Investing in Policy Change

Tuti Scott - Thursday, October 25, 2012

Policy work and the people associated with investing and believing in advocacy and policy work are typically people who understand or have an appetite for systemic change. They realize the implications of structural discrimination or systems that don't allow full participation or access to those who were intended to be served. Often there is a personal or a family experience of system failure or they have been a student of systems change.  For many investors that I met at the Women's Sports Foundation, they had seen discrimination in theatre, construction, and business and saw sports as a place where a system was changing more quickly than their industry. 

The Women's Funding Network defines five shifts in social change that can be measured and discussed to showcase to people how the work on an issue is moving forward.  First, there may be a shift in definition where an issue has been named and defined in a more compelling way as something that needs to be recognized and addressed (naming sexual harassment).  A second shift would be a shift in behavior.  By doing some type of education or outreach work, there is a change in people's behavior (i.e. the green movement and recycling).  The third shift is a shift in engagement where people are more actively engaged on an issue because something has been addressed or revealed in the system (i.e. voting outreach and voting rights).  The fourth shift is a shift in policy; actually making change to policy or creating a policy (i.e Title IX).  And the fifth shift is a shift in ensuring that a law or policy is upheld and/or enforced (i.e. Roe vs Wade being upheld).

It is important to educate people about the immense time it takes and the resources needed through historical examples.  For instance, in the U.S. where it took 70 years for women to get the right to vote, there are still conversations about pay equity that have been on the table for 50 years and there is still racial injustice even though there have been laws on the books for 60 years. These issues have gone through some of the shifts but the fifth has not yet been achieved.

For people to understand that the work you are doing will not be a “quick fix”, it helps to ask about the change THEY have seen happen in their lifetime and describe each of these intervening factors that made that change happen.  Perhaps they can share their experience within grassroots movements or with policy change (i.e., participation in protest marches, petitioning, outreach, or other ways they may have been involved in taking action on an issue or topic).   By engaging with them and having them reflect on their own experiences as an advocate, if you listen well enough, you will be able to find a way to make analogies to the work that you are doing, clearly portraying your work as reflecting a wise strategy and practices that are not only worthy of their investment but actions that are required for success. 
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The "Revolution" of Title IX

Tuti Scott - Thursday, August 23, 2012

This year was a huge success for women who outnumbered men on the U.S. Olympic team and won more medals..  I was so enamored by the level of excellence that was portrayed by all of the female athletes. I kept thinking about Title IX and the 1996 Olympics as the public’s first view of teams that were fully supported by Title IX.  Fast forward to 2012 and the world (see article on global women's sports shaped by Women Win's Maria Bobenreith) had its eye on women as competitors on every playing field.  Thankfully, some of the young women leading the next generation are also aware of the magnitude of Title IX.  A wise group of girls, Priya Ramamoorthy, Maanasa Nathan, Kavya Ramamoorthy and Smrithi Mahadevan have used their talents and voices to showcase what Title IX means to them and why they took on this project;

“Dr. Donna Lopiano has often said “social change takes about three generations…” This was the underlying theme that tied our website, Title IX empowerment, together. The 2011-2012 theme of National History Day was revolution, reaction and reform; our topic Title IX.  As we delved deeper into this project, we realized that today many people are not aware of Title IX and how it has played a huge role in the educational and athletic opportunities we have today.  From being able to take higher level courses, to leveling the playing field, Title IX has opened the door to many new opportunities for women and girls. We participated as a team in the National History Day competition, where our web site won first place at the national level.

Now girls can pursue a career in any field that they desire, be it sports or STEM (Science, technology, engineering or math).  Title IX is the people’s tool and for it to be used to its absolute potential, it is important that people know about it. We also realized that Title IX was a hard fought battle for opportunity that can be easily taken away; another reason why we need to remain vigilant and educate more people about Title IX.   By spreading the word about Title IX, our team hopes that for many more years to come, Title IX can continue to provide equal opportunities for both girls and boys in education as well as sports.”

