SUMMER MEETING. 30 May Warsaw

Transcription

1 SUMMER MEETING 30 May 2017 Warsaw

2 Foreword The DAFNE 2017 Summer Meeting took place as a pre-conference event ahead of the EFC s 2017 Annual Conference Courage to Re-embrace Solidarity in Europe Can philanthropy take the lead?. There is nothing that represents solidarity more than the DAFNE network, a group of peers, from national associations and donors forums, who share knowledge and experience to develop their individual and collective capacities to lead in, and strengthen the philanthropy field. There was participation from 19 European countries and a wider perspective was added with participation from Colombia, the USA, and the global network WINGS. The meeting was the last with Rosa Gallego (Spanish Association of ) as chair. Rosa has been an exemplary leader of DAFNE for eight years. Krasi Velichkova (Bulgarian Donors Forum) also completed several terms as vice chair, and we said farewell to David Emerson who has retired from ACF (UK). We welcomed a new leadership team comprising Felix Oldenburg (German Association of ), in-coming chair, Madga Pękacka (Polish Donors Forum), Beatrice de Durfort (Centre Français des Fonds et Fondations), and for her second term Beate Eckhardt (Swiss). I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jochen Klingler (DAFNE Secretariat), for his work in preparation, running and reporting on the meeting. We are all indebted to Magda Pękacka and Julia Kluczyńska (Polish Donors Forum) for hosting the meeting in Warsaw. James Magowan Co-ordinating Director DAFNE

3 Contents Country Updates...1 Benchmark Me...5 Learning from the USA: Maximizing the Engagement of Network Members...6 Growing and Strengthening the Field...7 What Difference are we making?...8 Appendix: Participants... 10

4 Country Updates Members reflected on recent highlights of their work, key goals and activities for 2017 and described the outlook for the near future with one word. These are summarized below: Association Belgian Federation of Philanthropic Highlights of work, key goals and activities - Change process including new name and website - Planning European Day of and Donors - Acquisition of additional members and engagement - Engaging with government Outlook in a word Give added value to members Bulgarian Donors Forum Croatian Forum Czech Donors Forum - Legal changes in registration process - Development of standards for good donors practices - Anniversary of the DMS platform - Educational activities in schools - Working on public collection and community building - Planning European Day of and Donors - 8 new members - Successful Philanthropy week last year and aim to run again in Co-operating with government in drafting new legislation for foundations - Advocating for increasing tax benefit for philanthropic giving - Encouraging members to partner with EU ESF funding - Focus on fundraising - Development of individual giving (online and mobile) - Capacity building of Czech non-profit sector Pro-activity Punk (=new points of view, joy, energy, potential) 1

5 Council of Finnish - Organizing the greatest European Day of and Donors with four hours of fun and information - Increasing foundation expertise - Increasing foundation knowledge within society Positive Centre Francais des Fonds et Fondations Association of German Philanthropy Ireland - Stressful period in France changes expected in legal and fiscal framework - Promoting next generation philanthropy - Greater role for CFF in representing members in national institutions and in advocacy - Strengthening skills and know-how of foundations - Planning European Day of and Donors - Advocacy for the civil foundation law reform process - Implementing a new system for the Association s financial planning and reporting - Increased regional activity - Think Lab - Tool box for foundations operating in low interest environment - Transforming and developing database - Developing a strategy for supporting foundations working abroad - Completion of stage 1 of advocacy plan - Increased engagement with wealth advisors - Two young leader workshops - Planning of All Island Conference on Philanthropy Breakdown / Transformation Excitement Optimistic 2

6 Assifero - Implementing new strategic plan , using 4Cs framework - Some positive legal reform recognizing role of philanthropy, new regulation on tax exemption - Charter introduced for members and new fee structure - Moving HQ from Milan to Rome Transformation Acri Association of of Banking Origin Association of Lichtenstein Charitable Vereniging van Fondsen in Nederland - Political parties have attacked the NGO sector in particular in relation to work with migrants - General election will be significant - Implementing the fund against educational poverty - Launching European Day of and Donors with Assifero with education as key topic - Development and extension of facilitation of cooperation to implement and support projects - Foundation lunch 1 st Thursday every month - Conducting a project platform on the European Day of and Donors to support the cooperation among foundations - Successful voluntary self-regulation - FIN becoming a more effective and influential spokesperson for foundations - Focused recently on the issue of Registers of Beneficial Ownership - Facilitating engagement of members in small group exchange on specific themes / areas of work? uncertainty Partnership 3

