Molly Schultz Hafid (she/hers)

For anyone beginning a new strategic initiative or strategic planning process, this article is a wonderful resource. Congrats to Marilyn Darling and Veena Pankaj for the recently published "Seeding Impact: Shifting from Orchestration to Emergence." Full article at https://lnkd.in/eHD6QMcm #impact #strategy #strategicplanning #emergentlearning #systemschange

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Surgeon General Vivek Murthy talks about the need for a "whole-of-society approach" to advancing social connection. We've tried to heed that call in our work at Einhorn Collaborative, supporting a broader range of efforts that engage actors across sectors. That includes: Projects like Team Up to enlist large national civic organizations with a presence in local communities to help people build connection across difference through service. Research groups like Building H to measure the impact of products on consumers’ health and urge companies to do better to improve social connection and other health outcomes. Initiatives like Human Connections AI to bring together social connection experts with technologists to puzzle through how AI companions can be designed to enhance and not degrade human relationships. Another project that has helped us explore a facet of the whole-of-society approach is the Connective Tissue Framework, which puts forward a range of recommendations for how government – especially at the local level – can create the structural conditions and everyday opportunities for people to experience healthy connection. I've learned a lot from Sam Pressler, lead author of Connective Tissue. In this piece, I asked Sam to share more about the story behind the framework and a few highlights. https://lnkd.in/esayJU3b

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𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝...  Social Finance are partnering with the Healey Administration to create the Massachusetts Climate Careers Fund. This will be an outcomes-based workforce fund designed to fill climate workforce gaps, increase access to economic mobility for workers, and support a diverse clean energy workforce. It's great to see more being done to help fill the skills gap in the Climate Tech space and hopefully we will see more of these types of funds being started! What do you think about this new fund? Any other cool developments you've seen in this space to help improve the skills gap? ⬇ #smartbuildings #climatetechnology #skillsgap #carboncapture #energyinnovation

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📢Announcing our newest publication developed in partnership with Julia Coffman: Making Visible Philanthropy’s Hidden and Conflicting Mental Models for Systems Change. The Foundation Review 15th Anniversary Celebration issue includes this new piece where we identify two mental models for systems change that are frequently being used—together, separately, in conflict—in philanthropy: the systems dynamics mental model and the systems emergence mental model. We argue that different systemic problems and inequities require understanding the elements, implications, and applications of each model and that each one should be fit for purpose. I know, I know - it sounds too conceptual and abstract, but actually our focus is making the concepts practical and hands on including through three case studies and a tool to help make your thinking visible. #thefoundationreview #systemsthinking #mentalmodels https://lnkd.in/gtsV-wyP

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I am flying back from Chicago, where I attended an innovative conference sponsored by Council on Foundations, called #BuildingTogether. The meeting explored how to address toxic polarization at a moment when it is on the rise. Powerfully, I thought, the conference (which our partner, Mosaic, helped sponsor) focused on more than just skills and academics. Rather, it helped diverse attendees “develop the heartset, mindset, and skillset to lead collaboratively across difference.” Bridging difference, which is a component of effective #movement building, has to be approached with integrity and authenticity. It can’t occur if those engaged don’t fundamentally agree on the each other’s shared humanity, as The Greater Good Science Center emphasized. But the possibilities are significant when done well, with an open heart, mind, and the skills to engage with those who see things differently. This was the lesson of a panel on building a more powerful #climate movement I moderated with an exceptional group of leaders, Jacqueline Patterson, Susan Hendershot, Ariana Gonzalez, and Katie Robinson, who bring a range of skills and perspectives to the work. Without exception, they shared stories where bridging efforts generated impact and results by finding important zones of common ground, ranging from broad coalitions that helped ensure passage of the #IRA, to various new #environmental policies, to the expansion of efforts to advance #environmentaljustice in communities across the country. Katie Robinson, Mosaic’s director, said it well in the opening plenary in describing the bridging work that Mosaic’s Governance Assembly accomplished in recent years in making nearly $30 million in grants to build the shared capacity of environmental advocates. About this group, who are in many ways a fractal of the broader #climate movement, Katie said, “over the past several years these leaders have done the hard work to build the trust necessary to advance our collective capacity to solve climate challenges. They have moved from wariness to relationship.” I would add that this means they, and the groups they lead, share something that is both powerful and rare: each other’s insight. Given the pace and scale of the challenges we all face, that is no small thing. Check out the The Chronicle of Philanthropy story (with quotes from Katie, Kathleen Enright, Monica Guzman, The New York Times columnist David Brooks, Tracy Cutler, Paul Bachleitner, Allison K. Ralph, Ph.D., Eric Ward). https://lnkd.in/gFG9XtFz

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Have you wondered how #philanthropy can harness the power of #strategic_foresight ? My insights, along with insights from a bunch of other folx are in this report.

