Top down help or bottom up development

It’s a common theme and a source of debate with big consequences to the giver and receiver of aid.

Top down help typifies the big rescue efforts. Feed people now. Provide medical aid now. Build homes now. Generally this seems to be externally directed and funded. It may also be staffed externally. It’s quick, addresses immediate needs and works for a period of time.  It may be one of the few solutions that work in dire circumstances.

But those in the bottom-up development circles highlight the issues with top-down help. At the core it is not sustainable as those in need will continue to rely on this outside assistance and never develop their own ability to help themselves. Those providing aid find themselves tied to providing an ongoing line of support with no favorable exit strategy available.

Development proponents, an approach which Canadians are good at, endeavor to help those in need help themselves. Development can be many things but it seems to be big on knowledge exchange both in skills and methods, collaborative projects that are destined for local ownership and fostering self governance.

These are longer term initiatives needing patience to wait for a series of small successes to lead to something significant. There’s a foundation of inclusion, respect and collaboration in this work that attempts to bridge  diverse needs, motives and cultures. It’s not a quick fix and success or failure may not be apparent for many years. It doesn’t fit the political or business climate of today that expects immediate returns delivered against a centrally administered strategy.

I guess that’s why development type folks can spend a lifetime focused on a single issue or area. That’s also why operational excellence in disaster relief also works. It’s fast, efficient, in-and-out with methods that are focused on fixing. Both are needed and a hand-off between them is a critical inflection point.

As I explore my work as a strategic volunteer, I need to understand my skills and temperament to determine whether I am more of a coach or a commander.

My own report card

It’s been 3 months and I finally have some interesting and hopefully valuable work to do.

When I started out on this journey, everyone was impressed by the title Strategic Volunteer. They thought it promised great value but they warned that it would take quite a bit of effort to find fitting opportunities. And they were right.

Organizations that are taking me up on my offer of strategic help are doing so as a test or with isolated projects. Non profits that use volunteers regularly, are set up to use them for specific purposes – usually committee helpers (think fundraising) or service delivery (think mentors, literacy tutors). At a strategic level, most think board membership which may or may not be an active role depending on the organization.

And so I am delighted to be invited to help a variety of non profit organizations.

• One is small and I am working with the founder who needs a strategic framework to help guide the organization forward.
• Another is a large organization that has given me a marketing/PR project that can be done by an outsider and if successful will be of great value.
• Another organization who is located miles away from where I am, is leveraging the Web Goddess, my former life. This is a young organization, global and modern social technologies are at the heart of their organization.

I’m sure there will be more in my future, that these are just the beginning of my new path. I’ll keep you posted.

Achieving Social Impact Through Business

I was at a panel discussion at Rotman (UofT) this week focused on how to combine a professional career with a “desire to achieve societal impact.”

The room was packed, at full capacity, and it seemed filled with more corporate and non-profit folks than actual students. The panelist names were big and it’s not surprising that folks want to hear what the top organizations are doing.

• Kaz Flinn, VP – Corporate Social Responsibility, Scotiabank (Kaz has a government relations background)
• John Smiciklas, Senior Manager – Corporate Responsibility, Research in Motion (John was a manager in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Sustainability practice)
• Andrew Heintzman, CEO, InvestEco (Andrew is a former publisher)
  
• Gerald Butts, CEO, World Wildlife Fund Canada (Gerald was Principal Secretary in the Office of the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty)

After the end of the hour, I was thinking the answer was – not as much as they could be. The banks, of course, are well underway with CSR and make that information publically available. RIM, on the other hand, is just starting and may be more reflective of the average company in Canada – their clients are now demanding it so they’re starting to pay attention.

The big focus: Sustainable and ethical supply chains

The panelists were united on the direction of CSR and the current hot focus of sustainable and ethical supply chains. Corporations are now making this strategic, non-profits like WWF are being asked to consult on these issues, and there’s agreement that this is a growth area with room for a lot more experts and expertise.

My fav phrase of the evening, “You get the behaviour you compensate on” so if CSR is important, it needs to be part of your evaluation and compensation structure.

This session was sponsored by Rotman Net Impact, a chapter of the international organization Net Impact, promoting leadership in corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, international development, and environmental sustainability.

More Dinners with Strangers

I’m doing it again, only this time in the classic form of a sit down dinner as part of University of Toronto’s Dinner with 12 Strangers, sponsored by Alumni Affairs.

Given my small dining room it will be 6 students, 1 faculty member and myself for an evening of great food and interesting conversation. After the successful chaos of my holiday party for 30 strangers, this will allow for more indepth conversation and connection.

The program has been running only a few years at UofT but has taken off with the help of a little publicity and the word of mouth that comes from the quality of the experiences for both the hosts and the students. The month of March is booked solid with events.

Whether you are a UofT Alum or have an interest in supporting great students I’d encourage you to take part in this program. You don’t need to be a good cook, just a good sport. (If you’re in Mississauga/Oakville take a look at the UofT Mississauga version of this program.)

The Question of Capacity vs. Service Delivery

I was at a workshop recently which explored what an investment in a non-profit’s capacity looks like and what distinguishes that from investing in actual service delivery.

Given that any grant-making organization has to have some kind of focus and way of identifying which causes have the most potential to deliver success based on that focus, it’s not surprising that a discussion of capacity comes up.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Chinese proverb

Capacity defined

There were many definitions but the overall spirit is the same. Capacity is directly related to sustainability – an organization’s ability to fulfill its mission on an ongoing basis. There are related aspects of effectiveness and impact. And when you look at what makes up capacity there are many strategic and structural aspects.

