Secret to success:

Fundraising. It’s a reality that all non-profit – and some for-profit – organizations must face. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised to have spent such a large chunk of this summer looking for funding. Searching for foundations, typing up solicitation letters, cultivating donors…the routine began to get old, especially when my thoughts turned to the slim chances of snagging a hefty sum.

Social enterprises, socially-minded businesses, or whatever we call these waves of innovation that the Starr Fellowship fosters – they might theoretically be able to turn a profit and self-sustain. It’s easy to think, or hope, that the burden of fundraising is left to unquestionably charitable organizations like UNICEF and the American Cancer Society.

The Capital Good Fund, for example, is different from these: it’s a microfinance institution. It’s the trendy new poverty alleviation tool that will eliminate the global need for charity. Right?

But when it comes down to it, CGF is still a non-profit organization. “Turning a profit” is not exactly a part of its mission statement. The fact that I’d end up fundraising this summer seems, in retrospect, quite obvious.

As I practiced my elevator pitch and drafted LOIs until CGF’s catch phrases became ingrained in my memory, I did some soul-searching. Why was I not spending my days out of the office, meeting CGFs borrowers, getting my proverbial hands dirty and feeling truly productive? I’m still figuring out the answer. One thing I’ve realized is that productivity rarely happens without money. People like the Starr fellows might be motivated by less monetary incentives, but we need others to get substantial things done. Or maybe we don’t, but working alone, progress would come only through intense, full-time labor – with no income, how would we survive? I’m realizing that every non-profit organization, even microfinance institutions, needs to actively seek donors. Though it seems disconnected from social missions, fundraising really does enable all the impact that we might have.

Is fundraising the root of all social work? To get to it, will I drop everything and aspire to become a professional grant-writer? I can’t quite see myself heading in that direction, but after this summer I certainly have a newfound admiration for those who do.

Julie Siwicki, Capital Good Fund

Looking for advice!

Hey SII. I come to you humbly seeking advice on behalf of the Capital Good Fund. We’re revamping our organizational structure, and aren’t sure how to do it best.

Quick background: CGF is a year-old microlending organization in Providence, based out of Brown and currently run by Brown student volunteers. We launched a pilot set of loans in the spring and have 5 borrowers right now. We make 3 types of loans: for small businesses, immigrants seeking US citizenship, and small credit-building loans to install eco-friendly thermostats.

Microfinance organizations have to worry about more than just administering their products, though. Aside from needing staff members to oversee these loans (ie loan officers), we need people in charge of fundraising, evaluation, marketing, etc.

As of now, we have two options for an organizational chart that we’d like to hear your thoughts on. One breaks up the entire staff by loan product, having teams for each that include loan officers as well as members focused on evaluation, fundraising, and so on. In this set up, there would be 3 separate staff members doing evaluation for 3 separate loan products — separately. But each would be part of a team that has the clear goal of making their designated product WORK. We think this could be appealing for a student staff that might not be familiar with CGF when they start working with us.

The second chart divides the staff into teams specializing in areas that span all 3 loan products. For example, the evaluation team would be in charge of evaluating all 3 types of loans. Each team would have a more holistic view of the organization. We worry, though, that the goals might not be as concrete here. Because of this, the staff might not feel as much direction – or take as much initiative – as they would in the first option.

So what do you think? Do you have experience with organizations or student groups that could guide us? Any and all comments are welcome. (and preferably in the next couple days!)

Let me know if you have any questions. I can email you the tentative charts if you’re curious. julie_siwicki@brown.edu. Thanks!!

Julie
Capital Good Fund

A secret weapon?

CGF should invest in thank-you notes – a significant conclusion I’ve come to over the past month or so, working as the Capital Good Fund’s community partners coordinator. In each one-on-one meeting with partner organizations, I try to figure out where they want the partnership to go and how to ensure that CGF is giving back all the help we’ve gotten. I’ve found that a little “thank you” can go a long way in making people open, friendly, and willing to offer more resources and advice.

I realized this through a written evaluation form sent back by our partner at the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC). She had referred one of our first clients to us, and suggested that we have a policy of formally thanking those who give us referrals. In response, I brought a short note to our meeting that she seemed to appreciate. (“I’ll put this right on my desk. Oh I’m going to cry!” Perhaps a mild exaggeration on her part, but I’ll take it!)

