Philanthropically Speaking

There's no shortage of opinion these days about what foundations should do differently to support nonprofits, which groups they should be funding, and how much they ought to pay out in grants. The commentary ranges from deeply insightful and soul-searching to borderline ludicrous.

This is not an environment that grantmakers have seen before. And while the chorus of columnists and policy wonks is full of suggestions (and in some cases, threats), the reality is that foundation trustees of private foundations, independent foundations, community  foundation and corporate philanthropy have to make their own decisions about how to adapt to, and continue to add value in, a changed world. 

It's not an "ain't nobody's business if I do," situation. Rather we should acknowledge that philanthropy is - and always has been - a personal thing.

I understand this completely, because the Southeastern Council of Foundations, as an association, has had to do the same thing. We recently launched our new strategic plan, and it paints a very new picture of our organization. Our strategic planning committee had to grapple with some tough issues about our relevancy to members and the value we provided. With their guidance, we came out of that discussion on the right path.

Just like our foundation members, we know we can't continue "business as usual," so we've made some changes. We've become more focused on building leadership in the sector, allowing our members to customize their relationship with us and with one another to a more detailed degree. We're also working strategically with other grantmaker organizations as partners.

Simply put, we're giving our members more ways to connect and more to connect to as they make very personal decisions about their grantmaking and their futures.

Luckily for us, the personal and professional relationships that members gain through SECF have retained - and even increased - their value during tough times. Connections, communications and camaraderie are valuable tools when one is struggling with touch choices. SECF is honored to provide those tools.

So, to all of you in the foundation community, I say: Only you can make the decisions about your foundation's operations and future. Don't let anyone tell you any differently. But don't make those decisions in a vacuum. Let your colleagues and friends at SECF know what we can do to help.

And on the same note, I know that growth and change are never really "complete," so I invite you all to take a look at our strategic plan and let us know what you think. 

Michael R. Howland, CAE
President and CEO
Southeastern Council of Foundations