Servant Leadership & Return-on-Investment

The philanthropic goals of being a servant leader and achieving greater return-on-investment are not mutually exclusive.  In fact, we believe they are intertwined. At the Council on Foundations Conference on Community Foundations in San Diego, come explore these ideas in a highly interactive session, “Serve to Solve: 4 Funder Strategies to Improve Returns-on-Investment & Partnerships.”

First, I will share data on four philanthropic strategies that foster greater return-on-investment while helping foundations become stronger servant leaders, which then helps strengthen nonprofit-funder relationships. We will also take a look at which community foundations across the country are pursuing these strategies.

Second, I will be joined by James Head, vice president of programs at the San Francisco Foundation; Janet Y. Spears, COO at the East Bay Community Foundation; Jennifer Rice, director of community strategies at the Humboldt Area Foundation; and Patrick Horvath, director of economic opportunity & strengthening neighborhoods at the Denver Foundation.

Each speaker has prepared two stories to share about their successes and challenges.  The audience will vote on which of the two stories each presenter should share.  Majority rules!  Each panelist will then have a few minutes to answer the following questions about the story the audience chose: (1) What is a major challenge faced by your foundation and community? (2) What marginalized community did you focus on and why? (3) What strategy did you focus on and why? (4) What were the results and advice you’d give others?

Then, the audience gets to vote again on whether we will have extended Q&A or small table discussions.

Come join us!

Christine Reeves is a senior field associate for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.