A Very GOOD Party

GOOD Magazine, among your FLiP Editors’ favorite new reads, covers the movement in this country toward “pragmatic idealism expressed through business, politics, culture and more.”

For $20 you get six issues of GOOD, and 100% of your money goes to one of twelve of GOOD’s nonprofit partners.  The magazine has signed up 20,000+ subscribers and has distributed over $400,000 to its aforementioned partners.  I’m happy to be able to congratulate GOOD on a successful first year!

In September GOOD Magazine, the magazine that “gives a damn,” will be celebrating its one year anniversary by throwing parties in cities across the country. On September 7, the “Choose GOOD” party comes to Washington, DC where some of the FLiP Editors will be joining an estimated 1200 people who give a damn. Held at the amazing Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from 7pm-midnight, the party is free for all GOOD subscribers.

The party will feature music, art, and festivities including DJ sets by Thievery Corporation’s Eric Hilton, Dave Nada, Will Eastman and Jacques Renault.

NYC – Keep an eye out for information about the Choose GOOD party in New York on September 29.

In summary: For $20 you get: 1) 6 Issues of GOOD Magazine (which you should be reading anyway!) 2) Entry into all GOOD Parties (and free drinks) and 3) Best of all, 100% of your gift goes to one of GOOD’s 12 nonprofit partners.

This event is RSVP only, so get to their site and register now!

DC - RSVP here: http://www.goodmagazine.com/events/wdc
NYC - RSVP here: http://www.goodmagazine.com/events/ny1

Don’t forget to check back here for FLiP’s party review!

Will

Meet-A-FLiP: Elizabeth Goldberg

Meet Elizabeth Goldberg, a DC FLiP who practices philanthropy in both her career and her volunteer experiences.  As someone who sees both sides of the donation, Elizabeth talks about her experiences with the Master Chorale of Washington, the Epilepsy Foundation of America, and how life and education have prepared her for where she is today.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Tell us a little about yourself: where you went to school, what you majored in, and the interests that led you to a job in philanthropy.

Elizabeth Goldberg (EG): I went to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts where I majored in American Studies and focused my research on race, ethnicity, and performative identity. I also completed coursework at Amherst College and Georgetown University. I have always been inspired by philanthropy and a value impressed upon me by my family growing up to take an active role as a donor in your community.

My career was largely informed, however, by my participation in a summer program that focused on the role of philanthropy and voluntary service in American life. Although my entire work background until that time had been in direct service, I was placed in a development internship at the Washington National Opera. At that point I realized that development really played to my strengths: working with all types of constituencies, focusing on writing and analytical thinking, networking with individuals, and even competition, too. Development is what allows nonprofits to complete the amazing work that they do through programs and services, or performances and education in the case of the arts—and that inspired me.

Food for Thought: Brainfood Students Get Cookin’

Washington D.C. can finally satisfy your hunger for philanthropy - literally.  Get out your cookbooks and aprons because Brainfood, a DC nonprofit for youth, is in the spotlight of teen culinary education.

Brainfood is a nonprofit youth development organization designed in 1998 to provide cooking activities as an outlet for teens in the nation’s capital.  Food preparation and skills in the kitchen are in place to build life skills and promote creativity in a safe and positive atmosphere.  Students can chose from two participation options by making a commitment to either a four day after-school program or a six week summer session.  In addition to cooking, curriculums incorporate multiple aspects of the food service industry including, culture, science and technology.  Special events are an important part of the Brainfood experience and include guest chefs, interactive lectures from doctors and nutritionists, field trips to local restaurants, shopping trips and neighborhood community service projects.  Though curriculums vary, students in the after school program end their experience by participating in Brainfood’s Chef Challenge and Graduation. The program is open to the public and includes a graduation ceremony designed by the students. Ultimately, the “graduated” students are empowered with experience, confidence, and skills essential to community activism and contribution.

