Foundations

Do Nothing About Me Without Me: An Action Guide for Engaging Stakeholders
This new publication from IISC and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) argues the value of engaging diverse stakeholders, highlights grantmakers who are bringing stakeholders into the center of their work, and offers a variety of tools to help grantmakers better engage grantees, community members and other partners. Read more by downloading the executive summary.

The Case for Stakeholder Engagement Stanford Social Innovation Review, Spring 2010. This article by Kathleen Enright and Courtney Bourns of GEO features IISC’s work with the Davis Foundation in Springfield, MA. Check it out on the SSIR webpage

IISC and Foundations: Leveraging Philanthropic Potential

More than ever, foundations are being called to think broadly and strategically, collaborate effectively with grantees and partners, and leverage their resources for greater impact. IISC partners with foundations in their roles as convenors, as thought leaders, and as investors in social change organizations to help them deliver real change for the future. We build the strategic and collaborative capacity of both foundations and their grantees.

IISC builds the capacity of foundations by:

• Building networks for collective action and learning. Working with foundations in their roles as convenors, IISC designs and facilitates field building and large-scale change initiatives that bring together multiple stakeholders to learn from one another and develop innovative strategies and action plans for collective impact on critical social issues.

• Creating alignment within foundations, between foundations and trustees, and among grantees and across foundations. IISC facilitates strategic processes for foundation staff that foster greater accountability, improve role clarity, and achieve better integration and coordination at all levels.

• Transferring collaborative skills, tools and frameworks. IISC trains foundation staff in collaborative and facilitative skills, which enables them to enhance both their own organizational effectiveness and their work as intermediaries and capacity builders.

IISC builds the capacity of grantees by:

• Designing and facilitating network building and collaborative initiatives among grantees. IISC brings grantees together – within and across their issue areas – for field building, to weave them together into powerful networks for social change, and to build their capacity to take their social change efforts to scale by creating shared visions of impact and strategies for concerted action.

• Working with organizations to set strategic direction, achieve their visionary goals, and create collaborative cultures. IISC builds collaborative organizations that are rooted in their values, driven by a clarity of vision and mission, and able to transcend their day-to-day challenges to become more strategic, focused, and productive.

• Building collaborative and leadership capacity. IISC trains grantee staff and constituents in the art and skill of collaboration so they can work more effectively together. With a new mindset, heart set, and skill set, their personal and professional development allows them to become catalysts for improving performance and achieving extraordinary results.

Our work with foundations has included:

• Designing and facilitating field building and large-scale change initiatives.
• Designing and delivering leadership and collaborative skills trainings and leadership development programs and institutes
• Designing and facilitating meetings, retreats, and learning laboratories
• Strategy development and action planning
• Organizational development, collaborative skills training, and network building with foundation grantees
  

Our philanthropic partners and clients include (partial list):

Private Foundations:
* Annie E. Casey Foundation
* Atlantic Philanthropies
* Barr Foundation
* Connect US Funders’ Collaborative
* Ford Foundation
* William Casper Graustein Memorial Fund
* Hyams Foundation
* Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation
* Merck Family Fund
* Ms. Foundation for Women, Inc.
* The Nathan Cummings Foundation
* Nellie Mae Education Foundation
* Ploughshares Fund
* San Francisco Education Fund
* Smith Family Foundation
* The Stanley Foundation
* Schwab Fund for Charitable Giving
* Tides Foundation

Community Foundations:
* The Boston Foundation
* Community Foundation of Monterey County
* Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County
* Peninsula Community Foundation
* The San Francisco Foundation

Philanthropic Associations and Related Groups:
* Center for Effective Philanthropy
* Funders for LGBTQ Issues
* Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
* Working Group on Philanthropy for Social Justice