Effective Communities Project: Articles

Heading

Articles by Effective Communities partners Steven E. Mayer and/or Susan Doherty are available from this site. They are grouped into these four headings:

Philanthropy, Community Development and Social Justice
Youth Leadership and School Reform
Evaluation, Support and Organizational Development
Nonprofit and Independent Sector

Also, please note blog posts at www.JustPhilanthropy.org.

PHILANTHROPY, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Pathways to Progress: Focusing Philanthropy on Racial Equity and Social Justice (pdf)

This paper is the culmination of five years work evaluating Ford Foundation’s portfolio of grants, “Community Philanthropy and Racial Equity in the American South.” It is based on reflective conversations with nearly 100 philanthropic organizations operating in both African American and White American settings. It presents a framework – six pathways to progress – that allows practitioners to use their philanthropic resources more strategically, with the goal of “moving the needles” that indicate how well public systems and private markets perform for different groups of people. It presents a set of promising practices, with examples from the field, and links to practitioner organizations. It includes benchmarks by which initiatives to reduce inequity can be measured. It links to short essays and tools allowing you to go deeper on key topics, including papers written by our team (including Betty Emarita and Dr. Vanessa Stephens) as part of this project.

Wanted: Better Evaluation Practices for a Better Philanthropy (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer. Philanthropy, by definition, is a noble endeavor. And yet, people want to know their gifts are in fact helping to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, there’s a big disconnect between the knowledge of results we crave and the “knowledge” we get back from formal evaluation inquiries. The problems with evaluation are rooted in problems with philanthropy. To improve the quality of philanthropy and evaluation, we have to reframe both. Reprinted from NCRP’s November 2010 newsletter.

Pathways to Progress on the Gulf Coast: The Necessity of Funding Networks (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer and Athan L. Lindsay. To make the Gulf whole again, we need a different vision, and a different visioning process, to take us to a future that’s both more practical and more sustainable. Dated July 7, 2010

After the Flood (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer. Written in the days after Katrina struck, this presents a short analysis of how foundations can use their assets differently – and better – to facilitate a recovery that doesn’t just rebuild the old system, that gives everyone an opportunity to help in the recovery and redevelopment, and engages the talents of more of the region’s people. Originally dated October 2, 2005, re-issued June 14, 2010

Can Philanthropy Help Society Make Progress? (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer. There’s been a good bit of talk about its potential, but... Dated February 8, 2010 PDF

Community Philanthropy: Strategies for Impacting Vulnerable Populations (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer. A paper written while Scholar in Residence, Center for Community Philanthropy, Clinton School of Public Service, University of Arkansas, Little Rock. Dated May 1, 2009.

Announcing the 2009 Effies Award Winners (pdf)

Winners have been chosen! This year’s open competition provides recognition for effective uses of philanthropy to advance social justice and racial equity. Winners include: Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, Arkansas Public Policy Panel, Humboldt Area Foundation, Norfolk Foundation, Parkersburg Area Foundation, and Headwaters Fund for Social Justice.

Philanthropy and Social Justice: Thinking Differently About Evaluation (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer. Funders frequently ask of nonprofit efforts, “What’s the bottom line?” Unfortunately, this question has limited use outside of business settings, where it originates. In social justice work, the bottom line is typically to reduce inequities or disparities, but this is almost never under the control of just one organization. Better than asking for “measures of bottom line impact” is to more gently ask for “evidence of progress” and justification that this evidence is plausibly connected to disparities reduction. Try this exercise: assume the program you support or operate has been accused of being trivial or ineffective, doing nothing to reduce disparities or improve social justice. What evidence could you provide in its defense? Dated Jun 12, 2008.

How to Create More Social Justice With Your Philanthropy (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer. Four key steps can help you transform your philanthropy to make much more of a difference. Once you’ve decided to help “close a gap” or “reduce a disparity,” you can use the six Pathways to Progress to guide your investments. Dated Mar 25, 2008.

