a couple follow-up thoughts to my last post: what i am really longing for in this, diane, is authenticity. i've done a lot of successful grant-writing and spent a lot of time on planet 501(c)3 (for our international friends that's what a non-profit organization is called in the usa). all the individual players care a lot, but the system runs on "making things look good," which results in vast herds of "dead moose" inhabiting the non-profit world. executive directors sugar-coat their reports to their boards. marketing folks make the brochures and annual reports look beautiful. grant-writing is such a specialty because it is a difficult art to tell foundations what they want to hear. evaluations are constantly striving to squeeze positive measurable data out of the essential complexity of life. and when all is said and done, almost nobody is genuinely honored for their hard work and dedication in the honest and authentic way that they deserve, and the people who are served remain largely behind a thick rose-colored glass wall. yes, wonderful and critically important things happen...but in my view too much of it happens in spite of the current paradigm, and with a lot of precious energy wasted.
with our new little initiative, i look forward the experience of donors, project staff, and "clients" too sitting in circle, telling honest stories, LAUGHING, and giving voice to the complex living thing called the reality of the work. when that happens, we will be able to roll up our sleeves and take it to the next level. chris -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu]On Behalf Of Diane Brandon Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 6:54 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: relationship-based funding Chris, can you give a real or imaginary example of how this (State of Grace Documents as relationship-based alternatives to grants & other traditional funding mechanisms.) might work? The non-profit work I'm part of receives grants from "Community Foundations", where "donor advised funds" are granted to projects. In the "relationship-based alternatives", would the donor have their funds in their own investments, and work on a State of Grace document as a sort of MOU (memorandum of understanding) between them and the project or program they are funding? How would they not have many organizations seeking to do this with them? The community foundations serve as intermediaries, to save the wealthy person with a mission in mind from having to organize those seeking funds, and from having to know all the investment/donor laws, etc. I like what you're suggesting, but I'd love to hear some further descriptions, pros and cons. Is anyone doing it yet? Diane Brandon (coordinator of a regional coalition that uses participatory methods like FS, WC, AI -- and OS soon) PS Melinda Salazar, who I mentioned some time back on this list, and who is now a member, is having Steve Cochran facilitate her OS on Teaching Peace at the high school in Durham NH on April 1. On Mar 9, 2006, at 6:29 AM, Chris Weaver wrote: > Thanks, Harrison & others, for the welcome when I posted a few weeks > ago. It's lovely to be remembered after a couple of years off-list, & > delightful to see the online community thriving away in its inimitable > way. > > A couple current highlights & interests: > > I continue to work with youth, particularly teenagers. I'm working > with some wonderful folks to develop a new form of "community-based > indigenous education." I promote a return to the ancient idea that > the initiation from childhood to young-adulthood is a key moment for > the vast living intelligence of nature to re-enter the consciousness > of the human village. Our youth can do this and are doing this for > those who notice. Open space is a really good tool for > intergenerational, inclusive "culture creation," so that the youth can > be widely and deeply honored and supported in their role, and welcomed > back properly by the Elders and the village. (Our project weblog will > soon be up ~ I'll let y'all know.) > > Last week (thanks to Patricia Haines & the list) I attended the open > space convocation of the US Partnership for the UN Decade for > Education for Sustainable Development at the EPA campus near > Raleigh, North Carolina. All I can say is that Steve Cochran has done > something extraordinary, the unfolding of which will make itself known > on this list and far beyond in the weeks & months to come. Harrison's > post about the new climate change research brings the opportunities > around open space and the Partnership into an even sharper focus. > > I am championing one initiative that came out of the convocation, > which I am excited to mention, although it's in early development. > Inspired by my sketchy recollection of Michael Herman's "Giving > Conference" in Chicago a couple years back, I'm working with Maureen > and Zelle, Patricia, & others on a new way to bring potential donors > together with grassroots sustainability project leaders, using open > space, and resulting in State of Grace Documents as relationship-based > alternatives to grants & other traditional funding mechanisms. If all > goes well we'll pilot this in North Carolina (probably here in > Asheville) by summer. > > That's my news from the Northamerican southeast highlands, as the > birds call in the dawn from the Atlantic. Enjoy your day, everyone. > > Chris Weaver > * * ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: > http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist