Juan Pablo Saibene’s Post

"The gifts of time, respect, and trust, and the ability to focus on what an individual or organization most needs to do may be the most powerful investment funders can make in communities." The ways in which public and private funding unduly influence community school implementation highlights an ironic paradox. Community school strategies are about being intentionally responsive to the priorities of students and their communities, and yet, when available (& needed) funding -- and those " in charge" of the funding -- are the primary drivers, we should examine the underlying motivations and assumptions behind "WHAT needs to change," "WHO needs to change," and "HOW change needs to happen." Community schools work takes time, respect, and trust. And that commitment has to be courageously modeled from the "top." Thanks Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Ph.D. for sharing this important invitation for reflection, dialogue, and action.

Appreciated this recent article from Stanford Social Innovation Review that dives into the topic of unrestricted funding barriers. The article highlights some of the common challenges faced by organizations seeking unrestricted funding and offers insights on how to move past these barriers. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gnaP4nQ9

180 Degrees Consulting was the best investment I made throughout my four years of college. As I progressed from a consultant to a project leader, and finally, to the executive team, I gained invaluable experience that helped me explore different facets of my professional identity. Serving as Operations Director challenged me to meticulously review every detail of our processes to ensure our clients and students were set up for success. Looking back, I am so proud of the growth of the organization, as well as the personal growth in myself. We could not have made such a monumental impact without the work of every member who set aside countless hours of their personal time to give back to these non-profits. However, I’d like to give a special shoutout to the leadership team I worked so closely with (Kara Emsley, Mustafa S., Braden Maxwell, Sohum Rampal, aPHR, and Anika Bhadriraju) for going above and beyond to push us to our maximum potential that led to our recognition as the Best New Branch in the America’s by our global parent organization. I have already been thoroughly impressed by the new executive team (Jack Hagan, Owen Streppa, Ben Cole, Anika Bhadriraju, Nitya R., Harrison Carter, Yash Agarwal, and Alexander Polo) and I cannot wait to see what the future holds. I was blown away by the caliber of this project cycle's final presentations, and while saying goodbye to 180 Degrees Consulting NC State will be tough, I know it is being passed into good hands! #ThinkandDo #180DC #SocialImpact

Got some grant applications on your to-do list? Approaching grant funding as sporadic, transactional income injections can waste precious energy and runs the risk of losing traction for the organisation. Re-framing the dynamic as a partnership not only aligns your goals with those of the funders but also fosters a more collaborative and effective approach to achieving social impact. What does that look like in practice? Grab yourself a cup of tea and dive into our latest column packed with practical tips for how to approach, secure and maintain funding. https://lnkd.in/gbXHd5sd

I am constantly being reminded of my age. In order to successfully deliver various programs and services money is often essential. As a YOUNG person in the process of developing programs and services I have not been able to find accessible grant opportunities. The grants I have seen recently, although targeted at young people, have required applicants to be registered organisations. Why have myself and others I know not found any grant opportunities where young people can actually apply? Some say, ‘The grants available to the organisation give the opportunity to develop spaces where young people can lead and be the ones to design and facilitate programs.’ Do they really though? To use myself as an example, I have many ideas and plans that are ready to be delivered, however I don't have the financial ability to do so. In order to apply for a recent grant I had an interest in which would greatly assist in making these plans become a reality, I would have needed to contact a registered organisation who would be able to apply under their name however allow me to take the lead on the project if the application were successful. This can place young people at risk. Unfortunately, I have had experiences where my work has been used in youth spaces without giving me any form of credit. I don’t want to experience that again. If young people have to work with already established organisations to deliver a project they have been working on externally to that space our intellectual property is at risk. What protections will be put in place to ensure that our ideas and knowledge remain ours and is not claimed by larger organisations? We should be able to lead our projects just like any organisation could theirs. These grant requirements stunt opportunities for young people to truly lead within our own lives and communities and to create positive change. We have talent, skills, knowledge and expertise that can have immense impacts. We are capable and ready to lead. One of the best things you can do is get out of our way. #youth #youngpeople #grant #youthwork #youthleadership #youthempowerment #community #youthled #youthvoice #livedexperience #funding #grassroots #startup #youthengagement #youngleaders

🌿 From Volunteering to Strategy: Building Sustainable Paths for Women's Entrepreneurship My journey from volunteering with grassroots organizations to developing strategies for women’s entrepreneurship has taught me a crucial lesson: sustainability is the key to lasting impact. It’s not enough to help women start businesses—we need to ensure that they thrive in the long term. Here’s what I’ve learned about building sustainable paths for women entrepreneurs: 💡 1. Start with Empowerment, Focus on Growth Volunteering showed me the power of helping women take their first steps into entrepreneurship—whether through skills training or microloans. But sustaining a business requires more than an initial push; it’s about ongoing growth. Strategy: Provide access to larger markets, advanced training, and mentorship. It’s not just about starting, but building businesses that can adapt and scale over time. 💡 2. Financial Independence as a Long-Term Goal In many programs, I saw the focus on short-term grants or loans, but true empowerment is about achieving financial independence. Women need the tools to manage cash flow, secure stable income, and reinvest in their businesses. Strategy: Financial literacy training and access to affordable credit can make a huge difference. By encouraging savings, reinvestment, and long-term planning, we can build resilience into these ventures. 💡 3. Build Community and Networks In the volunteering phase, I saw how powerful community support can be—women sharing ideas and resources. But for long-term sustainability, these connections need to grow into broader networks. Strategy: Develop mentorship programs and partnerships with larger businesses. This helps women access new markets, find role models, and connect with resources that support growth. 💡 4. Tailor Support to Local Contexts Each community has unique challenges. My volunteering taught me that understanding local realities—like cultural norms or market barriers—can make or break a business. Strategy: Create customized programs that address the specific needs of each community. Focus on digital skills in urban areas or agricultural entrepreneurship in rural ones. Localized strategies ensure that support is effective and relevant. Moving from hands-on support to strategic planning has shown me that empowering women in business is a long-term commitment. It’s about creating an ecosystem where women not only start businesses but thrive, grow, and inspire others. 🌟 💬 What strategies do you think are most effective in supporting women entrepreneurs for the long haul? Let’s share ideas! #WomenEntrepreneurs #SustainableBusiness #Strategy #FinancialIndependence #CommunityBuilding #EmpowerHer #Leadership #Entrepreneurship

