Jonathan Reckford

Whilst its hard to see that any progress has been made, to the contrary - it looks like 0 progress made and everything got worse, with recent years breaking through the 1.5C targets. We mustn't give up hope that the many initiatives that have been kicked off as a result of these agreements, have prevented worse things from happening... too optimistic? maybe But working in the sustainability and SDG space has never been more exciting, with many people sharing that a just transition to a more sustainable, de-growth and circular economy is, ...possible. The questions is how fast, to prevent worse things from happening (Climate Catastrophy, Ecological Collapse, ...the list is getting longer). Currently the ANNUAL financing gap to the 2030 SDGs is (according to UN estimates), around $4 trillion. This is the same as Germany's or Japan's Gross Domestic Product. This is a staggering number and concept that the money missing to achieve the SDGs is the same as the monetary value of ALL finished goods and services made in Germany or Japan on an annual basis. And yet, the world economy is worth around $100 Trillion, so $4 trillion = 4%. That ...almost...sounds doable? too optimistic? maybe When it comes to asset managers, total discretionary assets under management (AUM) of the 500 biggest managers amounted to USD 113.7 trillion at the end of 2022, down by 13.7% from the end of 2021. The largest, BlackRock, manages $10 trillion and the next biggest 2, Vanguard ($9 trillion) and Fidelity ($4 trillion). Surely, investing into solutions on a planet that is actually liveable with resources being consumed at a sustainable pace is what its at? Otherwise, what will be managed in 20 or 30 years?

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As The Rockefeller Foundation celebrates its 111th anniversary this month, I have found myself thinking quite a bit about risk and reward. I believe that it is more important than ever for The Rockefeller Foundation and others in philanthropy to rededicate ourselves to making big bets. In this new piece, I examine what we can learn from the risks and rewards that have defined humanity’s past and discuss how our team is working to do our part to address the most serious threat facing humanity today, climate change. https://lnkd.in/enh-sz4w

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If you are a philanthropic consultant or donor advisor, please take a few minutes to complete this benchmark survey! 2024 Philanthropy Benchmark Survey - Insights on the role of Consultants & Advisors in Advancing Giving

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Last month, Access Philanthropy held a workshop on Introducing your Organization to Funders, presented by Access Philanthropy Senior Grant Writers Kirsten Gulbro and Ann Madsen. Topics included ☑ Drafting a Letter of Introduction (LOI) and other other outreach methods ☑Things to avoid ☑ Tools to help with the writing. 🌟 You might find this useful, we just posted our answers to the lengthy Q & A. #philanthropy #fundraising #grantwriting

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It's time to REDESIGN systems of power and governance in philanthropy. Do you know any extraordinary board members, trustees, or HNWIs who have an inkling that this is true? 🤔 Philanthropy's status quo is an ill fitting governance system that wasn't designed for social change--it doesn't work well for anyone involved or the outcomes we seek. We need systems that work for the complexity and humanity of the world. The good news is, we can create them. Together. We've designed a highly supported experience to do just that! We're working with the brilliant teams at Intrinsic Labs and Radical Optimist Collective. Click through to see the profile of potential participants we're looking for to take part in Metamorphic Legacy, a bespoke leadership experience to redesign governance. Share this post/the 1 pager with 🦄 trustee unicorns 🦄 you know and reshape philanthropy with us! #philanthropy #leadership #governance #redesign #boardmembers #trustees #HNWIs #creativity #boards #grantmaking #innovation #crappyfundingpractices https://lnkd.in/dXz4zR8X One pager: https://lnkd.in/dR-hGN-T

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As we navigate the evolving landscape of local politics, it's imperative to explore the invaluable contributions of women leaders and the barriers they confront. Through this panel discussion, we will gain insights into strategies for overcoming obstacles and fostering greater gender equality in political representation. Our esteemed panelists will include women politicians from social S-Kvinnor in Sweden, who will share their firsthand experiences and insights. This discussion is particularly relevant for participants from the countries of the Western Balkans, where similar challenges and opportunities exist in the realm of local politics.

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4 Components of a Culture of Philanthropy "Development staff are always included in organizational decisions. Program staff play an active role in relationship building. Fundraising and engagement are inextricably linked. Transformational relationships take priority over transactions." More insights and explications of these points can be found in this important article by Claire.