Operating with only three full-time staff, Brainfood is continuously seeking new volunteers and summer interns.  Like any organization, structure and leadership in the workplace can be disrupted at a moment’s notice, but Brainfood’s new blog system and Open Night Kitchens ensure stability within the organization.  “A Bite of Brainfood” is an interactive blog that provides updates and reviews of past and current events in which Brainfood teens are involved.  Students post comments regarding their experiences over the year and reflect on the power of the program as well as the relationships they made within their communities.  Open Night Kitchens are a result of numerous requests from the community to be able to observe and contribute to the Brainfood experience.  Community organizations or companies are welcome and encouraged to schedule times to cook and learn with the students.  Subscriptions to the Brainfood newsletters keep community members up to date on the events of their students and neighbors and also offer opportunities to sponsor events, to donate support, and even to create a Brainfood program within an individual’s own community.

So now that your senses (and stomachs!) are tingling with excitement about this fantastic organization check out the Brainfood website!

Women in Philanthropy: Will they change the direction of philanthropy? Is their approach to philanthropy different from that of men?

Please enjoy our second post from the Chair and Executive Director of NYU's George H. Heyman, Jr. Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising!

One of the most talked about aspects of philanthropy today is the increasing importance of women in philanthropy – as fundraisers, foundation executives and as donors.  The latter are of special interest today, as women now own 51% of the country’s wealth and 65% of the stock traded on the stock exchange every day.  They also own 6.2 million businesses; they have high powered jobs and high salaries in corporate America and are expected to inherit billions of dollars in the next five decades.

From the time our country was formed, women have always been involved in philanthropy.  The first scholarship in America was given to Harvard by a woman, Lady Moulson, in 1641.  Throughout our history women have given generously of their time and money to help “the poor and the orphans;” to establish women’s colleges; to support education, the arts, churches, medicine and scores of social programs.  The difference today is that the number of women involved in philanthropy and the extent of their wealth has increased dramatically.  And while the women in the past generally were shy about publicly announcing their gifts (as a concern with money was not ladylike), that is hardly the mantra of today’s woman.

In short, the gender gap in philanthropy in giving money, publicizing such gifts, and in exerting the power that money provides, is closing.  Indeed, in some cases it may have already closed.
Yes, there are still more men sitting on the boards of prestigious non-profits.  Yes, more men are still giving larger gifts than women of comparable wealth.  And yes, many women are still not as knowledgeable as men on the use of tax benefits in the design and formation of large gifts.  But here, too, the scene is changing.  More women now sit on boards; the size of their gifts is increasing; and many have financial acumen – certainly those who are working and earning their own money.

Meet-A-FLiP: Rosetta Thurman

The Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington brings nonprofit leaders together in order to effectively address issues that affect nonprofits. Their mission is to build the strength, influence, and visibility of the nonprofit sector in the DC area.  The Roundtable’s members include service providers, advocacy organizations, and foundations that share the role of shaping and advancing nonprofits through identifying issues and developing solutions.

Rosetta Thurman, Director of Development and Finance at the Nonprofit Roundtable, manages the fundraising and financial management aspects of the Roundtable.  Previously, she served as Program Assistant for Fair Chance, where she developed hands-on nonprofit capacity building expertise through strengthening youth-focused organizations in Wards 5-8, Washington, DC’s most underserved communities.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Tell us a little about yourself: where you went to school, what you majored in, and the interests that led you to a job in philanthropy.

Rosetta Thurman (RT): I attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond for my undergraduate degree and majored in English.  Afterwards, I moved to DC to get my Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Trinity University.  I first got into nonprofit work by volunteering as an English tutor for low-income youth throughout college. Then, through my school’s English department, I continued my work in nonprofits as a grant writer for a small historic preservation organization.  I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, but I loved writing for a cause, and that passion stuck with me. 

FLiP: How has your education helped prepare you for your current roles?

RT: Having an English degree really made the technical parts of nonprofit work pretty easy. Whereas most people hate research writing, I love it, which allows me to handle many different aspects of fundraising.  Also getting a Master’s in Nonprofit Management was invaluable as it took me through the ‘circuit’ of how to manage a nonprofit – top to bottom.  I already had the passion, and my education just allowed me to make myself productive for the nonprofit organizations I’ve worked for.