Seven weeks after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, donors have contributed more than $895-million to support relief efforts. And now, new research on text-to-gift conducted by Convio, Edge Research and Sea Change Strategies on US charitable donors has been released. The data, gathered a week following the earthquake, indicates that mobile philanthropy, while not universally accepted is gaining traction with younger generations, and that the efforts around Haiti could be the tipping point for greater adoption. The mobile philanthropy results are part of a larger study that will be released in the coming weeks on the contrasting charitable habits of Gen Y, Gen X, Baby Boomers and Matures to provide the sector with insights on cultivating the next generation of American donors. "The data … Continue Reading
Who Decides When You’re Ready to Lead
from Rosetta Thurman: The Normative Problem With the Term 'Next Generation Leaders' Having a cadre of bright young leaders in the nonprofit sector is great, but typecasting us as the ‘next generation’ can also indicate that we need someone from up on high to deem us “ready” to lead when our time comes. Using the term can make it seem as if young people will lead after all the Baby Boomers are gone, however we all know that’s not gonna happen anytime soon. Baby Boomers are staying in their jobs longer as a result of the economic downturn, and many are taking on “encore careers” as nonprofit leaders. So it’s up to us, the young nonprofit leaders, to redefine who gets to say when we’re ready to lead. It can’t be our bosses, our mentors, or some older and wiser colleague. It is … Continue Reading
“WiseGen”…. If Only!
Recently, a wonderful young leader, Seth Cohen of Atlanta, wrote a blog piece advocating that younger leaders and funders would do well to learn from and not dismiss the wisdom of those whose life experience might provide welcome insights for them. He called that older group “WiseGen.” At first blush, I was inclined to read this as a “shout out” to my own work. After all, for several years, the name of this blog, the address of our website, and our domain name are all ‘WisePhilanthropy.com’, my book is “Saying ‘Yes’ Wisely”. Implicit is that there are things that one can learn from the real life experience of many generations of funders, and that the greatest gift I can give in my teaching and philanthropy advising is to help apply the wisdom of others to individual decision … Continue Reading
WiseGen and the Great Transition
"He whose wisdom exceeds his works, to what may he be compared? To a tree whose branches are many, but whose roots are few; and the wind comes and plucks it up and overturns it upon its face. Rabbi Elazar ben Azarish (Perkei Avot ) “Nothing is secure but life, transition, the energizing spirit.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Hang around a board meeting of any Jewish organization long enough and one can’t help but think there is only one generation of Jews worthy of engagement, cultivation and leadership development: the proverbial “next generation.” Referred to as NexGen, NowGen, young leadership and so on, they are constantly the focus of an immense amount of community angst, optimism and energy. Our Jewish organizations ceaselessly engineer new ways to engage these future generations in the … Continue Reading
A Chanukiyah of Predictions for 2010
December is the time of the secular year where we look backward and forward - making best-of lists and summarizing our prognostications for the future. While many faiths join together for revelries related to the secular new year, for Jews it is also the season to recall the value of perseverance and faith in collective Jewish endeavors, as well as the unexpected miracles that we encounter along the way. So in the spirit of the new year but nevertheless inspired by how one ancient prediction regarding a small vessel of oil gave rise to the miraculous tale of eight nights of luminescence, here are eight predictions for the coming twelve months of 2010: 1. The new “I” word is… Imagination. If 2009 was the year when the newness of Jewish innovation became more widely discussed (or … Continue Reading
NextGenJews.org: The New Address for Federations’ Young Leaders
UJC National Young Leadership has launched a vibrant new Web site, NextGenJews.org, designed to inform, inspire, and connect young, socially conscious Jewish adults. With bold graphics and lively text, NextGenJews.org welcomes visitors and offers multiple ways to explore content. The text and graphics underscore a key message: that the Federation system creates opportunities for young Jews interested in connecting with peers and making a difference in the world. “The ‘hands-on’ message is key, because today’s young Jews have shown they want to be deeply involved in social action, and they very much relate to our goal of tikkun olam, ‘healing the world,’” said Cindy Nimhauser, co-chair of National Young Leadership. “But more than in the past, what draws them to an organization … Continue Reading
Jewish Identity Building, Bronfman Style
Park City, Utah is an unlikely place to find a thriving and growing Jewish community. And an even more unlikely place for an endowed Rabbinic chair. But in Park City you find key elements of community being addressed, both from a spiritual point and a learning point. For as you read yesterday in our interview with Adam Bronfman, he believes "Judaism is defined by ideas, community and a passion for building a better tomorrow." Because a strong tradition of learning exists in Judaism, and in addition to learners we are also seekers, several years ago, Adam endowed the Rabbinic chair at Temple Har Shalom. For without a permanent resident Rabbi in this somewhat remote Jewish community, it would be difficult to meet the various communal needs. Growing up in a home lacking a significant Jewish … Continue Reading
Adam Bronfman, Up Close
One of the guiding principles of The Samuel Bronfman Foundation is Jewish youth shape the future of the Jewish people. Guided by Foundation President Edgar M. Bronfman, and believing Jewish youth possess exceptional vision and talent, they look to inspire a renaissance in Jewish life - to empower this demographic to lead the Jewish people and the world community. Joining his father in carrying out the Foundation's mission is Adam Bronfman, who serves as Managing Director. Adam and I recently sat down to talk about the NextGen, Temple Har Shalom and (as in any conversation with father or son) his father's recent book, Hope Not Fear. As readers of this blog know, NextGen is a term I dislike, and therefore I started our conversation with this thought. It turned out, Adam was not focused on the … Continue Reading
NextGen – A Flawed Concept for our Times?
Let me begin by saying that I really don't like the term "nextGen." It typically is simply the latest euphemism for "young leadership" or other ways in which established organizations try to entice those perceived to be too young to be true organizational leaders to develop a connection and commitment. Underlying it is a very patronizing concept. It says: you are not rich enough or not proven enough to really be worth listening to. We aren't ready to give you real power but we are hoping that some day you will pay your dues sufficiently that we will invite you to the grown-up table. From an organizational perspective, this seems to make all the sense in the world: most younger people don't have the means to contribute at a top leadership level, it builds a "bench strength" of volunteers for the … Continue Reading
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