7 Polish Donors Forum Portuguese Centre Spanish Association of Swiss - Difficult time in Poland, NPO sector united in opposition to restrictions being imposed - Developing and publishing standards and providing support in relation to impact measurement (network of staff interested in this established) - New research on corporate foundations inspired by CFF/DAFNE Knowledge Exchange - Seeking to expand membership base and engage more employees of members - Mapping the sector using public data - Survey of members and non-members on challenges, role of PFC, reasons for not joining - Engaging members in good practice workshops on evaluation, governance and compliance - Presenting conclusions from the XV Meeting of Portuguese - Preparing for European Day of and Donors - Heavily engaged in policy work - Potential move to new premises and creation of new co-working space - New system of fees - Working with members on improving transparency - Broadening range of research - Report together with PwC on structure and functioning of the boards of trustees of Spanish foundations - Building a sound advocacy strategy for the Swiss foundation sector (campaigning, lobbying, stakeholder engagement), have moved from service provider to leading on behalf of the sector in particular demonstrating added value Enthusiasm Intense work Repositioning Excitement 4

8 - Evaluating the creation of a service hub for charitable foundations (management services, shared office spaces, consulting etc.) - Aiming to have Exec Summary of Swiss Foundation Sector report for European Day of and Donors Third Sector Foundation of Turkey - Tough year in Turkey - Have focused on research and digital campaign on individual giving, and corporate giving - Advocacy for a better fiscal/taxation system Hope Association of Charitable - Developing principles of good foundation practice (in collaboration with members) - Developing policy work - More proactive approach to membership recruitment - Scoping potential for collaborative work by foundations on tackling poverty Unsettled Benchmark Me Mário Curveira Santos, Portuguese Foundation Centre, introduced his approach to benchmarking. He highlighted the focus on processes and the importance of selecting who to benchmark with. Criteria used for selection included number of member, budget, and human resources. He reported on a benchmarking visit to FIN in Netherlands which also included a study visit on issues of relevance to members in order to learn from practice. The areas for benchmarking included: Governance Membership / member services Finances 5

9 There was discussion about how this approach could be adopted by others. The starting point might be help with identifying suitable benchmarking partners. It was emphasised that that the process should be conducted on a one to one basis. However, the discussion showed that some members seemed attracted to the idea of creating ID cards for each national association. Such ID cards might be useful for DAFNE members to find appropriate benchmark partners. It was acknowldged that a common benchmarking framework could not be produced for the network given its diversity however it was agreed there could be scope in producing and sharing a list of benchmark areas and some relevant metrics. It was noted that self-reflection on agreed metrics was an essential pre-cursor for a successful bench-marking exchange. Learning from the USA: Maximizing the Engagement of Network Members At this session, David Biemesderfer, CEO of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers in Washington DC (USA), shared his experience of engagement and sustainability at the Forum. He described a significant transition process which was completed this year with the Forum moving from a network of 33 regional organizations in the US representing 5,500 foundations to include national affinity / interest groups. The membership now stands at 57 (with a collective membership of some 7000 foundations) and there is scope for further increase. The aim is to maximize the power of this extended network to lead, inform and support philanthropy. Actions supporting this aim are public policy advocacy, education on philanthropy, sharing knowledge on a knowledge platform as well as additional actions and services for members. David also highlighted the importance of applying a network model where everyone has a part to play (members make it what they want it to be). Where possible they sought full staff engagement, including the creation of peer communities by job functions. Volunteer job opportunities at the Forum of Regional Associations as well as scholarships for emerging leaders are offered, and the Forum provides a new staff / orientation pack for its members to use. Member participation is tracked using SalesForce and there is on-going benchmarking. It was noted that there had been a crowded market place for philanthropy infrastructure in the USA and there had been a need for consolidation and more effective collaboration. 6

10 While the potential of virtual meetings should be exploited face to face engagement remains most valued, in particular in building trusted and mutually supportive relationships within and outside the network as had been the case with DAFNE. Growing and Strengthening the Field At this session, Lauren Bradford, Director of Global Partnerships from the Foundation Centre, presented conclusions from the Infrastructure in Focus Report. Key learning from this study are: 1. Ensure the long-term sustainability of philanthropy infrastructure organizations 2. Recognize evaluation as a high priority for philanthropy infrastructure organizations 3. Build a strong infrastructure for philanthropy where it is most needed 4. Build the partnerships that are needed for a more effective philanthropy 5. Focus on the activities most needed to build philanthropy 6. Engage in advocacy to build a more enabling environment In discussion it was recognized that project money is often easier to be attained than money for infrastructure. In Europe, for instance, there is only a limited number of foundations like interested and willing to invest in the philanthropic infrastructure. Furthermore, the political environment and the motivation of decision makers at individual foundations are also important factors when it comes to expanding and strengthening the philanthropic infrastructure. In discussion it was suggested that infrastructure organizations need to be more creative in communications for example in relation to highlighting value added through successful 7

