The
report follows up on the Roundtable's groundbreaking 2007 report, Beyond
Charity: Recognizing Return on Investment: How the Nonprofit Community Impacts
Greater Washington. That report documented the significant return on investment
achieved by area nonprofits in terms of societal cost savings from positive
outcomes achieved or negative outcomes avoided, the multiplier effect of the
dollar and in-kind donations that nonprofits' work leverages, and the
strengthening of the community and its institutions that their work triggers.
"Beyond
Dollars"
"Grantmakers
in the Washington region, rocked by sharp losses to their assets since the
beginning of the recession and faced with increased need in the community, are balancing
the need to fund direct services with a growing emphasis on ‘big change'
grantmaking - grants that go beyond addressing pressing needs and promise
greater and lasting impact," said Tamara Lucas Copeland, President of
Washington Grantmakers. That is the conclusion of the new report offering
examples of "big change" grantmaking in the Washington region.
Nonprofit
Roundtable/Deloitte Case Study
After the
September 11 terrorist attacks, corporate grantmaker Deloitte LLP leveraged its
consulting expertise and a partnership with the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater
Washington to go beyond dollars and help create a strategic plan for emergency
preparedness, including Continuity of Operations Plans for key nonprofits. Washington area nonprofits are now better prepared to work together
and coordinate with the public and private sectors when the worst
happens-whether it's an epidemic, a terrorist attack, or a hurricane.
One goal
of the project was to increase awareness of the nonprofit sector as a vital
part of regional disaster response and recovery. Deloitte and the Roundtable
created the Roadmap to Preparedness, a regional strategic plan that has raised
the visibility of nonprofits in regional disaster planning, resulting in
improved cross-sector engagement and communication.
Four
Essential Elements of "Big Change"
Beyond
Dollars highlights essential elements of
the "big change" approach being adopted by a significant share of area
grantmakers, and offers a series of case studies demonstrating the impact. The
"big change" elements highlighted in Beyond Dollars include:
·Capitalizing on timing and momentum. By coordinating local and regional action with national
initiatives, timing action to coincide with groundswells of public sentiment or
moments of crisis, grantmakers are translating a vision for change into
on-the-ground progress.
·Being a strong voice for change. By creating a platform for affected communities to engage
in the policy dialogue, and sharing information with the media, policymakers
and others, grantmakers are creating energy to drive change.
·Leveraging key resources.
By supporting research, combining their knowledge and experience, and using
their dollars to open the door to national and government funding sources,
local grantmakers are creating the building blocks for change.
·Building true partnerships. By bringing organizations and individuals together in new
collaborations, grantmakers are strengthening the agents of change.
"Grantmakers
in the region recognize the need for a ‘big change' strategy, even while
they're working to combat the severe effects of the recession on the
community," adds Copeland. "In these tough economic times, philanthropists are
more motivated than ever before to go beyond dollars to effect big change."
The
Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers is a network of funders in Washington, DC, Maryland, and
Virginia, partnering with nonprofits and governments, that is
committed to improving the region by touching lives and changing communities
through effective and efficient grantmaking. Find more information online at http://www.washingtongrantmakers.org.