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If you've been following my work at all, you know I am highly concerned by the rising involvement and influence of private equity and other profit-maximizing investors in the child care sector. Massachusetts recently set an excellent precedent for what it can look like to put up common-sense guardrails to ensure public funding is being used for the public good. The MA-based nonprofit Neighborhood Villages has written a blog post explaining what their state just did; check it out below! I hope other states take notice. "Fortunately, Massachusetts is doing something about it. Massachusetts just became the first state in the nation to implement policies that create important guardrails for direct to-provider operations grants, including limiting how much public funding large for-profit child care chains are eligible for. Specifically, Governor Maura Healey’s Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget codified important guardrails to ensure that state funds are used to promote equitable access, serve children, and raise teacher compensation – instead of padding the pockets of profiteering companies. The language in the budget limits how much public funding large for-profit providers are eligible for in direct-to-provider operations grant funds and sets additional eligibility requirements for these providers. To be eligible for grants, large for-profits (defined as a for-profit provider operating or licensing 10 or more programs in Massachusetts) must accept children receiving child care financial assistance program (CCFA) at each of their programs, will be limited to 1% of total grant funds ($4.75 million for FY25), will have to spend a certain percentage of their grants on salaries, and will have to submit an annual report auditing how they spent their grant funds." https://lnkd.in/gzPqfFdd

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🏗️Sustainable Development Spotlight! Last week, I kicked off a six-week series spotlighting practitioners and community leaders working in equitable and sustainable development. These testimonials, gathered by the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH) team, feature inspiring stories from around the globe of changemakers working to build healthy spaces, improve infrastructure, and drive health equity. Check out our latest spotlight–it might even spark an idea for your community! Vibrant public spaces are essential for ensuring the social, physical, and economic wellbeing of residents. When designed as attractive, welcoming gathering places for people of all ages, these spaces can foster social interactions, support the local economy, improve resident health, and more. Drawing on examples from Bogotá, Colombia, Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa Penalosa of 8 80 Cities shares about the power of building equitable and inclusive spaces, like parks and public facilities, and how these spaces can transform urban areas. Learn more about equitable city planning and explore other stories on community-led health equity initiatives: https://lnkd.in/eZsuT9bf

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Only 28% of Americans are satisfied with the state of U.S. democracy, but less than 1% of total giving from American philanthropies was related to #Democracy and #CivicEngagement. When funders do give to these causes, we often see it done in the frantic run-up to an election, when it's likely too late to make a difference. At @CarnegieCorporation, we believe cultivating civic engagement is a marathon, not a sprint – the election isn't the endpoint.   In this @InsidePhilanthropy article, I spoke with @Mike Scutari about how writ-large democracy is very underfunded, our approach to providing nonpartisan support to organizations securing voting rights and getting people to the ballot box, and why, even if you’re a healthcare funder or an environmental funder, you should be a civic engagement funder, because frankly, voting and civic engagement should be a priority for every issue-based group.    Give it a read and let me know what you think: https://lnkd.in/ecjWdSmN

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"Immediately following the 2016 presidential election, 25 funders that participated in CEP’s Grantee Perception Report chose to add an optional module of questions about actions grantees and their funders were taking in response to a changed political environment. As a result, 2,226 nonprofits offered suggestions in response to the question: “What advice would you give to the Foundation as it seeks to be as effective as possible in this changing U.S. political landscape?” What a timely and practical set of suggestions!

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"Scenarios help us simplify our complex reality and describe possible futures. There is rarely, if ever, just one factor to consider in building scenarios. In addition to the election outcome, let’s layer on another dimension—the response of the social sector (inclusive of civil society, philanthropy, and nonprofit organizations) to the outcome. The degree to which there will be strong and aligned resistance or support for an administrations’ priorities might also have a significant impact on you and your organization and the actions you need to take." Election-Year Resource Center for Nonprofit Leaders

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4 Components of a Culture of Philanthropy "Development staff are always included in organizational decisions. Program staff play an active role in relationship building. Fundraising and engagement are inextricably linked. Transformational relationships take priority over transactions." More insights and explications of these points can be found in this important article by Claire.