11 advocacy and in connections made within and outside the philanthropy sector. Caution was expressed around creating an internal market between philanthropic infrastructure and nonprofit sector infrastructure. Lauren Bradford also highlighted the importance of partnerships for the growth and strengthening of the philanthropic infrastructure. She cited to following factors conducive to achieving partnership: Having a global reach Being an older organisation Having a larger number of employees Participants agreed and also emphasized the importance of personal contacts and the building of trusted relationships. It was suggested that the narrative needed to be changed from seeing infrastructure as an investment rather than a cost. What Difference are we making? At this session, Dr James Magowan, Coordinating Director of DAFNE, together with Benjamin Bellegy, Executive Director of WINGS, updated participants on developments and feedback on implementation of the 4Cs framework which provides the basis for infrastructure support organizations in the philanthropy field to plan and assess the difference that they intend to and do make. As an enabling framework and assessment tool, it has been designed as a common framework for application at the individual organizational level. Benjamin Bellegy emphasized that the 4Cs framework can be in particularly helpful in this regard since the assessment of infrastructure within the philanthropic realm can be elusive due to its intangible character. The added value an analysis based on the 4Cs framework can offer will provide us with feedback on how to design our own missions and strategies to better achieve our goals and envisioned outcomes. James Magowan agreed and briefly introduced the 4Cs framework. He pointed out that the 4Cs recognise the difference that infrastructure organizations make in respect to capacity, capability, connection and credibility. He also emphasized that the 4Cs framework is not based on a rigid methodology. It is an enabling framework for adaptation and application. He referred to 12 steps to apply the framework: 1. Decide to do it 2. Get help 3. Decide who will lead 4. One step at a time 8

12 5. Start with theory of change 6. Seek support about theory of change 7. How does your theory of change fit with the 12 outcome areas of 4Cs? 8. For each of the relevant Cs, describe the state of the field 9. Decide how to fill gaps in your knowledge 10. Devise performance indicators for each outcome area 11. Develop a baseline report on the outcome areas 12. Develop a system to monitor progress using the performance indicators Participants joined the conversation and shared their own strategic approaches. Some explained that they worked according to a 5-year plan based on outcome mapping which helps them to assess their work in a structured way while taking account of the role of stakeholders and partners. It was noted that the 4Cs framework offered a common language to identify areas where value is added, for planning work, and assessing and communicating impact. Participants who had been involved in the DAFNE / WINGS peer learning group that developed the 4Cs framework reflected on their experience of implementation. Carola Carrazone reported that she had focussed initially on just 2 of the 4 Cs (Credibility and Connections) in order to develop their approach. Others reflected on how the 4Cs framework had inspired their strategic planning. An example of how the framework could be adapted for own use was shown 4C Outcome area Objectives for coming period Identify indicators Who, how, and when Baseline and updates Capacity Capability Connections Credibility Set out what needs to be accomplished Set out how progress will be measured Specify who has responsibility how data will be gathered, and when. Establish your starting point and then measure progress. In conclusion, DAFNE members confirmed their interest in applying the framework as a tool for planning and of analysis and evaluation. It was suggested that another 4Cs workshop or webinar, should be organized and there was merit in building a bank of indicators for reference. 9

13 Appendix: Participants Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Belgian Federation of Philanthropic Bulgarian Donor's Forum Croatian Foundation Forum DAFEN Members Luc Luyten Krasimira Velichkova Chairman Cvjetana Plavsa-Matic Director Executive Director Czech Republic Czech Donors Forum Klara Splichalova Executive Director Finland France Germany Council of Finnish Centre Français des Fonds et Fondations Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen Liisa Suvikumpu Béatrice de Durfort Anke Pätsch CEO Executive Director Director of International Relations Bundesverband Felix Oldenburg Executive Director Germany Deutscher Stiftungen Ireland Philanthropy Ireland Eilis Murray CEO Italy Assifero Carola Carazzone Segretario generale Italy ACRI Giorgio Righetti General Manager Liechtenstein Netherlands VLGS - Association of Liechtenstein Charitable FIN - Vereniging van Fondsen in Nederland Dagmar Bühler-Nigsch Managing Director Joost van Lanschot Chairman Poland Polish Donors Forum Magdalena Pękacka Executive Director Poland Polish Donors Forum Julia Kluczyńska Assistant Director Portuguese Mário Curveira Santos Secretary General Portugal Centre Spain Spain Asociación Española de Fundaciones Asociación Española de Fundaciones Isabel Peñalosa Esteban Rosa Gallego García Director Director Switzerland Swiss Beate Eckhardt CEO Turkey Third Sector Foundation of Turkey (TUSEV) Liana Varon Deputy Secretary General 10

14 Turkey Third Sector Foundation of Turkey (TUSEV) Tevfik Başak Ersen Secretary General Association of Carol Mack Chief Executive UK Charitable UK DAFNE David Emerson DAFNE Treasurer DAFNE DAFNE James Magowan Coordinating Director DAFNE DAFNE Jochen Klingler Secretariat Colombia Denmark Observers Association of Carolina Suarez Corporate and Family CEO Bikubenfonden Susanne Dahl Head Advisor Strategy Belgium EFC Gerry Salole CEO Brazil WINGS Benjamin Bellegy Exec. Director Latvia Community Foundation Movement Latvia Ansis Berzins CEO Valmiera Region Community Foundation USA USA USA Council on Natalie Ross Senior Director Foundation Centre Lauren Bradford Director of Global Partnerships Forum of Regional Associations of Grand Makers David Biemesderfer President and CEO 11