For additional resources on women’s history or to support a young women in your life to embark on a journey of understanding the past as well as some good outlets for girl voices, here are some other sites of interest;

International Museum of Women
National Women’s History Project
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Creative videos on history set to music!
Videos on the History Channel on women’s history in politics
New Moon Girls
Girls Make Media
Off our Chests /Feel more Better
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Gifts with Impact and Heart

Tuti Scott - Thursday, December 22, 2011

I love this time of year for the magic it produces.  There is a sense of hope and possibility abounding.   At Imagine Philanthropy, I think of all the worthy nonprofits that are coming to their year end and awaiting donor’s gifts which will bring joy to their clients, their team, their Board and you, the donor!   One of my fun tasks next week is to process some yearend gifts and I encourage you to join me. 

Kudos to Tracy Gary and her team at Inspired Legacies for creating a list of deserving groups that are doing transformational work.  I invite you to spend some time reviewing Tracy’s list and making a gift that matters to you – that moves you and inspires you.   I am adding to her list three groups that make my heart sing as I feel strongly about their leadership, and their important work in transforming cultures, systems, and policies for women.   Know that either as an advisor or Board member to these groups, I have been immersed in their planning and feel strongly about the impact they are making in shifting humanity.   As well, any and all of the clients that Imagine Philanthropy works with on this list are doing incredible work and are deserving of your support.   

Tides is a values based, social change platform that leverages individual and institutional leadership and investment to positively impact local and global communities.

Women Win is recognized as a leading global organization using sport as a strategy to advance women's rights.  Women Win envisions a world where women and girls are strong leaders and agents of change in their communities.

Women Effect Investments is a field-building initiative that seeks to mobilize more investment dollars toward improving the condition of women and girls worldwide.

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Coming Out for Campaign Success

Tuti Scott - Monday, June 20, 2011
I had a brave moment where I asked a group of Board members to "come out".  The context was different than one might think.  In this environment, I was working with volunteer leaders of a women’s group on an issue that they were struggling with - ‘visibility’ of their organization.   One of the tenents for nonprofit success is a group of leaders who share their stories, engage with people, and find a way to make the exchange fun, informative, and/or energizing.  

My idea of "coming out" is feeling safe enough to fully express yourself no matter what the environment or the context. This is an ongoing choice we make repeatedly in various settings.  Every day we need to check in with our voice and our intent and decide in many situations, do I have the courage, confidence, energy, etc  to put my questions / my ideas / my story into this conversation?

For example, if you are a Board member of an organization that is working on women having equal access and opportunity and you witness women partners in your law office being treated differently than men, do you feel safe enough to “come out”  and say or do something as an advocate?  If not, what might you do to ‘come out’ as a social change activist or a supporter of humanity?  It should not be nearly as hard to share with colleagues your ideas than it is for people who 'come out' about their sexuality in a country or state where people have been killed because of this.

My friend Jacki is a collector of Wonder Woman items and I love her ability and desire to own that archetype to address challenging topics.  For me, I use any of the suffragettes to get energy to come out about women’s rights.  I can get a lot of chi and energy thinking about Alice Paul’s hunger strike or the National Women’s Party members picketing outside the White House in the winter during wartime.  Not that their model of advocacy needs to be mimicked – just their bravery and courage.   As well, the 90 years it took for women to get the vote is a good reminder of the endurance that some social change takes.   

The session focus was campaign readiness and what I and the organization leadership thought were key next steps for success.  The topic of branding and marketing is always near the top of campaign readiness list for people.  With little or no dollars in the budget for marketing, it is imperative that Board members share the vision and values of an organization and “live the brand” with their presence and story.   Once they come out and repeatedly share their personal authentic story of their connection to the mission and work, people will be more likely to inquire about how they can help.

