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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Partnership for Fundraising Success

Tuti Scott - Friday, February 17, 2012

Top fundraising CEOs with whom we have had the honor of working have the ability to endear themselves to those who have capacity to make their institution’s dreams come true, are capable of articulating the vision for the institution to a variety of audiences, and spend a majority of their time doing these two things.  Read on to see if these essential CEO characteristics are present at your organization or as a frame for a potential new hire in the “number two” position for your organization.

The CEO is the voice, the visionary, the leader and the face of the institution and thrives in this role.  They are the ones in whom major donors/funders give their trust.  The CEO is who a donor considers before making a significant gift. A top notch Chief Development Officer* (CDO) knows when and how to use the CEO’s time for the greatest return.  The CEO motivates the Board members to be personally involved in fundraising and acts as a negotiator between Board and staff.

The CDO spends considerable time working with development staff, CEO assistant or Board assistant, volunteers, Board members and donor connectors to do the following tasks as they relate to major gifts work: planning and organizing, strategizing about prospects and calendar, setting goals and priorities, and learning about new and current donors through conversations and reviewing background information. The CDO is seeking always to put the President/Chair, the CEO, and key leadership in positions and conversations with donors for a win. The CDO's goal is to be so well prepared that the best suited leadership member (CEO, CDO, volunteer, Chair or combination) makes the right ask of the right person for the right project at the right time.  The CDO and CEO work in close partnership to raise funds.

A successful fundraising organization has the CEO and CDO spending a lot of time together building a strong and respected partnership.  Both parties share a joint commitment to the relentless pursuit of people who can help the institution.  The CEO and CDO share a joint ownership of problems and goals, a joint ownership of relationships, and a joint ownership of success.  This can only successfully occur through trust and constant honest communication.  The CDO is always lobbying and fighting for the priority share of the CEO time and knows that when she gets it that she can't blow it!  A good CDO has familiarity with the strengths, comforts, and places a CEO ‘shines’ and plays to these settings.  The CDO demonstrates loyalty, dedication, and confidentiality and offers ongoing relationship building and learning opportunities for volunteers.

There should be a disciplined schedule where the CDO and CEO meet each week to talk about the past, present, and future of relationships with donors and funders.  Time is spent reviewing meetings, stewardship plans, and discussing updates on donors.  Calendars are reviewed and a “top 25” visit schedule of recommendations are discussed.  Challenges for re-engaging donors or funders are discussed.  From there the CDO reviews the calendar daily and ensures the CEO’s assistant feels comfortable with all the meeting and conversation details to serve the donor and provide success for the CEO.   The CDO also works throughout the organization and with volunteers to ‘stop and celebrate’ the wins and keeps the team motivated between wins.   As issues come up with donors a good CDO is quick on her feet to present solutions and/or knows how to ask the right questions to move the relationship forward.  The CDO is also responsible for ongoing communication to the CEO and Chair/President including sending reports via e-mail of gifts that come in and suggesting donors to thank or call with scripts that make it easy for the leadership to act and say just the right thing.                      

*Chief Development Officer refers to the top development person in the organization who may or may not have this title                                 

This article was written in collaboration with the smart fundraising expert Debra Minton, Founder of Philanthropia Partners and is a salute to one of the best fundraising CEO’s, Dr. Donna Lopiano and the  successful partnership we had at the Women's Sports Foundation


 

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Five Tips for Women's Advancement

Tuti Scott - Monday, November 21, 2011

A wise expert on management coaching, John Keyser, asked me to pen some thoughts that might be helpful to women seeking leadership positions in business.   John is one of the guys who gets it; he knows that men are promoted because of their potential while women must prove themselves
over and over to be promoted.  The research group Catalyst has confirmed this in their studies.

Much has been studied and shared about women’s leadership and the lessons that must be embraced for success.  Here are some helpful ideas for women to consider for advancement in the work place:

