Things Aren't Always as They Appear; Dig Deeper to Make an Impact

One of the things I have learned over the past 16 years at the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina is that things are not always as they appear. Often times, we who work in the field of philanthropy are challenged with interpreting what others put before us. Whether it is a letter, face-to-face meeting, grant proposal or something else, it is incumbent upon us to sift through the language and get to the heart of the idea or concept.

A grant proposal, for example, that is polished and well written with every question answered perfectly and every thought well stated, is a good thing. Some grantmakers give the “presentation” of a proposal added value because it is so attractive. On the other hand, strong writing skills do not necessarily translate into the perfect idea or project that a funder should fund.

Several years ago a concept came to the Foundation in the form of a handwritten two-page letter. It was not written well and the presentation itself was poor. We looked beyond all of that and found an idea that had merit. It was an idea that was going to benefit the community. It was going to support young people and bring local churches together to work towards a common goal in an impoverished neighborhood. So we decided to take things a step further. We met face-to-face with the community leader and you could see and hear her passion. She had a plan to make the project work and a pathway to get there. She was simply unable to write it clearly on paper. Needless to say, we took a chance and funded the program. It was very successful and, over the years, changed the lives of many young people in that poor neighborhood.

We cannot get consumed in the glamour of a beautifully written letter or proposal because it may be nothing more than that, beautifully written. Funders have a responsibility to turn over rocks and look deeper to find the best organizations and people that will create positive community impact. Sometimes it is right in front of our faces and sometimes it is not.

We are implementing a new change at the Foundation in 2012 which addresses this very issue. We will be meeting face-to-face with finalists for our Strategic Grants so they have an opportunity to dialogue directly with the Foundation’s grants review team. This will give both the grantseekers and the Foundation the chance to interact and the grant reviewers can ask questions to help strengthen the Foundation’s understanding of the proposal.

There are thousands of great organizations doing good work as they serve the needs of others. I believe it is our responsibility to find ways to uncover the "heart" of a program and the “passion” of the people who champion the programs. Nicely written proposals are easy to read and appreciated. However, our goal—as a funder—is to always find those organizations and the people behind them that can truly have impact through their work and the potential for successful results, regardless of the writing.

Learn more about the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina’s 2012 Strategic Grants or attend the Grant Seekers Forum. The deadline to apply is March 6, 2012.


Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Sticking to the Fundamentals While Becoming More Than Just a Grantmaker

This is a follow up from the Foundation’s January 19 post, The Beginning.

Celebrating 15 Years in Philanthropy
1996-2011

As the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina progressed from its early phase, the Foundation began to develop its own identity. We certainly used our early grantmaking decisions as an incubator for future decision making and direction. We learned from the grants we made and tweaked our process many different times. Our fundamental focus of working to alleviate poverty in South Carolina has never changed but how we approach it has.

We have gone from 100% of our dollars going to grantmaking to a combination of grantmaking, public policy work, communications, capacitybuilding and research and evaluation efforts. It is the Foundation’s belief that the more comprehensive and diversified the work becomes, the greater impact we can have on poverty. Grant dollars are important but they are not and should not be the only plan of action. There are just not enough grant dollars to go around. With this knowledge, the Foundation has invested in a host of programs, initiatives and partnerships that have created a philanthropic platform that transcends our dollars and allows us to create change in multiple ways.

Below are five key factors that were taken from the Foundation’s early grantmaking to the current, more-established organization:

• Have an engaged and dedicated board that embraces the mission and helps you strategically evolve as an organization. The Foundation’s board (even as the faces change) has always been completely immersed in the Foundation’s work and committed to the goals and principles. 
• Have a capable staff that can see the big picture and use their skills and ability to affect the overall mission. The Foundation’s staff is built on integrity, ability, mission effectiveness and teamwork. 
• Be willing to change direction as needed. A plan that is not working is not good for anyone. So, at times, the Foundation has changed course and improved its work. 
• Plan your work and implement it with the end in mind. Know where you want to go. The Foundation board and staff have truly grasped the idea of collective thinking and determining what kind of organization the Foundation becomes given multiple variables, including declining assets and a huge demand for Foundation resources. 
• Have an open door policy. Be willing to talk to people about their ideas and plans. Be willing to meet everyone as if they are a potential partner or friend. Sometimes it is not a good fit but many times it is. If the Foundation had been “hands off” with its approach to philanthropy, there would have been many missed opportunities.

This Sisters of Charity Foundation strives to change lives and communities each and every day. We do it with conviction and we do it with compassion and respect for others. We make mistakes like everyone else but I like to believe that we learn from our mistakes and grow from our experiences. That is what makes a good grantmaking organization.

Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

The True Reality of Grantmaking Today

Today’s demand for philanthropic dollars is chaotic.  The need for resources is overwhelming and it is affecting both large and small nonprofits. Many non-profits believe that foundations such as the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina are going to be the “quick fix” to their current financial challenges. Unfortunately, it does not work that way.

Most foundations move very deliberately and purposefully. They don’t make quick decisions nor do they “knee jerk” to crisis needs. The one common denominator is that foundations do have dollars to spend and nonprofits need dollars to spend. Other than that, every foundation has a different set of giving principles, goals and desired outcomes. Often times, an organization will apply for and expect funding from a foundation simply because the organization has a similar mission to the foundation’s mission. But more and more, foundations are looking “inward” at what they want to accomplish, than looking “outward” at what others want or need to accomplish.

In other words, foundations are becoming more intentional about their grant giving. Foundations have their own set of indicators that determine whether or not they are successful or meeting their own mission. Sometimes it aligns with a nonprofit and sometimes it doesn’t. For example, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina has limited resources which force us to make extremely difficult decisions about how and where the Foundation does its social investing. It is just the way it is. Equipping families with the resources to live out of poverty is ambitious and a very difficult hill for us to climb. It is our goal to have the greatest impact on reducing poverty, mostly through addressing causes rather than consequences. That is not to say that we don’t invest in consequences but it is not our priority. We are going to dig deeper and invest more strategically to influence change that defines who we are and the goals and outcomes we, as a funder, must achieve.
 

This may require fewer grants to fewer organizations but the organizations that are funded will clearly align with our mission, focus, desired outcomes and key indicators. We will be looking for more defined partners to help us meet our goals. It is the only way we can be truly effective and measure the changes we are able to affect in poor communities and neighborhoods. Some funds will continue to be directed towards meeting basic needs. A lot of individuals and families are struggling and we cannot, in good conscience, ignore that. However, true change in the lives of those living in generational poverty will require more of our attention and resources as we move “further upstream” to find the answers and create greater impact.

Our hope is that future consequences of poverty will be less severe because needed prevention, intervention, learning, skill building and life style changes have occurred on the front end.  There is no doubt that many nonprofit organizations are trying to do good work in communities across South Carolina. Unfortunately, we can only choose a few and align with them to further our goals and mission of lifting families out of poverty.

Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Funding Shortfalls Continue to Challenge Us All

Funding shortfalls from government and the private sector continue to negatively impact South Carolina’s nonprofits. Organizations that previously seemed impervious to the economic downturn are now suffering tremendously. Nonprofits are cutting staff and programs and simply doing whatever is necessary to keep the doors open. The sad news is there is no immediate resolution on the horizon.

The reality is that organizations must operate using a scaled-down model. In some cases, nonprofits have reduced their staff by 50%, yet the demand for the services they provide has increased. Foundations must also be willing to change with the times. For example, the Sisters of Charity Foundation is funding operational expenses for nonprofits. This is something we did not consider for many years. To allow more organizations to apply for our Caritas Grants program, which are grants that meet basic needs, we have raised the operating budget limit for potential applicants. In an effort to be grantee-friendly, the Foundation is lifting a process that has been in place. If an organization is funded in one year, they can now apply for a grant the following year. Previously, a full year had to expire before this was possible, and often grantseekers were forced to wait nearly a year and a half to reapply for funding. Additionally, the Foundation is looking at providing restructuring and reorganization grants to allow nonprofits to look at new models, mergers and even dissolution. 
 
The fact is that our Foundation funds are tight. This is the smallest budget we have ever had in our 15-year history. We cannot let this stop us from reaching as many nonprofits as possible. We will have three grant cycles in 2011 and, along with our initiative funding, we will award more than $2.4 million across South Carolina. In addition to grantmaking, the Foundation will provide multiple learning opportunities and training sessions for nonprofits to attend free of charge. A current list is updated regularly on our Web site. These free sessions are geared towards helping organizations find ways to be more successful and to operate more efficiently. The programs will be available in Columbia, S.C., at the Foundation office as well as other locations in the state. So even though times are extremely challenging, there are still many opportunities.

Success may be measured differently this year. Our success will be measured by how many organizations we can assist and therefore, how many individuals and families living in poverty we can help.  It is my hope that every organization operating will find a way to garner the resources they need to operate necessary programs this year. Otherwise, needy individuals and families will continue to suffer and bear a large part of the brunt of these tough economic times.






Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Foundation Releases 2009 Annual Report

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina’s 2009 Annual Report highlights the work of the Foundation throughout 2009.

Last year was a dynamic year for the Foundation, as it finalized its strategic plan, updated its mission statement and created a vision that families in South Carolina have the resources to live out of poverty. Learn about the over $2.1 million in grants, the five-year anniversary of the Collaboration for Ministry Initiative, the 103 nonprofit organizations served through the Learning Academy, advocacy efforts around reauthorization of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) legislation and much more in this report.

View the Foundation’s 2009 Annual Report.