So - with the energy and passion that hopefully pervades the work of the organization and its leadership, come on out and tell your stories - then true Fun Raising can happen and campaigns can be launched.  Feel free to read another blog I wrote on this from a philanthropist's perspective. 

 

 


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Vote with your Voice

Tuti Scott - Thursday, April 28, 2011

I got three ballots to vote for Board members for companies that I own stock in.   Normally they would go in the trash but why not take action?  I know that Linda Tarr Whalen in her book has spoken about the 30% rule of needing at least 3 out of 10 underrepresented individuals in a decision making body to make an impact.  I found this sample letter that seems easy enough to produce for each company and as soon as my executive assistant gets hired, she and I will tackle this!  

Joe Keefe and Jacki Zehner have written and spoken about the impact a letter can make on institutional investors and how we can use our voice to shift the dynamic of Board rooms.  Feel free to read more about why this might matter according to Catalyst and others. 

I remember in the early days of advocating for more sports media and a coach or athlete would write the network or paper directly.  The producers and editors would show us the letters with a sense of awe – that people actually cared about the lack or quality of coverage and took action!  Your voice does matter.

So I will be taking a sample letter from PAX to my good friends at Northwest Mutual and also TIAA CREF to see where and how they see the use of this.  Keep speaking your truth - they will listen if we all commit to taking action. 


 

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“If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of the revolution”

Tuti Scott - Thursday, April 28, 2011
See? I can dance!photo © 2006 Riza Nugraha  | more info (via: Wylio)

Seriously, how fun is it to celebrate and dance and how often do we do either of these things?  I love Emma Goldman’s statement – “If I can’t dance I don’t want to be part of the revolution.”  At the Women Moving Millions session we heard from the co-chairs, donors and leaders – all who danced as they came on stage to share their stories and ideas.   

 One of many highlights for me was the dancing!  Chris Grumm, Helen LaKelly Hunt and I dancing with the audience as we all took ‘back’ the word REVOLUTION moving to Tracy Chapman.  Next session we will be moving to Miriam Makemba’s Pata Pata.  

After hearing updates and perspectives on the campaign from the leadership and a distinguished panel of women, including Dobkin Family Foundation founder Barbara Dobkin, Mama Cash Executive Director Nicky McIntyre, Women Moving Millions Co-Chair Jacki Zehner, ACCION USA's Elizabeth Bueno, and Women's Foundation of Greater Kansas City President Dawn Oliver, I encouraged people to check in with our own individual experience of philanthropy and “moving millions” in our own lives.  

I believe that a key aspect of a good leadership is the practice of consistently looking at our own motivations and experiences around giving and receiving.  Spending time to reflect on what it is that keeps us open to receiving and to giving and understanding the conditions or environments that help us feel more generous is a good growth opportunity.    

Feel free to take some time to look at an exercise that I created that examines – “What is it that allows me to give time, talent or treasure with joy and ease? And how can we move towards this?”

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Women on the Front Lines and the Back Lines

Tuti Scott - Wednesday, April 20, 2011

I had the honor of being part of the Women’s Funding Network Worldwide Conference where women from Serbia, Mexico, Australia, Scotland, Nigeria, Canada, and every place in between, descended upon Brooklyn, New York for three days of convening and learning.  We spent time together skills sharing, relationship building, and listening to impassioned speeches from some of the world’s most dynamic female thought leaders. 

From the opening keynote featuring Marjora Carter, eco-entrepreneur, MacArthur Genius and founder of Sustainable South Bronx, to the closing keynote featuring Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile and first Under Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women, we all were in the presence of the power and resiliency of women leaders and the global women’s movement.  Being part of this ‘movement’ to me means that we choose to reassert feminine perspectives (also known as ‘a gender lens’) wherever it can heal cultures and communities.   