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Here's the Agenda for our workshop next week. NOTE: The materials will be available after the event, in case you can't make it. May 14, 1:30 1. Overview of Access Philanthropy 2. Determining when to send an LOI 3. How to draft an LOI 4. Next steps  5. Helpful Tools 6. Q&A #fundraising #nonprofits #grantwriting #foundations

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We can see 👀 that community-led collaborative funds are emerging as powerful tools for driving equity and justice. These funds 💵 unite diverse stakeholders around shared goals, pooling resources to address complex social challenges. By fostering collaboration among donors, nonprofits, and community leaders, collaborative funds amplify impact and drive meaningful change at scale 💬. Community-led collaborative funds prioritize equity and justice, channeling resources towards systemic solutions💡and underrepresented communities. 🌍 By bringing together a diverse array of perspectives and expertise, these funds amplify grassroots initiatives, promote inclusive decision-making, and dismantle barriers to opportunity. 🙌🏽 🙌🏾 🙌🏿 Through strategic investments in areas such as education, healthcare, and economic empowerment, community-led collaborative funds drive tangible progress towards a more just and equitable society. How can we leverage these funds to address systemic inequalities and advance social justice? 🌀 Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! How do you envision community-led collaborative funds shaping the future of philanthropy? #collaboration #PhilanthropicAdvising

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Urban Institute #30April2024 #ResearchReport : #Labor #Market #Policies #for #Racial #Equity "What Does the Evidence Tell Us about How to Ensure the Future of Work Does Not Replicate the Disparities of Today?"

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A new report produced by the Center for New York City Affairs in partnership with the Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy at The New School and the Center for Community Uplift The Brookings Institution reveals racial and economic inequities in New York City’s public transportation subsidies. Examining subsidies across the city’s ten transit systems by race and income, the report finds inequities between subsidies for the NYC Ferry service compared with the Fair Fares program for the MTC’s subway and bus riders, and underscores the importance of assessing policies and budgets through a #racialequity lens. Read the report: https://lnkd.in/ekE6Y-R9 #FairFares #TransitEquity #NYCSubsidies #EconomicMobility #TransportationEquity

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As The Rockefeller Foundation celebrated its 111th anniversary last week, I found myself looking through some of the most interesting documents from our archives. One thing became clear: It’s realistic to be optimistic about our capacity to make large-scale change, And philanthropy can be one of the most effective methods of doing so. Time and again, we’ve proven we can make big bets — and improve billions of lives in the process. In this new piece, I examine what we can learn from the past century of risks and rewards and discuss how our team is working to do our part to address the most serious threat facing humanity today, climate change. https://lnkd.in/enh-sz4w

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Center for Effective Philanthropy released its report today on State of Nonprofits 2024: What Funders Need to Know. Checkout the survey results from a nationally representative panel of U.S. nonprofits that receive at least some foundation funding. The data reveals: - 95 percent of leaders express some level of concern about burnout, and 34 percent report that staff burnout has been “very much” a concern to them in the last year.  - Almost 60 percent of nonprofit leaders identify staff-related concerns as one of their organization’s biggest challenges. Learn more https://lnkd.in/eTD4GcVc

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The Hazen Foundation has an important new report out with wisdom from social justice nonprofit leaders that goes beyond the standard recommendations for funders and gets into the real deal of how to make social justice grantmaking a reality. Some of my favorite nuggets from the report: -Program officers need to be transparent about internal challenges at their funding institutions and work with grantees to strategize about how to address those challenges. -Don't underestimate the scale of resources required to support movements! With recent high inflation, if you awarded a $50,000 grant in 2019 and maintained it at the same level for three years, that grant has gradually decreased the worth of the grant by about 20%! And funding to scale means supporting salaries and benefits at a level that can compete in our current challenging labor market. -Be wary of strategies and coalitions that are too funder-driven - collaborations usually only work if they come from the ground-up based on authentic relationship building. -PLUS: Nine steps for reimagining your application process with a social justice, grantee-oriented lens. As Hazen moves toward the end of its planned close-down, this report is a wonderful parting gift to the field. I was honored to be part of the research team for the report and to have one more chance to collaborate with the inimitable Lori Bezahler, Lyle Matthew Kan, and the wonderful team at Minerva Strategies!

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Disaster relief wasn't designed with children in mind. Come check this out and plug in with Project:Camp and #CAWHS to learn about the importance of childcare in disaster resilience.

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Educational opportunity and literacy equity are facilitated, or frustrated, by broad and complicated systems of public financing. Andrew Kahrl's work, _The Black Tax: 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Dispossession in America_ presents a story to be reckoned with, and some thinking about how these systems can be improved toward the goals they ought to serve. Recommended reading. https://lnkd.in/g_z8m_9V

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We should be clear that our movements and movement leaders are targets for right-wing disinformation, legislation, strategy, and violence. And those attacks are well-funded.

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