Op-Ed: Philanthropy Must Address Structural Inequities (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer. Until foundations address the structural inequities that contribute significantly to human suffering, their own effectiveness will be limited. … Philanthropic organizations can and must put their shoulders to the wheels. Until it does, and becomes more relevant to today’s society, we will continue to see mean-spirited systems and markets that contribute to substantial human suffering, and highly mediocre levels of philanthropic organization performance. Dated Jan 9, 2008.

Gaps in Racial Equity, and Strategies for Reducing Them (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer. An evidence-based inventory of gaps and disparities, plus what we mean by “gaps” and “disparities.” Also, technical and human issues in understanding gaps and disparities, and a five-step strategy for reducing gaps.

Philanthropy and Philanthropic Organizations (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer. What we mean by philanthropy. Kinds of philanthropic or charitable organizations. Reasons why people give. Philanthropy, in its newest personal and organized forms, is for everyone.

Racial Equity (pdf)

by Steven E. Mayer. By racial equity, we mean that ideal situation in which society’s systems and markets perform equally well for different racial and ethnic groups. Inequity, shown in the data as performance gaps, implies injustice.

Social Justice (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer. Definitions of social justice culled from the Web, meant to show its various meanings. Its roots in faith traditions, law, and political theory. Its connection to philanthropy, human rights, spirituality, and the quest for racial equity.

Providing Culturally Appropriate Technical Assistance (pdf)

By Betty Emarita. Technical assistance has a cultural viewpoint, acknowledged or not. Getting the right kind of assistance can make all the difference, and the wrong kind can be harmful. Examples of appropriate assistance. Why this is important to effective grantmaking.

Relationships as Infrastructure in Southern African American Communities (pdf)

By Betty Emarita. In human society, and in Southern African American communities especially, relationships serve as an essential infrastructure for getting things done. An example from the Black Belt Community Foundation in Alabama. Why this is important to philanthropy.

Saving the Babies: A Clash of Philanthropic Approaches (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer. A parable is used to illustrate a key dilemma in philanthropy: Do we use our charitable resources to save drowning babies one at a time, or do we look upstream for the causes of casualties and invest in solutions? Or both.

Papers from the project “Community Philanthropy and Racial Equity in the American South,” sponsored by Ford Foundation:

Introduction and Overview to Three Tools to Assist Progress (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer, Vanessa McKendall Stephens, and Betty Emarita. Version 2.0, released September 1, 2006.

Moving Past the Silence: A Tool for Negotiating Reflective Conversations About Race (pdf)

By Vanessa McKendall Stephens. Version 2.0, released September 1, 2006.

Becoming a Catalyst for Social Justice: A Tool for Aligning Internal Operations to Produce Progress (pdf)

By Betty Emarita. Version 2.0, released September 1, 2006.

Choosing Promising Ideas and Proposals: A Tool for Giving that Closes the Gaps (pdf)

By Steven E. Mayer. Version 2.0, released September 1, 2006.

Community Philanthropy and Racial Equity: What Progress Looks Like(pdf)

This report examines how community philanthropy can deepen social justice work, especially in the American South. Supported by the Ford Foundation.

Community Philanthropy and Racial Equity: Signs of Progress (pdf)

A two-page adaptation of highlights from this report.

Where’s the Community in Community Foundations? (pdf)

This Op-Ed piece written for the Chronicle of Philanthropy questions the need for modern American community foundations to mimic private financial services institutions, and proposes three avenues for innovation.

Building Community Capacity: The Potential of Community Foundations (pdf, 1994)

This small book summarizes the experiences of 18 community foundations participating in the Ford/MacArthur Leadership Program for Community Foundations between 1987 and 1993. The initiative, one of the best ever for stimulating useful growth in smaller community foundations, had many design features key to its successful results. The book details these features and contains lessons for growing useful community foundations and making them useful to communities.

