Earlier this fall my colleague Carl Little and I participated in a workshop organized by the Maine Philanthropy Center and funded by a consortium of national funders seeking to help foundations improve their communications and outreach. The assumption is that if we are able to do a better job in communicating our impact with leaders in government, business, the nonprofit sector, and the media, it will help us build support, take programs to scale, invite new ideas, and encourage more philanthropy.
Carl and I were surprised to learn that even “engaged Americans” know little about foundations yet have high expectations. Individuals polled in a recent survey think foundations should shift funding priorities to help the nation address the fallout from the economic slump we’re in; they also want us to maintain our independence, be more transparent, and work more effectively in making a difference.
We learned that 92% of those surveyed responded that it was important that foundations be effective and make a positive difference in society, yet only 52% responded that foundations perform well in doing this. More startling, fewer than two in ten of those surveyed could name an example of foundation impact on their community or on an issue. A copy of the report, “High Expectations, High Opportunity,” can be downloaded here.
Carl and I spent some time thinking about our own communications program and ways we can be more effective in telling our story. For instance, we promote the fact that a certain fund made $166,000 in grants or that MaineCF in any one year will award more than $15 million in grant and scholarships. Impressive as those numbers are, they sure don’t tell much of a story about what the grant dollars did—and the ways in which individuals’ lives were changed for the better as a result of our support.
We could tell hundreds of stories about what has happened as a result of our grant support. Here’s one to get us started: the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s LabVenture! which has received support from a number of MaineCF’s county funds. Lab Venture! provides free marine science education programming for 5th- or 6th-grade classes from every county in Maine. Students spend a half day investigating the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and assume the role of scientist, conducting their own hands-on research.
MaineCF support has enabled hundreds of students from some of Maine’s most rural counties to participate in this exciting learning experience. And we hope that one day Maine will enjoy an abundance of budding marine scientists!
A New Year’s resolution: without losing sight of the importance of funding, let’s talk more about our impact. How is your work making a difference in Maine?