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People have been going back and forth on nature vs. nurture ever since I can remember. A new report from the Vanderbilt Cultural Contexts of Health and Wellbeing suggests that nurture may be playing a bigger role than we think.  In the United States, cultural norms tell us that children “belong” to their caregivers and are  “investments” in the future.  By comparing how childhoods are understood globally, the report suggests that these norms may be creating barriers, particularly for children in areas with low incomes facing discrimination. Explore the full report to learn why understanding how culture, not just biology, shapes children’s health and wellbeing can lead to better policies for all. https://lnkd.in/emGs5w5x #Wellbeing #EarlyChildhood #GlobalIdeas

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I’m ready - are you with me? With deep appreciation for the teams at PolicyLink, Civil Strategies, and to Midy Aponte for sharing - here’s to transforming the #Nonprofit sector and #NonprofitLeadership: “Nonprofits will need to build from a past rooted in charity and move toward a model of liberation—a future where our laws, regulations, customs, and institutions are structured so all people can thrive.” #Leadership #Leaders #Management #Liberation #RacialJustice #SocialJustice #AntiRacist #AntiOppression #LFG

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Powerful insights in this piece by Deepak Bhargava on building pro-democracy movements. This assertion that we must "recruit from core parts of society, even when the terrain may seem hostile” resonates deeply with my organizing over the last 15 years. It’s something SURJ’s founders and so many Black organizers throughout the last 75 years have known - that to win big, we need to build in places and with people who are not yet with us and who are susceptible to the organizing of our opposition.  I’m proud that SURJ has massively expanded our work in rural, working-class communities across the South and Appalachia. We’re going toe to toe with the Klan, knocking on the same doors they are, engaging residents around shared concerns like the high cost of rent. By building authentic connections and addressing real needs, we formed multiracial coalitions that elected progressive candidates - in places where Trump won by double digits.  Deepak emphasizes that "the best organizing recruits potential converts as well as believers." This echoes our approach of meeting people where they are, whether it's my cousin from the Rust Belt with a 3% patch, or the families in Appalachia facing down the devastation of the Fentanyl crisis, or liberal white people who may never have thought about racial justice before a few years ago. We've seen firsthand how, "authentic community connections are the most valuable currency" in an age of political cynicism. While we’re all in to win big in November, most of SURJ’s work is about creating long-term political homes where people can learn, grow, and consistently take action. As we face rising authoritarianism, let's heed Bhargava's call to expand our strategies. At SURJ, we're committed to this long-haul organizing work, building power from the ground up as part of a multi-racial movement for justice and democracy. How are you working to build authentic connections and recruit potential converts in your community? #Democracy #Organizing #SocialChange #SURJ

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As a foundation focused on change-making and grantmaking, McKnight Foundation seek to deploy our assets, resources, and leadership to advance our highest expression of mission, which is when equity and climate intersect, clearly aimed at creating the future that we desire and deserve. One way we do this is by using our investment capital for good. Appreciate the shoutout in this piece published by the World Economic Forum. https://lnkd.in/gUt2nD8P

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Whilst its hard to see that any progress has been made, to the contrary - it looks like 0 progress made and everything got worse, with recent years breaking through the 1.5C targets. We mustn't give up hope that the many initiatives that have been kicked off as a result of these agreements, have prevented worse things from happening... too optimistic? maybe But working in the sustainability and SDG space has never been more exciting, with many people sharing that a just transition to a more sustainable, de-growth and circular economy is, ...possible. The questions is how fast, to prevent worse things from happening (Climate Catastrophy, Ecological Collapse, ...the list is getting longer). Currently the ANNUAL financing gap to the 2030 SDGs is (according to UN estimates), around $4 trillion. This is the same as Germany's or Japan's Gross Domestic Product. This is a staggering number and concept that the money missing to achieve the SDGs is the same as the monetary value of ALL finished goods and services made in Germany or Japan on an annual basis. And yet, the world economy is worth around $100 Trillion, so $4 trillion = 4%. That ...almost...sounds doable? too optimistic? maybe When it comes to asset managers, total discretionary assets under management (AUM) of the 500 biggest managers amounted to USD 113.7 trillion at the end of 2022, down by 13.7% from the end of 2021. The largest, BlackRock, manages $10 trillion and the next biggest 2, Vanguard ($9 trillion) and Fidelity ($4 trillion). Surely, investing into solutions on a planet that is actually liveable with resources being consumed at a sustainable pace is what its at? Otherwise, what will be managed in 20 or 30 years?

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A must-read post by my colleague Kevin Bolduc! "But as a sector we really need to avoid the continual temptation to assume that we’ve found a transformative new philanthropic approach, or even that there is a single one out there to find. That’s particularly true when that assumption becomes a distraction to the very hard work of understanding the performance of organizations using various approaches — new and old — and improving their implementation! I’ve been around philanthropy long enough to have seen the “next great approach” emerge again and again. Think back to venture philanthropy, social impact investing, collective impact, giving while living, and, more recently, trust-based philanthropy. Each, at moments, has been touted as the “new” approach that could be used by every funder to increase their impact. Even though I think each did bring something fundamentally important to philanthropy, more nuance is required: these are tools that work better and worse depending on the goals and the context of change you’re after."

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