News from the Institute for Leaders in Development

Ethics in Philanthropy - A Panel Discussion

Led by Erin Osborn (pictured left, right), Director, Prospect Research, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation;

Amy Stewart, (pictured middle, right) ILD '12, Senior Director, Philanthropic Development, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation;

Lindsey Hersey, (pictured right, bottom), Human Resources Director, Dumb Friends League

Key Takeaways

• It's important to have conversations about ethics regularly and to update your policies to ensure that they are legally compliant, but also in keeping with your mission and values. 
• You will sometimes be put in a position where you are educating a donor, boss, or community member. Talk about the likelihood of this situation ahead of time so that you are prepared. Having strong policies and great resources at the ready will be helpful. 
• The key ethical concern in DEI data collection is that it must be self-identified/self-disclosed.

Clifton Strengths & Strengths-Based Leadership 

Dr. Ellen Winiarczyk, Director, Nonprofit Studies Program, University of Denver University College 
[pictured right]

• A strengths-based approach is really impactful for teams. A much-loved example is Lessons from Geese, including the importance of standing by each other when one is weak and when one is strong.
• Operating in your "strengths zone," you may find improved: confidence, direction, hope, kindness, and a greater chance of good health outcomes in life. 
• Using this tool can increase employee and team satisfaction.
• Effective leaders surround themselves with the right people and build on each person’s strengths
  • Diversifying team members' strengths activates innovation, adaptation, and ability to deal with changes
  • Broader groupings of a team’s strengths contribute to overall success

What's next? The cohort will receive a chart of everyone's strengths so that they're able to connect with and use one another as resources throughout the year.

Meet one of Colorado's Early Philanthropists of the Mining Era

Clara Brown came west and became a successful business owner...she was also extraordinarily generous to others in Colorado. Learn more about her by visiting Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. Clara is also mentioned in several books about this chapter of Colorado history.

History of Philanthropy in the US

Rebecca Arno, Chief Impact and Innovation Officer, Barton Institute for Community Action [pictured right], led the morning session, which provided an understanding of how the third sector came to be and how the history of charitable giving in the U.S. created the environment we have today.

The Role of Women Throughout History
The Smithsonian article, "The Storied History of Giving in America" includes diverse perspectives about the role of women in philanthropy. Interestingly, social activist Emily Bissel worried that women getting the vote would take away from their power in the charitable space.

A few decades later and thousands of miles away, a group of young activists in New York’s Chinatown also understood the connections between access to health care and equal citizenship." The group formed what would become the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center that still exists today.

Consider the Role of the Government in Forming/Balancing the Nonprofit Sector

(1) Regulation of influence (laws allowing and prohibiting lobbying); (2) Taxation (early tax laws spurred the creation of major foundations); (3) Involvement in addressing social issues: Hoover’s “low-cost governance” vs. Roosevelt’s “New Deal"

Philanthropy isn’t just for the wealthy

Early examples of mass philanthropy include campaigns to support the Red Cross and other public health campaigns.
Narratives of philanthropy are diverse and inspiring, a few groups to know:

Black Resilience of Colorado | Latino Community Foundation of Colorado

Native Americans in Philanthropy

Introducing the Newest ILD Class

Congratulations on your Graduation!

The Class of 2023 graduated May 16th at University of

Denver. ILD was pleased to welcome Lorii Rabinowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Denver Scholarship Foundation as the keynote speaker. Lorii recognized ILD, including alumni who've worked on her team for their achievements and dedication to this important and fulfilling work. Jeremy Johnson spoke on behalf of his class perfectly summarizing the ILD experience from the excitement at the beginning, to the numerous opportunities to learn from one another throughout the year, to the Capstone project and presentations.

Alumni, volunteers, board members, faculty, sponsoring organizations and guests of our alumni enjoyed the evening reception. We are happy to welcome each of you to the ILD alumni community!

Graduates front row left to right: Sam Lincoln, Sarah Korn, Chrsti Meyer, Jenna Kamlet, Leslie LeFever, Jeremy Jones. Back row left to right: Gaby Garayar, Jenny Martin, Aimee Quadri-Chavez, Theresa Garcia, and Maggie St. Clair.

Not pictured: Marsha High III

Led by Gordon Smith (below left), Associate Vice President, Planned Giving, National Jewish Health | Also featuring panelists Krista Boscoe (below center), Director of Development and Kevin Mullin NMN CFRE, ILD '13 (below right), President, Estes Park Health Foundation

Many of you have had the chance to learn from Gordon over the years. You likely remember one his donor stories--relationships built over many years in support to National Jewish. Once again, Gordon led the class through the basics of planned giving, with the goal of helping each participant become more confident in asking for planned gifts and also leveraging these gifts as part of a blended gift. Dispelling the persistent myth that planned giving is just too complicated, he makes the topic approachable as he shares his expertise.

Panelists Krista and Kevin both manage successful planned giving programs in smaller shops, with fewer resources and staff time to allocate. Class members learned how each decides which elements to outsource versus complete in-house to help save time. As we've heard throughout the year, carefully planning your time and managing your calendar is another important part of making time for planned giving.

Led by Jon Kraus, Executive Director, Gift Planning, University of Denver

Jon led the ILD through the process of identifying which of your donors may be interested and well positioned to make a planned gift. We're happy to highlight one resource he shared from TIAA Kaspick. Their acronym provides a summary below. Keeping this framework in mind will help you think about who your donor is, what they value and support, their assets, future plans, and financial planning/management. Learning about each aspect will help you steward your donor towards the gift that will make the greatest impact and honor their values. 

People
Assets
Passions
Plans
Advisors

Comprehensive Campaigns

Led by Mary Feller (right), Executive Director, Craig Hospital Foundation and Jenny Hopkins (right), Past Board Chair, Craig Hospital Foundation
and Managing Director, Crescendo Capital Partners

Characteristics for a Successful Campaign

• Organizational Leadership
  
• Compelling Case Linked to Strategic Plan
• Major Gifts Program
• Organization has Positive Image
• Strong Board of Directors

Led by Kristin Calder, CPA (pictured right) and Ken Fichter, CPA (pictured below, right) from Kundinger, Corder & Montoya P.C. Denver

"The speakers were such great teachers and very patient with our questions! It made finances feels so much less intimidating."

A general understanding of financials is important for all fundraisers. Whether you're closely involved in management and budgeting, or relied upon to provide the right reports for a financially savvy donor, preparation is key. Kristin and Ken provided a fantastic overview and led great conversations around reporting, booking gifts, review audit reports, and understanding financial statements.