlighting the need for strategic philanthropic intervention. The Yale report, "Bridging the Gap," outlines how philanthropy can unlock impact investing through financial tools, structural gap mitigation, and capacity building, offering practical recommendations to scale these efforts effectively. Looking forward to seeing how this trend continues to evolve! https://lnkd.in/gWqBC82C #ImpactInvesting #Philanthropy #SustainableFinance

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We all want to be able to put healthy food on the table for ourselves and our families. But many of us face significant barriers to doing so. This week, Congress is again considering cuts to #SNAP, a policy that is proven to improve food access and reduce poverty. This comes at a time when new research from the Urban Institute shows that current SNAP benefits are not keeping up with rising food costs. The study—funded by RWJF—shares the latest data on the gap between meal costs and SNAP participants’ monthly benefits, a gap that remained high in 2023 despite that year’s cost-of-living adjustment to benefits. It is so important that we look at the numbers and see the reality of families’ experiences on this vital program! https://lnkd.in/ekiVjH7n

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🏗️Sustainable Development Spotlight! In this week’s spotlight, gathered by the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH) team, Aprajita Singh discusses the work of the Mahila Housing Trust and how they are organizing and educating women in India through community action groups to improve their housing, living, and working environments. From habitat improvement to credit access and climate-resilient infrastructure, Mahila Housing Trust is mobilizing women to become community changemakers that work in collaboration with local government to make their neighborhoods more equitable, sustainable, and gender inclusive. Learn more about equitable and gender-inclusive urban development and explore other stories from the field: https://lnkd.in/eZsuT9bf

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Attn: Fellow consultants and grantmakers that work with consultants! Please take 10 minutes to complete this survey and share your insights on the role of consultants and advisors in helping grantmakers advance their philanthropy.  National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) and 21/64 are partnering on this survey to assess the practice of philanthropy by understanding the behavior and attitudes of grantmakers and the consultants and advisors who serve them. Start here: https://lnkd.in/g-Ggy4E

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Years ago, our colleagues at BoardSource wrote an advocacy manual for the nonprofit sector. They named at the time that "when it comes to our missions, the impact of changes in public policy is rarely neutral. And – as leaders of our organizations – that means that we cannot be neutral either." I submit that this call has never been more important to answer. In my latest message to the PNY community, "Building Bridges: Philanthropy’s Journey Towards Active Advocacy," I delve into the transformative power of advocacy in philanthropy and how it extends our capacity to effect real change. This is not just about funding; it's about fostering movement building, influencing policy, and standing up for the necessary systems changes that ensure nonprofits, communities and individuals thrive. The journey is ongoing, and each step forward reinforces the belief that our collective voice can lead to enduring societal benefits. I invite you to read more about how we can all contribute to this dynamic field of active advocacy. Let’s continue to push boundaries together. Your thoughts and feedback would be immensely valuable as we navigate this path forward. #Philanthropy #Advocacy #SocialChange #Leadership

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Unlock the power of predictive modeling to elevate your major gift fundraising! CCS Fundraising's latest article dives into how these advanced tools can help nonprofits optimize their donor portfolios, ensuring your team focuses on the most promising prospects. Discover strategies for enhancing portfolio quality and performance, and make data-driven decisions that maximize your fundraising potential. Read more and transform your approach to major gifts! https://bit.ly/3RrfqOa #Fundraising #Nonprofit #PredictiveModeling #MajorGifts

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We can see 👀 that community-led collaborative funds are emerging as powerful tools for driving equity and justice. These funds 💵 unite diverse stakeholders around shared goals, pooling resources to address complex social challenges. By fostering collaboration among donors, nonprofits, and community leaders, collaborative funds amplify impact and drive meaningful change at scale 💬. Community-led collaborative funds prioritize equity and justice, channeling resources towards systemic solutions💡and underrepresented communities. 🌍 By bringing together a diverse array of perspectives and expertise, these funds amplify grassroots initiatives, promote inclusive decision-making, and dismantle barriers to opportunity. 🙌🏽 🙌🏾 🙌🏿 Through strategic investments in areas such as education, healthcare, and economic empowerment, community-led collaborative funds drive tangible progress towards a more just and equitable society. How can we leverage these funds to address systemic inequalities and advance social justice? 🌀 Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! How do you envision community-led collaborative funds shaping the future of philanthropy? #collaboration #PhilanthropicAdvising

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When thinking back to my time as a nonprofit CEO, I recall many sleepless nights wrestling with funding challenges. Conversations often focused on writing grants, annual campaigns, and donor engagement, but the results stayed the same. It wasn’t until we started thinking differently that we saw real change. 🚀Imagine a nonprofit and philanthropic world where innovation drives fund development, creating sustainable impact within our organizations, where new ideas are celebrated, and risks are seen as opportunities.  🌟 In my latest Coaching Innovation Blog, Innovating Fund Development for Greater Impact, discover how embracing innovation can transform your organization's approach to funding. ❓How can nonprofits elevate their fund development strategies to create greater impact? 🧠 Cultivate a Culture of Innovation: Encourage an environment where creativity thrives, and risks are part of the growth journey. 🔍 How can you foster a culture of innovation? Reflect on your organization's openness to new ideas and discuss your risk tolerance and risk threshold. 💡 Innovation Pop-ups: Organize regular brainstorming sessions to bring together diverse perspectives and generate innovative new fund development strategies. When we create a culture of innovation that leverages technology and embraces diverse funding sources, we can transform our organizations and the communities we serve. How have you leveraged innovation to support fund development? 🔗 Check out the full article at www.Jordansydnor.com . 

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The National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) and 21/64 have partnered to explore the ways that consultants and advisors help foundations and donors achieve their goals, and how consultants and advisors can better serve the needs of their clients. If you are a donor, grantmaking foundation staff or trustee, consultant to grantmakers, or philanthropic advisor who works with donors, this survey is for you! It will take no longer than 15 minutes. Learn more and take the survey: https://lnkd.in/drfkGKgv

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🌟 Excited to share my recent blog post for ILSS - India Leaders for Social Sector on “Strategies for Engaging Major Donors and Building Strong Relationships for Fundraising”! 🌟 In this piece, I explore essential strategies for nonprofits to engage significant donors effectively and build lasting connections. Key topics include: 🔹 Understanding the nature of major donor fundraising 🔹 Emphasising a collaborative approach across the organisation 🔹 Building genuine and personalised relationships with donors 🔹 Implementing continuous stewardship to maintain strong donor relations These strategies are vital for maximising impact and ensuring the sustainability of your mission-driven work. Curious to learn more? Read the full article and discover how these insights can enhance your fundraising efforts! #Fundraising #Nonprofit #MajorDonors #Philanthropy #RelationshipBuilding #Stewardship

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“It’s complex, messy, hard, and uncertain, AND we can move our way to a bold future together. Philanthropy must hold onto openness, humility, love, and accountability; without it, it is unlikely that we will meet the full intentions for our work.” Holding space for the uncertainty while making forward progress is, in my humble opinion, one of Building Impact Partners’ unique value adds as a partner for donors who want to support big change. Check out my colleague Tanis Klingler’s new blog post!

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