A group of non-profit entrepeneurs and educators came together to discuss the best philanthropic strategy for a mythical billionaire (New York Times article, "How many billionaires does is take to fix a school system?). What emerges from the enlightening give and take is helpful. Vanessa Kirsch, founder and president of New Profit, Inc. is spot on in most of her comments. I love this:
But now that philanthropists are focused on outcomes, things are more complicated for both the givers and the recipients. A lot of programs actually take a few years to have an effect, and sometimes you need to tweak the methods along the way. And so as a philanthropist, you need to look deeper into the operations of an organization. It’s a much more complex process to be a good philanthropist if you’re investing in long-term, system-changing outcomes. But it’s also far more rewarding.
This is where we find ourselves at this point in our work. We are learning as we go along; adjusting here and there. We are blessed with a solid crew of patient partners. Here is to them!
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