  1. Get ‘investors’ behind you.  Find people who will go to bat for you and ask them to think of you for projects, committees, speaking opportunities, etc.  Ideally this would be a senior ranking male in your firm who knows your skills and will comfortably recommend you for projects and promotions.    Men will often say to a CEO; “I want to work for you”.  Women need to be bold and say the same. 
  2. Share your wins.  As a general rule, women are averse to ‘bragging’ yet this often means they are overlooked for promotions as their accomplishments are not showcased or not known by the leadership.  After leading your team to completion of a successful project, write a thank you to all members of your team, with a cc to the CEO, that details these accomplishments.   Then the CEO will have clear data on your work and efforts. 
  3. Raise your hand.  Find out what associations are applicable for your industry or sector -- where the leaders you admire are involved.  Join these groups and volunteer for committees.  The chairs of these committees are well respected and connected individuals and will notice the work of a good committee member.  Their recommendation of you for a position will be well received. 
  4. Be your best friend… and saleswoman.  I am often in awe of how men introduce themselves compared to a woman’s modesty.  Humility works for sure but women must make sure they don’t discount what they have accomplished.  Try an introduction that truly summarizes the breadth of your work; “I am an  entrepreneur who has built four successful businesses including a real estate company, a health care practice, a consulting practice, and a national nonprofit organization.  All of my work incorporates women’s empowerment around their bodies, leadership, money, and the true ownership of power.”
  5. Report to a Board that looks like you.   If you hear the leadership say, we can’t find any women for our Board, refer them to this smart list of resources.

 

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Jennifer Buffett - 10 Concepts Worth Sharing

Tuti Scott - Thursday, November 10, 2011

Jennifer Buffett will change the world. You may not know her now, but when all is said and done I believe she will own the title, The First Lady of Women’s Social Change Philanthropy.  Jennifer is the life size symbol of NoVo – to alter, invent.  The NoVo Foundation she created with her husband Peter is based on the premise that if you give a girl an opportunity, she will become a successful woman who will in turn create successful communities, businesses, and families.  Jennifer’s story is just that.

After deep examination of the focus of their philanthropy and a personal examination of her own expression of her values and influence, Jennifer is speaking around the world sharing her personal story and experiences. She and her husband Peter spent years examining the interrelation between systems, culture, and relationships to determine place of impact and opportunity for change before launching the largest foundation serving women and girls, the NoVo Foundation.   Jennifer has incredible perspective to offer activists, social change drivers, and philanthropists and after hearing her recently, I distilled these ten concepts that are worth sharing; 

  1. Look at the roots of the problems, examine patterns and themes and find the programs and the stories that rule the world and which ones make sense.
  2. Acknowledge two conflicting truths:  1. Girls and women are the primary drivers of change.  2. Cultural attitudes and systems put girls in a vicious cycle; blaming them and affirming that they are not valued.   The girl effect demonstrates that if you invest in a girl, her family thrives, she contributes to her community, and eventually her country succeeds.
  3. Invest in places where value is held and not yet recognized.  Note:  there are 600 million adolescent girls living in the developing world who are currently ‘undervalued assets’. 
  4. Value balance and partnership and affirm feminine values. 
  5. Encourage women to use their voice, say what is want and needed, take credit, and invite men to join as equal partners and co-creators. 
  6. As a woman, choose to be seen and heard and work to change the course of the boat named Earth Community. 
  7. Improve gender dynamics by recognizing that the qualities in the masculine ‘toolbox’ - force, hierarchy, punitive, and a focus on head not heart - are learned, normalized, and internalized. 
  8. Honor and showcase the characteristics found in the feminine toolbox; listening, connectedness, experiential learning, honoring innate cycles and rhythms, and wholeness. 
  9. Establish learning environments that allow for inquiry and participation. 
  10. As conduits of feminine energies, allow the most precious qualities of clarity, strength, knowing and vulnerability of yourself to come into full light. 
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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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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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10 Reasons to Focus on Women’s History for a Month and Longer

Tuti Scott - Tuesday, March 08, 2011

“Success has been earned from hard work and sleepless nights. I got my start by giving myself a start - you have to get up and make your own opportunities.”  Madame C. Walker

  • Women to receive recognition for works and contributions
  • Reminds people that women hold up half the sky
  • Girls see themselves in the history books and dream of possibilities
  • Provides forum to change perceptions
  • Forces the issue 
  • All stories have not been told
  • Allows us to set the record straight
  • History is being made every day 
  • If we lose our history, we lose our way
  • Why not?
Links to key current projects that are telling the story of women’s work in a variety of forums:

International Women’s Day 2011: 100th Anniversary “Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.”

International Museum of Women "I.M.O.W. is a groundbreaking social change museum that inspires global action, connects people across borders and transforms hearts and minds by amplifying the voices of women worldwide through global online exhibitions, history, the arts and cultural programs that educate, create dialogue and build community. With its unique focus on cultural change, I.M.O.W. advances the human right to gender equity worldwide."

 The National Women’s History Project, “founded in 1980, is a non-profit educational organization committed to recognizing and celebrating the diverse and significant historical accomplishments of women by providing information and educational materials and programs. To learn more about the organization, click here.”

