Philanthropy is more than just giving money to a good cause. It's a strategic way of creating positive change in the world. But how can you build a philanthropy team that makes an impact? In this article, you'll learn some tips and best practices for forming and leading a successful philanthropy team in your organization.
Before you recruit or assign anyone to your philanthropy team, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. What are the social or environmental issues that you care about? What are the goals and objectives of your philanthropy program? How will you measure and report your impact? Having a well-defined purpose will help you align your team with your mission and values, and communicate them effectively to your stakeholders.
The purpose is paramount. Why are you funding projects? What do you want the funds you distribute to achieve? Funds need to create rules to manage how money is allocated and how decisions are made but those rules will sometimes exclude the more innovative ideas. It is therefore important to have a really strong sense of the 'what' and 'why' questions, and to communicate that they are more important than the 'how' rules.
Your philanthropy team should consist of people who share your passion and commitment for the cause, but also bring diverse skills, perspectives, and experiences. Depending on the size and scope of your philanthropy program, you may need team members who can handle tasks such as research, fundraising, marketing, networking, project management, and evaluation. You may also want to include representatives from different departments, levels, and locations of your organization, to ensure cross-functional collaboration and support.
Balancing expert input is critical. Some applications will be for the development of new and innovative ideas to solve problems and improve lives. To effectively evaluate the more radical ideas and to avoid repeating past mistakes, it is important to have access to expert input from people that know the field. Equally, experts can be clouded by their own experience so it makes sense to set them up in an advisory role - rather than giving them the right of veto. By setting experts up as advisors, you can get the expertise you need to balance the potential risks and rewards of an innovative project - and maintain the ability to fund regardless.
Once you have your team members, you need to clarify their roles and responsibilities. Who will be the leader or coordinator of the team? Who will be responsible for specific activities or deliverables? How often will the team meet and communicate? What are the expectations and deadlines for each team member? How will the team resolve conflicts or challenges? By setting clear and realistic expectations, you can avoid confusion, frustration, and duplication of work.
A successful philanthropy team is not only productive, but also engaged and motivated. You can foster a positive team culture by providing regular feedback, recognition, and encouragement to your team members. You can also create opportunities for learning, development, and innovation, by encouraging your team to explore new ideas, share best practices, and seek feedback from others. Additionally, you can celebrate your team's achievements and impact, by showcasing your results, stories, and testimonials to your organization and the public.
Your philanthropy team is not working in isolation. You are part of a larger network of partners who share your vision and values. These may include nonprofit organizations, donors, volunteers, media, government, and other stakeholders. To maximize your impact, you need to collaborate with your partners effectively. You can do this by building trust and rapport, communicating clearly and consistently, aligning your goals and strategies, and sharing your resources and insights.
Finally, you need to evaluate your philanthropy team's performance regularly. This will help you assess your progress, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and improve your processes and outcomes. You can use various methods and tools to evaluate your performance, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, reports, dashboards, and case studies. You should also involve your team members and partners in the evaluation process, to solicit their feedback and suggestions, and to ensure their accountability and satisfaction.