FP #12 - The Future is *checks notes* this Tuesday!
Ideas & opportunities for future focused civic leaders...
Hi y’all,
So this book thing is really happening. 2 years of researching, ideating, conversing, writing, editing, re-writing and poking the sleeping giant that is my diverse & dynamic network, leads to this Tuesday. Tuesday 26th October 2021. The official launch of my new book Future Philanthropy: The Tech, Talent & Trends Defining New Civic Leadership.
In the calm before the (sales) storm, this week has been a great week of reflection for the journey that this whole project has been. I signed a good couple of hundred books and the sucker that I am for change, I didn’t just sign them - I thanked them. Each and every person that has supported me. Inspired me. Challenged me. The is a little piece of every conversation I have had the past decade I have been in philanthropy on every page. There is a little piece of our shared optimism (& the conversations I know are going to come in the future) on the pages too. Even those that purchased books and I didn’t know them personally, I took the time to get a quick overview of their work & gave them a shout out for their impact and putting their values to work.
You see, this isn’t a book for me. It’s a book for the potential & promise of our society. It’s a blueprint for y’all to carry the torch of change forward - and I hope that torch burns brighter for the sparks of something better contained within.
Tuesday is going to be a fun day. Thnks fr th Mmrs.
RG
What I’m Writing (& Saying)
There are real nuances to the problems of pipeline management in our sector which are being generally overlooked by this larger phenomenon. That’s why it’s important to look at the effects of the ‘great resignation’ by taking a proactive look at our current social-sector talent and how we can start building a better foundation for change; looking at those new voices, approaches, and partners; and putting them in a position to be successful. This shouldn’t be about resignations, it should be about reprioritizations.
How Technology Plays an Increasing Critical Role in the Future of Philanthropy - feature in SiliconHillsNews (6 min read)
Austin is a (civic) tech city! Really appreciated being interviewed here by Simon Rycraft for this article & having the opportunity to showcase some of the amazing work being advanced in the social sector here in my Texas home base. Also to highlight my new book too of course!
The great thing about SiliconHillsNews too is that they received seed funding by winning one of four $12,000 awards in the J-Lab and McCormick Foundation’s New Media Women Entrepreneur 2011 program. Philanthropy lifting up women in tech leadership is an important part of the puzzle & it's great to see Laura Lorek's work to date!
No Money, No Mission - The Evolving Nature of Faith Based Fundraising (4 min read)
I have always been fascinated by faith based organizing as to me it’s an authentic progression of translating your values, beliefs and what those have taught you into practice.
Another key piece of this is of course the infrastructure, the churches, gathering places scattered throughout our neighborhoods that are historically (and still remain currently) anchor institutions in our community.
I often wonder what a fully activated church community might look like, not just giving in the plethora of ways they currently give, not just giving through their congregation, but in organized ways that support those in need locally and ultimately reflecting the communities they seek to lift up. Working arm in arm with other community leaders & bringing an important voice to the table.
It was great to speak with Ian Rangel from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange for our next 'Rising Stars In Philanthropy' feature on how he sees fundraising for religious organizations evolving over the coming years. Check it out!
Football Brisbane's Focus on Clubs - Springfield United FC (5 min video)
I wanted to share a really cool video of an interview with current Springfield United FC President Scott Harding about the history of the club and their plans for the future. Why? Well, some folks might not know this but I founded a soccer club back in 2008…
One New Year’s Eve, at some big fancy gala for an investment fund, my friends and I discussed how soccer teams didn’t espouse the culture or identity of their communities, nor were they engaged with them beyond sharing the same zip code. This conversation lingered with me the next morning, long after the hangover had subsided. That was when I decided that I was going to form a brand-new soccer club that would be a staple of the community, an inclusive organization that provided more than just a place to play soccer, but a place where people felt they belonged regardless of whether they were a player, volunteer, or supporter.
The journey began in 2008 as City West United playing in a recreational league in the western suburbs of Brisbane. A year later, our team was encouraged to move to the Greater Springfield area to build roots in one of the fastest growing communities in Australia. We hit the ground running, holding stalls at community fetes, donating food to those in need, and even having an annual Peace Cup against a local Afghani refugee team that was played to support UNICEF’s One Day, One Goal program. In three short years, the built-from-scratch club became affiliated with FIFA (futsal), the Football Federation of Australia, Football Queensland, and Football Brisbane, seeing a 450 percent growth in membership two years in a row and having teams from under the age of five to senior men’s and women’s. It now has over 900 players which is a testament to what the current board under Scott’s leadership has achieved.
Being the founder and founding president of this club is one of the proudest moments in my life. The fact that it has just celebrated its tenth anniversary, moved to a permanent home, and has its own beer goes to show that with hard work and surrounding yourself with those who share your vision, great things can happen.
What I’m Sharing
#FutureFestAU: AUSTRALIA! I'm excited to share that we will be putting on a virtual two day philanthropic futurism extravaganza to celebrate the launch of my new book Future Philanthropy. We have some amazing panelists including two of the featured emerging leaders Krystian Seibert & Sarah Moran together with Jack Heath from Philanthropy Australia & Dr. Wendy Scaife from QUT.
For more info & tix - visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/futurefestau-tickets-194790622997 Cost: FREE to my newsletter subscribers with code ‘Substacker’ (this code can be used for multiple tickets)
Webinar: Our friends over at Fundmetric have an upcoming Webinar on the Results Chain - What is it? And how can I use them? You will learn how to use Results Chain logic modelling to better execute your strategic planning and make better operations & fundraising decisions. Register today! Use the code FUTUREOFPHILANTRHOPY - it’s good for 20 tickets.
Top 50 Philanthropy Blogs: I was stoked to hear that my Future Philanthropy Blog has just been featured in the Feedspot Top 50 Philanthropy Blogs! My blog has been quite cathartic for my writing & a great complement to my upcoming book - expanding on some of my work & lifting up emerging leaders in the field. There are some much better blogs out there than mine too - so check them out!