Common Barriers to Effectiveness in the Independent Sector

This paper, presented to Independent Sector, describes three common barriers challenging nonprofits and foundations: dominance of the deficits model over the assets model, the dysfunctional distinction between “grantmaker and grantseeker,” and racism and other failures to be inclusive. Available from Rainbow Research, Inc. (www.rainbowresearch.org).

Building Community Capacity: How Different Groups Contribute (pdf)

This paper, adapted from Building Community Capacity: The Potential of Community Foundations, describes how different groups, such as families, neighborhood organizations, local government, and others, can contribute to the community’s ability to address its problems.

Supporting Low-Income Neighborhood Organizations:
A Guide for Community Foundations

This guidebook gives advice on making grants and providing other kinds of support to low-income neighborhood organizations. Available from Rainbow Research, Inc. (www.rainbowresearch.org).

Successful Neighborhood Self-Help: Some Lessons Learned (pdf)

Lessons learned from the experiences of 51 neighborhood organizations in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and their suburbs are profiled in this handbook. Lessons are grouped into two areas: Involving Residents, and Organizing and Governing the Work. One of the first lessons learned-style evaluations ever.

Better Together: Religious Institutions as Partners in Community-Based Development

Key learnings from a national initiative on how religious institutions of various kinds can contribute to low-income housing and community economic development efforts. Available from Rainbow Research, Inc. (www.rainbowresearch.org).

The Assets Model of Community Development

This paper presents the basics of the assets model as formulated by John McKnight and contrasts it with the deficits model, along with implications for funders. Available from Rainbow Research, Inc. (www.rainbowresearch.org).

What is a “Disadvantaged Group”? (pdf)

A short, historical paper serving up a digestible analysis to help a program design or grant review committee recognize disadvantagement in the proposals it receives.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND SCHOOL REFORM

A Model for Community-Based Youth Leadership Development (pdf)

This paper describes a model program to develop knowledge, skills, and understanding youth need to become effective leaders within culturally diverse communities.

EVALUATION, SUPPORT AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Results of an Inquiry into Capacity Building Programs for Nonprofit Programs (pdf)

This paper summarizes what we have learned about the effectiveness of foundation efforts to build capacity in nonprofits, expressed as lessons learned.

How to Purchase Evaluation Services With an RFP (on request)

Organizational Capacity Building: Areas for Evaluation (pdf)

This paper offers a framework for assessing organizational capacity and forms the basis of our Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool©.

Building Community Capacity with Evaluation Activities That Empower

A chapter in the best-selling “Empowerment Evaluation: Knowledge and Tools for Self-assessment and Accountability” (Fetterman, Kaftarian, and Wandersman; Sage, 1996). Available from Sage Publishing (www.sagepub.com ).

Inclusiveness Assessment Tool

This tool was developed for the United Way of Minneapolis to help it and its member organizations make progress in becoming more racially inclusive and culturally competent. Available from Rainbow Research, Inc. (www.rainbowresearch.org).

NONPROFIT AND INDEPENDENT SECTOR

Community Philanthropy in Central/Eastern Europe

A primer for people who are interested in learning about community philanthropy organizations and the role they can play in strengthening communities, set in Central/Eastern Europe. Available from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (www.mott.org).

A Statement of Values, Accomplishments, and Intentions of the Twin Cities Neighborhood Movement (pdf)

A discussion paper prepared for the Twin Cities’ Center for Neighborhoods as part of its Neighborhood Futures Initiative. Five core values are presented, with accomplishments and challenges. Available from the Center for Neighborhoods (www.Center4Neighborhoods.org).

Community Leadership Initiatives: Expected Outcomes (pdf)

In this paper, Steven Mayer presents three excellent outcome areas desired of community leadership initiatives: increased commitment, increased resources, and increased skills available to address issues and opportunities. Based in work done for the Ford Foundation’s Leadership Program for Community Foundations.

Skyline