Farms Work Wonders’ Post

It's been some time since posting here but I would be remiss not to use this opportunity to share about a cause near and dear to my heart. As some of you may know, I have been on the After School All Stars (ASAS) board for almost 2 years. ASAS Puget Sound provides free, comprehensive after-school and summer programs that keep students safe and help them succeed in school and life. We are raising funds for After-School All-Stars Puget Sound through our annual year-end appeal. ASAS is one of the country's largest nonprofit organizations working to close the opportunity gap for low-income youth. If it wasn't for ASAS, these students could potentially be in unsafe environments or home-alone at a young age. By ethnicity, the top two groups we serve are Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx and Asian American populations - populations that are historically underserved. My DEI people - the statistics tell the story, in order to pave the way for an equitable future and to level the playing field, we need to strive to support these communities. By contributing to our year-end appeal, you can help make a real difference in the lives of these incredible young individuals. Every dollar counts! By investing in their futures, we can help these young dreamers unlock their full potential. Remember, it's not about the amount you give, but the impact you can make together. Let’s join forces and help create a brighter future for underserved youth. Please share this post with your friends, family, and colleagues to spread the word and encourage others to contribute to this meaningful cause. Follow the link below to make a secure donation and become a part of this incredible movement. https://lnkd.in/g8XWZ7e2 Thank you so much for your generosity and support. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of these young individuals who are the future leaders of tomorrow.

In 2018, Mortenson Family Foundation established its mission to build partnerships to strengthen community-driven approaches that advance equity, opportunity, and sustainable systems. To live up to our mission, we knew we needed to center equity and community voices, and work to dismantle the harms that are often perpetuated by the philanthropic and #nonprofit sectors. We are learning that even within our organization there are different ways to achieve our goal of centering community. We see this as an approach, not a model. Here are three lessons we have learned: 1. Lead with your commitments. Leading with our racial #equity commitments and using them to frame the conversations, both internally and externally, has been a way for us to live into and model our accountability to the commitments. 2. Have goals and be open to emergence. We initiated a #community engagement process to gather input on our guidelines and meet community members who might eventually serve on our grantmaking committees. It was useful to have the clear goal of inviting individuals to serve on our grantmaking committees, but it was also important to be open to expanding, modifying, or even discarding our goals as we learn and move forward. 3. Choose a common project. Our community engagement processes helped us expand our knowledge on how to better align our program focus, language, and guidelines with our racial equity commitments. This opportunity to work together on our program guidelines as a shared project was central to building relationships, creating connections and trust, and creating ownership of a co-created body of work. To learn more about our approach, please read about our journey: https://lnkd.in/e2sxJTzc

Would you like to convert more of your nonprofit’s volunteers into donors? Barbara Fitzgerald, Vice President of Development at Hillcrest Transitional Housing (and a proud alumna of our very first Frame Up for Funding cohort) has some powerful suggestions on how to do just that! We invite you to watch this video as Barb shares valuable insights on converting volunteers into donors, highlighting proven strategies and success stories from her own experience! #kblimpactpartners #frameupforfunding #volunteers #donors #philanthropy

We’re buzzing 🐝 for Wordsprint and the pro bono rebranding they’ve provided 4 nonprofits on our TV show BUZZ. Let’s start with Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley – quite a mouthful and it seemed to imply an organization that served volunteers rather than people needing literacy help. So Wordsprint’s team recommended Literacy NRV with a new logo highlighting all the types of literacy assistance it offers. Brain Injury Services of Southwest Virginia also had a mouthful of a name … plus since its founding 25 years ago its services had expanded beyond Southwest Virginia. Wordsprint refreshed its iconic butterfly logo and suggested a new name: Brain Injury Solutions. In one of our first episodes, Wordsprint helped Mill Mountain Zoo in Roanoke, Virginia, which had a logo suggesting a child’s amusement park rather than the wildlife refuge center it now sought to be. Here’s the new brand it started rolling out in 2023. And finally, Mountain Valley Charitable Foundation in Eastern Montgomery County of Virginia, affectionately known as EastMont, had a name that didn’t identify where it was located nor whom it served. Not to mention serious confusion when the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline started construction. Wordsprint’s solution: Eastmont Community Foundation with its logo and tagline: “connecting people in the community.” Your name and logo comprise the first sentence of your nonprofit’s story. Thank you Wordsprint for providing such great buzz for nonprofits.

“Family philanthropy has the power to transform communities, but achieving this impact requires purposeful decision making.” The National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP) released the second video 📽 in their Navigating Family Philanthropy series. This video tackles the complexities of selecting a philanthropic vehicle and ensuring it aligns with the goals and purpose of your philanthropy. 📺 Watch the full video to learn how purposeful decision-making can create an impact! #philanthropy #reimaginegiving

Cherise M. Newsome, MBA servant leadership is key to making a lasting, sustainable impact within and beyond our circles of influence. Thanks for the shout out on my Forbes article!

A look back at our first five years supporting Indigenous-led, community-driven organizations demanding change and advancing justice. 🔥 We've had the chance to work on community development, food systems, education, #landback campaigns, buffalo restoration, and beyond. And what we know now more than ever is this: as we grapple with immense global challenges, it is essential to support Indigenous leadership in every sector of community work. https://lnkd.in/gs_jemGi #community #nonprofit #indigenousleadership

FIVE years of fun - congrats to Kevin Kaveney & the entire team! #NMColoradoSprings #colorado #greatplacetowork #thankyou #community #knowledge #consistency #financialstrategy #financialplanning #investments #legacy #topadvisors #wealthmorethanmoney

Did you know that for the first time in history, there are five generations over the age of 21? This generational diversity has a tremendous impact on all areas of our culture, including family philanthropy. Your Community Foundation now has three staff members who are 21/64 certified advisors to help families with multiple generations come together to explore their philanthropic interests and to give and serve together more effectively. Learn what this certification means and why we think it will make a huge impact in the Fox Valley: https://lnkd.in/g_7fN7yM

Proud to be part of a mighty group of nonprofits, consultants and funders who are using the Uncharitable Movie as a catalyst for conversations to change the Charlotte philanthropic landscape. Stay tuned some very actionable steps we all can take toward parity between our collective assumptions about funding for nonprofit vs. for-profit. -Nonprofits need the same level of professional talent as for-profits -Nonprofits need to be able to spend on marketing to grow awareness, donor/volunteer basis and advocacy - just like for-profits. -Nonprofits have operational costs (wi-fi, office space etc) just like for-profits -Nonprofits need capital investments to be innovative and scale - just like for-profits