I remember what it was like working on the nonprofit side of the funding equation. I remember thinking of foundations as a “big black box” where your grant application goes in and (if you’re lucky) a decision comes out months later, 通常没有任何背景. I remember the guessing game, and thinking program staff were powerful, even scary. Every site visit elicited anxiety from myself and my coworkers. The whole experience was stressful, and the unbalanced power dynamic was uncomfortably obvious.
当我转移到等式的出资方时, 我向自己保证要记住那是什么感觉, and to treat people differently both inside and outside of the Foundation. 以我作为项目官员的身份, I see it as my responsibility to break down this “big black box” and toss it aside all together. Instead, I want to be seen as approachable, supportive and honest. Someone who cares about the same people, goals and challenges as the organizations we partner with.
在基金会, 我们努力发展实, ongoing relationships with people in the communities where we work. 事实上, building and nurturing relationships is at the core of our work because we understand it’s a critical component to achieving what we’ve set out to do – bring health in reach for all Coloradans.
When we say we want to get to know you, your organization and your work better, we mean it. And we’re out in community enough that you shouldn’t be surprised to see us.
We are interested in gaining a full view of your community, 人们关心和需要的东西, 你对可能性的看法, 等. 没有你的知识, 经验与创造力, we cannot solve the issues people in your community face every day. 我相信“在地面上”的人知道的最多, and so getting to know you is the only way I can effectively do my job. 这也是我工作中最享受的一点.
Don’t think of me as a traditional program officer doing transactional grantmaking. We see our relationships with organizations – and the people who breathe life into them – as much more than transactional. Grants are just one piece of what is ideally a much longer relationship that we co-develop across time. Most of our relationships will involve funding at some point and no funding at another point, and some of our strongest relationships are with organizations that have experienced both “yes” and “no” responses for their grant applications. Sometimes we will see ways that our work aligns and opportunities for us to actively partner; other times we can help each other by making connections and brainstorming together.
The bottom line is that there will be “no’s,” “yes’s” and spaces in between.
我们花时间在你的社区的目的是学习, build relationships and make the best decisions possible so that we support the work most likely to make positive change. 随着时间的推移, we are reaching new levels of trust with the people we are working on these tough issues with. 这种信任导致诚实, an ease of connection and the ability to chat about progress without the nervousness of a once-a-year visit. The Foundation is here to invest in ideas that help communities become healthier on their own terms, 没有先入为主的观念.
We see our work with you as a collaboration towards achieving a shared vision of healthy, vibrant communities across the state that are abundant with affordable housing, 新鲜的食物, 安全社区等等. And there are a variety of different avenues we can take to get there. Sometimes the best way we can support is to provide funding, but not always. Instead, it can mean we come in as listeners, connectors, coordinators or mediators.
We want to work with you to figure out what makes sense for the given situation; we aren’t the experts on your community – you are.
在一天结束的时候, 说“不”一直都是我工作中最糟糕的部分, and it’s also the riskiest component of my relationships out in community. It’s important to us at the Foundation to foster relationships strong enough to withstand declinations. Saying “no” is not a judgment about whether the work is important, 或者一个组织是否应该这样做. My team is making a decision about what we’re focused on right now, 鉴于我们有限的资源, 并试图找到适合这个焦点的努力.
Turning down a proposal is not the end of the conversation; often it’s the beginning of real conversation.
我努力让人们把我看作一个有使命的伙伴, 在哪里建设性的对话是最重要的, 一些哲学变成了共同的哲学:
- Mutual communication will help us better understand each other’s views.
- Many different options are on the table and we’re open to exploring ways we can best partner; this will vary by community.
- It’s top-of-mind that we are working towards the same things.
在整个关系中, we want to explore the space around the “yes” and the “no” – because we see how much opportunity exists there in service of our mission and the people of Colorado. 以及资金世界的“大黑盒子”? We want to replace it with an open door and a face-to-face “hello,” using our resources—from grant funding to convening and beyond—to help create healthy homes, neighborhoods and communities in every corner of the state.