Of course, ideally we can accompany the words with something more substantial. Sometimes it works out so that by helping out our partners, CGF benefits too. For example, RIEDC asked us to write a borrower “success story” for the woman who they sent to us to post on their website. It will indicate that they make good connections for their clients, publicize the effective partnerships they have, and attract more community members to their services. CGF will be happy to collect information for and draft this story because a) we want to reciprocate RIEDC’s help, and b) we can use the same story for similar purposes.

Other times, we have to put in work to thank our partners that doesn’t have an immediate payback – which is fine. I’m definitely willing to make sacrifices to help make Providence’s nonprofit community more tight-knit. I’ve come across so many organizations that do the same things here that I wonder how much of the sector is redundant and wasting resources. Like SII, I hope that I can contribute a little to streamlining social efforts in this city. To make this impact I’m arming myself with active listening, sensitive doing, and a big handful of thank-you notes.

Julie

My best guess

Alright, my summer with CGF is about to begin. I met a week and a half ago with the rest of the summer crew about what exactly we have to do over the next 3 months – 31 items on the to-do list!

Here’s what I got out of this meeting.
1. I have to be friendly to community partners. CGF has gotten feedback in the past about not taking our partners’ needs into account as much as we should – so I have to fix all that. I definitely feel up to it, especially after a week of working at the reception desk for Alumni Weekend…Really!! I have confidence in my people skills. I also feel able to collect and implement feedback from those who I work with – I did a lot of it last summer, working with community health committees in Mali.

2. I have to come up with a format for (bi?)monthly community partner meetings. What will we talk about? Will borrowers attend? How much input will each party have? This has to be an organic process – so it’s hard for me to know how it will work out. I’m a little worried about my ability to institutionalize these meetings, but have a feeling that it will be less intimidating once the ball gets rolling.

3. I have to make decisions about CGF’s long term vision!! Granted, we’ll all be talking about it a lot this summer. The part of the vision that I’m especially concerned about is whether or not we want CGF’s student staff members to actively train and educate borrowers. Are we qualified enough? Where would community partners come in? I anticipate a lot of debate around this issue over the summer – I’ll try to implement any resolutions into the community partners structure.

Looking forward to reading over this blog entry at the end of the summer, comparing it to how my work actually plays out. My ideas seem accurate enough right now…

Till next time,
j

Capital Good Fund – Elevator Pitch

The Capital Good Fund, part II

By Julie Siwicki

 

The fundamental objective of changing my world has guided me through a past of coursework, jobs, and community service. These have given me strong leadership skills, a solid academic background, and hands-on experience, which I will apply as I build a coalition of community partners for the new microfinance initiative in Providence, CGF. My qualifications do not guarantee that I will avoid obstacles this summer; in fact, I will inevitably face challenges in my work. Entering this project I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses, and throughout it I expect to grow both professionally and personally.

 

I will bring to CGF a wealth of leadership experience, since I hold an executive role for three major groups on campus. Academically, I have a foundation in economics and development studies that will inform my work. I also have hands-on experience with microfinance and coalition-building projects (albeit those in Mali, West Africa). I have worked with inner-city education projects, too. Close relationships with students from poor, immigrant families have shown me the extent of urban troubles in the US. They have also exposed me to community members’ drive to confront the problems – one that I want to join by working with CGF.

 

Despite these assets, I will undoubtedly face challenges as CGF’s Community Partners Coordinator. Most tangibly, my responsibilities may require Spanish language skills that exceed my abilities. When necessary I will hire professional translators and turn to CGF’s bilingual partners. In addition, I expect some feelings of hesitation as a leader on unfamiliar terrain. I understand less about CGF than many of its other personnel, since I joined the initiative much later than they did. I will have to learn quickly about logistical aspects of CGF before I can act confidently as a leader. I will also have to adapt my knowledge of Malian microfinance to American structures. My frame of reference will have to shift to include larger loans and more bureaucratic procedures. Finally, I am not fully accustomed to realities of daily life in poor, urban America. My experience in this setting prepares me for what to expect, but does not guarantee that I will fit in or be immediately effective.

 

I am confident, however, that I possess the skills to rationally assess difficult situations. I will absorb advice offered by CGF’s leaders and partners who better understand them. I know that my strong foundations and my potential for growth qualify me to be CGF’s Community Partners Coordinator. I am thrilled for this opportunity to foster an effective coalition ensuring the Capital Good Fund’s long-term sustainability.