One of the panel discussions was hosted by filmmaker, scholar and founder of the Daphne Foundation, Abigail Disney. Abby spoke about the ways in which the feminine perspective has been erased from the media coverage of war across the world. Her documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell and her four part series called Women, War and Peace, which documents war through the eyes of women in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Columbia and the Congo, shows women’s contributions to war efforts on both the front lines and back lines. 

When we think about war, we think about combat. We think about the front line. Abby’s work showcases the role that women play from the back lines in conflict and the impact that these conflicts have on women’s lives.  The work shows how women are targeted with systematic violence in wartime and how, with incredible fortitude and strength and little support, they hold their families and communities together.  Abby and her team are successful in bringing visibility to the tragedy of their invisibility and dismissal from their solutions and peace building work. 

After showing the series trailer, Abby talked about how rape is being used as a strategic tactic of wartime violence. She recounted stories of deliberations by the United Nations Assembly about whether or not to try rapists as war criminals when the acts are being perpetrated as a tactic of war.  Abby’s series, Women, War and Peace is scheduled to debut on PBS this fall. I hope you’ll all find some time to watch it and extend your role in the movement in any way that works for you.

(Photo credited to Pray the Devil Back to Hell.)

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Roots to Resistance -- 12 Women Activists Changing the World

Tuti Scott - Tuesday, March 15, 2011

When we think of human rights activists, we are often challenged to name five women across the globe who have fought for those in their community, state, or nation.   Roots to Resistance is bringing forth the images and stories of 12 remarkable women activists, bringing their stories to life via a web based platform, postcard distribution to schools and organizations, and a four city touring exhibit with Denise Beaudet, the award winning visual artist and creative activist. An art and activism project featuring the portraits of 12 women doing activist work in the world, the project is a political postcard campaign that will link people around the globe.

These incredible 4x9 foot portraits are done on recycled wood, wrapped in and connected to plants and nature. Denise portrays these women in their true activist flame and spirit; sharing the stories of their communities, their hearts and the extraordinary effect that their powerful life forces have had on the planet.

 Featured Activists include:

Natalia Estemirova-Chechnya-Murdered Human Rights Journalist
Malalai Joya-Afghanistan-Woman's Rights Activist
Chouchou Namegabe – Congo – Journalist/Women’s Rights Activist
Zapatista Woman-Mexico Environmentalist/Indigenous Rights Activist
Vandana Shiva-India-Eco Feminist/Environmental Activist
Rebecca Gomperts-Netherlands-Environmentalist/Reproductive Rights Activist
Dita Indah Sari-Indonesia-Labor Activist
Aung San Suu Kyi-Burma-Human Rights Activist
Wangari Maathai-Kenya-Environmentalist
Marina Silva-Brazil-Environmentalist
Yvonne Margarula-Australia-Civil Rights Activist
Maria Gunnoe - U.S. -Native American Human Rights Activist


Denise and selected installations were presented at this year’s Women’s Funding Network Conference in Brooklyn. To learn more about the Roots To Resistance project and the global political postcard exchange visit: http://www.facebook.com/rootstoresistance.

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Fundraising for Change

Tuti Scott - Wednesday, October 06, 2010

In the mid 1990‘s the Women’s Sports Foundation worked, as it continues to do today, to change the paradigm of how to include women in all levels of sport with full access and resources to be successful at whatever level of play and at whatever sport they chose. 

Looking at all the inhibitors to sport participation for women – sexism, patriarchal systems, sport segregation,  homophobia – they sought partnerships with funders and organizations that understood these issues to elevate their work.  Within this environment, three key lessons were gleaned that can help you as you continue your work as leaders in social change.


1)  Be inclusive of all generations in your work.  

Involving next-generation leadership in your work as social change leaders is critical for success.  Having and listening to voices of youth and from the perspective of naïveté / innocence but mostly passion feeds both sides of the age continuum. 

Each year Billie Jean King spoke to the Women’s Sports Foundation interns - they got to learn from her lessons and ask her advice on everything from pay equity to co-ed sports and she got to learn about new technology and their dreams for working in women’s sports.    

