Pride Foundation

Audrey’s Top 5 Retreat Moments

I am fresh off our annual retreat with our Board of Directors, regional leaders and staff and I am inspired. Our primary topics for the retreat were learning more about social justice philanthropy and discovering the diversity of skills people bring with them as volunteers. I could give you a top 100 reasons for why this time together is so valuable, but here is a quick top 5 list:

1)   Great reads: In preparation for the retreat I re-read Robin Hood was Right: A Guide to Giving your Money to

Staffer Kodey (l) and Boad Member Jean read to retreat!

Social Change which is a great book.  My colleague Katrin, who works with Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy turned me on to Change Philanthropy which is an informative read as well.

2)   Expert Advice: Bookda Gheisar of Global Washington, Glenn Harris from the City of Seattle Race and Social Justice Initiative and LeAnne Moss of Women’s Funding Alliance who helped us think about the difference between equality and equity, and charity vs. change, and how working across issues strengthens all of us.

Volunteers James and Rose at the Retreat

3)   Gratitude: It’s so great to see James Phelps who lives in Vancouver, WA, works at ACLU of Oregon and offers great advice and ideas about cultivating and honoring our donors. And Rose Wardian, event mavin and chef extraordinaire who hails from Spokane reminds me of the power of gatherings and building community.(That’s James and Rose in the picture).

4)   Discovery: I didn’t know that board member Mike Scott loves technology and is an early adapter. This time together reminds me that people might be drawn here for one reason, yet offer us so much more. And another board member Mike Kleer told us that Vashon Island, where he lives, has the highest percentage of LGBT people in the state.

5)   Affirmation! The strategic priorities we adopted in May are just what we need to build LGBT equality in the Northwest.  We kept them prominently displayed at the retreat and referred to them often. They are: * Develop highly responsive models of community-based philanthropy and grant making  *Provide leadership opportunities * Communicate clearly and effectively *Convene and connect our community in pursuit of social justice.

My summer reading

I love discovering articles, research and reports regarding foundation effectiveness, the role of personal philanthropy, the impact of the economy of non-profits, and new innovations in the nonprofit world. I find these reports and blogs pleasantly thought provoking and often full of great ideas.

Flickr: earlg

Here’s what I find myself reading this summer:

Taking Account of Race: A  Philanthropic Imperative, 10/08 Keynote Address by Gara LaMarche, CEO, The Atlantic Philanthropies

Mario Marino, Chair of Venture Philanthropy Partners on Innovation

The Cost of Caution: Advocacy, Public Policy and American’s Foundations

A Starbucks Moment for Nonprofits by Robert Egger

Power of Learning: Funders and Grantees Getting Smarter Together

What are you reading? Where do you look for inspiration and continued learning? I’d love to hear.
Happy reading, happy thinking, see you soon,

Scholarship Interview Day

On Saturday May 8th, I approached the Port of Seattle building, graced with a banner over the front door that read:  “Pride Foundation Scholarships”. Then, as I took the stairs up toward the entrance, I noticed I was following several people walking quickly toward the door. “Good morning,” I said enthusiastically, “I love this day!”  Of course  these potential scholars, who are mostly young people dragged from their beds at what must seem like the crack of dawn and nervous about interviews  offer me back blank expressions at best.

Me, Anne and Geoff at interview day

I continued to follow them in, introducing myself and watched as they are greeted and checked in by Pride Foundation volunteers and staff, escorted to their interview rooms by a member of the  Boeing Employee Association of Gays and Lesbians (BEAGLES) (We love those BEAGLES who show up year after year to assist us on interview day. Thank you!) ), and then return to the lobby after one or more interviews, looking relieved and generally happier.

“How did it go?” I asked. One scholar replied with what I hear most often, “Good, I think. They were really nice. They really understood me.”   She felt visible. He felt heard. It’s “just” an interview, but perhaps that experience of being noticed and supported will last longer than the hour or so each student spent with with us on interview day.

Me and Anthony- he coordinated the whole day!

Our Fiscal Health

It seems like almost every conversation these days revolves around the economy and its affects on each of us. Although the uncertainty is challenging for us all, I have also begun to notice ways in which the recession has brought out the best in people, as we are now more concerned than ever about our neighbors and friends and how they are weathering these turbulent times. We are all looking carefully at what we really care about, an exercise that can only have positive outcomes. At Pride Foundation we are doing the same: checking in with our community to see what is needed and evaluating what is most important and effective in our work.

Obviously, we are seeing increased funding requests in the LGBTQ community. In late January, we received over 497 scholarship applications which is 30% higher than the number received last year. In the last Northwest grants cycle, we saw a broader spectrum of organizations applying and we are hearing from grantee organizations who have lost government or corporate funding.

In response, we will increase our scholarships and grant dollars in 2009. For the scholarships we will utilize 2% of the Weiland Scholarship Endowment, which will result in an additional $50,000 in scholarships funds. Our increased grant dollars will come from special grant making in our Queer Youth and Racial Equity Initiatives. We have budgeted to maintain our community granting in 2009, and I am particularly proud of this as we know many other funders are being forced to consider granting less in the coming years.

We are also working with our grantees to help them navigate these times. We have offered to change our grant agreement from project funding to unrestricted operations, and for others, we have offered Pride Foundation’s staff expertise around strategic thinking, scenario budgeting and fundraising.

Regarding our own financial picture, we were ecstatic that in 2008, nearly 9 out of 10 of our donors continued their support of Pride Foundation and were joined by 650 new donors. I am extremely touched by this widespread support, as I know everyone had difficult choices to make about their giving. Pride Foundation’s endowment, which is invested in stocks and bonds, has declined along with the markets. At the end of the calendar year we found ourselves weathering “only” a 15% decline in our endowment funds and are grateful that it wasn’t worse (the benchmark average was 31%). We are extremely pleased with our investment advisors Walden Asset Management, who clearly steered our endowment into the safest harbors, to mitigate the worst of the markets. We are also accessing the endowment that Ric Weiland left us in a manner that we feel is fiscally responsible, essentially taking 1% in the first year, 2% in the next, so on until we reach a 5% draw from this endowment.

To help us weather the downturn in the economy, we have also have made selective cuts in our expenses. These have been very difficult decisions to make. Pride Foundation is already a very lean organization and we highly value all the time we spend face-to-face with our supporters and volunteers. We are looking for creative ways to maintain and grow our relationships and welcome any ideas you may have.

I want to thank you for being such ardent supporters of Pride Foundation. You have given when it wasn’t easy and I want to let you know that it truly does make a huge impact in strengthening our community.

With Pride,

Audrey

Audrey Haberman
Executive Director