World Pulse “uses the power of interactive media to build a network connecting the world of women – one voice at a time.”
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International Women's Sports Themes

Tuti Scott - Friday, May 21, 2010


This post is shared with gratitude to the smart women from Wellesley who did this fabulous summary of what is happening at the International Women's Sports conference we are attending.  I had dinner with Sarah and Lindsay last night and enjoyed their quick minds and passion! Here is their post which lives on the blog - FairGameNews.com

By Sarah Odell and Lindsay Rico

Have you ever considered access to athletics a human right? Do you wonder why it it matters for women to play sports? And, what the heck is Netball?

These are a few of the questions being put forth at the Fifth World Conference on Women & Sport. Some 500 people from 60 countries have made their way Down Under to Sydney, Australia to examine the implications — and complications — facing the worldwide women’s athletic community.

The four-day conference is raising challenging issues, but there is already one overwhelming response: Women’s access to sports is more than just a game.  FairGameNews.com is on site and blogging (watch for Q&A’s with key leaders coming up).

While female athletes (and would-be female athletes) may face particular barriers in their home nations, it is striking how much about the nature of the struggle for access, equity, and support are common across the globe. Some big themes:

– SPORT IS POWER: Women’s access to sport is not just a privilege, but  a right. This has been recognized in official declarations for years, but increasingly, this is not just about fitness, health, and the right to control one’s body, but about the political, economic and social tools that come as part of involvement in sports and sports culture.

– EQUITY IN SPORT IS A PUBLIC MATTER: Governments DO have an interest and a role to play in seeking — even regulating — gender equity in sports, several presenters have suggested. And one — Kate Ellis, Australian Minister of Sport — is actually taking action. She announced at the conference that her government would track and publish the gender make-up of sports governing boards and compile a Women in Sport Register to counter men who say they can’t find any qualified women to fill leadership roles. “If it’s really that hard for sport to go out there and find these women, then I’m prepared to work with them to do it,” she said.

– WOMEN’S SPORTS ARE MISSING FROM THE MEDIA: Female athletes around the globe are poorly covered and represented in the print and TV coverage (several studies showed a reproducibly predictable breakdown or representation: 80% men; 10% women; 10% other – horse racing typically gets more coverage than women, several speakers noted). What’s more, researchers say it hasn’t gotten any better in the past 30 years. As a result, said Toni Bruce, PhD, “we are teaching girls to be happy watching boys [play sports] and  teaching boys that they don’t have to watch girls [play sports].”


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Musings from the Minister of Chi

Tuti Scott - Monday, May 03, 2010
So for those of you who have not met me in my life as the Minister of Chi, welcome to this musing!

I took on this role at the Women’s Funding Network conference in Denver where there were hundreds of folks working to elevate, enhance, and educate women on all levels.  The women’s funding movement is near to my heart and having been the self described “Chief Inspiration Officer” for the past few years, I was well prepared for this new role.

The conference brought forth so many critical conversations around leveraging the excitement of people focusing on investing in women, celebrating what women’s funds and the Women Moving Millions campaign have done to bring us to this tipping point, what do we need to do to move into new circles, inclusion of more voices and people, and more.  I started the conference facilitating the final session of a year-long leadership cohort of 12 amazing women, soaked up the words of some amazing speakers, conversed about fundraising,  led a “Shake Your Body for Women’s Rights” session, and ended the conference with my first message as the Minister of Chi. 

One of our exercises at the final session was to imagine the year 2030 and take on a goal of the women’s funding movement – eliminate violence against women, provide full health and safety for all people, expanding rights for all women, building strategies for reproductive justice, etc.  Our table of 8 smart folks from around the world focused on health and safe environment for all and, as requested, we shaped some 10-15 ideas of what happened to make this a reality.

In 2030 there is a female pope and a four part corporate reporting system that included profits as well as environmental sustainability reporting, women in management and Boards, and community engagement.   The World Bank has funded 250,000 OVUM Fellows/ women’s fund grantee partners out in the field collecting data and telling stories to the broader philanthropic and faith based communities of the impact of their work.  In 2030, people had truly listened to the indigenous people and embodied practices on nurturing and keeping the ‘world intact’ with our use of resources.  By that time, everyone had participated in the 2020 “I Have Enough” campaign sponsored by Nike and CARE which had resolved the issue of “what is enough” and eliminated greed from our society.  Of course, we had solved serious health and transportation issues with people walking, biking, and soaring with their ‘Chi monitors’ to and from places of interest.

We could go on and on with our dreams and ideas.  More from the Minister of Chi as I go abroad to visit with the Women Win folks, visit with the International Working Group for Women’s Sports, and move my Chi on a bicycle touring through Europe.
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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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