Stanford Social Innovation Review

🚨 🎧 NEW PODCAST! How do nonprofits and donors define and measure impact? What are the distinctions when measuring shorter-term outcomes versus longer-term solutions or systems change? How is the definition of impact changing? Kimberly Pfeifer of Oxfam America, Stephanie Fuerstner Gillis of Raikes Foundation, and Fred Kaynor of DAFgiving360, join SSIR editor Barbara Wheeler-Bride to discuss these questions in the first episode of a new season of the Giving With Impact podcast series, developed with the support of DAFgiving360. 🔗 Listen now: https://lnkd.in/ehaHZ6df Subscribe to Giving With Impact wherever you listen to podcasts for new episodes this season.

Social sector organizations and programs have been the targets of a dizzying cascade of attacks in the weeks since the presidential inauguration. Facing budget cuts, unfounded allegations of mismanagement, and intimidation tactics, how should leaders respond? Felix Schein, founder of the advocacy firm RALLY, offers three suggestions for how philanthropy, nonprofits, and other social sector organizations can show up and communicate to the public: 🗣️ Own your work and your success 🗣️ Speak plainly about the stakes 🗣️ Bring people in Find out more: https://lnkd.in/ek8kFUux How are you and your organization handling these attacks? (Photo by Geoff Livingston via Flickr)

“You know, with addiction, there’s this moment called ‘rock bottom,’ and I’m hoping this is rock bottom. The benefit of rock bottom is that it delegitimizes what’s gone before. It says: We’ve got to do something different. We’ve got to do something different. The tendency is to want to patch up here, do a little bit there. But we’re well beyond that. And I think it’s important to understand, first, why we are where we are.”   Marshall Ganz, longtime community organizer and lecturer at Harvard University, sat down with Tomás Jiménez, professor at Stanford University, to discuss what the social sector gets wrong about power and structural change.

Facing narratives of fear, whether on immigration, reproductive rights, or the economy, artist activists create and share narratives that mobilize us to envision and take action for a just world. How can we activate, support, and sustain them? Haleh Hatami, Anna Maria Luera, and Melanie Meinzer (Melanie M.) describe how artist disruptors build power and how the social sector can support artists to become agents of change. “BIPOC artists have often banded together to get their vision of justice into the world. We are learning how we might build their narrative power sustainably when we 💡Understand and incorporate their lived experiences 🎨 Cultivate spaces and ecosystems that boost narrative collaboration between BIPOC and other values-aligned artists, Culture Bearers, and movement groups… 💪 Identify elements of power building through research.” Find out more: https://lnkd.in/ep4WV7mp

Thank you The Communications Network for resurfacing this 2015 Stanford Social Innovation Review article I cowrote with Judith Rodin. A decade later the need for funders to consider how to strategically deploy their voice, brand and reputation is even greater than it was in 2015.

How can #AI help optimize donations and address complex social challenges? Join Stanford Social Innovation Review and DAFgiving360 for a #FREE LIVE webinar featuring thought leaders at the forefront of #philanthropy and AI. This interactive discussion will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping generosity - unlocking smarter, more impactful, and inclusive giving strategies. Register Free Today: https://lnkd.in/ebi6Askj cc: Rhodri Davies Fred Kaynor Shelly Kurtz

If you are looking for hope and action in this moment of division Trabian Shorters has answers. Read his recent piece in Stanford Social Innovation Review, done as part of a series on #communications for community-building launched in collaboration with The Communications Network. In it, he shares important examples of organizations that have used asset-framing narratives to unite and create big impact. Here's a taste: "The social sector has the opportunity to leave old narratives behind and to begin its thoughts and proposals with aspirational rather than problem statements. From there, it can talk about the striving people in whom it seeks to invest and the better systems we can work to build. Detailing the systemic dysfunctions and unfairness in this light will make it far easier for people of all identities to see them. From a shared knowledge of each other’s genuine aspirations and contributions, society can stop believing that giving certain groups the rights and privileges they’ve earned is somehow an act of charity."

As part of my summer reading I've been diving into the world of #AI with the lens of exploring its use in the #philanthropic sector and with #impact evaluation – the recent Stanford Social Innovation Review article (ref in comments) on the topic was particularly interesting! It got me thinking about the potential applications here in the Australian philanthropy landscape. We're all striving to make a difference, and it's clear that AI could offer some valuable tools to enhance our work - yet there seems to be a broad-ranging hesitation in the Australian #charity / #NFP / philanthropic sector to embrace this. The possibility of using AI to better target our resources, understand what works, and potentially tailor support is certainly worth considering - and I'm curious as to how we can best advance this level of thinking. I don't think this is about replacing the human element, which is so crucial in our sector, but perhaps augmenting it in a meaningful way. The SSIR piece rightly highlights some important considerations around data bias and ethics. These are critical areas that we'd need to address thoughtfully and proactively. I do believe Australia is well-positioned to lead on developing ethical AI, but it will take careful planning and collaboration across the sector. So, I'm putting this out there for discussion: ❓ Has anyone started exploring AI in their work? What has your experience been like – any lessons learned? ❓ Where do you see the most realistic potential for AI to add value in your specific area? ❓ From an ethical standpoint, what are the key principles we should be focusing on? I'm not suggesting we all jump in headfirst, but I do think it's worth exploring how AI might fit into the future of Australian philanthropy. If we approach it thoughtfully and collaboratively, there's potential to enhance our impact. I'd be interested to hear your perspectives on this.

Stories define the way we see and understand the world. If we want to create change on critical issues, then we need to understand and shape those stories. Very excited to share an article by Purpose's Alex Ash, published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review titled “The Stories We Tell About AI.” https://lnkd.in/gtUmT9vb As part of our AI Narratives Hub, we have been exploring the role of narratives and the impact of AI narratives on our livelihoods. Keen to connect and collaborate with others working on this. Hit me up!

I'm thrilled to have my most recent article on women's philanthropy published in SSIR, co-authored with Jessica Robinson Love at Arabella. This piece reflects a new direction in my work, and lessons learned from interviewing, advising, and convening women donors over the past 18 months, along with Kimberly Dasher Tripp, Miki Akimoto, and other fellow travelers in this field. In an era of toxic masculinity, we deeply need women's voices, resources, and leadership - now more than ever.