As you move forward in your social change work it is essential to make sure you are inclusive of other women; hearing from one another the lessons and ideas from a continuum of people who've lived through different experiences and in differing cultures in sport as allies or as gay, lesbian or transgendered athletes. 

2)  Demonstrate the need for change with statistics and a compelling message.

Continuing on the idea about successful social change occurring with leadership, message, resources and hard work. “Message” is the critical need to make your case with memorable statistics, data and/or case studies that tell a compelling story about how your work is changing the system and changing people's lives.   If you are lucky enough to have your message delivered by a popular icon, your visibility will increase and often your resources will be easier to get.   
Within your presentations think about how your research could be distilled to a phrase or simple story about why further work is needed on policies, visibility or resources.  As social change leaders, consider asking one another for advice about the best way to express your message or to suggest a practical application of your research.  

3)  Be able to recognize overt discrimination tactics and speak up about them 

As protections’ increase -- the Lilly Ledbetter law, legislation against hate crimes, legal decisions that classify decisions against LGBT as harassment – it is important to understand that legislation doesn’t prevent discrimination from happening. In reality, it drives overt discrimination underground where it becomes more covert, more difficult to identify, and often, harder to talk about. 

As we are successful in getting the legal systems in place, we must also increase our vigilance over the expression of more subtle and covert forms of discrimination.  

For more information about the Women’s Sports Foundation, please visit http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/

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Measuring the Progress of Social Justice

Tuti Scott - Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Women’s Funding Network – a great convener of thought and networks of people working in the women’s funding movement - has spent more than 30 years researching and promoting social change work.   They have identified how we can really measure what we are doing in these long struggles for social justice.  They have demonstrated that the evidence of change really occurs in the form of five shifts.

  1. There is a Shift in Definition - the issue is defined differently in the community or larger society.  A clear example of this was defining sexual harassment – previously unnamed and unheard of until the Anita Hill hearings or ‘trial’.  Homophobia has been well defined although I might suggest we now reframe it to just call it ‘heterosexual supremacy’ and it would probably get more attention. 
  2. There is a Shift in Behavior - people behave differently in the community.  Through education of the ‘definition’ of an issue, people understand where and how they can change their behavior.   All the smart efforts of the ‘green movement’ have families and businesses purchasing materials that are reusable or recyclable.
  3. There is a Shift in  Critical Mass or Engagement - where now groups of people in the community are more actively engaged in the issue.  There are formations of social clubs, groups, events – think of what President Obama’s campaign did for political organizing.   
  4. There is a Shift in Policy - a change in organizational, regional, state, or national policies or laws.  This is a critical place where the GLBT movement is at right now and there are several issues we are all aware of – Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, marriage laws, and Employment Non-Discrimination Act.  Ideally employment protection would pass at the federal level but imagine if every athletic department or sports league implemented an employment non discrimination policy based on sexual orientation and identity? 
  5. And finally, sometimes a Shift can simply mean "Holding the Line" – maintaining earlier progress on the issue in the face of opposition.  An example of this would be the undeniably strong efforts of the choice movement to protect Roe v. Wade or all the organizations in the Coalition for Women and Girls in Education upholding Title IX through repeated attempts to weaken or amend the law.

So within the context of these shifts, there are key elements that we can identify as requirements for success.  No social justice issue is moved forward without strong leadership, resources, a good message, and passionate hard work.   Sometimes this is wrapped up in one person – like Martin Luther King and  civil rights or Gloria Steinem and the women’s movement or Donna Lopiano and gender equity in sports.

Sometimes, it is wrapped up in a belief, as in the words of Margaret Meade: “never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

For more information about the Women’s Funding Network, please visit http://www.womensfundingnetwork.org/

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Tuti Scott is a thought leader on women's philanthropy, leadership, and social change. These are her ideas...

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