Other ways of helping

For the organization that put on the workshop, building capacity is their focus. For other organizations and many volunteers, help in providing the actual service that the non-profit provides is the objective.  I can think of the construction teams helping at Habitat for Humanity or tutoring in literacy or ESL as examples. And then there are the one-shot deals, the boosts of adrenaline that are usually fundraising focused and are commonly executed as a single event.

Teaching organizations to fish

As I travel about, talking with non-profits, there is a consistent gap in funding for operations.  It seems that sponsors love to put their name on events or programs but funding is needed for the basic building blocks of capacity. Maybe it’s time to spend a little more focus on ensuring these organizations can fish.

The New Venture Capitalist

The new vocabulary: social entpreneurship, social enterprise, social capital, social ventures. Take away “social” and you have some very familiar words for this entrepreneur. It won’t be long before I meet my first serial social entrepreneur I’m sure.

The meaning is traditional, the focus is not. We’re seeing a pairing of words and worlds that is new. This is a new taxonomy refreshing tired old titles and shedding the baggage associated with words like non-profit, fundraising, grants and such.

Just yesterday I was talking with a foundation as we explored whether they were in for early stage start up capital or strictly second stage, once the concept had a proven track record.

It’s also bringing the energy, enthusiasm and sex appeal of startups, investing in new ideas and bright, passionate entrepreneurs. But whether it’s a non-profit or for-profit enterprise, its mandate involves societal betterment.

There’s value in virtual relationships

I’ve had a lot of meetings lately, first time meetings, as I continue my discovery process of where I might volunteer. It’s been an interesting and rewarding process. I’ve met more people and a wider range of folks than ever before, and the reception I get is always open and positive. So different from business!

But what surprises me is the divide in the approach to meetings. It is clear that folks from a certain generation and particular background absolutely depend on the first meeting being face-to-face. They want to size you up, see what you’re about and look you in the eye while they’re doing it.

Typical dialogue

Them: So how to did you get referred to us.

Me: Nancy told me all about your organization and it sounded interesting.

Them: So where did you meet Nancy?

Me: Actually I’ve never met her. My blog showed up on her Google reader and she liked some of the things I was writing about. We had a couple of chats by email exchanging some good ideas, and your organization was one of them.

Them: Isn’t that something!

(That’s nothing compared to the online research I would have done on the organization, its people and partners, and the competition.)

I’m the former web goddess and totally okay with a first meeting via email, text, phone, conference call, Facebook or anything similar. In fact, I’m okay with virtual relationships.

They are not bound by geography, not limited by dates and times and so fit very nicely into a time starved world. They also allow me to efficiently reach far more people and expertise that I might not otherwise have access to. And all this happens at the speed of the internet, hastening my progress in getting things done.

It doesn’t allow for the depth of human connection that a face-to-face meeting has but the tradeoffs are there. The question is when to use each approach. For those of you who live online, consider breaking the pattern and meeting in person over a meal, even if you have to get on an airplane to do it. And for those that assume a relationship has to start with a face-to-face, take a cue from online dating and start with an email (and some Google research).

Let’s retire the word “retirement”

Who would think the word “retirement” would cause such a negative emotional response when so many folks seemed to look forward to this stage of life. I started by looking up related phrases.

retire (rî-tìr´) verb

1.    To withdraw, as for rest or seclusion.
2.    To go to bed.
3.    To withdraw from one’s occupation, business, or office; stop working.
4.    To fall back or retreat, as from battle.
5.    To move back or away; recede.
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language

retired person (noun)

old person: old person, elderly person, retired person, pensioner, old-age pensioner, senior citizen
Source: The Original Roget’s Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases

With definitions like this, no wonder folks have such a negative reaction when I say I’m retired. “You can’t be – you’re too young – you’re too active” are the common retorts.

I think of retirement as a time when I can do things I want to do. Where work is done more on my terms. And where I can finally focus on work/life balance. It doesn’t mean I’m doing nothing and from the inspiring “retired” folks I’ve met, none of them are withdrawing or retreating from battle per se. We are still working just with a different perspective.

Some of us are pensioners, some of us no longer work for the companies we used to, but we are not receding, in fact, many of us are going forward with more boldness than ever before. And when it comes to the age question, I would challenge you to define “old.”

So I need a new word for this stage of my life. Retirement doesn’t work, pardon the pun. I’ll take your suggestions.

The community of “New Radicals”

A year ago Julia Moulden articulated a movement, that is well underway, through her book “We are the New Radicals.”

For boomers the movement is a collective desire to give back, to do good, leveraging our skills and experience while channeling the energy of our youth. The Next New Radicals are our spiritual partners, the folks in their 20s and 30s who blend “doing good” with their everyday lives and consider social responsibility a given.

It’s a movement and it’s a good focus for a life well spent. Visit the website or read the book.

Donations can be yummy

It’s interesting that two of my passions, social investing and great eating often go together.  There are many celebrity dinners held every year with proceeds going to good causes. Generally the ticket is $100-$300.

But yesterday I came across a $6 gem as I was introduced to the Trinity Square Cafe in the Church of the Holy Trinity behind the Eaton’s Centre here in Toronto. The kitchen produces some of the best soups in town and yesterday’s feature was a yummy home made mac & cheese which I paired with a fantastic Moroccan tomato soup.

The Church has teamed up with a George Brown College (known for culinary studies) program called Redirection through Education which helps folks with mental illness develop or rebuild skills in a working environment. The result is a humble kitchen, putting good folks to work to produce a great lunch.

Here’s a great post on the program and the details on the cafe.

So next time you’re in the area of Bay and Dundas (Toronto) around lunch time, join the great mix of folks from suits to street clothes that enjoy a hearty, delicious meal at the Trinity Square Cafe!