✨️ a wee spark ✨️ I'm so glad I could join WEvolution UK this morning, to be absolutely inspired by their Small, Powerful Groups movement, and hear more about their recent The Scottish Government Pathways Pre-Start project - led by Norin Arshed / University of Strathclyde, exploring entrepreneurship among the 'forgotten' women of Scotland. Such powerful storytelling from all in the room! I was there in a professional capacity, but so much to take away on a more personal level too - as a woman, as a mother of girls, as a hands-on Trustee for a community-based charity, and as a human living in our modern, complex society. Two main takeaways... ✨️ "it takes a village" - I don't think this phrase was actually used today, but it was clear from the conversations around Small, Powerful Groups and how they provide peer support, mentoring, accountability, and a safe space to take a leap into the unknown. This all resonates with the latest hot topic of 'ecosystems', and (not surprising to those who have worked with me recently...) I find great value in peer networks in my own sphere. ✨️ very little talk about money, only brought up when someone said "it's interesting no one has talked about money". Would it have been different if the panel wasn't all women? What does this say about the drivers for women starting their own businesses? And, if I translate that into female researchers, are they also not motivated by money? If that's the case, we need to be thinking differently about how to incentivise commercialisation, and how we measure success. I'll be pondering this for a while... Well done Noel Mathias and team 👏

2024 has been a roller coaster of changes and challenges. With my first full year at Johnson Stokes & Master done, I am just incredibly grateful for all the support and help from my colleagues. People says it takes a whole village to raise a child, the same can be said for a firm’s pro bono practice. It takes commitment from lawyers of different practices, as well as business development, marketing and administrative colleagues to build an impactful pro bono programme. I still remember there are times when I am amazed and touched by the willingness of colleagues who are happy to go the extra mile, just to make sure that our pro bono support can truly cater the needs of our community partners.   To wrap up the year, we collaborated with three social enterprises: 新生精神康復會, FAIRTASTE and 糕點時光 TIME TO GOLD, to offer our pro bono achievers (more than 30% of our lawyers contributed more than 20 pro bono hours in 2024 & more than 50% of our lawyer contributed more than 10 hours) year-around discounts and also small gifts from these businesses to help our colleagues to get to know these organizations that are doing amazing work within the community.   And of course, I am also incredibly thankful for the trust from our pro bono partners. Such trust is hard-earned and cannot be taken for granted, it is something that is built on mutual respect, professionalism and accountability which again, is something that requires commitment from all sides.   Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be another year full of exciting opportunities. The social impact scene in HK is as vibrant as ever, as traditional charities and unconventional social impact organizations look for different ways to address various social challenges. One thing I hope to explore more is how to bring pro bono into the bigger conversation and ecosystem of creating lasting and sustainable social impacts, so do reach out if you want someone to collaborate with or bounce ideas off from! Looking forward to all the exciting collaborations and opportunities in 2025!

One more reason why funders should slowly move into Participatory Grantmaking : Funders have the joy of knowing that if they support PGM, they are enabling two different kinds of social impact, firstly, the social impact achieved through the hard work of grantees, but also the social impact PGM creates in and of itself, with participants consistently reporting increased confidence and wellbeing, and often going on to be involved in further civil society work. Supporting PGM means being part of a global movement : Lucy White from Camden Giving https://lnkd.in/grwaG3Xy

An in-depth article on Assets in Common has published from the editor of Nonprofit Quarterly, which went out to over 400,000 people. 👀 The focus on was on networking between cooperative entities for greater advantages of scale. This is true, and the article captures the brilliance of the case studies on Industrial Commons and Obran – but it is only a slice of the core thesis of the book (📚 assetsincommon.org). The real meat of the matter is that pooling assets is powerful - cooperatives aren't always the preferred format, but they can be starting points. The two cooperative ecosystems highlighted in Steve's article are profoundly interesting and successful examples of mixed models, with coop formats being applied within or alongside nonprofit ownership, holding company approaches and other methods. These mixed methods require imagination and originality, but contain more precise fit-for-purpose ownership and governance incentives than pure coop models. That's just my 2c to add to the excellent article. Super appreciate the journalistic integrity from Steve. Some people just write articles from the hip. Steve had *three* meetings with us including two interviews before putting pen to paper! 📑 https://lnkd.in/gNbGJnEb He also wrote about it in his newsletter, Economy Remix: 📃 https://lnkd.in/gnGAJXyF