All-Star Federal Philanthropy Team?
Herald the news: Congress has authorized a Social Innovation Fund housed at the Corporation for National and Community Service and President Obama’s 2010 budget allots $50 million for the first year. According to the New York Times:
If grantees are chosen wisely, and strictly on their merits, this $50 million investment could jump-start the larger effort and reap benefits worth many times over.
Recognizing that this effort will only be as good as the grantees selected to receive funds, how about appointing an All-Star Federal Philanthropy Team to guide it? (Gotta work on the name!) If the genie in strategic philanthropy's bottle was awake for that request, what principles would guide selection of the members?
Should experienced funders, who have seen and made their fair share of mistakes top the list? Should it, first and foremost, be representative of the populations being served? Does it matter if folks have served on grantmaking boards? Is there any magic in the sauce? Could anybody do it? Shout out to the debate of Judge Sotomayer, what about "emphathy"? Do some people instinctively do it better? Are great philanthropists born or made?
Who would you nominate and why???
Posted at 11:03 AM, Jun 12, 2009 in Cross-Sectoral Strategies | Economic Development | Philanthropic Strategy | Scaling Philanthropy | Permalink | Comments (1)